The polymath Douglas R. Ewart has been honored for his work as a composer, musician, improvising multi-instrumentalist, conceptual artist, sculptor, mask and instrument designer, builder, philosopher and more. As an educator, Ewart bridges his kaleidoscopic activities with a vision that opposes today’s divided world by culture-fusing works that aim to restore the wholeness of communities and their members, and to emphasize the reality of the world’s interdependence. From Kingston Jamaica, Ewart immigrated to Chicago and connected with Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians—he later served as chairman from 1979-1987 and into the millennium.