Edition No. 13
In this Edition
Arts and Culture
Full of Detroit Soul, a new campaign from Pepsi, highlights the incredible and diverse work of four artists who celebrate the rich heritage of the City of Detroit.
Community and Family
The War Memorial’s Ski Hi Club returns this winter with fun and adventurous trips to Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard resort. Share your favorite Ski Hi memory below!
Our American Values
A New York Times article highlights the work of Boston College professor Heather Cox Richardson, and her engaging “Letters From An American.”
Pepsi Full of Detroit Soul
At the end of 2020, Pepsi launched Full of Detroit Soul, a campaign to celebrate Detroit artists, highlight the diversity, creativity, and individuality of the city. Expanding upon an eighty year plus partnership, this initiative continues Pepsi's longtime work of supporting local Detroit cultural organizations.
Featured in this campaign are mural artists Désirée Kelly, Ndubisi Okoye, and Sydney James, all commissioned to create work featured on billboards and murals throughout the city. Native R&B musician Kem has also joined the efforts.
Native to Detroit, each artist uses their craft to share the rich history and vibrant energy of the city they love. Each still active in the Detroit community, their art focuses on the positive attributes of the city. Of the muralists, their creations celebrate all the things that make Detroit unique: cars, coney dogs, storytelling, and the rich heritage of changemakers.
Detroiters can expect to find limited-edition Full of Detroit packaging on several Pepsi products across the city. This multi-year campaign guarantees artists from across the city to highlight their talent and love for Detroit.
To explore these artist, as well as learn more about the campaign and where to find their art through the city, click here.
A Time Honored Tradition
Ski Hi Club At The War Memorial
A photo from the early days of The War Memorial’s Ski Hi Club.
For nearly fifty years, The War Memorial’s Ski Hi Club has provided fun and adventure during Michigan’s snowy months with weekly ski trips at Pine Knob, Mount Holly, and Alpine Valley.
Now in exclusive partnership with Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort, the club provides the opportunity to learn to ski, snowboard, or improve your skills. The War Memorial membership is a great value — providing lift tickets and rentals at a discounted rate, all facilitated through War Memorial staff.
As one of the oldest programs still running at The War Memorial, of course, Ski Hi would return in 2021! Looking a bit different than years pasts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club still provides a great opportunity for community youth to ski and snowboard. And new this year, the club is open to ages seven through high school seniors. In the recent past, the club was open only to middle schools and high school underclassmen. To learn more about how this year’s club works and register for a membership, visit our site here.
Now we want to hear from you! Share your favorite War Memorial Ski Hi trip memory, and we’ll publish your stories later in the season!
Letters from an American: Professor Heather Cox Richardson
We’d like to call your attention this week to someone who is doing work that is very similar in both method and purpose to The War Memorial’s Our American Values initiative—using American history as a lens through which to better see and understand the American present. Heather Cox Richardson is a Boston College professor specializing in 19th Century American History. Her twice-weekly live Facebook sessions and her near-daily “Letters from an American,” are aimed at people who, according to the New York Times, ”want to leave an article feeling ‘smarter not dumber’… and who don’t want to learn about the events of the day through the panicked channels of cable news and Twitter, but calmly situated in the long sweep of American history and values.”
Follow this link to a Monday, December 28 article that explores how Heather Cox Richardson became, “more or less by accident the most successful independent journalist in America.” A link to Professor Richardson’s “Letters from an American” appears within the article. Please note: Subscriptions may be required to read the full article.
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 Community Engagement team at bhoste@warmemorial.org.