Edition No. 34
In this Edition
Arts and Culture
The 43rd Kennedy Center Honors celebrates the artistic accomplishments of some of our countries finest performers, ranging from musicians and poets to actors and cultural icons.
Community and Family
The Grosse Pointe Artists Association presents a breathtaking new exhibit that celebrates the joys of summer, family vacations, and exploring our great nation: American Road Trip.
American Democracy
Every Tuesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life in their new podcast, Now & Then.
43rd Kennedy Center Honors
The 2020 Kennedy Center Honors, meant to be held in early December 2020, was postponed until May 2021 due to ongoing concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor that recognizes individuals in the world of performing arts who have made a significant impact on American culture during their lifetime. The collection of recipients is vast and diverse, ranging from musicians like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dolly Parton to actors like Sidney Poitier and Morgan Freeman, all the way to cultural icons like Oprah Winfrey and Lin Manuel Miranda.
The 43rd Kennedy Center Honors was held this past month and celebrated the artistic accomplishments of Debbie Allen (choreographer and actress), Joan Baez (country singer-songwriter and activist), Garth Brooks (country singer-songwriter), Midori (violinist), and Dick Van Dyke (actor).
Learn more about each of the recipients below. And the best part? You can still stream the ceremony online, which featured performances from Yo-Yo Ma, Kelly Clarkson, and Gladys Knight.
American Road Trip
For the Grosse Pointe Artists Association’s latest exhibit, 32 artists submitted 49 pieces of art that showcased the highlight of summer vacations —hitting the road to explore new countrysides, revisiting favorite places, and the return of warmer weather. The show was juried by David Lorenz, Executive Director for Travel Michigan, where his duties include overseeing the “Pure Michigan” campaign. Lorenz has been working in the tourism industry for decades, serving on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, and as vice-chair of the National Council of State Tourism.
The gallery talk and awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at 6:30pm. The evening will also be a debut for road-trip-themed art books by Grosse Pointe Park resident Will Schippert who battled the isolation of the pandemic by touring the Upper Peninsula, making art, and collecting stories.
You can view the American Road Trip exhibition in-person at the GPAA gallery at The War Memorial, 2—6:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 10 through July 15.
Everything That Never Was by Michelle Boggess
Description: On a trip to West Virginia, a friend and I decided to hike some of the rural areas surrounding her family's land. We came across an old bridge that seemed to float in the sky. There were signs warning us not to cross. To this day I wonder what was on the other side.
Dimensions: 18inx24 in
Material: Acrylic on canvas
Price: $400
Crossing the Missouri by Chris Charron
Description: Rail bridge across the Missouri River.
Dimensions: 16inx22in
Material: Digital print on framed canvas
Price: $125
Awakening by Michelle Boggess
Description: In my early 20's I helped a friend move across country with nothing more than a disposable camera and a backpack. Most days were mundane with nothing more than the road to look at. But this particular day we were forced to pull over on a random exit and wait for a storm to pass. This painting is inspired by the view we had from the side of the road somewhere from a hill in Colorado.
Dimensions: 18inx24in
Material: Acrylic on canvas
Price: $400
Coastal Blues by Ellen Doyle
Description: Semi-abstract landscape of an imaginary place I'd love to visit by sea .
Dimensions: 36inx24in
Material: Acrylic on stretched canvas
Price: $500
Podcasts That We Love:
Now & Then
Two of our favorite historians have joined forces to create a new podcast that uses American history to better understand the American present.
Yale’s Joanne Freeman (featured in Inspired Thoughts Edition No. 2 and No. 6) and Boston College’s Heather Cox Richardson (featured in Inspired Thoughts Edition No.13) bring their long and clear-eyed views of American history to Now & Then, a new podcast from CAFÉ and the VOX Media Podcast Network.
This is quite a combination. The New York Times has called Professor Richardson, “America’s most successful independent journalist” while Lynn Manuel Miranda drew on Professor Freeman’s work in crafting his “Ten Duel Commandment” for the Broadway show Hamilton.
New episodes of Now & Then drop every Tuesday morning and live monthly events are planned that our professors will tell you all about on the weekly edition. The pilot episode, more information, and links to where Now & Then is located within Apple Podcasts and Spotify are at the link below.
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 jkaminski@warmemorial.org.