Celebrate MLK Community Day at the Wadsworth

JOIN THE CELEBRATION - TODAY | January 18, 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day  at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art!  Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day: Spread the Word: Celebrate the powerful message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day of big dreams, self-expression, and powerful messages. This free, family-friendly event is a perfect opportunity for people of all ages to connect with the transformative power of art and the spoken and written word.   Monday, January 18 | 10am - 5pm Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art FREE ADMISSION 10 AM - 5 PM! Join us as we collaborate with the Wadsworth Atheneum for a day of performances and workshops including guided gallery meditation, "I Have A Dream" live reading, Studio 860 dance performance, Freedom: In Three Acts performed by Bated Breath Theater and all day art making activities.  This will be the final day to view our current exhibition, "This is my Story, This is my Song."  The Amistad Center will be running the film of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream Speech" and a word wall will be on display for visitors to leave a note or message of what inner strength means to them. The day's schedule of events is below.DREAM BIGAll Day: Make a Dream JournalCreate and decorate your own dream journal to keep track of your ideas, hopes, goals, and dreams. 10 am - 4 pm: Ice Cream for a Dream Share your biggest dreams with Dream Chaser #1 from the Dream Support Network and receive a free ice cream! 10 am - 4 pm: Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream SpeechThe Amistad Center - Second FloorListen to the original footage of MLK's powerful speech. 4 pm: Film: Ice Cream for a Dream Documentary Learn more about Ice Cream for a Dream with this mini documentary and meet Dream Chaser #1. SHARE A MESSAGEAll Day: Sketch & Send a PostcardSketch an artwork that makes you feel happy, calm, or joyful. Then, mail your sketch to a friend or family member. All Day: Write Magnetic Poetry Create your own poetry using magnetic poetry boards. 2 - 3 pm: Book Crossing with the Amistad Center's Teen Advisory Group Meet The Amistad Center for Art & Culture's Teen Advisory Group (TAG), and participate in a book-sharing activity. EXPRESS YOURSELFAll Day: Words of Wisdom with Natasha MilesJoin teaching artist Natasha Miles and create a personal symbol inspired by the symbols of different cultures. 11 am - 3 pm: Mixed Media Performances Stop by the stage in Morgan Great Hall to see how spoken word poetry, drums, dance, and music work together to send a powerful message through performance. 11 am - Poetry, Drum, and Dance Showcase 11:30 am - Interactive Family Workshops noon - Iron Poet Challenge 1 pm - Collaboration Showcase 2 pm - Lift Every Voice and Sing Gospel Choir 2:30 pm - Open Mic (sign-ups begin at 2 pm)   Mixed Media performance partners include Hartford CityShare, the Iron Poet Series, Gerard Hector, and Island Reflections Dance Theater Company. TOURS11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm: Ask About ArtExplore meaningful messages in art through a docent guided tour of our American Art collection. THE AMISTAD CENTER FOR ART & CULTURE founded in 1987, owns and exhibits a vital collection of 7,000 works of art, artifacts and popular culture objects that documents the experience, expressions and history of people of African descent.   The Amistad Center is an independently incorporated and managed not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, located in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.  The Amistad Center is not related to the many other organizations in Connecticut and across the country who share the name Amistad. Amistad is a popular choice as it remembers a significant event and calls to mind African American strength and history.  OUR MISSION: We celebrate art and culture influenced by people of African descent through education, scholarship and social experiences.  OUR VISION: Minds are opened, lives are changed.