BRIGHTON, N.Y. — An iconic Rochester artist held a free public talk on Tuesday night as part of a series at The Harley School in Brighton.

Thomas Warfield is doing a mini-residency at the Harley School to share his thoughts and experiences about “the artist’s path.” Warfield met with two groups of students before the public talk to discuss being a performer and the role of artists in their community. Warfield says that, even if high schoolers don’t go into the creative arts, he hopes their lives will still be creative.

“Its important they get to hear how the journey was because when you’re in 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, you have no concept of what’s ahead,” Warfield said. “And not that I’m telling them what their life will be but that there is a life ahead and it will be okay.”

He emphasizes that, no matter what stumbling kids go through, they’ll be able to pick themselves up and move forward.

Thomas Warfield has been involved with the arts for decades. He is director of dance at the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a senior lecturer for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

He is a singer, dancer, model, actor, composer, director, producer, activist, and poet. He has also been involved in television and film. Warfield has performed at the Met Opera, Martha’s Vineyard, a circus in Japan, and even for Queen Elizabeth II.

Outside of teaching, he is known on the east coast for his original touring project called Astrodance that combined dance and astrophysics and was funded by the National Science Foundation.