Village Theater's Idlewild Exhibit Surprises, Delights Visitors

A small Black History Month exhibit, , is capturing the imagination of those who encounter it.

The show, which is a series of 11 panels showcasing images and text depicting the oldest and perhaps most famous African-American resort community in the United States, is installed in the lobby of .

Craig Sherrad, a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Detroit, was both surprised and delighted when he and a friend, Joy Mason of Southfield, discovered it during the intermission in January.

“My grandmother has land there,” he mused while gazing at the exhibit’s images.
Sherrad said he’d never been to Idlewild and had to scrap plans for a weekend visit.

But he plans to get there, because a piece of the land once owned by his grandmother now belongs to him.

“Someone asked me if I wanted to sell it,” he said with a brief shake of his head. “But I said no.”

Dennis Trygg of Westland found himself similarly mesmerized by the tales and images of a long-ago time.

“I’d never heard of it,” he said while waiting for his wife, Linda Trygg, who directed one of the Canton One Acts’ shows. “This is cool.”

The traveling exhibit was developed by Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts at the Michigan State University Museum and an MSU professor of art and art history.

Welcome to Idlewild tells the story of a Michigan resort community developed for middle- and upper-class African-Americans between 1912 and about 1964.

The rural northwestern Michigan town became known as Black Eden, partly because it was a resort where African-Americans could buy property and partly because it became a Mecca of black entertainment, showcasing such stars as Jackie Wilson, The Four Tops, Louis Armstrong and Sarah Vaughn. They were just a few of the stars whose reputations added another nickname to Idlewild: The Summer Apollo of Michigan.

Idlewild also drew intellectuals and other leaders, such as Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, co-founder of the NAACP. During the boom years, the town brought an estimated 25,000 to enjoy camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, roller skating and, of course, world-class entertainment.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act, which opened up other resorts to African-Americans, diluted Idlewild’s summer draw, but the town remains for many a place of history as well as recreation.

Welcome to Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan remains on display Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and during public performances until Feb. 24 at Gallery@VT, inside the Village Theater at Cherry Hill, 50400 Cherry Hill Rd. Admission is free. For details, call 734-394-5300 or visit .