313 Presents, Olympia Development of Michigan, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, and Comerica Bank Present Detroit Public Schools Community District’s An Evening of Fine Arts

In partnership with the City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship, the free event featuring middle and high school students is May 19 at the Historic Fox Theatre

313 Presents, Olympia Development of Michigan, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, and Comerica Bank, in partnership with the City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE), are proud to present Detroit Public Schools Community District’s (DPSCD) An Evening of Fine Arts at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m. The signature event returns to the Fox Theatre for the first time since 2013 and kicks off DPSCD’s inaugural Come Home Alumni Gala Weekend.

An Evening of Fine Arts is the culminating activity for more than 200 students who were selected from DPSCD’s middle and high school fine and performing arts departments and showcases the tremendous talent within the district. It is a celebration of the students’ achievements and provides them with a one-of-a-kind experience that will shape their future endeavors. The community will see performances by the top instrumental music ensembles, vocal music ensembles, dance companies and theatre excerpts. In addition, original works of art by the district’s top visual artists will be displayed in the Fox Theatre’s Grand Lobby.

Hear more about the evening from a few students in this video:

“Students’ creativity, voice, and critical thinking skills are sharpened through the arts. As a foundation of our reform, we established an art or music program at each DPSCD school because we knew that our students’ talents would not be developed without this programming. More importantly, access to the arts allows students to define and understand beauty. This simply develops better people and citizens,” said Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent, DPSCD.

“The return of the Evening of Fine Arts is a strong signal of the district’s return to its rich legacy. It continues to be encouraging to see business partners and organizations embrace our whole child commitment to our students and families. DPSCD has served as the pipeline for so many talented performers through the decades. Events such as this allow us to see our students’ talents annually on one of Detroit’s largest and most historic stages: The Fox Theatre.”

Through their partnership, 313 Presents, Olympia Development, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, and Comerica Bank are supporting community initiatives focused on youth empowerment. The philanthropic outreach combines resources from each partner to engage and connect community organizations and schools to the Fox Theatre. In the fall, the partnership will launch a Workforce Development Lunch and Learn Series with Detroit students.

“The Evening of Fine Arts will display the outstanding talent of our community’s youth,” said Mike Ritchie, Comerica Bank Michigan Market President. “There is no better venue for this evening of exceptionalism to take place than at the Fox Theatre, which is one of the world’s most majestic and historic venues. When we began our partnership with 313 Presents and Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, we wanted to ensure that our community engagements worked together to empower and impact youth, and this evening provides the grand stage for some of Detroit’s finest students to showcase their gifts in what we hope is a night that they, their families and our community cherish for a long time.”

The Ilitch organization has proudly supported Detroit Public Schools students over the years through financial and in-kind donations, volunteerism, life-changing internship and educational programs, and more. An Evening of Fine Arts is a natural extension of this long-standing partnership.

“We are honored to join with Detroit Public Schools Community District to bring this signature event back to the historic Fox Theatre, shining the spotlight on these phenomenal students in Detroit as they pursue their dreams and inspire those around them,” said Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. “We applaud these young people for their dedication to excellence in academics and in the fine arts, and we’re proud to support them in achieving their incredible potential as students and members of the community.”

The Fox Theatre, which celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2018, has hosted the world’s greatest performers, and to this day, continues to provide generations of Detroiters countless memories as one of the most iconic theaters in the world while displaying its versatility in hosting world-class entertainment events, concerts, family shows and community functions.

“313 Presents is proud to bring An Evening of Fine Arts to the Fox Theatre once again,” said 313 Presents President Howard Handler. “Offering DPSCD students the opportunity to showcase their incredible talent on the same stage in which the biggest names in show business have performed aligns perfectly with our mission to provide access to amazing entertainment and alive moments inspired by the soul of Detroit. Our hope is this will provide inspiration and support to students who have a love for the arts. Through a combined effort with DPSCD, Olympia Development, Comerica Bank and Detroit ACE, 313 Presents looks forward to hosting An Evening of Fine Arts at the Fox Theatre.”

Rochelle Riley, the city’s Director of Arts and Culture, said “It is vital that we not only celebrate excellence, but celebrate it early. Our children who want to become part of one of the nation’s most vibrant and accomplished creative workforces, need to know that they don’t have to leave Detroit to be great and they can take great stages before Carnegie Hall. They can be showcased at one of our preeminent venues – the Fox Theatre. They deserve it, and so does the city. I cannot wait to see them shine.”

About An Evening of Fine Arts

An Evening of Fine Arts began as a way in which to showcase the advanced music programs in the Detroit Public Schools. Over the years it grew to include other art forms, including dance, theatre and visual arts. Some of America’s most prolific artists were nurtured in the Detroit Public Schools and many have performed as students in this event. EFA took place at the Fox Theatre for many years to sold-out audiences. In 2014, the district moved the evet to school auditoriums due to lack of funding needed to produce the concert at the Fox Theatre. Today, there is a renewed commitment within the Detroit Public Schools Community District to ensuring the arts in the education of Detroit’s children. All DPSCD schools proudly have a music and/or arts program.

Admission to An Evening of Fine Arts is free and open to the public, but patrons must have a ticket to enter. Tickets are available in advance at participating schools, the DPSCD Office of Fine Arts and Eventbrite.com.

For more info about An Evening of Fine Arts visit Detroitk12.org and follow the district on Facebook at Detroit Public Schools Community District, Twitter at @Detroitk12, and Instagram at @Detroitk12.

About the Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre, headquartered in The District Detroit, is the city’s crown jewel. A premier venue for live music and entertainment and one of the largest and busiest theaters in the world, the Fox Theatre was established in 1928 and purchased by Michael and Marian Ilitch in 1987. In 1985, the theatre was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and in 1989 it was recognized as a National

Historic Landmark after the Ilitch organization completed a $12 million restoration, returning the venue to its original splendor. In addition to hosting some of the biggest names in show business, the historic venue features a collection of award-winning Broadway musicals, interactive stage shows and treasured holiday favorites. The world-class theatre ranked sixth in the nation and seventh in the world in Pollstar’s 2019 Year-End Rankings for Top 200 Theatres.

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