Riverside Park

This edition of "Art and Soul" focuses on the visual arts. WEMU's Lisa Barry and the executive director of CultureSource, Omari Rush, talk with Nancy Margolis. She is an Ann Arbor activist in the process of putting together an event using the transformative power of art to spark community conversations on diversity.

Music director Adam Riccinto and the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra are returning to the stage after 20 months of being unable to perform together due to COVID-19. The YSO is relaunching its regular performing season with a “Welcome Back” concert at the Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 10 at 3:30 p.m. The family-oriented concert is focused on reconnecting the local community with Ypsilanti’s hometown orchestra and will feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Franz Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture, and special features highlighting the orchestra’s string, woodwind, and brass sections.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Riccinto about the upcoming performance and the pandemic experience on the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra. 

Since June 2021, two Black Lives Matter murals adorned downtown Ypsilanti and Riverside Park. The idea was to inspire community unity in the call for an end to racism and  injustice for people of color. Over the weekend, vandals splashed white paint all over the Riverside Park BLM mural. "Survivors Speak" founder and executive director Trische' Duckworth helped bring those murals to life. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the process of moving forward. 

The SafeHouse Center shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Ann Arbor is constantly at, or near, capacity.  The number of helpline calls to the center is at an all-time high.  These are insidious and pervasive issues right here in our home community.  89.1 WEMU's David Fair sat down with SafeHouse Center executive director Barbara Niess-May, to discuss where we've come, where we are, and where we need to go.

This week, "Art and Soul" is about the local performing arts scene.  89.1 WEMU’s Lisa Barry is joined by local writer and reviewer Jenn McKee and an organizer and performing from the upcoming Nashbash Music Festival in Ann Arbor, Judy Banker.

There are some "egg-stra special" activities happening locally for the Easter Sunday holiday.

This week, Art and Soul is about the performing arts in our area.  89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry is joined by local journalist and arts blogger Jenn McKee to talk about many of the events taking place right now in our area.  They are joined by a special guest, Janice Blixt, the producing artistic director of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, who speaks about their current and upcoming performances.

You might feel like you're in Las Vegas this weekend if you stop by Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. 
 

The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival is happening this coming Friday through Sunday in Riverside Park and includes a wide range of activities from historic building tours to the annual duck drop.

Former Ypsilanti Mayor and festival committee member Cheryl Farmer explains the festival began in the late 70's...