Edition No. 59
Arts and Culture
The 25th Annual Sphinx Competition award winners announced.
Community and Family
Detroit Institute of Arts celebrates Black History Month with free online programs for foodies, seniors, and kids of all ages!
American Democracy
Mitch Albom’s tribute to Mrs. Rita Smilovitz, the recently deceased mother of local sportscaster Bernie Smilovitz.
The Annual Sphinx Competition
The Sphinx Competition, held annually in Detroit, is a national competition offering young Black and Latinx classical string players a chance to compete under the guidance of an internationally renowned panel of judges and to perform with and receive mentorship from established professional musicians.
Hosted by Lara Downs, finalists in both divisions had the opportunity to perform with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, the unique all Black and Latinx orchestra comprised of top professionals from around the country and compete for a total of nearly $100,000 in prizes, including the top Robert Frederick Smith Prize.
All semi-finalists and finalists have access to scholarships and fine instruments through the Sphinx Music Assistance Fund.
2022 Sphinx Competition Winners:
Senior Division
First Place Laureate & winner of the Robert Frederick Smith Prize ($50,000): Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass
Second Place ($20,000) : Gabriela Lara, violin
Third Place ($10,000): Harper Randolph, viola
Audience Choice ($5,000): Gabriela Lara, violin
Junior Division
First Place Laureate ($10,000): Jonathan Okseniuk, violin
Second Place ($5,000) : Brandon Leonard, cello
Third Place ($3,000): Ana Isabella España, violin
Audience Choice ($1,000): Brandon Leonard, cello
The Detroit Institute of Arts celebrates Black History Month with author and art historian Ferren Gipson
The Detroit Institute of Arts invites you to celebrate Black History Month at home with free online programs including music, films, art talks, and artmaking, events for foodies, seniors, and kids of all ages!
The Ultimate Art Museum art talk is among the many events and activities the DIA will feature throughout out the month. The DIA invites guests to join this virtual adventure through Ferren Gipson’s magnificent museum-in-a-book. This imaginary art museum is an inspiring experience without the constraints of space and time.
Discover beautiful reproductions from pre-history to the present, arranged in color-coded wings, galleries, and rooms, each with an informative guide. With over 300 wonderfully diverse artworks, this book is the ultimate resource for all art-hungry children and their parents.
Gipson is an art historian, writer, speaker, educator, and advocate for making art and art history accessible and representative. She has worked with institutions such as Tate, BBC, Pinterest, Lomography and Esquire Magazine, as an art and design content specialist.
This virtual event will take place Sunday, February 6 at 2 p.m. For more details on this event and to explore other activities, select the button below.
Mitch Albom: 'Bernie's Mom' survived the worst, proving the resilience of the Jewish Soul
Detroit Free Press, January 30, 2021
“…each time someone like Rita leaves this Earth, there is one less witness to the horror that took place in the 1940s, and one more nudge for those who would deny it.”
This week we want to call your attention to an important and touching article by Mitch Albom about Mrs. Rita Smilovitz, the recently deceased mother of local sportscaster Bernie Smilovitz. Rather than an obituary, the article is more a tribute to Mrs. Smilovitz and her indomitable spirit.
A Holocaust survivor, the then-Rita Mermelstein was liberated from Auschwitz in 1945 and made her way to the United States where she built a new life. In many ways, the final two lines of the famous poem might have easily been written specifically for her:
“Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”*
She met and married Izidor Smilovitz, himself a survivor of the camps. Together, they raised two children – Bernie and his brother – in a small Washington D.C. apartment where life was not easy but where they achieved their own victory over fascism:
“So, Hitler failed, and Eichmann and Mueller and the others who crafted a ‘final solution’ failed. They failed when it came to forces of nature like Rita Mermelstein and Izidor Smilovitz and other Jews who were strong enough to survive those concentration camps and the inhumane treatment and prosper, and have children, and have grandchildren and great grandchildren.”
*Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus which is, of course, the poem about the Statue of Liberty.
Mitch Albom’s article about the remarkable Mrs. Smilovitz, who lived in her own home until the very end and died at the age of 96, appears at the button below.
The following YouTube link will take you directly to a video Bernie’s son made with his grandparents (there is also link embedded in the Free Press story): youtu.be/QJ5EzmFwoAA.
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at dmurphy@warmemorial.org.