Artist JAMES MONTFORD leads an audience of artists and art lovers in a discussion on Identity in Art. Learning from each other’s experiences and hearing one another’s ideas is the name of the game here; whether you’re interested in participating or just absorbing, this should be interesting. Explore the full range of Montford’s talents and gain some insight into his own perspective at the first retrospective survey of his work, JAMES MONTFORD: PERSUASION 1990–2015, on display now through June 21 @ the Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. This powerful show will add some context to the convo. www.BCAonline.org

—CEEK