Photo by Paula Merritt / The Meridian StarMembers of the Meridian High School choir pause after singing during the launch of Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child initiative Tuesday at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian. The program aims to integrate the arts into subjects such as math, science and language arts.  

Hundreds of public education supporters crowded into downtown Meridian’s historic MSU Riley Center Tuesday evening to witness an arts presentation intended to transform a school system and community.

The crowd was there for one reason – to celebrate children and the arts.

They honored the community and Meridian Public School District’s partnership with the Washington D.C.-based John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through an initiative called Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child.

Mothers, fathers, and grandparents sat and watched their children and grandchildren perform on the same stage  as Gladys Knight sang “Midnight Train to Georgia” and other favorites two weeks earlier.

People of all ages embraced the opportunity to connect the arts with area students.

Five-year-old artist and Oakland Heights pre-kindergartener Khloe Parker beamed with pride as she stood next to her colored drawing on display. She seemed reticent to share her thoughts on art, but did share a clue about her inspiration.

“I learned about sea creatures from my teacher,” she whispered.

Khloe’s parents stood nearby, smiling as they watched their creative daughter stand among the many works of art.

“One of her teachers said this will help her advance,” said Andrea Smith, Khloe’s mother. “You never know what will happen with it.”

Arts education and community leaders in the community and beyond have spent years planning the kickoff event to showcase the collaboration between Meridian public schools and the Kennedy Center.

This four-year commitment of $125,000 in-kind services from the national arts organization to Meridian schools will help provide students access to the arts who might otherwise miss out on the inspiration, creativity and exposure to new ways of thinking found in music, dance, and visual arts.

The partnership intends to create a sustained effort for Meridian school children to have opportunities to enjoy playing stringed instruments, test their musical the piano or keyboard, and any number of arts-related activities.

Research shows schools that integrate the arts into all classroom subjects have higher-performing, better behaved students who are less likely to miss class.

The audience seemed ready to see how the experiment will perform in Meridian.

“I just love it!” said Sarah Crenshaw, a Meridian retiree who worked as a school counselor in nearby Choctaw County, Alabama.

Crenshaw said she plans to volunteer with the community-wide arts education initiative.

Crenshaw wasn’t alone in her giving spirit. The event also announced $200,000 in combined grants from the Phil Hardin and Riley foundations to support the effort. The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, an interactive museum to open downtown in April, will provide free  school group tours to the Meridian Public School District.

One after another, community leaders leaders stood on the stage of the former opera house and pledged support for the program. During the talks, invitations were issued to the audience to contribute to the effort to improve the community, schools and lives of children through the arts.

Meridian High School student musicians and performers locked hands and swayed back and forth to a version of Pete Seeger’s performance of “We Shall Overcome.”

The Meridian High School band led the captive audience of the auditorium, ready to spread the arts throughout the city.

After the program ended, Charlotte Tabereaux, educational director at the MSU Riley Center, stood among the sea of students, parents, and community members and seemed overwhelmed by the moment.

“This was a grand opening night,” she said.