Category Archives: Entertainment

Hasting announces live concert schedule for the summer

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
The Accidentials are set to perform Aug. 20.

By Adrienne Reasner-Brown
West Michigan Tourist Association

Hastings Live is returning in 2021. It may look different than it has in the past– there may be ticketing for some events and venue changes for others, but it is happening!

“We are thrilled to be hosting Hastings Live again,” said Thornapple Arts Council Executive Director Megan Lavell. “We’re making safety our first priority as we move forward with our 2021 programming. We know this season is going to feel different than years past, and we appreciate everyone following the safety protocols to keep the community safe and keep the program going all summer.”

“We have been working with the Barry-Eaton Health Department, Hastings City Police, and the Hastings Department of Public Services to safely plan the upcoming Hastings Live season,” said Hastings Downtown Development Director Dan King. “Please stay tuned to local medial sources and social media for updates as the season draws closer.”

In addition to the Downtown Sculpture Tour (new sculptures are being installed April 27) Hastings Live includes Hastings City Band, Community Concerts, Fridays at the Fountain, and Friday Night Features, Hastings Live at Summerfest, and the Playing at the Plaza Thursday morning children’s entertainment series.

Playing at the Plaza will be held at the Thornapple Plaza this summer to allow children and their families more room to dance, sing, and play while maintaining social distancing. Wednesday and Friday evening and Summerfest concerts will also be held at the Thornapple Plaza which is adjacent to downtown Hastings and its charming and unique shops and restaurants, many located in HOPS, Hastings’ new downtown social district (log on to https://downtownhastings.com/social-district-hops/for more information). It is also located next to the Riverwalk Trail which hugs the banks of the scenic Thornapple River.

Friday Night Features showcase some of the region’s finest up-and-coming performers along with established artists. Friday Night Feature concerts start at 7:30 p.m. at the Thornapple Plaza The Friday Night Features lineup includes:

June 18 Simply Queen
June 25 Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band
July 2 Denise Davis
July 9 Arena Rock
July 16 Jake Kershaw
July 23 Roosevelt Diggs
July 30 Brian Randall Band
Aug. 6 The Insiders
Aug. 13 The Army Band
Aug. 20 The Accidentals

Hastings City Band has been entertaining audiences for more than 150 years. Members are high school aged and up. All Hastings City Band performances are held on Wednesday at the Thornapple Plaza and start at 7:30 p.m. Hastings City Band performance dates are:

June 2
June 9
June 16
June 23
June 30

Community Concerts feature some of the area’s finest local talent. All Community Concerts are held on Wednesday evening at the Thornapple Plaza and start at 7:30 p.m. This year’s Community Concert line-up includes:

July 7 Out of Favor Boys
July 14 Thornapple Jazz Orchestra
July 21 Gooder ‘n Grits
July 28 Geez Louise
Aug. 4 Allie Garland and Awesome Sauce
Aug. 11 Jesse Cline
Aug. 18 Grumpy Old Men
Aug. 25 An Dro

Fridays at the Fountain start at noon on the Barry County Courthouse lawn on the southwest corner of the intersection of Church and State streets. In the event of inclement weather, Friday at the Fountain concerts will be canceled. This year’s line-up includes:

June 18 Gary Niemensky
June 25 Chuck Whiting Jr.
July 2 Ellie Youngs
July 9 Susan Harrison
July 16 Daves at 7
July 23 Hastings Heartbeat
July 30 Kilkenny Corkers
Aug. 6 Community Music School
Aug. 13 Dede and the Dreamers

Playing at the Plaza is a children’s music, entertainment and education series will be held at the Thornapple Plaza Thursdays at 11 a.m. during the 2021 season. The line-up includes:

June 17 Brianna Harm
June 24 Ben Jammin
July 1 Kalamazoo Exotic Animals
July 8 Drumming with Dede
July 15 Tunes and Tales with Trisha
July 22 Palamazoo
Aug. 5 Stormy the Magician
Aug. 12 Mime Rob Reider

Hastings Live at Summerfest is the last concert series of the summer. All concerts will be held at the Thornapple Plaza on the Friday and Saturday of the last full weekend in August. The line-up for this year includes:


Friday, Aug. 27
4-5:15 p.m. Crooked Root
5:45 – 7 p.m. Zion Lion
7:30 – 9 p.m. Crush
Between sets Brianna Harm

Saturday, Aug. 28
2-3 p.m. Brother Adams
3:30 – 5 p.m. Silent Bark
5:30 – 7 p.m. Toppermost
7:30 – 9 p.m. Aeroforce
Between sets Expressions Dance Studio

Please note: Due to ongoing public health concerns, Hastings Live events will observe what safety measures are deemed necessary when the series begins. While all events will remain free, some may be ticketed to limit audience sizes. Please check the City of Hastings and Thornapple Council websites, City of Hastings and Hastings Live Facebook pages throughout the season for updates on bands, venues and current health department guidelines.

St. Cecilia continues eclectic music offerings as virtual series continues this month

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, , ,
Singer/songwriter Josh Rose, who once prowled the football sidelines as a coach, is a person who found music to be his life’s playbook. (Supplied/SCMC)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

St. Cecilia Music Center, like most live music venues in Wet Michigan, are looking toward the fall of this year with hopeful ears open for a return to filled seats for its chamber, jazz and acoustic folk series. But in the meantime, the center is offering three more virtual concerts in April — two of them “live” from the Royce Auditorium stage.

The first of the three concerts will be this week, Thursday, April 8, starting at 7 p.m., when Jen Sygit and Josh Rose will perform from the Royce Auditorium stage in a performance streaming free of charge on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channels, and accessed through scmc-online.org.

Also on the free-streaming concert schedule are Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, on Thursday, April 15, as well as jazz-plus pianist Rufus Ferguson, Wednesday, April 21, with the Ferguson concert again ‘Live” from the Royce Auditorium stage. Both concerts will begin streaming at 7 p.m.

For a complete list of all virtual concerts offered by St. Cecilia for home viewing, see scmc-online.org/virtual/.

Jen Sygit and Josh Rose

Well-known local musicians Sygit and Rose will share the stage, swapping stories and songs “for an hour of fantastic folk,” according to supplied material.

Sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, when it comes to her “folk”, singer/songwriter Jen Sygit has released four solo albums with her latest, “It’s About Time”. (Supplied/SCMC)

Sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, when it comes to her “folk”, singer/songwriter Sygit has released four solo albums. Her latest, “It’s About Time”, was produced by long-time friend and collaborator Dominic John Davis (bassist to Jack White and Buddy Miller) and features guest performances from Luther Dickinson, Colin Linden, The McCrary Sisters and Rachael Davis.

The album’s title track won “Best Americana Song” at the 2019 Independent Music Awards in New York City and her music video for the tune “Love is Wild” won the “Vox Pop Fan Favorite- Best Director of a Short Form Music Video” the same year.

In addition to her solo career, Sygit co-fronts the roots rock Lincoln County Process with Ann Arbor-based songwriter Sam Corbin, is a founding member of the all-female string band Stella! and is also a veteran session vocalist appearing on over 50 albums nationwide.

Singer/songwriter Rose, who once prowled the football sidelines as a coach, is a person who found music to be his life’s playbook. With his guitar in hand, he has played shows throughout the Midwest for 16 years and has recorded three studio albums — with another on the way, according to supplied material.

“Rose’s wistful songs allow all curious listeners to extract what they can from the cloud, to open the floodgates, and to share in the beauty of music, earth, humanity and air,” we are told.

Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra

Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra were scheduled to appear as part of the St. Cecilia Jazz Series in the Royce Auditorium on April 15, but were not able to be in-person this year — however, St. Cecilia is working on a reschedule date for the 2021-22 season!

However, local audiences can enjoy the music virtually with a recorded show — on April 15.

Over the course of his prolific music career, acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis has been praised for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor,” and heralded as hailed as one of “the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation,” according to supplied material.

The latest Uptown Jazz Orchestra release, “Jazz Party”, pays tribute to the soulful and funky sounds of celebration in music, with a jazz sensibility. But the band’s repertoire consists of material that spans the 100+ years of American music with a contemporary flare, with influences from Louis Armstrong to Count Basie, James Brown to J Cole.

Rufus Ferguson

Pianist Rufus Ferguson is into jazz and  so much more. He is an educator who earned degrees from Western Michigan University under the mentorship of Jeremy Siskind and Matthew Fries. And he has shared the stage with artists such as Dwight Adams, Bob Hurst, Rodney Whitaker, Ali Jackson, The Temptations and many more.

Rufus Ferguson (Supplied/SCMC)

Rufus is equally well-versed in multiple genres of music which has made him a fixture in the regional jazz, R&B and gospel music scenes. His jazz arrangements have most recently been presented by his 9-piece ensemble at the 2018 Gilmore Keyboard Festival and his orchestral arrangements have been performed by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

Rufus has performed at several festivals such as the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in Lansing, Michigan, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Elmhurst Jazz Festival, Flint Jazz Festival and the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in Louisville, KY.

Local Fellowship of Christian Athletes to host event with baseball great Darryl Strawberry speaking

Community Health, Education, Entertainment, Health, Local Entertainment, Non-Profits, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, ,
Darryl Strawberry (Supplied/FCA)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Matt Diener, State Director of the Michigan Fellowship of Christian Athletes, believes that if 2020 and the pandemic have “taught nothing else, it’s that the human spirit is more capable and enduring than we ever imagined.” And he has many stories to prove his point.

And one of the stories that has and continues to encourage and grow hope in others is that of Major League Baseball legend — and one of life’s ‘overcomers’ — Darryl Strawberry.

So it is fitting that the Kent County Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ annual FCA Pro Athlete Event (formerly known as the Pro Athlete Breakfast), scheduled for Saturday, April 10, at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, will include a talk by Strawberry.

This event, free and open to all members of the community, will be used to create awareness of ministry outreach and to raise funds to support programs and activities associated with the Kent County FCA, according to a FCA statement.

“We are excited for attendees to hear the powerful story of how God has worked in Darryl’s life, and to highlight the ministry of FCA that has been serving the local sports community for over 65 years,” Diener said in supplied material.

Strawberry is a former 8-time MLB National League All-Star status, with four World Series Titles, a National League home run leader, and was 1983 National League Rookie of the Year.

While incredibly successful in his career, Strawberry’s personal life was plagued with addictions, abuse, divorces, cancer, jail-time, and other issues. Strawberry, however, is widely known to have found redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ, and “lives to share the wisdom and grace of his experience with others,” according to the statement.
 

This event will also feature several local leaders within the Michigan FCA organization to share their experience with the ministry, as well as their vision and hope for future growth.

FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America and focuses on serving local communities by engaging, equipping, and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ.
 

Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.”

The FCA and Calvary Church “have worked hard to ensure proper distancing and a safe environment” under current COVID protocols. Since seating is limited, online registration is highly encouraged. To register online visit michiganfca.org/proathlete.

Superheroes take over John Ball Zoo this Thursday

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
Superhero Day is Thursday, April 8, at the John Ball Zoo. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superhero Day at John Ball Zoo! Come dressed as your favorite superhero and meet amazing superheroes in-person on Thursday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Zoo guests can meet the rotating group of superheroes including Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Star Lord, Thor, Black Widow and more. 

Guests can also discover themed animal enrichment and signs at animal habitats showcasing animal superpowers. Plus, they can enjoy Superhero-themed concessions like Hulk Floss, Spidey Slush, and a Captain America Freezy. 

Superhero Day meet-and-greet is included in regular admission. Along with meeting superheroes, guests can also see the Zoo’s BRICKLIVE Supersized! toy brick exhibition, along with the triplet red panda cubs, and the Canada lynx kitten.

 

John Ball Zoo notes that the superhero meet-and-greet will be different this year. Instead of individual photo opportunities with each character, guests will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with a group of superheroes on the beautiful Bissell Tree House deck. For the safety of the superheroes and guests, these magical interactions will be from a safe social distance.

There are a limited number of guest tickets available for Superhero Day. The Zoo recommends reserving timed entry tickets online prior to arrival. This will ensure a guest’s entry as the Zoo cannot guarantee tickets will be available for walk-up ticket purchases. This includes the special early entry for John Ball Zoo members who can meet the superheroes an hour before the Zoo opens to everyone.

 

Spring Zoo admission is $12 for adults, $10 for children (3-12) and seniors, and children 2 and under are free.

 

John Ball Zoo notes they are following the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that require masks from all guests over the age of 5, both indoors and outdoors.

John Ball Zoo is located on Fulton Ave., one mile west of downtown Grand Rapids. For more information www.jbzoo.org or (616)-336-4301. 

Public Museum, Hope Network offer sensory friendly museum night

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The streetcar at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (Supplied)

By Kate Kocienski
Grand Rapids Public Museum

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Hope Network invite visitors affected by autism and other sensory processing needs to visit for a Sensory Friendly Museum Night on Thursday, April 22, from 5:30 until 8 p.m. held at the GRPM.

The Museum will adapt sounds, lighting and activities within the current exhibits to create a low-sensory experience for the evening. Visitors can add an experience to see Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGO® Bricks, as well as a visit to the Chaffee Planetarium to view the GRPM created show, Subatomic: Detecting the Unseen, in which the lighting and sound will be adapted. This Planetarium show will play at 6 p.m.

One in every sixty-eight children are on the Autism spectrum, with another child being diagnosed every 20 minutes. Hope Network has been at the forefront of autism treatment since opening its first Center For Autism in Kentwood in 2011, which was Michigan’s first all-inclusive treatment center. Hope Network now has five Centers For Autism across the state, all of which use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and comprehensive clinical services to empower those with autism to overcome challenges to achieve their highest level of independence.

“Hope Network has long been committed to positively impacting the lives of children and families affected by autism,” said Phil Weaver, Hope Network President and CEO. “We are honored to sponsor this event which allows families the opportunity to enjoy a fun night out to enjoy all that the Grand Rapids Public Museum has to offer.”

The West Michigan Habitats at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

“The Museum strives to create inclusive experiences for all visitors, including being both physically and cognitively accessible,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM. “We are pleased to partner with Hope Network again to allow families to explore the Museum in a low sensory environment, and to take part in our Subatomic Planetarium show which was designed for audiences with sensory processing challenges.” 

The GRPM partners with KultureCity to improve the Museum’s experience for guests with a variety of sensory processing needs. A limited amount of sensory bags containing fidget tools, noise canceling headphones and other resources are available for checkout at the Museum’s front desk.

Pre-registration for the Sensory Friendly Museum Night is required; visit grpm.org to sign up. To add Wild Connections or the Subatomic Planetarium show, use the “continue shopping” feature and find Wild Connections under the Admission tab and Subatomic under the Planetarium tab. For additional information, please visit grpm.org. 

Follow the yellow brick road to Tibbits Opera House

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Judy Garland as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” (MGM Studios)

By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association

Iconic glittery red shoes, Judy Garland’s famous rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and the classic story down the yellow brick road will fill Tibbits’ big screen on April 10 at 4 p.m. when the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz” is presented as part of the Community-Sponsored Programming.

Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley and Margaret Hamilton, the film favorite is based on the 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum. Rated PG, this movie is fun for the entire family. After a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog Toto are swept away to the magical and vibrant land of Oz. In order to find their way back home, they must embark on a journey to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz. On their way there, they befriend a Scarecrow who longs for a brain, a Tin Man who desires a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who seeks courage. The group is hopeful that the ‘Great Oz’ will be able to fulfill their wishes. Not far behind them is the Wicked Witch of the West, who is out for revenge after Dorothy’s house fell on and killed her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East.

Sponsored by the Tibbits Opera House Endowment – Children’s Programming Fund, this screening is the fourth installment of Community-Sponsored Programming. For those who have always wanted to see a certain movie on the big screen or have their band play on the historic stage, Tibbits is still offering the opportunity for community members to plan and sponsor their own public performance at a fraction of the normal rental price.

The theatre doors, general admission seating, and concession sales for “The Wizard of Oz” begin at 3:30pm with donations at the door. Due to current restrictions, seating for all events is limited and masks are required upon entering and when moving about the theatre.

For more information or to purchase tickets for upcoming events, visit Tibbits.org, stop in at Tibbits business offices at 93 W. Chicago St., Coldwater, or call 517.278.6029. The historic Tibbits Opera House is located at 14 S. Hanchett St., Coldwater.

Walloon Lake hosts year-long Hemingway celebration

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
Ernest Hemingway’s cottage located on Walloon Lake. (Public Domain)

By Adrienne Reasner-Brown
West Michigan Tourist Association

A year’s worth of activities, special events and activities focused on northern Michigan and one-time summer resident Ernest Hemingway is planned for the Village of Walloon Lake throughout 2021. Walloon Lake is nestled between Boyne City and Petoskey just off US-131 in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties.

The first large program is Walloon Lake Reads: The Nick Adams Stories which kicks off on Thursday, April 1 and runs through mid-May. A Hemingway Birthday Celebration is also planned for Wednesday, July 21 (Ernest was born on this date in 1899) with a handful of family-friendly events. Labor Day weekend, September 3-6, will be the primary Hemingway Homecoming featuring the unveiling of historical installations downtown focused on Hemingway as well as other aspects of the village’s development and growth at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century – like early rail travel, hotels and resorts, boating and more.

Various businesses in town, specifically Hotel Walloon, Walloon Lake Inn and Barrel Back Restaurant, are showcasing various foods and beverages throughout the year in honor of Hemingway’s passion for such things. Themed lodging packages will also focus on activities that the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author enjoyed – like fly fishing.

Ernest Hemingway was just three months old when he made his first trip from his hometown of Oak Park, IL to Walloon Lake where his parents – Clarence and Grace (Hall) – had purchased property along the North Shore. Ernest spent time every summer until 1922 at the family’s beloved Windemere cottage there, the simple cottage still owned by descendants today. The woods and waters in and around Walloon Lake shaped Hemingway’s life in many ways and it was a place he always held dear to his heart. It was here that his 1972 posthumously published book, The Nick Adams Stories, is primarily set.

The Village of Walloon Lake has also launched a website at WalloonLakeMi.com to provide information to locals and visitors alike throughout the year and beyond. An official Village Facebook page also provides regular updates and historical tidbits at Facebook.com/WalloonLakeMi.

Marshall’s Honolulu House set to open this weekend

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
The Honolulu House in Marshall Michigan. Picture taken in 1965. (Public Domain)

By Bill Mabin
Marshall Historical Society

The Honolulu House Museum, 107 N. Kalamazoo Ave., Marshall, will open for the 2021 season on Saturday, April 3.

The museum will be open weekends only during April. Beginning in May, it will be open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Operating hours are 12-4 p.m.

A free Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Sunday, April 4, on the museum grounds. Participation is limited to 25 children at each of three sessions at 2, 2:30 and 3 p.m. Registration is required and can be done by calling 269-719-0546 or by messaging Marshall Historical Society on Facebook. When registering, please indicate the desired time and number of children participating. Masks are required for all participants and visitors during the Easter Egg Hunt.

Adult admission for a museum tour is $10. This cost also includes admission to the Marshall Historical Museum at the GAR Hall, 402 E. Michigan Ave. Coupons will be issued for future GAR admission since that museum will not open until May. There is no museum admission charge for children age 12 and under and for Marshall Historical Society members.

Tour groups are limited to eight people. Masked are required. Social distancing is expected.

The Honolulu House Museum stands at the heart of Marshall’s National Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. The house was built in 1860 for the first U.S. consul to the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands. Constructed of Marshall sandstone, the building is a wonderful blend of Italianate, Gothic Revival and Polynesian architecture. The Marshall Historical Society has restored the building’s interior to its 1880s elegance that features decorative wall and ceiling paintings.

The Honolulu House is the headquarters of the Marshall Historical Society which has operated the building as a museum since 1961. For more information, visit www.marshallhistoricalsociety.org.

Public Museum announces spring break activities

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Part of the spring break fun at the Grand Rapids Public Museum will be the food truck ART:Caribean Fusion Cuisine.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has announced its spring break plans which will include live science shows, intriguing exhibits and planetarium shows, as well as festive food experience featuring a food truck from ART: Caribbean Fusion Cuisine along with an assortment of beverages and beer from City Built Brewing Company.

“For families enjoying a staycation for Spring Break or for those visiting Grand Rapids, the Museum offers a family fun-filled experience with exciting exhibits, science shows and more to keep kids learning while having fun,” said Kate Kocienski, the GRPM’s Vice President of Marketing & PR. “Our offerings cater to visitors of all ages and we’re eager to welcome everyone to the Museum to enjoy engaging activities in a low-risk environment.” 

Explore larger-than-life sculptures made with more than 2 million LEGO® bricks in Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGO® Bricks to learn about animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature. This exhibition, produced by Imagine Exhibitions, depicts important topics that artist Sean Kenney holds dear, from protecting an animals’ habitat, to planting a garden, or using a bike instead of a car. Wild Connections further shows that just as LEGO® pieces interconnect, everything in nature is interconnected in a delicate balance. The narratives, along with the intricate displays, also explore the importance of conservation, the balance of ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, as well as the relationships between humankind and the natural world. This exhibition is open for a limited time. Tickets to Wild Connections must be purchased with general admission to the Museum.

“Bee” in “Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGOs” at the Grand Rapids Public Museum through May 2. (Supplied)

Additionally with general admission, analyze fossils from the last Ice Age in the Under the Arctic exhibit to learn about permafrost, as well as the people and the animals that live in this area, experience historic Grand Rapids made with LEGO® bricks and journey through three floors of core exhibits, with visitors favorites, West Michigan Habitats and the Streets of Old Grand Rapids. Advance ticket purchase required; early ticket purchase is recommended, as tickets will sell out given capacity limits. Visit grpm.org to purchase tickets.

The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium’s spring break shows will take place four times a day and include: Incoming!, Under Starlit Skies, Escher’s Universe, One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure and The Queen Light Show From Mercury to Mars. Planetarium shows are $4 with general admission to the Museum, $2 for Museum members, and $5 for planetarium only. Visit grpm.org/Planetarium for a complete list of showtimes and descriptions.

 

Visitors are required to reserve advance tickets at grpm.org for quick, easy access into the Museum during Spring Break. Kent County residents receive reduced admission to the GRPM, thanks to the passing of a Kent County millage in 2016, including free general admission for Kent County children 17 and under! Kent County adults and seniors receive reduced pricing as well as free parking.

GRPM’s Camp Curious Program returns this summer

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By Grand Rapids Public Museum


The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced that its Camp Curious summer programs are now open for registration. The Museum will offer in-person, small group camps, as well as virtual Digital Discovery sessions for kids to explore the wonders of science, history, culture and more.

Kids pre-K through 12th grade will use the Museum as a learning lab through a variety of camp offerings, beginning June 14 and are available through mid-August, 2021.

  

“We’re excited to offer a mixture of in person camps as well as Digital Discovery sessions to the community this year,” said Rob Schuitema, the GRPM’s Director of Public Programs. “Both opportunities will provide students with the tools and guidance they need to have fun while learning and making genuine connections to the curriculum and the Museum. As always, our team is thrilled to share their expertise and enthusiasm for science, history and culture with the next cohort of curious minds this summer.”

 

Camp Curious offers single day or multiple day camps and are available by the grade level students will be entering in the fall. Popular camps include Slimy Science, Fossil Hunters, Dream it, Build it with LEGO® Bricks and Young Wizards Academy. New, in-person camps this year include River Critters, Adaptations & Pollinators, Fun Tech and River Explorers.

Digital Discovery Sessions encourage campers to explore and investigate through hands-on experiments and activities, while using common items in their homes as well as artifacts and specimens in the GRPM’s digital Collections. New this year, Stargazers gives students the opportunity to explore the wonders of the universe by learning how to navigate Stellarium, an open-source software that will bring the power of the planetarium to their home. Other virtual offerings include Slimy Science, Time Travelers, Dream it, Build it with LEGO® Bricks, Wizards Academy and the Grand Photo Project.

Digital Discovery sessions will require access to the internet and the use of a device to watch presentations and receive daily instructions. These sessions will utilize the virtual platform SeeSaw, with most activities taking place off-line. Digital Discovery sessions are designed for campers to do projects independently; the Museum recommends that parents of young children (1st – 3rd grade) be present. Digital Discovery session supplies include common items from around your home, and can be interchangeable based on what campers have access to. Recommended lists can be found at grpm.org/EduClasses.

Pricing for camps vary, starting as low as $35 for single day, in person camps and $40 for multi-day Digital Discovery sessions, with discounts available for Museum members. For more information on Camp Curious and Digital Discovery Sessions and to register today, visit grpm.org/Educlasses. Early registration is highly recommended, as camps will sell out. 

Art Hop returns to Downtown Kalamazoo outdoors in April

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo (ACGK) is excited to announce the return of in-person Art Hop in downtown Kalamazoo on Friday, April 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. This free outdoor event will feature local artists and downtown businesses showcased in booths along Bates Alley and the South Kalamazoo Mall.

After a year of virtual Art Hops, the Arts Council is looking forward to bringing the community together in a safe, socially-distanced outdoor space. Guests can grab drinks within the Downtown Social District to sip, stroll, and enjoy locally made art. DJ Todd Brown will be providing live music entertainment. The event will follow all COVID-19 guidelines in compliance with the state of Michigan.

The Arts Council’s Programs Director, Bianca Washington-Ciungan, announced, “I am so excited to safely return to an in-person Art Hop. I am grateful that we have been able to present a virtual option successfully, but there’s nothing like being able to support our artists and businesses in a face-to-face fashion.”

Participating businesses include Honor Credit Union, Fuze Kitchen and Bar, Green Top Tavern, Kalamazoo Candle Company, V & A Bootery, Cherri’s Chocol’art, Colors & Cocktails, and MRC ArtWorks. Local artists that will be showing their work in-person include Kevin Hamman, Alexa Karabin, Jonathan Wijnberg, and Amy Lou Gieschen as well as many more.

For those who are not able to attend in-person, the Arts Council’s website will have a virtual gallery featuring work by local artists, and a three-part artist spotlight interview series with Alexa Karabin, Linda Rzoska, and Pam Kirkham. Additionally, the Stulberg International String Competition will be livestreaming its virtual Bravo! concert at 7 p.m. The Arts Council is also celebrating the launch of its new Art Hop app, allowing the event to go paperless just in time for Earth Day. The app serves as a guide to all things Art Hop and can be downloaded as a shortcut icon through any smartphone web browser at www.kalamazooarthop.org. Art Hop would not be possible without the support of the ACGK’s generous program sponsors, LKF Marketing, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, Dorothy U Dalton Foundation, Marvin and Rosalie Okun Foundation, KalBlue, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, D.L. Gallivan Office Solutions, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This season it’s ‘go big or go home’ at the John Ball Zoo

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The Bornean neon blue-legged tarantula fits into the palm of a hand but in the “BRICKLIVE Supersized!,” it towers at 12 feet tall. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

After last year’s successful run of the “BRICKLIVE Animal Paradise” — despite a pandemic — the John Ball Zoo will have what some might consider a part two with tis “BRICKLIVE Supersized!” exhibition.

Opening this Saturday when the Zoo officials kicks off its season, “BRICKLIVE Supersized!” will feature more than 30 sculptures created with nearly two million toy bricks. The sculptures supersize some of nature’s smallest and mightiest creatures.

For example, the small and new Bornean neon blue-legged tarantula is a recently discovered species in nature that fits in the palm of a hand, but with “BRICKLIVE Supersized!,” it is magnified 84 times, standing 12 feet tall.

 

The brightly-colored common kingfisher, which is small and territorial in real life, is magnified more than 30 times to a towering 11 feet tall toy brick sculpture. (Supplied)

From the small and stinky honey badger to the small and highly venomous blue-ringed octopus, all creatures have been chosen for their colorful appearance in nature, unusual natural abilities, and because they can be magnified to an eye-popping size.

 

As guests make their way through John Ball Zoo, they will discover more about these often misunderstood creatures, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, insects, mammals, and marine species that are truly small and mighty in nature.

 

Each sculpture will have educational signage featuring facts about where the animal lives in the world, what they eat, and their real-life size, along with how magnified the sculpture is, how many toy bricks were used, the amount of time and the number of builders it took to create.

 

“BRICKLIVE Supersized!” will be on display at John Ball Zoo through Sept. 26 and is included with general admission.

Admission prices for the Zoo’s spring season is $10 for seniors and children (ages 3-12) and $12 per adult. Children aged 2 and under are free. Spring hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

To reserve timed entry tickets and for more information, visit John Ball Zoo’s website at www.jbzoo.org/visitandtickets. If you have any questions, call 616-336-4300 or email info@jbzoo.org. 

The beauty of the blue-ringed octopus, which is the world’s smallest and highly venomous octopus, can be seen in the BRICKLIVE “Supersized!” exhibit at John Ball Zoo. (Supplied)

Once again, the butterflies are blooming at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,

By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Community Volunteer

“There are thousands of butterflies from all around the world flying right here in Grand Rapids,” said Horticulturalist Laurel Gaut.

 

The theme of the 2021 butterfly exhibition is “Into the Glass House.” A glass container known as a Wardian case provides the viewer with a close up look at specimens. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Visitors tour through the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, a 15,000-square-foot space filled with tropical plants, vibrant foliage, and a balmy atmosphere.

More than 60 species of butterflies reside within the space. More than 1,000 pupae are shipped to the Meijer Gardens weekly from as far away as Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Kenya.

 

The theme of the 2021 butterfly exhibition is “Into the Glass House.” A glass container known as a Wardian case provides the viewer with a close up look at specimens.

The exhibit runs through April 30. Members can attend the exhibit for free, while students and children receive a discount. For more information about the butterfly exhibition, visit www.meijergardens.org

Spring blooms early at Grand Rapids Art Museum hosts biannual event

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , , ,
For the 2019 Art in Bloom event, WKTV got the opportunity for a sneak peek at how a floral design created her piece. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) announced today the return of its biannual celebration and competition, Art in Bloom(March 19-21). For one-weekend-only, visitors are invited to explore the galleries and view floral designs inspired by artwork from the Museum’s permanent collection.

Art in Bloom highlights the creativity of West Michigan’s most talented floral designers. The arrangements will be presented alongside the artwork in GRAM’s Level 3 galleries, where guests can cast their vote for their favorite floral arrangement for the selection of the Public Vote Winner.

“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to kick off the spring season withArt in Bloom,” commented GRAM Communications Manager Elizabeth Payne. “We look forward to welcoming guests to GRAM’s galleries and encourage everyone to participate in a weekend of floral-inspired fun through our in-person and virtual experiences.”

The 2021 Art in Bloom line-up features 15 floral designers and their interpretation of 15 works from the Museum’s collection—with artwork spanning a wide range of painting, sculpture, mixed-media, and design.

Art in Bloom entries will be eligible for two awards: The Public Vote Award and Juried Award. A panel comprised of floral and art experts from the Grand Rapids community will select the Juried Award Winner, which will be announced on Friday, March 22 at 2 pm. The three-day exhibition and competition include a floral-focused schedule of in-person and virtual offerings.

Weekend Schedule:

Friday, March 19 

Public Hours: 12 – 6 pm, Level 3 Galleries

Juried Winner Announcements: 2 pm, Virtual via Facebook Live

Saturday, March 20

Member Hours: 10 am – 12 pm, Level 3

Public Hours: 12 – 6 pm, Level 3 

Floral-themed Gallery Chats: 1– 3 pm, Level 2

Drop-in Studio: Flower Making: 12 – 6 pm, Cook Auditorium

Floral Design Demonstration with Fleurology Designs: 4:30 – 5 pm, Virtual via Facebook Live

Sunday, March 21

Member Hours: 10 am – 12 pm, Level 3

Public Hours: 12– 6 pm, Level 3 

Public Voting Closes: 1:30 pm

Public Vote Winner Announcement: 2 pm, Virtual via Facebook Live


Visitors are encouraged to reserve timed tickets to Art in Bloom in advance and view the Museum’s health and safety guidelines before visiting. GRAM’s guidelines include face mask requirements, reduced capacity, social distancing measures, regular cleaning and sanitization efforts, and more. For GRAM’s hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org.

South Haven HarborFest 2021 has been cancelled

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The South Haven HarborFest has made the announcement that the 2021 event has been cancelled.

According to a press release, after an enormous amount of thought, including discussions with community leaders, the decision was made to cancel this year’s event.

“While trends in terms of the COVID infection rates are encouraging and regional vaccination programs are ramping up, we feel there are still too many unknowns and uncertainties with the ever changing restrictions and guidelines to allow us to proceed forward in safety hosting our wonderful event,” according to a press release from the committee.

The South Haven HarborFest usually takes place in June. The committee said it is working on the 2022 event.

Take a walk through a story at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary hosts Wild Wednesdays designed just for kids.

By Cara Barnes
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station

The trails at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary will have a new storyline for families this spring, though a partnership with the Richland Community Library.

Starting this month, pages from a storybook will be posted along the Sanctuary’s paved path for families to read as they walk. There also will be self-guided activities that complement the story’s themes and a reading list at the Richland Community Library to learn even more and practice reading skills.

The stories and activities will be updated every two months and are open to all during normal operating hours with the cost of admission (free to members).

Story themes
March-April—Owls!
Story title: “Whobert Whover, Owl Detective,” written by Jason Gallaher, illustrations by Jess Pauwels.
Activities: Scavenger hunt, owl facts near Birds of Prey area.
Take home: Owl coloring pages.

May-June—Frogs!
Story title: “Jump, Frog, Jump!” written by Robert Kalan, illustrations by Byron Barton.
Activities: Frog life cycle facts by the water garden and more.
Take home: Frog life cycle wheel.

Contact the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu or (269) 671-2510 for more information.

As state restrictions ease, and vaccinations increase, local music venues optimistically eye future

Community Health, Entertainment, Going Local, Local Business, Local Entertainment, Restaurants, Upcoming Events,
Alabama in concert concert at Meijer Gardens in 2018. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

It is often said by people in the local live music business that their venues, small and large, were the first to close when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and will likely be the last to fully reopen.

While the stage door was cracked open a little early this month when the state allowed venues to open at a reduced capacity, and the continued decrease in pandemic statistics and the rapidly increasing number of people getting the COVID-19 vaccines give even more hope, a sampling of local venues offer few gigs planned in the short term.

The now quiet and empty Pyramid Scheme concert room. (Pyramid Scheme Facebook)

“We do not plan to book any live music indoors until capacity limits are higher,” Tami VandenBerg, co-owner of Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, said to WKTV.  But she, like many in the industry, holds hope for later in the year — “The shows still booked for spring will very likely be moved to fall.”

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s outdoor amphitheater, and news of its its usual Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens and Tuesday Evening Music Club, are still quiet these days. But they too, are optimistically looking toward later in the year.

“We are working hard behind the scenes to be able to safely present live music at the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater during the summer and/or early fall of 2021,” John VanderHaagen, director of communications at Meijer Gardens, said to WKTV. “Current capacity restrictions are 1,000 for outdoor venues and we are hoping that as the numbers of vaccinated folks increases and cases fall, those restrictions will continue to be adjusted.”

The bottomline, VanderHaagen said, is that “guest safety remains our top priority and we will not present a series until that can be done safely in accordance to all local, state and national guidelines.”

State restrictions and guidelines, and local reaction

On March 2, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated two of its epidemic orders, among other things allowing for increased capacity limits at various entertainment venues. The changes went into effect March 5.

Those changes impacting entertainment venues included now allowing indoor entertainment venues to be at 50 percent capacity, up to 300 people; indoor stadiums and arenas are allowed have 375 if seating capacity is under 10,000, and 750 if seating capacity is over 10,000; and outdoor entertainment and recreational facilities have a capacity of 1,000.

“We continue to monitor the data closely, and based on current trends we are taking another step toward normalcy,” Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director, said in the March 2 announcement.
 

One state change in restrictions and guidelines which is also impacting local entertainment venues is allowed restaurants and bars to increase to 50 percent capacity up to 100 people and now allowing them to be open to 11 p.m.

For one, the Listening Room live music venue, known as a music-focused club, has opened with an adaptation.

Jazz night at the Listening Room with members of the Robin Connell Trio, from January 2020. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“We currently have live jazz from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, though it’s not as much of a (strictly music) show” as usual, Quinn Mathews, general manager of Listening Room, said to WKTV. “We partnered with our restaurant downstairs to serve dinner up in Listening Room during the live music.”

But, Mathews added, “we’ll do an outdoor concert series this spring and summer as well in the piazza here at Studio Park … (and) touring artists are confirming for the fall, so — fingers crossed — Listening Room will be back doing shows by fall.”

The fact that most venues are, in fact, awaiting national touring groups to begin feeling comfortable touring to set up local fall schedules was echoed by several venue spokespersons.






Locally Entertaining: Sitting down with author Brittany Cavallaro

Entertainment, Local Entertainment
Author Brittany Cavallaro (WKTV)

By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Community Volunteer

Promoting a new book during a global pandemic is no picnic. Yet young adult author Brittany Cavallaro takes the challenge in stride.

 

With the release of her latest novel, Muse, Cavallaro has hit the road and made a number of public appearances, including a recent speaking event at Schuler’s Books & Music Store in Kentwood. Although Cavallaro misses attending larger in-person conferences and conventions, she has also enjoyed connecting with her audience in a whole new way through online meetings.

Based out of Michigan, Cavallaro receives inspiration from teaching creative writing to  young people at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She encourages her students to explore their interests and write the topics that grab their attention, even if it means researching everything from female fighter pilots to 18th century American politics.

Muse takes this exploratory approach and turns the audience’s expectations of a work of historical fiction work. The World Fair of 1893 serves as a prominent setting in the novel, and the American government is reimagined as a monarchy.

 

Beyond Muse, Cavallaro’s work includes the Charlotte Holmes books, a quartet which portrays Sherlock Holmes’ great-great-great granddaughter, Charlotte, solving mysteries.

More information about Cavallaro can be found at www.brittanycavallaro.com or check out the Locally Entertaining podcast, episode 17.

Lakeshore restaurant week returns this month

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
Hamburger by Mikey is one of 12 restaurants participating in the Muskegon Lakeshore Restaurant Week. (Supplied)

By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
joanne@wktv.org

The Muskegon Lakeshore Restaurant Week 2021 is back beginning Friday, March 19, through Saturday, March 27, with area restaurants supplying a wide range of food specials for both dine-in and take-out customers.

Sponsored by Cumulus Media radio stations 98.3 WLCS; V-100 WVIB; Sunny 92.5; and NASH Icon WLAW – “the Muskegon Lakeshore Restaurant Week allows dining spots throughout Muskegon to show-off what they can do best”, said Rich Berry, Director of Sales for Cumulus Media – Muskegon.

“With Covid 19 altering our lives for the past year, we waited for what we thought was the best time for everyone to feel like it is safe to frequent their favorite restaurants,” Berry explained. “Governor Whitmer has expanded the number of people who can dine in to 50% capacity and the weather is starting to get nice. Vaccinations are also happening. People are becoming more comfortable with getting out or doing take-out.”

At this time 12 area restaurants and possibly several more will be participating. “We put this together very quickly,” said Berry. “We were constantly polling restaurants, asking them when they thought we should do it. About three weeks ago, several said that now was the time.”

The Muskegon Lakeshore Restaurant Week began in 2014 and was originally held in November. In 2020, it was moved to late February, right before the Covid 19 outbreak in mid-March.

Here is a list of the participating restaurants:
• Walker’s Restaurant
• Dr. Rolf’s Barbecue
• Hamburger Mikey
• The Glenside Pub
• Smash Wine Bar & Bistro
• Pub 111
• Soul Filled Eatery
• Hearthstone Bistro
• Lake House Waterfront Grille
• The Northside Pub
• Pizza Ranch
• IHOP

Magic City Egg Fest date announced

Entertainment, Local Entertainment

By Tim Taylor
Magic City Eggfest

Magic City Egg Fest event organizers have announced the barbecue festival will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021. The Magic City Egg Fest, a culinary competition and barbecue festival for enthusiasts of the Big Green Egg, the world’s most popular kamado-style outdoor grill, oven, and smoker, began in June 2019 in the Village of Colon. In its first year, 15 culinary barbecue teams competed in three rounds of cooking, preparing ribs, chicken, and pizzas for hungry crowds of more than 440 who attended the inaugural event.

“Last year’s event was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic but we are confident the event will move ahead this year and we are beyond thrilled that all the teams and sponsors remained committed to the event.”, said Taylor.

Egg fests occur throughout the nation but the Magic City Egg Fest remains the only Egg Fest in the state of Michigan

The number of culinary teams will more than double this year with the addition of a corn hole tournament, celebrity judges and cooking demonstrations. Prizes, trophies and bragging rights will be awarded to the top three teams in each of the three categories, as well as an all-around “Taster’s Choice Award” voted by the attendees to the event for the best all-around team. Attendees to the event purchase advanced tasting tickets for $10.00 or $15.00 at the door and can sample the culinary creations from any of the competing teams. Culinary teams can sign up for the event at www.magiccityeggfest.com.

The newly announced date for the 2nd Annual Magic City Egg Fest is August 21, 2021. Teams and individuals who purchased tickets for the 2020 cancelled event can use their tickets for this year’s event.

“We are delighted to support and sponsor this outstanding community event and for such a worthy cause,” said Luke Cook, event sponsor and Manager of BMC, the owner and operator of three Ace Hardware stores in Hastings, Byron Center, and Midtown Kalamazoo. “We are all looking forward to gathering as a community this summer.”

Opening day for John Ball March 27, tickets on sale soon

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,
Ready to meet you: Rose, Ruby, and Willow. (Supplied/John Ball Zoo)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Rose, Ruby and Willow are ready to meet their adorning fans which will be soon as the John Ball Zoo prepares for its opening day, March 27.

The zoo’s season officially kicks off at 9 a.m. that day with admission tickets going on sale starting this Friday, March 12, for opening day, through April 11.

The red panda triplets, Rose, Ruby, and Willow, are three of the most anticipated animals for guests to see this season, according to zoo officials. Born June 25, 2020, the three were growing and bonding behind the scenes last season and were out of the view of guests. The three are now romping and playing outside for everyone to enjoy along with their parents, Wyatt and Wasabi.

Also making a debut is Yoshi, a Canadian lynx born last May. While Yoshi may not look like a kitten anymore, she still has the same playful and energetic spirit that makes her a guest favorite.

Guest favorite Yosi, a Canadian Lynx, will be making an appearance during opening day. (Supplied/John Ball Zoo)

Many of the John Ball Zo’s animals are active and playful in the cool spring weather, while others prefer to stay inside until warmer temperatures arrive. There are a number of viewing opportunities for guest in the Aquarium, Natural Teasures, Frog’s buildings, and the chimpanzees in their day room.

Also on opening day, John Ball Zoo will offer a sneak peek into the SUPERSIZED exhibition. This exhibition supersizes nature’s small and mighty. From sneaky predators such as the fearless honey badger to the venomous blue-ringed octopus, the more than 30 toy brick sculptures are featured because of their colorful appearance in nature, unusual natural ability, and because they can be magnified to an eye-popping size.

John Ball Zoo will be operating at a limited guest capacity. Guests should reserve an online timed-entry ticket to secure their visit time. Tickets will be available at the zoo but immediate entry is not guaranteed. Spring hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Following the regulations of the State of Michigan and the Centers for Disease Control, all guess ages 5 and older will be required to wear a mask at all times and everywhere in John Ball Zoo, including outdoor spaces. Guests may remove their mask temporarily to eat or drink when at a safe distance from others.

 

Social distancing will be encouraged and additional hand washing and sanitizing stations will be available along with cashless transactions and monitoring the number of guests inside buildings.

To reserve timed entry tickets and for more information, visit John Ball Zoo’s website at www.jbzoo.org/visitandtickets. For questions, call 616-336-4300 or email info@jbzoo.org.

You heard correct! Circle Theatre is hosting auditions for its summer productions

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
Calling all actors! Circle Theatre is hosting virtual auditions for three summer productions. (WKTV)

Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Auditions. It was a word we thought we would never hear again, yet today Circle Theater announced it would hold auditions for its summer season.

 

“We are thrilled to be able to finally welcome back our wonderful community of actors, said Circle Theatre Executive and Artistic Director Lynne Brown-Tepper. “We are excited to hold auditions again after so many months of the Theatre being dark. We know that everyone is looking forward to doing what we all love in the place that we all love.

“After all, the Grand Rapids theater community is more that just a community — It’s a family and we have been waiting for this time, when we can all be together again.”

Through March 14, Circle Theatre will be hosting virtual auditions for three of its upcoming productions, ‘The Gin Game” and ‘Always…Patsy Cline.” These two will be Circle On the Lawn productions with the shows being performed on a stage set up on the Circle Theatre lawn. 

Virtual auditions for “Cabaret”” will take place through March 28. In July, Circle Theatre will move back into its main stage with “Cabaret.”

“While we are disappointed that we will not be able to produce the first three originally planned productions, we are thrilled to be able to offer some new opportunities for performers of a variety of ages, with an emphasis on casting performers of color,” Tepper said.

“The Gin Game,” the winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, brings audiences along for a game of wits, as Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship. Weller teaches Fonsia how to play gin rummy and they share stories of their lives. That is until Fonsia keeps winning every hand and the gin games become a battleground.

“Always…Patsy Cline” is a tribute to the legendary country singer who died at the age of 30 in a plane crash in 1963. The story is based on Cline’s real-life friendship with one of her fans, Louise Seger.

Winner of 12 Tony Awards, “Cabaret” is one of the most recognized musicals in the world. The story, set in 1931 Berlin, focuses on the nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around American writer Cliff Bradshaw and his relationship with cabaret performer Sally Bowles.

For more information and details regarding the virtual auditions, visit circletheatre.org/auditions. 

West Michigan Jazz Society hosts ‘Women in Jazz Roundtable’ discussion March 3

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events,

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The West Michigan Jazz Society will host a Facebook live “Speaking of Jazz with WMJS” discussion, “Women in Jazz Roundtable”, Wednesday, March 3, starting at 8 p.m.

The conversation will be  hosted by guest moderator Crystal Rebone, and will feature Lisa Sung, Robin Connell, Kaleigh Wilder, Sharon Cho and Cristina Smith.

“Speaking of Jazz with WMJS”, according to supplied materials is “focused on providing insights into the lives and careers of jazz musicians in our region, and also nationally.”

The discussion is free to the pubic, but financial support of jazz society programming can be made by donations at PayPal.me/wmichjazz or on Venmo @wmichjazz. For more informant on the West Michigan Jazz Society visit here.

(Additionally, pianist Connell, with guest Paul Brewer, will live stream a special piano jazz concert at St Cecilia Music Center on March 11, starting at 8 p.m. Visit here for more information.)

Festival is returning, Mason Street prepares for its season

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Several popular summer events have announced that they will return this summer such as Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts. Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Mason Street Warehouse also has announced it summer season.

But first, we start with an event in March.

“Bee” in “Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGOs” at the Grand Rapids Public Museum through May 2. (Supplied)

Grand Rapids Public Museum

Artist Sean Kenney of the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s current exhibit “Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGO Bricks” will be the guest speaker during a March 14 GRPM Facebook live presentation.

The 1 p.m. event will feature Kenney sharing his experience as a professional artist working with LEGO bricks, a behind-the-scenes tour of his studio space and will conclude with Kenny answering questions submitted by viewers in real time.

“I look forward to meeting with members of the GRPM community, and sharing my thoughts on the process of how we bring these sculptures to life,” Kenney said.

“Wild Connections,” featuring several LEGO sculptures created by Kenney, will run through May 2.

The 2021Festival of the Arts will feature Plein Air performances June 4 – 6. (Supplied)

Festival of the Arts

In February, Festival of the Arts announced it would return this June with a different format.

Plein Air will take place June 4 – 6 and will feature artists creating landscape portraits as well as musicians performing throughout the city. Participants are encouraged to pick up their favorite food item from one of the many area restaurants and then come to one of the social zones featuring an artist. The regional art show will be virtual.

In the fall, Festival of the Arts will partner with ArtPrize to host a stage at Calder along with the Festival’s artisan market, featuring local artists and their works. The fall event will take place Sept. 17 – 19.

Saugatuck Center for the Arts announces its summer season. (Supplied)

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

Saugatuck Center for the Arts announced there will be live theater this summer at Mason Street Warehouse.

“Last summer’s outdoor concerts and films were a fantastic dress rehearsal for this summer,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “So we converted our parking lot into a flexible, multi-purpose plaza. We’re now able to host theatre, concerts, markets, classes, special events — and still park on it when needed. Guest will have a fresher, much lovelier experience in the reimagined space.”

Stamm noted that the outdoor plaza stage is smaller than the indoor theater stage. This year guests will see original sets, unique lighting design, and bold costumes during all of the shows. Live musicians will accompany the musical productions.

Three productions will be staged at the renovated outdoor plaza with participants encouraged to bring their own chairs. The season starts June 30 with “Shout! The Mod Musical.” “Dixie’s Tupperware Party” is in July and “Just Too Big! Songs from Broadway Blockbusters” is in August. There will be two Cabaret-series shows, “The Big Red Show!” Sept. 4 and The Best Bad Idea Sept. 16.

 

For more information visit sc4a.org.

Cornwell’s Dinner Theater kicks off 35th season May 14

Entertainment, Local Entertainment

By Dexter Brigham
Cornwell’s Turkeyville USA

The stage lights at Cornwell’s Dinner Theatre will have been dark for over a year by the time May 14 arrives, which will be opening night for the venue’s 35th season of Broadway plays and musicals.

“The pandemic has been hard on us all,” says Patti Cornwell, whose family has owned and operated Cornwell’s Turkeyville USA for over 50 years on their 400-acre farm, “but we put the time to good use. I am very excited for everyone to meet our new Producing Artistic Director, Dexter Brigham, and see the wonderful new shows he is bringing to our stage.”

Dexter joins the Cornwell’s team from Midland Center for the Arts, where he served as the Director of Theatre Programs for the past eight years. He has 18 years of experience as a theatre producer and director, including twelve seasons as the founder and artistic director of Festival 56, Illinois’ largest summer theatre festival. Prior to becoming a producer, Dexter was an actor for many years. Among his many roles, you may have seen him come through Miller Auditorium as Fred Petruchio on the Broadway national tour of Kiss Me, Kate, or understudying Percy in the national tour of The Scarlet Pimpernel. He and his wife, Laura, have two young boys, Cullen and Jack.

“I’m so excited to get started. I can’t wait to welcome the Cornwell’s audiences back to the farm, and into the theatre,” says Dexter. “It’s been way too long since we’ve been able to come together and enjoy a show, and we are working hard to make sure we can give everyone a safe and entertaining day in the country!”

When asked about his new role, Dexter comments, “I love everything about Cornwell’s: the warmth and intimacy of the venue, the incredible food, and having it all under the wide-open Michigan sky. Patti and I are in complete agreement that the shows on our stage are going be new, ambitious, and feature the very best talent we can hire from across the country.”

Kicking off the season on May 14 will be the bedroom farce, Right Bed, Wrong Husband, which follows a young man whose uncle holds the keys to his considerable inheritance. In order to have his allowance increased, he lies to his uncle about having a fiancée. But when the uncle arrives on his doorstep, he and his friends scramble to keep up the illusion!

On July 8, the musical adaptation of the gospel according to St. Matthew, Godspell, the first musical from the Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter behind Wicked and Pippin, Stephen Schwartz, will come to the Cornwell’s stage. A ragtag group of misfits help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and hefty doses of comic timing.

In the fall, opening Sept. 9, the songbook of Johnny Cash takes the stage in Ring of Fire. This unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family has entertained audiences around the world. More than two dozen classic hits—including “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and the title tune—paint a musical portrait of The Man in Black that promises to be a foot-stompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a unique musical legend.

The final show of the season, Dashing Through the Snow, follows in the longstanding tradition of Cornwell’s musical holiday celebrations. When a family get stranded in a roadside motel lobby during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, they find themselves making unexpected friends and a whole lot of memories.

Season tickets for the 2021 season are now available. Ticket pricing and information can be found on the Cornwell’s website at turkeyville.com, or by calling 269-781-4293.

Calling all artists: Area institutions prepare for summer exhibits

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

After almost a year of limited exhibitions and other art showcases, several local and regional art institutions have announced upcoming exhibits with a call to local, regional and national artists to participate.

Deadlines are fast approaching for all of these, so if you are interested, move quickly to get an application in.

UICA’s first exhibit will be in July. (Supplied)

UICA

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts will host its first exhibit in its new space at 17 Pearl St. NW. Currently, UICA is accepting submissions for the “Whereabouts: the Influence of Place and Space.”

The exhibit will focus on three parts of the building, the lobby, the corridor, and the display cases. Artists are encouraged to create a dialog between the architecture of the building and work. For the cases, artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from the visual storytelling of department store window displays and dioramas. For specific guidelines, visit www.ucia.org.

Deadline for submissions is March 7 with artists being notified of acceptance by March 19.

 

Tulip Time’s Artisan Market will be virtual this year. (Supplied)

Tulip Time

This year, Tulip Time will be hosting a Virtual Artisan Market from April 24 – May 9. The decision was made to support the directives by the Centers for Disease control and State of Michigan, and with guidance from the Ottawa County Health Department.

Artists will have the opportunity get their items in front of thousands of people as the market will be featured on the Tulip Time website, Facebook and Instagram.

Artists interested in participating need to apply by Feb. 28. Those accepted will be notified by March 5. The booth fee is a $100 and must be paid by March 18. For more information, visit https://tuliptime.com/artisanmarket.

Ramsdell has a call to artists for its upcoming “Soul Sisters” exhibit. (Supplied)

Soul Sisters

With the success of its Stay Safe Face Mask Project and exhibit, Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts has announced it will continue engaging local and regional artists with the exhibit “Soul Sisters.”

Curated by regional artists Lynn Willams and Mary Wahr, “Soul Sisters” is open to anyone how identifies as a woman.

“A soul sister is someone who accepts you — al of you. Let’s be united in our art” is the theme of the show, according to Wahr.

Entires are due by March 5. Up to two pieces of art can be submitted for a $20 fee. The exhibit launches on March 12 and runs through April 16. For more information, visit www.RamdellTheatre.org/SoutSisters-Exhibit.

The Lakeshore Art Festival will be June 26 and 27. (Supplied)

Lakeshore Art Festival

Muskegon’s Lakeshore Art Festival is accepting applications through Feb. 28 for its juried fine art and craft fair. The 2021 event will take place June 26 and 27 and brings in around 60,000 people featuring more than 300 fine art and craft exhibitors, 20 food vendors, children’s activities, street performers and art installations in downtown Muskegon.

To apply, visit www.lakeshorefestival.org. There is a $35 non-refundable application fee.

Maple Row Sugarhouse gets ready for syrup season

Entertainment, Local Entertainment

By Christy Olson
Maple Row Sugarhouse

Two fun-packed family weekends are happening March 20 and 21, and also March 27 and 28 at the Maple Syrup Festival at Maple Row Sugarhouse. Times are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sundays.

Come enjoy a meal featuring delicious pancakes with lots of pure Michigan maple syrup. Wander the property to see baby farm animals and take a pony ride. This year’s festival will feature a French Colonial family that will reenact how they used to make maple syrup and maple sugar by hand. Watch maple syrup being made “live” the modern way in the sugarhouse.

Maple Row prides itself by being a locally owned family business that supplies pure Michigan maple syrup to area grocery stores and restaurants. For more information about the maple festival including times and location, and to browse through the many maple products offered, please visit the website at www.maplerowsugarhouse.com.

Ford Presidential Museum co-hosts virtual events, including Thomas Jefferson talking, in February

Area Education, Education, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, ,
Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Bill Barker of Monticello, speaks during a 2019 event at the U.S. Chamber Foundation in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Chamber Foundation YouTube)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Grand Rapids’ Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, along with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University, continue to offer virtual programs this month.

The next program, available via Zoom meeting, will be “Bill Barker: President’s Day Celebration — Man and Legacy”, with Barker talking as Thomas Jefferson, on Thursday, Feb. 18, starting at 7:15 p.m.

To register for the free event, including on the day of, visit here.

In a description of Barker/Jefferson event, it is stated:

“In times of great strife, Americans have often looked to our nation’s founding fathers for guidance. In doing so, we inevitably address the paradoxes they posed. The same Thomas Jefferson who penned the idea that ‘all men are created equal’ in our Declaration of Independence, is the same founder who owned hundreds of slaves through the course of his life. How could this be, and what are the lessons to us today?

“To help us unpack these and other historically loaded questions, the Hauenstein Center, along with our partners at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Library, welcomes Monticello’s William Barker back to Grand Rapids. Widely regarded as the nation’s foremost Thomas Jefferson interpreter, Barker joins us for a celebration of Presidents’ Day and for a conversation that plumbs our difficult past.”

Timely topic webinar coming later in February

Next up on the schedule will be a live webinar virtual event — “The Constitution, Elections, and Democracy” on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m.

In a description of this event, it is stated:

“January 6, 2021, served as the culmination of a series of issues left to fester: a global pandemic, racial injustice, and social and political divisions that continue to grow. Across the country, citizens continue to wonder how the world’s leading democracy can move forward and how, as a nation, we can begin to heal the pain and wounds created that fateful afternoon.”

In the first installment of the Presidential Roundtable series, with support from the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and other groups, Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, joins GVSU president Philomena V. Mantella and past GVSU presidents for a discussion that “probes our nation’s most revered document, the Constitution.”

For a list of more events hosted or co-hosted by the Ford Museum, visit here. For more information on the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, visit fordlibrarymuseum.gov.

St. Cecilia’s free virtual concert series continues this week with ‘blues boys’ King Biscuit Trio

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, , ,
YouTube video supplied by the band. (Local Spins)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

St. Cecilia Music Center’s Michigan Folk and Blues Virtual Series 2021, a virtual extension of the Acoustic Café Folk Series, returns this week with the King Biscuit Trio performing on the Royce Auditorium stage and available Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.

The performance is streaming free of charge on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channels, and accessed through scmc-online.org.

King Biscuit Trio, according to supplied material, is a newly formed blues-based three-piece band “rooted in classic soul and great old rock n’ roll” that features a two-guitar, one-harmonica, tri-vocal approach to a “mixed bag of covers and original material.”

King Biscuit Trio is:

Chris Collins on lead vocals and guitar. He is also the lead singer and guitarist of the Thirsty Perch Blues Band, a West Michigan blues/rock staple for more than 10 years. For the past three years, Collins has been writing, recording, and performing with the Dr. Wu band of Fort Worth, Texas, according to supplied material. Dr. Wu features Buddy Washington, who spent 15 years with the great John Mayhall and the Blues Breakers.

Andy Ogrodzinski on lead guitar and backing vocals. He also plays guitar in the Thirsty Perch Blues Band, and plays gigs as a current member of the blues/rock/funk/reggae band The Kinsey Report, led by Donald Kinsey, well known for his years spent playing with Albert King, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley.

Craig “Griff” Griffith on harmonica and vocals. He plays harmonica with The Verve Pipe and has been performing with the group for about 20 years. Griff was also the lead singer and harmonica player for the band Botfly throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

The King Biscuit Trio. (Supplied/SCMC)

Folk and Blue series continues

The Michigan Folk and Blues Virtual Series 2021 continues the partnership between St. Cecilia and the Acoustic Café radio show and its host Rob Reinhart, and will stretch into April.

The other free virtual concerts in the series include Rachel Davis and Dominic John Davis on March 25 (from their current home in Nashville), and Jen Sygit and Josh Rose on April 8 and back from the Royce Auditorium stage. The Kat Edmonson virtual concert on March 4 is also a free concert, also available on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channel. But as an added attraction, Edmonson will be doing an interview with Reinhart as part of the Acoustic Café radio show.
 

For a complete list of all virtual concerts offered by St. Cecilia for home viewing, see scmc-online.org/virtual/.

Local resident one of many who contributed to “Stay Safe” exhibit

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
Carla Grant and her grandson show off the masks they made for the “Stay Safe” exhibit.

By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Intern

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families find themselves hunkering down inside their homes. When new community events pop up, people leap at the chance to participate.

One such person is Carla Grant, a retired certified public accountant, who created two of the masks included in the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit hosted by Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts (RRCA).

When Grant received her masks, she brought her grandson to Hobby Lobby and scoured the aisle for feathers and paint. Upon returning home, the pair had a blast putting together their colorful creations.

“My grandson is so excited to see his art in an exhibit,” Grant said.

A close up of the mask created by Carla Grant. (Supplied)

Grant’s masks join more than 300 paper mache masks created by hundreds of participants from across Michigan. The masks express the experience of those who lived through the global health crisis and yearned for a period of normalcy.

 

Each paper mache masks is left blank, so it is left up to the artist to decide what their mask should look like. No two masks in the collection share an identical appearance, with decorations ranging from pasted multidimensional objects to colored crayon.

The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit originated with Patricia Innis, an artist and volunteer director for Michigan Legacy Art Park (MLAP), in August 2020. As interest in the project grew, Innis established a collaboration between MLAP and RRCA.

Word of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit has spread nationwide, with contributions coming from as far away as Minnesota, Colorado, and California.

MLAP Managing Director Madeline Saucedo attributes the success of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit to the dedication of Innis and RRCA Executive Director Xavier Verna and the creativity of the participants. She believes the masks gave people the opportunity to connect with one another even while remaining physically distanced.

“You’re not alone in your experience; other people had similar experiences,” Saucedo said. “Their project created a sense of togetherness.”

For those who want to create their own mask, MLAP provides instructions via a How-To blog. The blog allows those who seek an outlet to connect to a community of fellow artistic enthusiasts.

Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts received more than 300 masks for the “Stay Safe” exhibit, some came from as far away as California. (Supplied)

“It is an emotional experience to reflect on the year,” Saucedo said. “People were not able to do as much, so people took up new hobbies such as learning Spanish, crocheting, or knitting. Working on these types of activities can be cathartic.”

The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit is open for public viewing at RRCA during Friday and Saturday until February 27. Those seeking to view the exhibit virtually can attend a free online tour with Innis and Verna on Friday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m.

Exhibit details can be found online at ramsdelltheatre.org/facemask.

Gilmore Car Museum to host new Winter Motoring Meet on Feb. 20

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Recreation, Travel, Upcoming Events, ,

By Emily Holmes, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

The Gilmore Car Museum is offering families a day full of outdoor winter fun — with attractions ranging from vintage snowmobiles to ice carving — at its all-new Winter Motoring Meet, set for Saturday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With the standard daily admission, guests will have full access to both outdoor activities and to the indoor car collection of over 400 vehicles. The Winter Motoring Meet will include “open-aired” scenic “sleigh” rides around the campus using several of the museum’s antique cars — including comfy seats in the bed of a Classic Ford Model AA pickup truck.

The event is “a fun way for us to get outside and enjoy the winter season, in an outdoor environment with plenty of room for everyone to remain socially distanced,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material.
 

Rides will be one guest/family/group per ride. Masks will be required and vehicle seating will be sanitized between each ride. All museum visitors ages 5 and over are required to wear face masks. All COVID-19 health procedures apply.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located at 6865 W Hickory Rd, Hickory Corners (north of Kalamazoo). For more information, visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org. Standard admission at the Gilmore Car Museum is $16 for adults and seniors, $11 for age 11-14, free for Children 10 and under — and free for active military.

World Affairs Council’s virtual series continues with rescheduled Korea-focused discussion, two other events this month

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President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shake hands as they meet for the first time, June 12, 2018, at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. (state.gov)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The World Affairs Council of West Michigan (WACWM) continues its virtual series of special discussions and its Great Decisions Global Discussions 2021 series this week, starting with the rescheduling of a special program on the future of Korea and its alliance with the United States.

The program “The Korean — U.S. Alliance”, originally scheduled to take place in mid- January, was rescheduled to Feb. 4. The program will feature the U.S. Department of State’s Dr. Jennifer Brannon, Sung-hoon Park, of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S., and Korea Economic Institute vice president Mark Tortola. A program of the World Affairs Councils of America in partnership with the Korea Economic Institute, this will focus on broadening and deepening public understanding of Korea and the U.S.-Korea relationship.

While the program was available live is is also viewable as an archive on YouTube here.

The WACWM’s Great Decisions Global Discussions series will be live-streamed to YouTube Mondays from 6-7:15 p.m., starting Feb. 8 and running through March 29. The public is invited and the webinars will be viewable live and as archived on-demand. The cost to the public is $10 per discussion, $60 for a series pass, with prior registration required.

The February series dates, topics and guest speaker are as follows:
 

Feb. 8, “North Korea: Getting Diplomacy Back on Track” with Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

After a historical summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in 2018, hopes of a change in relations have faded. Now, with a new president in the White House, landslide legislative victories in South Korea, and rumors of an unwell Kim, do new dynamics have the potential to change a perennially thorny situation?

DiMaggio is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Board Chair of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a new think tank she co-founded in 2019, and is currently directing a U.S.-DPRK dialogue that has included several visits to North Korea. As part of that process, she facilitated the first official discussions between the Trump administration and North Korean government representatives in Oslo in May 2017.

Feb. 15, “Have We Learned Anything about this Pandemic?” with Andrew Natsios, director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

COVID-19 took the world by surprise, but it shouldn’t have been surprising. The question remains how our global health systems can be more responsive and resilient to pandemics. Professor Andrew Natsios will discuss the structural problems in the World Health Organization that have created dysfunctions laid bare by COVID-19; the need for a global pandemic early warning system and how it might be achieved; and next steps in vaccine distribution in the developing world in light of great power competition and larger global health challenges.

Professor Natsios is an executive professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. He was previously a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is also the author of three books: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1997), The Great North Korean Famine (2001), and Sudan, South Sudan, and Darfur: What Everyone Needs to Know.

Feb. 22, “The European Union: The New Agenda Post-Brexit” with Tomas Baert , Head of Trade and Agriculture, European Delegation to the U.S.

Containing 5.8 percent of the world population but accounting for 18 percent of world GDP, the European Union holds enormous influence in the world, driving economic growth, advancing sustainable development, and championing peace and security by promoting democratic norms. While Brexit has been the focus, other key priorities of the Union remain: stabilizing transatlantic relations, continuing response to the COVID crisis, leading in the climate fight, and transforming the digital economy.

Baert, Head of Trade and Agriculture for the European Delegation to the United States focuses on the future of the EU in this presentation. Prior to his work in the U.S., Baert was the Head of Unit for Trade Strategy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade). From 2014 to 2016, he was an assistant to Director-General for Trade, advising on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and WTO negotiations.

For more information and to register, visit worldmichigan.org/greatdecisions2021.

Dégagé hosts Project Hope exhibit, Day of Hope fundraiser as part of World of Winter

Entertainment,
Project Hope will feature life size photos and stories of homelessness and hope from Dégagé patrons. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

iHeart West Michigan Radio and Dégagé Ministries will once again partner this year on a daylong fundraiser, the fourth annual “Day of Hope”, to raise money for those in need in Grand Rapids. The radiothon raised more than $80,000 in 2020. In conjunction with the fundraiser, Dégagé will also feature some of its patrons in an outdoor exhibition called “Project Hope” to raise awareness of increasing homelessness in Grand Rapids.

Day of Hope will be held Friday, Feb. 5, from 5 a.m to 5 p.m. This year, the broadcast will feature on-air personalities from WOOD Radio from 5 a.m. to noon, as well as personalities from BIG 101.3 FM from noon to 6 p.m., who will share stories of hope from the men and women served at Dégagé.

Dégagé also will host its second public exhibition in the past six months, Project Hope, in conjunction with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.’s World of Winter event and Day of Hope. Project Hope will activate displays at nine sites around the downtown Grand Rapids area and will feature life size photos and stories of homelessness and hope from Dégagé patrons. Project Hope follows up Dégagé’s successful 2020 art installation, the Pillowcase Project, which featured more than 4,700 pillowcases representing the women who have stayed at the organization’s Open Door Women’s Center since 2003. Dégagé hopes to educate more of the Grand Rapids community on issues related to homelessness, as well as provide stories of hope from those the organization serves. Project Hope will be on display through Feb. 26.

“The pandemic has only increased the many needs and burdens of the men and women Dégagé serves,” said Dégagé Ministries Executive Director Thelma Ensink. “But Dégagé is a place of hope, and we are grateful to iHeart Media, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the City of Grand Rapids for the opportunity to share our stories of hope with the Grand Rapids community.”

For more information on the Day of Hope or Project Hope events, visitdegageministries.org.

LowellArts gives audience peek into the music scene during COVID

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
The Ryne Experience newest album “The Onion”

By Lorain Smalligan
LowellArts

LowellArts announces the debut of a new music program for 2021 – Featured Artist Series: Connecting You with the People Behind the Music – that offers audiences a personal, insider’s view into the current music scene from the perspective of West Michigan’s talented performers. The new program features one artist each month on the LowellArts website. Each Featured Artist of the Month consists of an in depth live-recorded video interview with the artist, an artist profile, and links to past performances. The program series will launch its first feature on Monday, Feb. 1, with Ryne Clarke of The Ryne Experience, who just released a new album called “The Onion Tree.”

The LowellArts Music Committee created this program as a way to support the local music community during the pandemic and beyond. Designed to further the LowellArts mission of connecting artists and audiences, this new series will give West Michigan listeners a chance to meet the people behind the music who have performed at LowellArts events.

Criteria for selecting performers for the series is that the artists must have previously entertained audiences at a past LowellArts event such as a LowellArts Gallery Concert, a Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concert, or at the LowellArts Fallasburg Arts Festival. Artists that participate in the program will be eligible to sell CD’s, albums, and digital downloads in the LowellArts gallery as part of a soon-to-be established Gallery Music Store and On-line Store.

The interviewer will ask the artist to talk about a variety of topics such as: how the break from performing due to the pandemic has affected them; how music has changed since they first started performing or recording; and/or how they feel the relationship between artist and listener is evolving in the age of digital streaming services. The interviewer will also invite the artist to perform a song, live for the video interview.

In addition to the Featured Artist of the Month being highlighted on the LowellArts website and social media outlets, the vision is to reach a wider audience by collaborating with media partners. LowellArts is seeking media partners who, upon making a formal commitment, will have the rights to re-publish the content of the feature including; the video interview, article text, photos, pre-pandemic performance video links, and links to the artist website and merchandise. Please contact LowellArts at 616-897-8545 or lorain@lowellartsmi.org if you are interested in becoming a media partner.

More information: www.lowellartsmi.org/featured-artist-of-the-month

Public Museum displays large-scale work by three local artists

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“Black Lives Matter” by Jalexia Stoutmyre. (Supplied)

By Kate Kocienski
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is now featuring a new exhibit, Windows GR, three large-scale art pieces created by local artists of color.



Originally part of the Windows GR project, the three pieces of artwork are now a part of the GRPM’s permanent Collections and will be on display on the second floor of the Museum.

“I Can’t Breathe” by Guillermo Sotelo. (Supplied)

The Museum purchased the three pieces from Grand Rapids artists: Jalexia Stoutmyre, DeVante Barnes and Guillermo Sotelo, that were created specifically for the Windows GR project. On May 30, 2020, a peaceful protest in support of Black Lives Matter was held in downtown Grand Rapids, in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. Following the protest, riots broke out causing damage to vehicles and buildings. As a result, Windows GR was created, in collaboration with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts and a special group of creatives, to use the plywood-covered windows as blank canvases, allowing artists to paint pieces to speak out against systemic racism as well as provide a new platform for black and brown artists’ work to be seen and appreciated. Many artists worked collaboratively in this community activation project to paint the boarded up windows of businesses throughout downtown Grand Rapids over the summer of 2020.

“The protests and riots that took place in Grand Rapids this past summer are part of the history of the city. It is the privilege and place of the GRPM to preserve the stories of our community,” said GRPM President and CEO Dale Robertson. “To that end, these local artists’ statements speak to us on the ideals of justice, of systemic racism, and on racial reckoning. They represent and memorialize the community response to the destruction to our downtown which occurred at first light the following day. The Museum is pleased to be able to host these works, and connect with the community in this way.”

“Urban Funeral” by DeVante Barnes (Supplied)

“As a museum, we believe in the importance of building a collection to share stories that reflect the diversity of our community,” said Alex Forist, the GRPM’s Chief Curator. “Sharing the truth about history isn’t always going to be easy, but it’s important that we tell stories as accurately and completely as possible in order to preserve pieces from this moment in time for future generations. By purchasing these pieces, the Museum is honored to assist with amplifying the voices of black and brown artists in our community.”

The artifacts can also be explored on the Museum’s online Collections database, available at grpmcollections.org. This exhibit will be included with general admission.