“Edges of Ailey,” which opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art on September 25, is the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. This dynamic showcase — described as an “extravaganza” by curator Adrienne Edwards — brought together visual art, live performance, music, a range of archival materials, and a multi-screen video installation drawn from recordings of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) repertory to explore the full range of Ailey’s personal and creative life. 

The students, who had visited the exhibit earlier in the week, were joined by Josh Begley, the creator of the 18-channel video installation showcasing a dynamic, looping montage of Ailey's life and dances. Begley is an American digital artist known for his data visualizations. Begley's work has appeared at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the New York Film Festival, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Venice Architecture Biennale. He has worked at The Intercept with journalists Jeremy Scahill, Glenn Greenwald, and Laura Poitras. Begley is the director of two short films, “Concussion Protocol” and “Best of Luck with the Wall,” both produced by Academy Award-winning director Laura Poitras. Now based in Brooklyn, Begley was born in San Francisco, California. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Begley is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and has taught in the Law School and is currently teaching in the School of Architecture.