A display of artworks by area students and a punch and cookie reception will begin at the Village Theater at 6 p.m., followed by the main program at 6:30 p.m. This annual event is presented by the Canton Commission for Culture, Arts, and Heritage, members of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sub-Committee, and Canton Township. Admission to this special presentation is $2 and reserved seats can be purchased online at www.cantonvillagetheater.org.
This year will feature a panel discussion by Interfaith Speakers Pastor David Washington, Jr., the founding and senior pastor of Canton Christian Fellowship Church in Canton; Bill Secrest, a Zen Buddhist, recently retired as the Director of the Henry Ford College Religious Studies Program; Chandru Acharya, President, South Asian American Voices For Impact, board member of Canton Interfaith Community Outreach and teacher at Canton Hindu Temple’s Balgokulam; Saleem Khalid, consultant to the Muslim Enrichment Project, who gives khutbahs and leads prayers throughout metropolitan Detroit; and Paul Talwar, a member of Canton Interfaith Community Outreach team and teacher at the Gurdwara, who will represent the Sikh community. Theses speakers will be asked to share the impact Dr. King has had on their lives and the lives of their faith communities. In addition, panelists will be asked to comment on the civil rights movement and its similarities to today, as well as their strategies for fostering an environment of peace in our community.
The program will also feature music by the Workman Elementary School Choir under the direction of Keri L. Mueller, and dance by Kelsey Rose and Detroit Tap Repertory.
Thanks to Canton Township Officials: John Anthony, Terry Bennett, Phil LaJoy, Melissa McLaughlin, Steven Sneideman and Patrick Williams for personally donating the scholarship and award money for winners of the art and essay contests.
Frames for the selected works were generously donated by IKEA Canton last year and will be used every year to feature the student work. The reception is sponsored annually by Darian and Ralynda Moore of Keller Williams Realty of Plymouth, MI.
Canton's Village Theater, located at 50400 Cherry Hill Road, Canton, MI 48187, is a regional center for the arts that offers the magic of live theatre, soul-stirring music, the thrill of the dance, and the enjoyment of fine art exhibitions and events, in addition to providing a home for several cultural organizations and community groups. For more information about this special performance and the latest exhibition in the Gallery@VT, please call 734/394-5300 or visit www.cantonvillagetheater.org