Local police take aim at carjackings - Canton Public Library

Thursday, September 5, 1981 O&E
Bob Sklar editcx/953-2113
4 bronze reliefs
capture spirit of
civil rights hero
Coutant
staff writer
WHEN SCULPTOR
Sergio De Giusti wm
commissioned to
make four brooze
reliefs to honor tbe life and work of
Dr. Martin Lather King Jr. for
affirmed to bim that tbe slain civil
leader's dream of racial
included all people.
The Italian-born sculptor, wbo
lives In and bas his studio in
Redford Township, said tbe Art on
Campos Committee asked bim to
complete the project after the
artist originally selected, Oscar -
Graves, died of a heart attack.
"They gave me quite a bit of
liberty," De Giustl said. They bad
enough faith in roe that I wouldn't
embarrass them*'
The reliefs are a part of the
Martin Luther King Gardens
between Welch aod Boon halls on
Eastern's campus. A committee,
started in 1986, began raising
money to landscape a garden with
flowering trees and shrubs and a
bust of King.
THE ART on Campus
Committee then joined tbe project
with the idea of adding reliefs
depicting four milestones in King's
life: Tbe Montgomery bus boycott,
the letter from the Birmingham
Jail, the T Have a Dream" speech,
and King receiving tbe Nobel
Prise.
"We've always had a
_ ccessfui celebration o _
said Juanita Reid, a member of the
Arts on Campus Committee. "But
we wanted a different kind erf >
recognition of King because his
De Giusti, wbo bas 1
sculpting for a living full-time for
five years, bad no doubts about bis
ability. But be had some concerns
about taking on tbe project
'1 thought, 'How can a white
person do this relief?' But we are
all a part of what be worked for.
Race was not the only issue for
King. It (racial strife) was tbe
crisis that led him (in his work).
You've got to stick to what you
believe in."
De Giusti took on the project,
starting with clay, then using
plaster before having tbe final
brooseTeliefs cast. Tbe 46-year-old
said be wanted tbe reliefs to
convey a message, but one that bad
to be interpreted, not one that
came at the viewer like a
photograph.
"I work right from tbe clay," De
Giusti said. "I don't use sketches. I
want a more psychological effect,
not just to translate a photograph. *
size, some as large as 16 by 22
are anything but replicas of photos.
Tbe bus boycott relief shows
blacks linked arm to arm, the "I
Have a Dream" relief has an image
of Abraham Lincoln in the
background while King delivers bis
famous address in tbe foreground,
and the letter from the
Birmingham Jail relief shows King
in an almost Papal pose, with Jail
bars and church windows in the
background The relief of the Nobel
Prise includes the medal, part of
King's casket on a wagon and Us
band reaching skyward.
De Giusti' said the Redford
Township Library provided him
with his best and most complete
information about tbe life and
accomplishments of King.
"Ooce I got into It, I really
enjoyed It," De Giusti said. "I
wanted (the Nobel Prise relief) to
show that anyone can reach great
clues."
Tbe sculptor's more interpretive,
less heavy-handed approach to .
depicting the meaning of fang's .
life has not gone unnoticed At the
January ceremony to hondr King
on Eastern's campus, the plaster
casts of tbe reliefs were displayed.
"The woman-wbo spoke there
came up to me afterward and
thanked me for domgtbe reliefs,"
be said. "She said:'We Just don't
need any more busts of the man/ "
THE COMMITTEE came up
with the idea of four events in the
life of King after consulting A. P.
Marshall, a former dean at EMU,
and an authority on Black
American history in the area
Marshall has met and written
articles about King.
«„ Marshall said tbe reliefs are "as
good as any for what they wanted
to commanicate. Tbe symbols
represent what the man stood for.
He meant something different to
everyone. Women and gays have
benefited because be made the
individual more important"
And so a man, who came to this
country from Italy at the age of 14,
i most famous civil rights!
in our history.
Who would ever have dreamed
It?
©If* ©bseruer Newspapers
In tha "Bus Boycott" roUof, Do Oulatl shows ridors arm-inarm,
a symbol for tho unity during tha Birmingham, Ala., boycott
and beyond for tha chrH rights mcvemonL
CLASSIFIED REAL ESTATE
Tha i Have a Dream" relief by 6a Quietl ton Monument and Abraham Lincoln looking
shows Martin Luthor King Jr. delivering that thi in tbabacfcground.
famous address, with images of tha Washing- * *
, •-
Mk
A
Da Guisti i
hairline ad
JoP" rattaf.
I he Ukaa tha
to his papal
Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr.'a
in tha "Lettsr from
Dancer
tops in
nation
By Linda Ann Chomin
special writer
• 10
After a grueling search for the top
U.S. dancer. Dawnell Dryja of Canton
was chosen Junior Miss Dance of
America 1,992 in final competition
given by the "Dance Masters of
America July 30 in Las Vegas.
Dryja is tbe lead female dancer of
the Plymouth Canton Ballet Company,
which will have open auditions
Extension in Plymouth.
Dryja competed against 62 other
contestants for the national title after
winning the Dance Masters of
Michigan competition for Junior
Miss Dance of Michigan 1991 last
November in Lansing
The Las Vegas competition began
at 7 p.ni. with a leotard competition
Dryja as No. 42 did not dance until
11 p.m.
"I was proud of her. She worked
hard." said Dawn Greene, Plymouth
Canton Ballet Company artistic director
and Dawnell's mother
Greene, a ballet instructor for 20
years, teaches at Joanne's Dance Extension
and Grosse He Academy of
Dance She serves on the executive
board of the Cecchetti Council of
America.
FOE THE past three summers,,
Dryja has studied on a full scholarship
with the Cleveland School of
Ballet (Cleveland-San Jose Ballet).
In summer 1988, she attended the
Chicago School of Ballet (Chicago
Ballet Company) on a full scholarship.
"Dawnell and I felLii was an honor
to represent Michigan and an honor
to have won for Michigan,"
Greene said
Dryja will dance the featured role
of the Sugar Plum Fairy when the
Ply mouth ^Canton Ballet Company
performs "The Nutcracker" with the
Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, under
conductor Russell Reed, Dec. IS-
IS at Plymouth Salem High School.
Performing With Dryja in the .fea-
Please turn to Page 2
Ballet dancer Dawnell Dryja
competed sgsinst 62 othor
contestsnta in national competition
in Las Vegaa.
Antique fest gives symphony a finariical boost
ITS MORE than an antique show.
It's also a key fund-raiser for one
of Obeerverland's most-valued cultural
resources: tbe Plymouth Symphony
Orchestra
It's nice that the quality of the
American and European wares at
tbe Plymouth Symphony League s
annual fall antique show is traditionally
high. Wares include folk art, estate
jewelry, linens, quilts, rugs,
lamps, primitives brass, copper and
country fare
But it's even nicer the Plymouth
Symphony League doesn't rest on the
symphony's laurels and wait for unsolicited
contributions to flow Instead,
tbe league flexes its volunteer
muscle and stages the antique show,
now in its-26th yesr as one of symphony's
top fund-raiser*
"A town needs to be well-rounded
The arts and the symphony are
among the things that make Plymouth
a whole town They're a major
boost to our cultural spuit," said
Peggy Blaisdell, a symphony league
board member and antique show cochairwoman.
"COMING HERE from tbe South,
we didn't have anything like a community
symphony down there." said
Sbaryn TidweU, a sis-year Plymouth
resident and Plymouth Symphony
League president "It's nice to have
something like this right here in the
community
Not only does Plymouth Symphony
Society president Klyo Morse appreciate
those kind words, she also
sees the league as indispensable
"I don't know bow reliable other
support groups are. but tbe league's
Bob
Sklar
totally reliable It always raises
what it says it will
"There were times I didn't ihink
tbe symphony would make it, and
times I thought it would be seriously
stretched, if the league hadn t been
here" .
THIS YEAR'S antique show,
featuring 25 dealers from Michigan
and Ohio, runs 10 a m to 8 pm Fri
day. Sept 8. and 10 a m to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept 7. in the Plymouth
Cultural Center. 525 Farmer General
admission is $3
The limited number of dealers
works to advantage for visitors Says
Northville dealer Betty Nowka
There's the opportunity for a per
vmal exchange with the person
who's selling each antique, the person
who knows its history "
Antiques range in pnee from $5 to
12 000
Tbe preview reception - replete
with hors d oeuvres. desserts and
wine - is 7 30 10 tonight, tickets
$15 per person, are available st the
door and include admission all three
days
THF PLYMOl'TH Symphony no
longer receives state arts funding,
like many other arts groups do But
in the wake of Gov John Engler s
drastic cuts in such funding, it's essential
the symphony maintains its
local fund-raising prowess
A support arm like the Plymouth
Symphony League is one such mech
anism All proceeds from'the antique
show benefit the Plymouth Symphony
That helping hand isn't taken
lightly Last years show raised
$8,100 Overall last year, the league
raised 128.000 a third of the symphony
s 1990-91 budget of $78,000
\ beginner orchestra it isn't
The Plymouth Symphony 85 must
nans strong under ronductor Russell
Reed is about to begin its 4*th sea
son Interpreting the worta of ciassl
cal legends like Brahms and Moxart
and modem composers like Copland
and Bernstein
Tbe seven-concert season starts at
8pm Friday, Oct 11. at Plymouth
Salem High School Classical fare is
slated For a program schedule and
season ticket information, call 451-
2112
Plymouth Symphony concerts typically
draw 300-400 folks Seasonal
performances of The Nutcracker
draw up to 1 OOfl
That level of support reflects the
symphony's smashing success in
pricking tbe Plymouth community's
cultural conscience
Boh SWor is assistant manag
ing editor for special projects.