On Friday, December 5, ArtsFairfax and Accenture partnered to present “AI & the Arts: Human Expression at the Crossroads of Innovation,” a salon on the evolving relationship between human expression and AI.
Hosted by Pinkston, this evening event featured a mix of inspiring artist showcases, festive treats, and lively conversations, as well as a panel with AI strategist and media executive Davar Ardalan, executive video storyteller Isaac Brody, composer and music educator Dr. Jesse Guessford, multidisciplinary artist Rashad Muhammad, and artist and former cybersecurity research engineer Dina Wise in a panel moderated by Stuart Holt.
The panelists discussed the benefits and cautions of AI as a tool, the role of new technologies in their artistic practice, and the integrity of an artist’s authorship when using AI. As participants began to envision the future of AI and its role in the creative process, all of the artists reminded us to keep purpose, emotion, and ethics at the center of technological innovation in the arts.
More about the artists:
Davar Ardalan is an award-winning media executive, AI strategist, and artist whose career spans National Geographic, NPR, the White House Presidential Innovation Fellowship program, and Booz Allen. Ardalan has led research in large language models and AI risk mitigation as well as digital transformation across civil and commercial sectors. In 2025, she was a finalist in two categories of the Booz Allen Gen AI Academy Awards for her work in AI and storytelling.
Isaac Brody is an executive video storytelling leader with over 20 years of experience, driven by a passion for crafting narratives that inspire trust and create meaningful change. For the past eight years, Brody has led video production at Accenture Federal Services, partnering with more than a dozen Federal agencies and internal teams to produce mini-documentaries, animated explainer videos, live-action content, conference videos, and podcasts. His work always begins with the audience in mind, building trust and engagement through every story he tells.
Dr. Jesse Guessford received a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University, a M.M. in Music Composition from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and a D.M.A. in Music Composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Guessford has studied composition with Andrew Simpson, Zack Browning, Sever Tipei, Warren Burt, Vinko Globokar, and Lucas Foss. His music has been heard throughout North America including performances during the SEAMUS Nation Conference, in Europe at the Etchings Festival in Auvilar, France, and in Africa on South African Radio. Dr. Guessford has received numerous awards including the Subito Grant for Emerging Composers awarded by the American Composerās Forum. As an Associate Professor in the School of Music at George Mason University, Dr. Guessford has focused on the scholarship of teaching with and about technology and the music of John Cage. Dr. Guessford is also co-founding director of MMT (Music, Motion, Technology), a dance and music collective based in Northern Virginia creating new evening length works involving dancers, musicians, and interactive audio and visual technologies.
Rashad Muhammad is a multidisciplinary artist who works in various mediums, including analog and digital collage, assemblage, design, painting, and non-narrative video. As a queer, gender-nonconforming person of the African diaspora, he resonates with the ability to deconstruct and reform reality ā a method of thinking and creation that can counter societyās hierarchies and binaries. Muhammad uses unexpected found objects, organic shapes, patterns, and symbols as cultural signifiers to highlight the vast intersections shaping the human experience while creating space for healing and rejuvenation.
Dina Wise is a retired Cybersecurity Research Engineer, Dina now serves on the Del Ray Artisans Board as the Technology Director, shows work at the Van Landingham Gallery in the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, and is an artist at Residence at Palette 22 in Shirlington. Find her in the wild on the DC Metro sketching unsuspecting strangers! From wispy cat whiskers to the smallest strawberry seeds, Dina delights in details! She invites you to linger and admire each petal of spring Sakura blossoms, the glow of homegrown summer tomatoes, and the hint of decay on an autumn leaf. Walking the line between cute and creepy, Dina explores the fleeting but cyclical nature of life through small moments.
