By Evelyn Cairns
The Downriver Council for the Arts will host a special exhibit titled “Art Heals” from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Wyandotte Arts Center, 81 Chestnut.
The exhibit, scheduled through Sept. 29, will feature original works of Brownstown’s Josephine Ford Cancer Center art-therapy-class members and 30 art projects of the Josephine Ford Center’s grief-support group for children who have lost loved ones to the disease.
Also on display will be works of participants in the children‘s grief-support program of SandCastles, a division of Henry Ford Hospice and the Henry Ford Health System, which offers activities and counseling at eight locations in the metropolitan Detroit area, including Downriver.
SandCastles centers serve children 3 to 18 years old and their families. The Downriver program is conducted twice monthly at the Aquinas Guidance Building in Southgate.
A special guest at the reception will be world-renowned artist and fine-art photographer Patti Izzo of Wyandotte, who teaches art classes at the Josephine Ford and Guidance centers. Also attending will be Carole Bell, coordinator of the Josephine Ford program.
There is no charge for the reception, at which punch, coffee, tea, cheese and crackers and cookies will be served.
Chamber sets annual roast
The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber’s annual steak roast will take place from 4:30 to 9 p. m. Sept. 13 at the Woodhaven Recreation Center, 23101 Hall Road.
In addition to steak — or barbecued chicken for those who prefer the latter — the menu will include a baked potato, corn on the cob, sautéed mushrooms and onions, salad, dessert and pop, beer or wine.
Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. For reservations or additional information, call 734-284-6000.
Benefit gala is scheduled
Red-carpet interviews by Dearborn Mayor Jack and Chris O’Reilly will kick off the Dearborn Symphony’s annual black-tie benefit dinner dance, “A Night at the Oscars!” at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Fairlane Club.
Guests at the festive fund-raiser will sip champagne and nibble on hors d’oeuvres prior to a sit-down dinner created by the club’s executive chef, Kasey Faraj, who will duplicate a menu served to the president of the United Nations at the Waldorf Astoria.
The meal will include Kobe Beef Roulade, White Turkey with Aged Cornbread Stuffing and Tiramisu, to mention a few of the menu items. Symphony pianist Jacqueline Csurgai-Schmitt will perform during the dinner.
Afterward, the Henry Ford Community College Big Band, directed by Rick Goward, will play for dancing. The event also will include a silent auction and a raffle of items including a specially crafted hand-blown bowl provided by the Glass Academy.
Gloria Nycek and John Matthews Jr. are chairs of the event, which raises funds for the symphony’s concerts and youth music programs.
Tickets for the gala are $175. Benefactor tickets, $300, include the gala and an afterglow at the Padzieski Art Gallery following the opening night concert of the season Oct. 5 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.
For gala reservations or additional information, call 313-565-2424 or visit www.Dearbornsymphony.org.
Dentist wins recognition
Congratulations to Noel Jackson, D.D.S., of Trenton, who recently received the Mastership Award from the Academy of General Dentistry.
According to a spokesman for the academy, the award is the highest honor available at the AGD and one of the most respected designations within the profession.
Jackson is the current president of the Trenton Rotary Club and the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center. He and his wife, Debra, have three children and two grandchildren.