Kick off the holiday season as the University of Michigan Detroit Center participates in Midtown Detroit’s 43rd annual Noel Night celebration on Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 5-9 p.m..

This year’s Detroit Center activities include holiday music performances by the Oak Park Voices of Inspiration Choir, Detroit Christian Youth Orchestra, Winans Academy Orchestra, Winans Academy Dance Co., and LSO Dance Company. Guests are also encouraged to participate in the south midtown scavenger hunt, explore the art exhibitions of Monts Hall and enjoy holiday crafts in the Dearborn room. In addition to great entertainment, indulge in holiday treats as you soak in the spirit of the season.

While not required, to assist the Detroit Center in providing the best guest experience possible, please RSVP for this event.

DETROIT CENTER EVENTS

PERFORMANCES
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Oak Park Voices of Inspiration School Choir
6:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Detroit Christian Youth Orchestra (String Ensemble)
6:45 - 7:10 p.m. | Winans Academy Orchestra (Elementary School Ensemble)
7:10 - 7:30 p.m. | Winans Academy Dance Company (5th Grade Ensemble)
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | LSO Dance Company (Detroit Youth Ensemble)

Inspiring Beauty: Joy Bivins will lecture on the exhibit “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair” which is currently showing at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History until January 3, 2016. Curator Joy Bivins has developed diverse exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum since joining the staff in 2002. Her projects include Teen Chicago; Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America; Colonia to Community: The Southeast Side; and Facing Freedom. She has contributed to the Journal of American History and Chicago History magazine. Ms. Bivins has taught courses at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and has received awards from the American Alliance of Museums, the Chicago Defender, and the Chicago Urban League. She earned her B.A. in History and Afro-American and African Studies, University of Michigan (1998) and M.P.S. in Africana Studies, Cornell University (2003).

Oak Park Voices of Inspiration: is a choir from the Oak Park School District under the direction of the accomplished director, Demetria Washington . The choir consists of students in grades seven through nine from two schools, Oak Park Preparatory Academy and the Oak Park Freshman Institute. While their repertoire consists of various genres, their Noel Night performance will include traditional and popular holiday pieces.

Detroit Christian Youth Orchestra: is an after-school orchestra program that meets at Washington-Parks Academy with three levels of participants. The Level 1 beginners group will play "A Medley of Christmas Carols," the Level 2 intermediate group will perform the "Hallelujah Chorus," "A Celtic Christmas," and the "Burgundian Carol." The level 3 early advanced ensemble will perform the 1st and 2nd movement of "Winter" by Vivaldi and "Fantasia on Greensleeves" by Ralph Vaughn Williams.

Winans Academy: The Winans Academy Orchestra Club is comprised of elementary and middle school students of the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts. This award winning school of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) will perform the following selections: “Fancy Fiddles” by Mark Williams, Haydn’s “Surprise Symphony #94” arranged by Dackow, “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven, and “Trepak” by Tchaikovsky. The program will conclude with members of the Heavenly String Cello Ensemble, an alumni group that will perform “Jingle Bells” arranged by Matt Turner.

LSO Dance Company: is a dynamic youth ensemble of dancers with a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and acrobatics. The troupe has been featured at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Opera House, Somerset Collection, and the Music Hall Center, among numerous other venues in Michigan.

ART EXHIBITIONS (Monts Hall)
This, too, is Iran: A captivating collection of assorted photos by Sally Bjork. During her 16-day tour through major cities and regions of Iran, Bjork was charged with photographing sites, monuments, artwork, and urban and rural environments that could be used for research and teaching amongst numerous disciplines. The result - some 8,000 images that celebrate life, vibrancy, and color, as well as Iranian traditions of art and design through the centuries. Learn More

The Artistry of Joshua Johnson: Experience the work of one of Detroit’s most promising young artists as the University of Michigan Detroit Center presents, “The Artistry of Joshua Johnson.” A Detroit native, Joshua Johnson is a senior at the Douglass Academy for Young Men who began drawing at the age of six, and over time, discovered his true calling with the subject matter of the human figure. Learn More

SOUTH MIDTOWN SCAVENGER HUNT
Make your way across the south end of midtown and search for clues as the MSU Community School, Ocelot Print Shop, The Hub of Detroit, Iconic Tattoo, 8 Degrees Plato, and U-M Detroit Center offer participants who complete the hunt an opportunity to win a coveted gift baskets filled with fantastic items.

REFRESHMENTS
Enjoy holiday cookies, donuts, coffee and hot chocolate.

For more information on this event, visit: Midtown Detroit’s Noel Night site or contact the U-M Detroit Center at DetroitCenter@umich.edu - (313) 593-3584.

TRANSPORTATION: University of Michigan faculty, staff and students who are interested in attending this event from the Ann Arbor campus are encouraged to ride the MDetroit Connector. To accommodate those who would like to use this service, an extra bus rout between Detroit and Ann Arbor will be available between 9:30 - 10:30 p.m. Visit ridemdcc.umich.edu to learn more.