The GhostLight Arts Initiative will host its inaugural GhostLight Gala on Sunday, June 29, at the Garden Theatre in Detroit, spotlighting two trailblazers in Black arts and culture.
The evening will honor Njia Kai, a legendary Detroit cultural arts producer and curator known for her work in preserving and promoting Black cultural traditions, and Dr. George Shirley, a groundbreaking tenor and nationally respected arts educator. Shirley was the first African American tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera.
The gala opens with a VIP reception followed by performances, video tributes, a live auction and reflections from GhostLight leadership on the organization’s growing impact and future direction.
The event aims to raise funds for GhostLight’s programming, which includes the Obsidian Theatre Festival, Young Artist Workshop, Detroit Artist Fellowship Program, and Neighborhood Engagement Programming. Encore Michigan, a platform supporting statewide performing arts coverage, will also benefit from the evening’s proceeds.
The GhostLight Arts Initiative is a nonprofit that focuses on building sustainable impact across communities, with a focus on empowering Detroit artists and audiences.
Host Stephen Henderson sits down with GhostLight Arts Initiative Executive Director John Sloan III, as well as the gala’s two honorees. Sloan talks about the nonprofit’s goal of using the arts to bring about social change. He also discusses the Obsidian Theatre Festival.
Kai reflects on her upbringing in a home where the arts were extremely important to her parents. She also discusses her career journey and the critical role of the arts today. Shirley reflects on how he became interested in a career in opera and how he first came to know Sloan at the University of Michigan.