Photo of Migrant Sculpture courtesy of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County.
By Cynthia Asiala, volunteer member of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County and the Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative (MARJDI)
Two events ⸻ one in Wellston, the other in downtown Manistee ⸻ will honor and celebrate area farm workers this winter.
All are welcome to attend an annual Ice Breaker event hosted by the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County at 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Woods Events Center in Wellston. The center is located at 17345 6th St.
Included in the evening’s itinerary are a buffet of soups and a slideshow and poetry reading about the joys and angst of farming, presented by Z&N Farm’s Nicole Mezeske of Bear Lake. Attendees may bring an appetizer or dessert to share if they wish.
The following week, a free screening of a new film highlighting farmers and migrant workers, the backbone of our food chain, will be held at the downtown campus of West Shore Community College in Manistee. The film “Did You Guys Eat? ¿Ya comieron? ” will be shown at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, at 401 River St. (The film will also be screened in Frankfort on Jan. 24. See the calendar for details.) Watch the trailer HERE.
Emmy-winning filmmaker Stephany Slaughter, an Alma College professor of World Languages and Cultures, will introduce the hour-long documentary. A question-and-answer period with the perspective of local farmers will follow. Hospitality hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Rice and Shine, a Thai restaurant located in Manistee.
Donations of money and canned goods will be accepted to benefit members of our community.
The event is co-sponsored by the Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative (MARJDI) and West Shore Community College.
In 2016, the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County placed a sculpture honoring migrant workers at Wee Bee Jammin’, north of Bear Lake. The sculpture, created by Dewey Blocksma, is meant to celebrate more than 80 years of migrant laborers harvesting the area’s crops ⸻ ranging from asparagus, strawberries, pickles and tomatoes to all manner of fruits.
“The MARJDI program thanks farm workers whose hands pick, lift, pack and carry the vegetables and fruits we enjoy,” reads a statement in the organization’s press announcement. “We honor their stories and seek with them the justice they so rightfully deserve.”
For more about the Manistee Arts and Culture Alliance, go to: https://www.allartsmanistee.com. For information about MARJDI, visit: https://www.marjdi.org.
