MLK Week - Artistic Expressions | Lake Michigan College

MLK Week - Artistic Expressions

Artists around the community were encouraged to submit their creative reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of the MLK Celebration Week.

Submit your own Artistic Reflection using this form.

2023 Entries

Visual Art

I Have a Dream

Robert Briggs
61+ years old

Black and white photograph of march participants; the Washington Monument looms in the background. One participant in the foreground holds a poster with an image of Africa that says BLM The ancestors approve: no justice, no peace.

Million Man March, 2020

Jaylen Lanier, Lake Michigan College Alumnus
21-30 years old

Portrait of Dr. King made of tiny black dots on an ivory-colored background.

Keep Moving Forward

Alex Chichester, Lake Michigan College
16-20 years old

2023 Entries

Performing Art

Deliverance Mass Choir - Ride on King Jesus

Director: Damaris Morris

Cameron Hampton - Let Us Break Bread Together

A spiritual arranged by Moses Hogan. Alexandra Lee, collaborative pianist.

Niles Public Schools Eastside Connections

7th Grade Art Class

“What is your dream for 2022?” project for Black History Month, reflecting on MLK's famous 1963 speech

Student fixes her art to the wall under a handdrawn sign reading, We have a dream.

Wall of art - 14 tracings of hands with drawings inside.

Five of the students in front of their art.

To become a nurse practitioner. My goal is to travel to 1st world countries as one. And help people less fortunate than me. - Donna

My dream is to finish my book by 2022. To influence people with my stories and express myself through my writing. - Lily

I want to get better grades, so I can make myself proud and my mom proud, and not get into as much trouble at home. - Kayleigh.

My dream is to be a professional fisherman because I love fishing. You also get money off the thing I love. - Colin

My dream is to be a animator. I want to be a animator because I like drawing. - Eden

My dream is to play in the MLB because I love baseball. - Liam

Niles Public Schools Ring-Lardner

Middle School Art Class

“What is your dream for 2022?” project for Black History Month, reflecting on MLK's famous 1963 speech

Wall of art - 3 students reach up to put their hands next to tracings of hands with drawings inside.

Eight of the students in front of their art.

The time is right to do what is right. My dream is for all the racism to stop and that the earth and the people on it become happier. - Alexis

My dream is for everyone to give each other equality. - Kelsey .

Let’s save the earth. No justice no peace. Racism stops with me. This is everyone's fight. My dream is to fight so all the racism to stop because we are all the same just different colors and so that the world can become a better place so we can all be happier together but some of us are unique. - Autumn

BLM. Summer. My dream is to be an real estate agent to sell houses to people and to move with good grades. - Mercedez

My dream is to play softball in college. - Addeline. J

Poetry

Acceptance Thoughts of an Old White Lady

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Stuff of modern day culture, right?

But, really?

Do you include your son’s gay partner?
Do you think Muslim’s are terrorists?
Do you accept your daughter’s black husband?
Do you smirk at the idea of the Native American’s pow wows?

Who is excluded from your circle of friends?

So, how much has changed?

Really?

Do you think of gay people as sinners?
Or most Blacks aren’t really all that smart?
Or most Native Americans are drunks?
Or most Muslims are sexists?

I would challenge you to think in terms of love.

You probably love a parent, partner or child.

And you might love a certain type of music or nail polish color or your car.

These are different types of love are they not?

Can you stretch yourself to love everyone, not matter what? Not the parent, partner or child type of love, but rather the music or nail polish or car type of love.

Or maybe a love a little by just accepting everyone just as they are?

Can you?

Dyann Chenault
An LMC senior student

2021 Entries

Artists were asked to provide their age to add context for the viewer - to illustrate, for example, whether they lived through the civil rights movement.

Visual Art

Stenciled words painted on blue and grey background.

Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat To Justice Everywhere

Michael Johnson, Lake Michigan College
51-60 years old
Acrylic and collage on cradled wood panel. 24X24 inches.

Blue print with clocks set at different times; word now printed in black at the bottom.

Now is the Time

Grace Kelmer, Lake Michigan College Mendel Center
21-30 years old
Print.

Martin Luther King

Layla Renfrow, Eau Claire Public Schools
11 to 20 years
Digital art.

Craig Geiser
61+ years

Green letters on black background: Imagine being enslaved - What would you do? - Who owns the shame? - Who owes the [blank]?

Untitled

Suzanne Knecht
51-60 years
Sequins on 2x4 foot wooden boards. Envisioned as a series of billboards.

A collage of two images with children holding posterboard signs: Black lives matter 4 life! and We need love and peace.

6-20 years
Mixed media.

Child in a face mask holds up a blue print that reads, Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Print.

Child in a face mask leans over a table, using an X-acto knife.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Printmaking.

Child in a face mask holds up a red print that reads Kindness.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Print.

Child in a face mask works on a drawing that reads, Peace. There is a bag next to her with a label that reads, Now is the time printmaking.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Printmaking.

Students in a classroom working at their desks.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Printmaking.

Child points to an image in a handout on her desk.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Printmaking.

Child in a face mask holds up a red print on purple paper that reads, Freedom.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Print.

Child in a face mask holds up a red print on green paper that reads, Peace.

MLK Day Printmaking Fundle Project

E.P. Clarke Elementary
4th Grade
Print.

Performance

Movement 1 Prelude

Movement 6 Toccata

Cantata for Voice and Piano

Lynn Atkins, Pinelands Regional High School, Toms River, NJ
31-40 years old
Vocal performance. Composed by J. Carter (1932-1981); Collaborative pianist is Elizabeth McBride

MLK

James Cooper, Lake Michigan College
Jazz composition. Performed by the faculty of Blue Lake Arts Camp, summer 2018.

Change the World

Skyje
21-30 years old
Songwriting, performance.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

All God's Children Choir, LMC Choirs, Faculty and Friends
Composed by James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamonde Johnson; arranged, directed and edited by Kris Zook.

We Shall Overcome

All God's Children Choir, LMC Choirs, Faculty and Friends
Traditional Spiritual; arranged and directed by Kris Zook.

Now is the Time

Kris Zook, Lake Michigan College
41-50 years old
Orchestral composition.

Motherless Child/8:46 Project

Virtual choir.

Kibra VanHorn
41-50 years
Stage play cast from Benton Harbor, Mich.

Dance

Letter from the Birmingham Jail

Dancesation Dance Studio
11-20 years old
Modern dance. Music by Beyonce; original choreography by Ajah Thompson Fisher.

Historical Artifact

MLK Stamp Collection

African American History and Literacy Gallery, Benton Harbor
The African American History & Literature Gallery in Benton Harbor houses a collection of Martin Luther King Jr. stamps from around the world. The museum-quality stamp collection was donated to the gallery by Margy Davis and Miriam Nason from Buckeye, Ariz. Read more about the collection.