MFA Boston to host online community celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
A virtual program that will highlight art and community
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will host its 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration online on Monday, January 18 to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King. The event will be held in partnership with Citizens, which has sponsored the MFA’s annual community celebration for 19 consecutive years.
“Although we are not able to gather in person for our annual MLK Day celebration, we are looking forward to continuing to honor Dr. King’s legacy with a virtual program that will highlight art and community,” said Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director. “Citizens has been a true partner as this event has grown year after year, and we are deeply grateful for their support.”
The celebration will stream on the MFA’s Facebook, YouTube and website at 5 pm on January 18. As part of the program, titled “Voices on King,” the Museum has brought together nonprofit, corporate and community leaders to share their personal reflections on the current impact and lasting legacies of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The event will also feature a musical performance by Danny Rivera and an original poem by poet Porsha Olayiwola.
Featured speakers and performers include:
- Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director, MFA
- Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens, Massachusetts
- Imari Paris Jeffries, Executive Director, King Boston
- Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement, MFA
- Kim Janey, City Council President, Boston City Councilor, District 7
- Lisa Owens, Executive Director, City Life/Vida Urbana
- Julia Mejia, Boston City Councilor, At-Large
- Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County District Attorney
- Rob “Problak” Gibbs, Artist and Cofounder of Artists for Humanity
- Giles Li, Senior Program Officer in Arts and Creativity, Barr Foundation
- Porsha Olayiwola, Poet
- Danny Rivera, Artist
- Paul Grogan, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation
“Voices on King” was developed in collaboration with King Boston, a privately funded nonprofit working closely with the City of Boston to create a new memorial and programs about Dr. King and Coretta Scott King and their time and work together in Boston.
Since 2003, Citizens has helped the MFA welcome more than 120,000 visitors on MLK Day to enjoy free performances, tours, talks and art-making activities in the galleries. Leading up to MLK Day, Citizens will offer a virtual photo booth that lets participants place themselves in front of a variety of MFA backgrounds.
“Citizens is proud to once again partner with the MFA on this community celebration that provides a platform to learn, connect with one another and celebrate Dr. King’s legacy,” said Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens, Massachusetts. “During a time that has presented us all with many obstacles, this opportunity to engage and build community is even more critical.”
Additional programming support is provided by The Lowell Institute.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $179.2 billion in assets as of September 30, 2020. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 2,700 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Founded on February 4, 1870, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), stands on the historic homelands of the Massachusett people, a site which has long served as a place of meeting and exchange among different nations. The Museum opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876—the nation’s centennial—at its original location in Copley Square. In 1909, the MFA moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue and today, the Museum houses a global collection encompassing nearly 500,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary.
The Museum is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For more information, call 617.267.9300, visit mfa.org or follow the MFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
