Four things in Wilmington (in-person and virtual) to celebrate MLK Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is historically a time to reflect on the late Civil Rights leader and his thoughts and goals for a better world during a time when society was changing and colliding.
And as issues such as racial injustice and more recently a Capitol Hill riot remain at the forefront, the anniversary of King s birthday on Friday MLK Day, however, observed Monday perhaps holds more meaning than ever.
So while some annual MLK Day events, such as the downtown parade, are canceled this year due to COVID-19, others have emerged online while a few in-person gatherings are scheduled with protocols such as social distancing.
Since the pandemic began, we ve all been looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.
Well, I m happy to say I ve found some of it maybe not the light we re looking for, but still in the Illumination 2020 exhibition at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. It s the sixth year for the annual exhibit, which showcases original light sculptures, or lanterns by artists from the Wilmington area, the U.S. and even Canada.
All 42 sculptures in the show incorporate light in some way, and this year, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the museum asked submitting artists to examine their own metaphorical concept of light, according to the exhibit s program guide. Illumination 2020 went up on Nov. 20 and closes on Sunday, Jan. 10, so you ve still got a little time to see it if you haven t.
Brendan Carter as Dr. Frank-n-Furter and Jordan Wolfe as Brad Majors perform in Opera House Theatre Company’s “The Rocky Horror Show,” being held through next Friday and Saturday night outside on the steps of Thalian Hall. (Port City Daily/Shea Carver)
WILMINGTON It’s hard to remember what it is like going to a full capacity, in-person concert, theater production or community art show. Once March 17 hit almost 10 months ago, all activity pretty much ceased across the globe. Concerts came to a halt and livestreams popped up in their stead. Art exhibits went virtual. Theater productions became pre-filmed or livestreamed.