Schools

Arts for Martin Brings Artistic Diversity to Northfield

This is ARTech's eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

Arts for Martin, annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, is more than an event—it’s a call to action.

“There are still issues of prejudice,” said Bob Gregory-Bjorklund, advisor and arts coordinator for ARTech.

This year is the eighth annual Arts for Martin event. It takes place Friday, Jan. 13, at ARTech, and features a wide range of local performing artists.

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Gregory-Bjorklund said he hopes the event will lead the artists to reflect on King’s significance in the world today.

This year’s celebration features several new performers.

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ARTech’s middle school theater class will present both spoken word and instrumental interpretations of the John Lennon classic “Imagine,” and a local group of Aztec dancers will perform dances of Latin America.

The evening will also include several artists who have performed in years past.

The fourth- and fifth-grade singers, the Choir and the community choir are all returning this year. The community choir will conclude their performance by singing “Doctor Martin,” a song written by local composer Daniel Kallman for the first Arts for Martin celebration eight years ago.

Also returning is ARTech’s dance two class, who will present a performance with modern and ballet influences.

This year’s special presenter is Mary Easter, a professor of dance and the performing arts emerita at . Easter became a member of the first African-American family to live in Northfield, when her family moved to town in 1968. She will speak about her life experiences and performing. Easter’s performance will include everything from dancing and singing to spoken word.

The evening will spotlight creative diversity, but the common theme of the arts will ground and unite the various performances.

“It’s really the drawing of people together,” said Charisse Ponder, the event’s choreographer. “Everybody feels like they’re all on the same page.”


IF YOU GO
WHAT: Eighth annual Arts of Martin
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: ARTech, 1719 Cannon Rd.
ADMISSION:
Free 


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