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Performers celebrating love, art, MLK Day at Newfields

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Local artists, writers, dancers and musicians are celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a series of performances Sunday afternoon at the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Newfields campus.

The event – called “Speaking of Love” – showcases the unifying power of love through various forms of artistry, all featuring Indianapolis-based talent.

Program highlights this year include presentations by Indy Pulse poets, Tan-Za-Mania Dance Company members and the Teen Arts Council.

The annual MLK Day celebration has become a beloved community tradition, said outreach manager Tariq Robinson, who has played a role in crafting the program and organizing the event since its inception in 2005.

“It offers a great opportunity to empower our young artists and musicians in the community,” he explained. “I’m honored to be part of this tradition.”

A new addition to the program this year is a “work in progress” debut of excerpts from “Village Voices: Notes from the Griot.” The performance is directed by Joshua Allen Thompson, an Indianapolis native, and showcases the artistic contributions of African Americans. Vocalists, musicians, poets, visual artists and an African dance troupe will bring the narrative to life, weaving together historical information, selected masterworks and under-performed works.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: Speaking of Love” begins Sunday, January 14 at 1 p.m. at Newfields, located at 4000 N Michigan Rd.

Performers will take to an open stage area on the second floor, adjacent to the iconic Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture currently housed indoors due to the cold.

Admission is free with a donation to the Martin Luther King Community Center. Requested donation items include canned goods, personal care items and art supplies.

Visit the event page on the Newfields website here.