Grand Valley State University is resuming its community arts celebration with a revamped timetable that will feature free art-related events throughout the year.
The GVSU Arts Celebration, formerly known as the Fall Arts Celebration, in 2021-2022 is set to feature art, music, poetry and an academic lecture in events that start in August with a GVSU Art Gallery exhibition and finish with a lecture in April.
Organizers said that spreading the events throughout the year will allow more people to access them, said Amorak Huey, chair of the GVSU Arts Celebration’s steering committee. He noted that commitment to wide community participation is important to the celebration.
Huey also said a central theme for this year’s celebration is relevance and a reflection of the current climate, one dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the holiday concert will focus on music from countries that are particularly affected by the pandemic.
“It seems like it’s important for the events we have to feel timely and have contemporary urgency,” Huey said.
“Identity Mask” by Jerry Coker (Supplied)
Responses to those current issues are prominently displayed in the Art Gallery exhibition, “Honest and Unrefined: Art Outside the Academy.” It runs from through Nov. 5 at the GVSU Art Gallery in the Haas Center for Performing Arts on the Allendale Campus.
The exhibition is the culmination of a nearly five-year effort to collect pieces that reflect the work of artists who ignore convention and tell their stories without the constraints of what others might think, said Nathan Kemler, director of GVSU Galleries and Collections.
“These are true voices coming through very directly,” Kemler said. “Art tells a story, and the story that this kind of artwork tells is usually more immediate and unfiltered.”
Belated Birthday Party: Tesla String Quartet Performs Music by Beethoven
Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Cook-DeWitt Center
Allendale Campus
“Coming Together to Celebrate the Holidays,” featuring multiple choirs and orchestras
Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Fountain Street Church
24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Poetry Night: an evening with Danez Smith, Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson and Marcel “Fable the Poet” Price, all of whom also perform their work
Mar. 14, 2022 at 7 p.m.
Eberhard Center, second floor
Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Lecture: Hanif Abdurraqib with Louis Moore, associate professor of history, to moderate an interview/conversation. Abdurraqib is author of the book, “A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance.”
The Gilmore’s Ultimate Truck Show will include pickup trucks, 4x4s, Jeeps, big rigs, tow trucks, emergency response vehicles, and military vehicles. (Gilmore Car Museum)
The Gilmore Car Museum and Tow Community are joining forces to present the Ultimate Truck Show, a celebration of “the trucks we all love and rely on,” on the Gilmore Car Museum campus this weekend.
The event will run Friday, Sept. 10, from noon to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a/m. to 4 p.m. The Gilmore is located on M-43, just north of Gull Lake, between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Tow Community is an online member community of thousands of towing services professionals and emergency responders, promoting roadway safety and the “Slow Down, Move Over” national industry campaign. For more information visit facebook.com/thetowingcommunity
The Ultimate Truck Show, according to a announcement from the Gilmore, will include activities like Touch-A-Truck, a Kids Zone with games, swap meet, bake sale, silent auction, Light Up The Night with the lights from First Responder vehicles, a school bus extrication demonstration, helicopter landing, and more.
Present for viewing will be a wide range of pickup trucks, 4x4s, Jeeps, big rigs, tow trucks, emergency response vehicles, and military vehicles in the show fields, alongside the historic barns and classic dealership buildings containing the Gilmore Car Museum’s indoor car collection.
There will also be live concert performances on both Friday and Saturday, included in the admission price, with Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band on Friday, starting at 5 p.m.; and Barefoot Blonde Country Rock Band on Saturday, starting at 2:30 p.m.
There will also be an onsite fundraising efforts at the show which will directly benefit the Great Lakes Burn Camp for Burn Injured Children. (glbcforkids.org)
The Hackley and Hume Historic Site, one of the sites of the Lakeshore Museum Center, is hosting “An Evening with the Hackleys” on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 6-9 p.m.
Come party like it’s 1899 at the Historic Site at 484 W. Webster Ave in Muskegon. “An Evening with the Hackleys” will start with fifteen-minute tours of the Hackley and Hume homes and will showcase traditions of parties in the 1800s. Tours will be followed by dinner in the courtyard at 7:30 p.m. Dinner will be created from the menus of parties hosted by the Hackleys during the Victorian Era.
“This is certain to be a unique event and experience for those who are passionate about history,” says Historic Site Director Erin Schmitz. “We want people to feel like they are being transported through time, back to the era of Charles and Julia Hackley, having a dinner party like they would have had in the late 1800s. We are excited to use the menus from their actual parties and bring a little bit of bygone time to current-day Muskegon. We think this will be unlike any other party people have been to before.”
Tickets for the semi-formal “An Evening with the Hackleys” are being sold by the table for a minimum donation of $1,000. This includes a tour of the houses, dinner for six guests, and three drink tickets per guest. Individual tickets will not be sold for this event.
Please call to reserve one of the remaining tables for this exclusive event. Guests will have the option to pay by credit card or be invoiced later. Contact Graciela at 231-724-5522.
The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks will again partner to offer a Food Truck Festival with more than 20 vendors to both help the community support small businesses and make the most of the end of the summer season.
The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 11, in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE, according to a Sept. 7 statement from the city.
The free-to-attend community event will run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and feature 24 food trucks, live music and a beer and wine tent.
This year’s event will coincide with the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The event will include a moment of silence led by Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, at 5 p.m., to honor the victims of 9/11, followed by a brief performance by local bagpiper Tom Bradley. There will also be posters from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York on display in the Library Community Room.
“We’re looking forward to the return of our Food Truck Festival, which has become one of our community’s favorite events to enjoy great food and music as we near the end of summer,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. said in supplied material. “We’ve developed a great lineup of food trucks with GR8 Food Trucks, as well as several musicians for a full day of fun outdoors.”
There will be a wide variety of sweet and savory food options available for purchase, according to the statement, with participating food trucks including Bigfoot Burger, Big Mike’s Kettle Corn, Beecher’s Pretzels, Curry in a Hurry, Daddy’s Dough Cookies, El Jalapeño, Fire and Rice Paella, Kool Breze, Kona Ice of Lowell, Lazy Man BBQ, Mapocho Fresh Sanwishes, Mexcellente, Nick’s Gyros, Olly’s Donuts, Patty Matters, PJW Creole Cuisine, Pressed in Time, Saladino Smoke, Sanse Filipino Cuisine, Street Frites, Touch O’ Dutch, Arcane Pizza, Whipped, a Brunch Truck, and UCC Desserts.
The City of Kentwood will continue to monitor public health guidance and orders, according to the statement, which may require changes to the event. Residents are encouraged to follow current public health guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Wizards and wizards-in-training can visit the magical world of John Ball Zoo. (Supplied)
As the season turns to fall and school begins, a magical change begins to occur at John Ball Zoo. It’s a time when the distinguished magical Zoo staff give lessons in caring for fantastical beasts. It’s time for magic.
John Ball Zoo is officially inviting all wizards, witches, and muggles alike to Wizarding Weekends. For two enchanting weekends, the Zoo will magically transform for this family- friendly event. From entering Nocturnal Alley, to exploring the Forbidden Forest, there is much for every wizarding fan to enjoy.
Visit the realms, hollows, and platforms throughout the magical grounds. Time to renew your imagination and brush up on your spells. Costumes are highly encouraged so put on your robes and grab your wand, and visit the fantastic beasts of the muggle world.
Wizarding Weekends at John Ball Zoo happens for two weekends starting Sept. 11 – 12 and again Sept, 18 – 19, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day.
It is recommend purchasing your tickets online prior to arrival. This will make your entry quicker and easier by not having to visit the ticket window first to purchase a ticket before entering the Zoo.
For daily admission tickets and more information about the event, visit jbzoo.org/wizardingweekends. John Ball Zoo is located on Fulton Avenue, one mile west of downtown Grand Rapids. For questions or for more information, call 616-336-4301 or email info@jbzoo.org.
Zeeland will host its seventh Fall Peddler’s Market, an artfully curious faire downtown on Church Street between Main Street and Central Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. brought to you by Back to Health Chiropractic.
The market will house a number of different curiosities, including but not limited to locally handmade children’s clothing and accessories, screen printed clothing, art prints, flowers and botanicals, handmade women’s jewelry, household gifts and goods, vintage furniture and décor, architectural salvage, handmade specialties including, fresh bread, handcrafted outdoor furniture, live music, food trucks, antiques and repurposed finds.
“This event has attracted a variety of vendors. From brand new businesses to well established ones – even young entrepreneurs! It’s a fresh open-air lifestyle market for all of your favorite things in one setting,” says City Events Coordinator Kerri VanDorp. Grab a cup of coffee and stroll Church Street and shop or enjoy an adult beverage as the event is within the downtown Social District.
You will be able to not only grab some great flowers, but also rummage through antique shop booth, check out the handmade jewelry, one of a kind artwork, refurbished furniture, and come home with some interesting and creative finds all in one place. To view a complete list of vendors online, visit the Peddlers’ Market Facebook page, and the Feel the Zeel Instagram account: @feel_the_zeel.
This event has attracted more than 60 different vendors from around the area, offering a large variety of items available for purchase, as well as special order. For more information, visit the City of Zeeland’s website.
Diomede Mother and Child, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
Edward Curtis and daugher Beth in a kaiak, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
Nunivak Man on sled rails, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
Cliff houses on King Island, viewed from Jewel Guard, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
Ju-kuls Nunivak, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
On June 8, 1927, Edward Sherriff Curtis, one of America’s premier photographers and ethnologists, set sail on the steamer ship Victoria towards Nome, Alaska, accompanied by daughter Beth Curtis Magnuson and newly employed assistant Stewart C. Eastwood.
Curtis took hundreds of images on his journey, only part of which were ultimately published. The rest sat, unseen, passed down through the family until the recent publication of a book and the curation of an exhibit detailing this “lost photographs.”
On Sept. 16, the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) will open the exhibit “Edward S. Curtis: Unpublished Alaska, the Lost Photographs”, with the exhibit running through Jan. 9, 2022.
This exhibition accompanies the 2021 publication of the complete journals by Curtis’ descendants, John and Coleen Graybill, in the book “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska.”
The exhibition’s opening event — on Sept. 16, with a reception at 5 p.m., a book signing 6 p.m., and a lecture at 7 p.m. — will feature Graybills in attendance. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.
“Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska, The Lost Photographs” presents, for the first time to the public, images made from the unused original negatives. Over 100 images will be included in the exhibition, along with excerpts from the personal journals of Curtis and his daughter Beth that describe their often harrowing adventures in the Bering Sea.
Curtis, his history, and ‘The North American Indian’
Born in 1868 near Whitewater, Wisc., Edward Sheriff Curtis was to become one of America’s premier photographers and ethnologists, according to the Edward S. Curtis Gallery website.
When the Curtis family moved to Port Orchard, Wash., in 1887, Edward’s gift for photography led him to an investigation of the Indians (now more properly called Native Americans) living on the Seattle waterfront. His photograph “Homeward” won Curtis the highest award in a photographic exhibition contest.
Edward Curtis and daugher Beth in a kaiak, from “Edward Curtis: Unpublished Alaska”, on display at Muskegon Museum of Art starting Sept. 16. (Supplied)
Having become well-known for his work with Native Americans, Curtis participated in the 1899 Harriman expedition to Alaska as the lead photographer. He then accompanied George Bird Grinell, editor of Forest and Stream, on a trip to northern Montana. There they witnessed the deeply sacred Sundance of the Piegan and Blackfoot tribes. Traveling on horseback, with their pack horses trailing behind, they stopped at the precipice. Below them, the view of the valley floor stretched with over a thousand teepees — an awesome sight to Curtis.
This event would transform his life and inspire him to create “The North American Indian”. Consisting of over 700 large portfolio images, over 1,500 volume size images, and over 7,000 pages of text, “The North American Indian” is a part of American history in both its imagery and its creation.
Begun in 1906, “The North American Indian” was the defining passion of Curtis’s life, an attempt to record, in writing and photography, the lives of the indigenous peoples of the Southwestern, Western, and Northwestern United States. This trip, planned for a single season, would be the final voyage to complete his epic quest.
The MMA is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily; 11 a.m. to 8 a.m., on Thursdays, and closed Mondays. Visit muskegonartmuseum.org for more information.
Kent District Library, Schuler Books and three other libraries from across Michigan announce the tenth annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest, which drew almost 1,000 Michigan writers last year.
Writers of all ages are invited to enter, with separate categories for youth, teens, adults and Spanish language (12 and younger). Winning entries will be published and receive cash prizes.
“Writing is powerful for storytelling and artistic expression, but also has healing power,” said Katie Zuidema, Marketing Communications Specialist at KDL. “Research shows that writing can be an important release for emotions and stress, but first and foremost, writing is a beautiful form of expression that we celebrate with Write Michigan.”
Stories can be submitted at writemichigan.org through Tuesday, Nov. 30, at noon. Details include a 3,000-word maximum length; $10 entry fee for ages 18 and above, free for 17 and under; current Michigan residents only; all entries must be submitted online.
Winners are chosen by public vote for the Readers’ Choice award and by a panel of judges for the Judges’ Choice award. Voters and judges choose winners from the top ten semi-finalists. The top honor in each category receives a $500 cash prize and a Judges’ Choice runner-up in each category will receive a $250 cash prize. In addition, judges will award one writer a slot in Johnathan Rand’s 2022 Author Quest writing camp for kids ages 10-13.
Winners will be honored during an awards ceremony in March and their story will be published in an anthology by Chapbook Press. KDL is pleased to welcome author Stephen Mack Jones as the Write Michigan keynote author for 2022.
Those who enjoy reading stories are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer story reviewer at writemichigan.org/volunteer.
Joining KDL this year in the Write Michigan competition as partners are Hancock School Public Library, Traverse Area District Library and Canton Public Library.
Many of the historic buildings at Blandford will be open during the tribute set for Sept. 8 – 11. (Supplied)
By Jess Bitting Blandford Nature Center
Blandford Nature Center will be hosting a celebration of the life and achievements of founder Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray, who passed away peacefully in Grand Rapids on August 18, 2020. She was 93 at the time.
From Wednesday, Sept. 8, through Saturday Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the public can view an exhibit about Dockeray’s life in the auditorium of the Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center at Blandford Nature Center. This multiple-day exhibit will highlight her passions and accomplishments over the span of several decades. As a pioneer in environmental education, Dockeray was a local icon who had a passion for inspiring people of all ages to fall in love with and protect nature; and this exhibit documents her journey in doing so. During this four-day exhibit, Blandford’s Historic Buildings will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Dockeray will be remembered for many things, but she is perhaps best known for her classroom visits and lectures with her ancient slide projector. With this machine in hand, she brought nature to life through vivid imagery and stories that enthralled children and adults alike. Visitors will be able to see some of her slides, as well as view a documentary about her life and a digitized version of one of her most iconic presentations, “These Things are Ours.” Visitors will be encouraged to share their personal memories of Dockeray.
Prior to Dockeray’s passing, Blandford Nature Center, in collaboration with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, purchased the Highlands Golf Club and is in the process of implementing the master plan for that property. Dockeray always called this “our last great land conquest” and was proud to be part of saving that property from future development. Now everyone can use the new barrier-free trail that connects the Visitor Center to The Highlands to experience the beauty that Dockeray always imagined could exist on that property.
COVID-19 protocols, including social distancing and required masks for all attendees, will be in place to ensure a safe experience. The Blandford Nature Center is located at 1715 Hillburn Ave. NW.
Retired Chaplain John Hooglund, from Holland Home at Breton Woods, produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Veteran Jurgen Nitzsche produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Kent County Veterans Services had planned an in-doors Yellow Ribbon Gala this week to unveil the selected works of more than 100 local veterans created during veteran art workshops in 2020 and 2021, and led by local artist Pamela Alderman. But pandemic concerns caused that to be canceled.
But Alderman will still be showing off selected works which inspired and are included as part of her Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize work at an event Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., behind Grand Valley State University’s L.V. Eberhard Center, on the Blue Bridge, in Grand Rapids. The program starts at 10:30 a.m.
The event will include Alderman’s Yellow Ribbon sculpture, made in collaboration with several veterans, as well as other individual art pieces made by veterans during the art workshops and also led by Alderman.
There will be live music performed by singer/songwriter and Navy veteran Drew Nelson. There will also be snacks and activities for kids, and county Veterans Services Officers on site to answer questions and set up future appointments for veterans and their families. Additionally the Veterans Services office will have a pop-up shop for making Kent County Veteran ID cards.
But the stars of the show will be the works of the veterans and how their works — and their stories — inspired Alderman’s work.
Pamela Alderman, the lead artist of the veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry, with her son, who is in her first year in the military. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
“The community veteran ArtPrize work took two years to develop,” Alderman said to WKTV. “Over 100 veterans participated. Some families participated with three generations.”
About 14 veteran art workshops were held throughout the pandemic, some indoors and some outdoors in the Veterans Services parking lot. Some art supplies were event delivered door to door.
“The finished work (Alderman’s sculpture) showcases four Kent County veterans pieces, but on Saturday, we will highlight the work of over 100 veterans and family members, plus loved ones,” Alderman said.
The Saturday event will also highlight how Yellow Ribbon evolved into a bigger ArtPrize project with Michael Hyacinthe from [Has Heart] at Veterans Memorial Park. This ArtPrize venue, co-curated by Hyacinthe and Alderman, will host the work of 21 veteran entries along with the Yellow Ribbon work.
For Alderman, the two-year project was as much a passion as a project.
“I’m a veteran wife. My husband served as a Naval Officer for 20 years,” said. “I’m also a Blue Star Mother. My youngest son is training as a Navy pilot, and son-in-law also serves as Navy helicopter pilot.”
Artworks tell veteran’s stories
One of the works to be displayed, an abstract vision including a helicopter flying, was created by retired Chaplain John Hooglund from Holland Home at Breton Woods.
According to suppled material, Hooglund worked as an U.S. Army chaplain for 30 years. In Vietnam, he travelled by helicopter with two gunships. Stateside, he helped integrate church services across racial and gender lines. At the Pentagon, he worked with more than 1,400 chaplains — and assisted them in performing their most difficult duties.
“Once, when he walked into a bar wearing his chaplain’s uniform to deliver some sad news, the father burst into tears as soon as he saw him,” Alderman relayed to WKTV in an email. “Those kinds of experiences still follow John decades later.”
Another work, another abstract vision of a flag and a service member saluting, was created by Jurgen Nitzsche, who detailed his service in a statement relayed by Alderman.
“I served in the U.S. Army 394th station hospital unit for six years,” Nitzsche said. “In 1969, I was honorably discharged … During my time in service, I learned mechanical engineering and people skills, which helped me to become an engineer and plant manager. I believe the military is a great start in life for any young person. I’m 80 years old, and I am proud to have served in the United States Army, to help keep our country free and safe.”
Many local veterans groups helped
In addition to the support of Kent County Veterans Services, Alderman also thanked several local groups for their assistance with the workshops and with her project.
Among the groups supporting the project were 92 For 22 and the Kent County Veterans Treatment Court; Ottawa-North Kent Blue Star Mothers and Marne American Legion; Blue Star Mothers of South Kent and American Legion 305; Blue Star Mothers of Ionia, Kent and Montcalm and Ray I. Booth American Legion; Grand Rapids Home for Veterans; Holland Home; Finish the Mission; WINC: For All Women Veterans; and the GVSU Veterans Upward Bound Program.
An American automotive classic, the Corvette is cause for celebration in Mackinaw City at the 32nd Annual Corvette Crossroads Auto Show. We invite you to join us on Saturday, August 28, 2021, just before Labor Day Weekend. G-Man Entertainment will be on site all day offering his commentary, music and enthusiasm.
Friday, Aug. 27, Corvettes of various vintages arrive, cruise and prepare for Saturday’s festivities.
Saturday, Aug. 28, hundreds of Corvettes will be on display at the Odawa Casino – Mackinaw, 1080 S. Nicolet St. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Winners are selected from several categories by “People’s Choice” – this is not intended to be an intensely competitive event, rather a fun gathering for enthusiasts. The award presentation begins at 3 p.m. The corvette parade will cross the Mackinac Bridge at 7 p.m.
The Corvette Crossroads Corvette Parade across the Mighty Mac is open to everyone with a Corvette. Participants should start arriving at the Odawa Casino parking area at 6 p.m. The fee for non-show registered ‘Vettes to participate in the parade is $10 and all participants are responsible for their return bridge fare of $4.
Participants will follow the parade route through Mackinaw City and across the Mackinac Bridge where they will be able to enjoy St. Ignace and return to Mackinaw City at their leisure. The Village of Mackinaw City Police Department and Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Officers will provide traffic control along the parade route. Spectators can enjoy the show and cheer on the ‘Vettes beginning at 7 p.m. along the parade route – South Huron Ave. to Central Avenue, right on Nicolet St., to cross the Mackinac Bridge.
The 28th Street Metro Cruise takes place Aug. 27 and 28 in Wyoming and Kentwood. But Cascade will host a “Warm-Up” — with lots of fun and cars — on Thursday, Aug. 26. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
After being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up returns to Cascade Township where it will welcome classic car lovers and community members of all ages.
This year’s event will take place from 4:30-8:30 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 26, in the parking lot at Fowling Warehouse Grand Rapids, 6797 Cascade Road SE. The free-to-attend event will feature activities for car enthusiasts, music lovers, families and children, including classic show cars, music by The Soul Syndicate, and face painting and balloon sculpting for the little ones.
There will also be variety of dinner and dessert options available from local food trucks, including Patty Matters, The Grilled Greek, O’Hana Ice and Mexcellente.
“The Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up is a wonderful way for residents of all ages to get outdoors, have fun and connect with neighbors,” Sandra Korhorn, Cascade Township economic development director, said in supplied material. “We are beyond excited to return this year and gather with the community to listen to great music, grab a bite to eat and, of course, admire dozens of classic cars.”
The Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up leads into the 28th Street Metro Cruise, West Michigan’s premiere auto cruise and car show set for Friday, Aug. 27 through Saturday, Aug. 28, at Wyoming’s Rogers Plaza and Kentwood’s Woodland Mall.
Cascade’s Metro Cruise Warm-Up will also feature a silent auction that will benefit the Kent County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office will auction off two ride-alongs with the K-9 Unit. Each ride-along will consist of a six-hour patrol shift that will “give participants the opportunity to see the role of law enforcement from a unique perspective,” according to supplied material. Participants must be 18 years or older and pass a criminal background check. The K-9 Unit will also perform a live demonstration at 7 p.m.
For more information on the Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up visit the Township’s website or the event’s Facebook page.
The three-night WinterFest Jazz Festival will feature Christian McBride and plenty of his “friends”, including on Feb. 25 special guest jazz singer Cyrille Aimée will be featured. (Supplied)
“RoundAgain” is the title of a 2020 studio album by a quartet consisting of modern jazz powerhouses Joshua Redman on saxophone, Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.
The album was released without the usual touring support July 2020 after being recorded in New York City, in September 2019 — just before the music world’s abrupt touring shutdown as the COVID-19 pandemic hit us all.
St. Cecilia Music Center, as part of its 2021-22 concert season filled with “hope of bringing audiences back to Royce Auditorium” after its own shutdown, has its own plans to bring touring jazz “round again” — with Redman and McBride leading the effort as both are scheduled to make appearances in 2022, including McBride hosting the delayed WinterFest Music Festival in February.
“We are thrilled and thankful to begin again in 2021–22 with live concerts featuring most of the artists who were scheduled to appear this past season and had to be sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive and artistic director said in supplied material at the time of the season announcement. “These great artists are looking forward to getting back out on tour to perform in front of live audiences and to bring music back to concert stages in the U.S. and worldwide.”
And local jazz fans can’t wait for their return as well.
Joshua Redman Quartet (Supplied)
St. Cecilia’s jazz offerings will include WinterFest, an event featuring 7-time Grammy-winning jazz bassist McBride “with some of his most talented musical collaborators” for a three-evening festival Feb. 24 -26.
The St. Cecilia Spectacular Jazz Series itself will include saxophonist Redman on Jan. 20, Grammy and Tony award-winning jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater together with pianist Bill Charlap on March 10, and acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis with his Uptown Jazz Orchestra on April 14.
“It was important to us to bring the artists we had booked this past season for the upcoming 2021-22 season … Recreating that amazing line-up gives us hope for the future.” Holbrook said. “We are also thrilled to announce that our new WinterFest Jazz Festival was able to be rescheduled for the same week” just one year later.
Jazz season opens in January, but tickets available now
Joshua Redman on Jan. 20. Redman, a ceaselessly innovative saxophonist, and his band “evoke a sound that is both challenging and provocative to hard-swinging, melodic, and soulful – music with a joyous and celebratory spirit,” according to supplied material. Redmond’s latest album is “Come What May” was released in Spring 2019 — at which tome JazzTimes said of Redman, he is “unparalleled among horn players today.”
Dee Dee Bridgewater (Supplied)
Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap on March 10. Two Grammy winners will share the stage as Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz vocalist Bridgewater and world- renowned pianist Bill Charlap pay a visit. Bridgewater, over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, “has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics,” according to supplied material. Charlap has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz.
Delfeayo Marsalis on April 14. Marsalis — of the deep and deeply-talented Marsalis musical family — will lead his Uptown Jazz Orchestra in a performance of big band favorites. Over the course of his music career, acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Marsalis has been praised for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor.” He has also been called one of “the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” Marsalis, an NEA Jazz Master, has shared the bandstand with jazz legends Art Blakey, Max Roach and Elvin Jones, as well as pop icons Fats Domino, Ray Charles and George Clinton.
St. Cecilia WinterFest Jazz Festival 2022
Acclaimed Grammy–winning jazz bassist McBride will bring plenty of his “friends” to town for a three-day festival: Feb. 24 will feature McBride and Edgar Meyer for a double “double bass” extravaganza; Feb. 25 will be a traditional jazz show showcasing McBride’s celebrated jazz career with his trio and special guest jazz singer Cyrille Aimée; Feb. 26 will be an evening with Christian McBride’s quintet, Inside Straight, for “an unforgettable night of energetic and inspiring jazz.”
Christian McBride, no stranger to St. Cecilia Music Center, will return in a big way in 2021 (Supplied)
McBride, deservedly, has been called a “force of nature, fusing the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth and grounding of a seasoned journeyman.” With a career now into its third decade, the Philadelphia native has become one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today.
His range and recording span the spectrum of music: from jazz (McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny) to R&B (Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, and the one and only Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown) to pop/rock (Sting, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon) to hip-hop/neo-soul (The Roots, Queen Latifah) to classical (Kathleen Battle, Edgar Meyer, Shanghai Quartet).
Meyer is in demand as both a performer and a composer. The New Yorker called him “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument”, Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him to the forefront, where he is appreciated by a vast, varied audience.
Grammy-nominated vocalist Aimée ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by The New York Times.
Inside Straight is Christian McBride’s quintet formed in 2009. “Kind of Brown,” the quintet’s debut studio album, was released in 2009 when Will Lyman of PopMatters wrote “This music is unselfconsciously traditional: it’s fun; it swings…it’s not experimental, but it gives superb voice to several brilliant players and one new discovery. In 2013, the quintet released “People Music”, which one reviewer said “The new album finds the quintet in hard-swing mode, delivering what they call “more road-tested, ‘lived-in’ Inside Straight” in an accessible way, and one that makes the audience part of the experience.”
Tickets and COVID pandemic details
Season subscription and single concert tickets to the 2022 SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival and Spectacular Jazz Series are available online at scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224.
At this date, St. Cecilia states on its website that it “will require proof of fully-vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours, to attend a concert at our venue…. SCMC is also highly recommending that all attendees wear a mask while in the building. Attendees will need to bring ID and proof of vaccination the night of a concert. We will continue to monitor the COVID environment and may change policies at any time if necessary. … All ticket holders will be notified if mandatory mask requirements are in effect for a particular show by an artist.”
If SCMC is able to offer post-concert CD-signing receptions, all ticket-holders may be able to meet some of the artists and obtain signed CDs of their releases. Further information will be announced closer to the start of the season on whether COVID restrictions will allow SCMC to hold receptions.
SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival individual concerts include Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer on Thursday, Feb. 24, with single tickets at $50 and $55; Christian McBride Trio and Cyrille Aimee on Friday, Feb. 25, with single tickets at $40 and $45; and Christian McBride & Inside Straight on Saturday, Feb. 26, with single tickets at $40 and $45.
Bob O’Callaghan, President/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, talks about the chamber’s Metro Cruise expanding out to a second location in 2021, at the Woodland Mall.
People who have a history of cruising with the 28th Street Metro Cruise know it once extended from Cascade to Wyoming, with Woodland Mall a good middle point turnaround for some.
Bob O’Callaghan, President/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the hosting organization of the Metro Cruise, would like to see those days return.
But this year, just having the event extend its footprint and have a presence at Woodland Mall is a big step in the right direction.
“Woodland (Mall) has been an endpoint for a lot of folks going east,” O’Callaghan said to WKTV. “We are trying to get more people in Cascade, or whatever, doing events that go all the way, the full 13 miles. But at this point Woodland has been a great way to do that.”
The 28th Street Metro Cruise officially kicks-off Friday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m., at its usual and main location at Rogers Plaza in Wyoming, and will continue Saturday, Aug. 28.
Rogers Plaza mall parking lot in Wyoming is always a focal point for the 28th Street Metro Cruise. (WKACC)
As in past years, the Rogers Plaza mall parking lot will feature food trucks and concessionaires, hundreds of collector cars, a kid’s entertainment area, a community awards ceremony, the crowd-favorite Miss Metro Cruise competition finals, live music on the Metro-Main Stage, and the popular Dynamometer car testing area where attendees can see cars rev up to 160 mph. (For more information and schedule of events visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.)
But at the second Main Event site, located on the off 28th Street at Woodland Mall, on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., will feature a wide array of collector, sports, and antique cars. It will also feature multiple food vendors including local food trucks, and official Metro Cruise merchandise.
“The good thing about this event here at Woodland Mall is that it is an opportunity for some of the folks in Cascade, Ada, who usually drive down to Rogers Plaza but don’t want to, have a closer venue,” O’Callaghan said. “We’ll have a lot of folks come into see the cars, and we’ll have a lot of folks just want see what it is. … It is a great opportunity for people to come in, park, look at the cars, and have a good time.”
O’Callaghan also expressed gratitude to the management of Woodland Mall for working with the Metro Cruise — “We are glad to have them be part of this for this year and hope it grows.”
And Woodland Mall is happy to be part of the festivities.
“We are looking forward again to welcoming the 28th Street Metro Cruise to Woodland Mall,” Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall, said to WKTV. “In addition to providing shoppers and guests with an excellent selection of shopping, dining and entertainment offerings, we also host many free events and programs for the community to enjoy year-round. … Metro Cruise is one of many events we’ve been grateful to be a part of again this year to bring the West Michigan community together.”
“As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.”
Puppeteer and Muppets creator Jim Henson
You’ve Got a Friend
George Keen, left, and Ralph Baker on The Racing Show, taped by WKTV in January, 2020. (WKTV)
George Keen was a friend and mentor for many at WKTV. Known as the face of the popular “The Racing Show,” George would lend his natural broadcast talents to a number of WKTV projects such as DreamWheels at Metro Cruise and the sports show. General Manager Tom Norton writes “Something tells me that if Heaven has racing and they want the new guy to ‘call the race,’ everyone back here who knew George would recommend him highly.” WKTV thanks George’s family for sharing this man of many talents with us.
Revving up for Metro Cruise
It’s hard to believe that Metro Cruise is only a week away, but it is! The largest car show in West Michigan has a ton of events including a Wyoming versus Kentwood chicken wings challenge. Of courses, the cars will be the cente point with them lined up along 28th Street. Bonus: this year there will be two main locations, Rogers Plaza and Woodland Mall. For more on this year’s event, click here. For a look at past events, click here. The Metro Cruise schedule is available at wktvjournal.org and 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.
Forward Thinking
Scenes form “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, coming to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum this fall. (SEE Attractions)
ArtPrize is on the horizon for Sept. 16 – Oct. 3 but there are several other cool events coming into Grand Rapids this fall as well. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will be hosting “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition.” The immersive visual experience is set to open Oct. 22. The Grand Rapids Art Museum will be featuring the work of Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish, members of the Gun Lake Tribe, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band. The two are renowned for their artistry in black ash basketry. And the John Ball Zoo recently announced it will bring back IllumiZoo Wild Hues this fall. Guests will be able to stroll through an illuminated landscape of nature drenched with lighting and sounds. IllumiZoo will run Sept. 3 to Nov. 14.
La Marquise, the oldest running car in the world. (Public Domain)
Fun Fact: 137 years old and still running
Currently holding the title of the oldest running car is the La Marquise from France. The vehicle was manufactured in 1884 by De Dion, Bouton, and Trepardoux. The car was built as a prototype named after De Dion’s mother, and it was based on a quadricycle design. In 1987, an Englishman bought the car from a French auction and brought it home. After working on the car, he was able to get it running and it was the oldest car in the 1996 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The car was given the number “0” for the race. In a 2011 auction, the car sold for more than four and half million dollars. It is in a private collection.
Five contestants, including at least two from Kentwood, pulled out their cutlery and their eye for beauty recently as the the Kentwood Farmers Market held its first-ever Charcuterie Challenge, which had the entries given 30 minutes to first buy items from the market and then prepare a charcuterie plater for pubic vote.
The Aug. 12 challenge, eventually won by Lisa Hopkins, included contestants Amy Richey, Marne Becker-Baratta, Trang Wilbur and Joshua Knepper.
The competition took place during the Kentwood Farmers Market, located weekly behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE, with the finished boards on display and market-goers able to watch the competitors build their boards and then vote for their favorite. The winner received a gift courtesy of the Kentwood Farmers Market.
In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. The idea of charcuterie has evolved over the years to include an assortment of meats, cheeses, veggies and other items.
The market randomly selected five challengers out of a group of applicants to each receive $25 and 30 minutes to shop the market and assemble a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board using only those purchased ingredients.
“Charcuterie has become such a fun, popular way to display and enjoy a variety of food,” market manager Kristina Colby said prior to the event. “We are looking forward to seeing all the creative ways challengers showcase local foods found at the Kentwood Farmers Market and use the beautiful, handmade charcuterie boards Handcrafted by Fellow is suppling for the competition.”
The Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, farmers market manager Kristina Colby, center, prepares the chefs for the challenge. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Joshua Knepper is out shopping at the market. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Amy Richey (of Kentwood) is out shopping at the market. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, the contestants start their work. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Lisa Hopkins — and eventual winner — prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Joshua Knepper prepares his plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Marne Becker-Baratta (of Kentwood) prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Trang Wilbur prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Now in it’s 53rd year, the annual Fallasburg Arts Festival is presented by LowellArts and will be held on Sept. 18 and 19. The 2-day, outdoor festival includes 100 fine art and fine crafts booths, live music on a central stage, food booths supporting local non-profit organizations, a children’s craft area, and traditional craft demonstrations in the pavilion. Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm. Admission is free. Parking is $5 per car. Location: Fallasburg Park, 1124 Fallasburg Park Drive, Lowell, MI, 49331. For more information, visit lowellartsmi.org/fallasburg-arts-festival.
Artist booths are juried and a broad range of different mediums are represented including: jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, glass, fiber, mixed media, wood, painting, drawing, photography, floral, basketry, and more. Demonstrators of traditional crafts are located in the pavilion. Visitors of all ages are invited to watch the artisans at work. Demonstrations include: mosaic, fly tying, quilting, weaving, embroidery, needlefelting, and more.
Musical entertainment is held on an outdoor stage both days of the event, featuring a variety of music styles. Saturday music line-up: 10:15 Eli Roe Music, 11:30 Hawks and Owls, 1:00 The Weatherheads, 2:30 Paddy’s Cure, 4:00 Bruce Matthews Band. Sunday music line-up: 10:15 Easy idle String Band, 11:30 Blue Water Ramblers, 1:00 B-Side Growlers, 2:30 The Adams Family, 4:00 The Wild Honey Collective.
An enclosed Children’s Area provides children the opportunity to decorate and take home a pumpkin. Food booths offer an array of fall-inspired and festival foods, offered by local community organizations. Visitors are invited to purchase raffle tickets to win one of over 75 artist-made items donated by festival artists, or the grand prize quilt, created by Mary Kidwell Tobin for the event. Annual attendance estimates are 25,000. Event sponsors are Fifth Third Bank, Meijer, and All-Weather Seal.
Fallasburg Park is located off Lincoln Lake Road north of downtown Lowell at 1124 Fallasburg Park Drive, Lowell, MI. Lowell is located 14 miles east of Grand Rapids and 1-hour from Lake Michigan and Lansing. For more information, contact LowellArts at (616) 897-8545, e-mail info@lowellartsmi.org.
The centuries old tradition of black ash basketry will be the focus of the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s next installment of its Michigan Artist Series.
Set to open Aug. 28, “The Black Ash Basketry of Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish,” features the work of the mother-and-daughter team who are members of the Gun Lake Tribe, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band.
“The black ash tree is an integral part of who we are, from creation stories to blood memories, to the baskets that we make today,” Artist Kelly Church said. “We start with the black ash tree, and we do all of the processing—we harvest it, we process it, we cut it, and then we make a basket that tells a story of our life today. We’re combining the traditions of our past that have been carried on for thousands of years.”
The artists and their family come from an unbroken line of black ash basket makers. The Anishinabe originally made baskets purely for utility, weaving them in various sizes for carrying, collecting, and storing. As a broader appreciation for Native baskets developed, their ancestors began creating decorative baskets to sell and bolster the tribal economy. Church and Parrish draw on these traditions to create more topical and experimental works. An Interwoven Legacy powerfully demonstrates both their astonishing artistry and their urgent advocacy on behalf of Native traditions.
The exhibition emphasizes two of the artists’ primary motivations: the importance of maintaining the basketmaking tradition within their culture, and their advocacy for the black ash tree’s survival, which is being decimated by an invasive insect, the emerald ash borer. These issues are critically important for people whose cultural survival depends on passing traditions on to the next generations, whether through language, ceremonies, or practices like basketry.
Church added, “Cherish and I take our old traditional teachings and we combine it with the contemporary stories of who we are as Natives in 2021. We are the largest basket weaving family in Michigan, and the fact that we can carry it on this long, to me shows strength and resilience of who we are.”
On exhibit through February 26, the artists will debut more than 20 new works in An Interwoven Legacy that focus on the centuries-old tradition of black ash basketry. The exhibit will be a mix of traditional baskets and the contemporary ones that draw on Native history and storytelling.
“The Grand Rapids Art Museum’s exhibition presents the work of two Michigan basket makers who are nationally-recognized for their remarkable level of skill and craft,” said GRAM Chief Curator Ron Platt. “In Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish’s family, basket weaving has been handed down from one generation to the next, extending back centuries. Their work is especially powerful for the way it balances tradition with their concerns about the environment, both here in West Michigan, and nationally.”
Kelly Church demonstrates her work. (Courtesy)
Accompanying the exhibition will be documentary elements illustrating the strenuous process of harvesting black ash trees and preparing the splints for basketmaking, as well as stories and background information from Church and Parrish about the works on view.
Complementing the exhibition will be several related programming and events, including Drop-in Tours, virtual basketmaking workshops led by Kelly Church, and Drop-in Studio. Guests are encouraged to view the Museum’s updated visitor guidelines in advance of their visit, which includes face mask requirements for all visitors while indoors.
For those who prefer to experience the exhibition virtually, there will be digital resources on GRAM’s website including installation images, a video interview with the artists, archival photographs, and texts.
George Keen, left, and Ralph Baker on The Racing Show, taped by WKTV in January, 2020. (WKTV)
By Tom Norton, WKTV general manager
Whenever we receive news of the sudden passing of a colleague, friend or family member, it’s always a shock. All of us WKTV Community Media family were shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of George Keen Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021.
George began his decades of volunteering and creating television at WKTV in 1992. I remember first meeting George and knew instantly that he was a natural for broadcast work. His easy-going, affable and conversational manner made him the perfect television host. We used to joke here that George was so good, he could give a play-by-play of paint drying. The ease from which George could take a guest’s answer and play it into the next question made his television appearances, not so much television, but more a conversation which is where television really shines. It seemed like it was an old acquaintance or friends talking and it was always a pleasure to watch.
And watch they did. In 1992 George and his team created “The Racing Show” to in George’s words, ‘give the racing fans something to talk about over the winter when they were at the races.” I asked him what they were going to talk about and he said, “racing, of course.” Within several months of its launch, “The Racing Show”, every Wednesday at 7 p.m., became appointment television for many in West Michigan. There was no internet or social media to push the audience (or divide it up), but the audience grew quickly.
The show sponsored sold out wintertime racing banquets at the K of C Hall and during a WKTV Buy a Brick telethon in 2002, we gave George and the racing community an entire night of the telethon. All night long the phones jangled with the sound of the racing community buying bricks to support WKTV. We knew, however, that they were really heeding George’s call and it showed that the racing community is a tight knit family.
George stayed with us through the early years of The 28th Street Metro Cruise, again providing that effortless style of good conversation when talking to any classic car owner. Gradually, though his talent led him to work more in radio and at Berlin Raceway and when “The Racing Show” went off the air in 2005 we were sad. For us it seemed an era had passed.
George returned occasionally to host a number of different shows including many years doing play-by-play for Golden Gloves Boxing. In February of 2020 George returned again to WKTV to tape the first installment of the new “The Racing Show” which would’ve also featured a podcast. He just couldn’t stay away from making television and it was a comeback we were glad to have. When the pandemic shuttered productions, things never did come back together, but we have the one episode that will stay in our archive forever.
I never saw the man use notes. He ability to wing it effortlessly always impressed me and we’re sure much more will be said of George who had so many friends and colleagues across so many facets of life. Something tells me that if Heaven has racing and they want the new guy to “call the race,” everyone back here who knew George would recommend him highly.
God speed George Keen. Thank you for 29 years at WKTV.
Anybody who has stood inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome and witnessed the power and the glory of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, you know the feeling of heavenly art if not an actual connection with God.
For those of us who haven’t, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will bring to Grand Rapids the feeling of being in the chapel when it hosts “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” this fall. (The museum is currently open but with limited capacity.)
The immersive visual experience that is “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel”, presented by Los Angeles-based SEE Attractions, “recreates one of the world’s greatest artistic achievements through photographic reproduction displayed in its original size,” according to an exhibition announcement.
The exhibition opens on Oct. 22 and runs through Feb. 20, 2022.
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” will be the museum’s feature exhibit in 2021, and Brooke Clement, acting director of the Ford Museum, said in supplied material that the support from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation was pivotal in the exhibit’s scheduling.
“This is an epic exhibit, and we are proud to partner with our friends at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to bring Michelangelo’s iconic images to West Michigan,” Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, said in supplied material. “There is something in these timeless paintings to delight and teach every visitor — from students who are learning about how art tells our most important stories to seasoned travelers who have toured the Sistine Chapel in person and seek to deepen their knowledge.”
Local ties by exhibit producer
The path for a Los Angeles-born entertainment exhibit, by a German-born producer, to make its way to Grand Rapids, is really a story of local ties.
“I first came to Grand Rapids as an exchange student from Germany in 1975 and graduated from Forest Hills Northern High School,” Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Attractions, said in supplied material. “That experience inspired me to stay in the US and start my entertainment business, so it’s a special honor for me to be able to bring one of my productions to Grand Rapids.”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum entrance. (Supplied)
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, in addition images of timeless masterpieces including the “Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgment”, includes the ceiling paintings from the Sistine Chapel, all of which have been reproduced in a truly unique way using licensed high-definition photos.
“Brought to life using a special printing technique that emulates the look and feel of the original paintings, visitors are given a chance to engage with the artwork in ways that were never before possible: seeing every detail, every brushstroke, and every color of the artist’s 34 frescoes,” according to supplied material.
Each image is accompanied by informative signage, and audio guides are available to rent for an even more in-depth experience.
For more information about “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, visit chapelsistine.com/
The Ford Museum is currently open on Wednesday-Friday, 2-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m,. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, non to 5 p.m. Tickets are limited to a 50-person capacity and available for purchase online at buy.acmeticketing.com/events/277/list.
Since 2005, the 28th Street Metro Cruise has been an annual event put on by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, but “cruising 28th Street” has been a “thing” long before then — people have grown up cruising up and down 28th Street, maybe first with their father and now with their children.
Cruisers have long considered 28th Street a memorable place for car lovers, particularly around the Rogers Plaza area in Wyoming, and “Bringing car lovers together to celebrate this long-standing tradition was the foundation for the current event,” the chamber states on their website.
And WKTV Community Media has been covering the 28th Street Metro Cruise since its inception.
“WKTV Community Media has for nearly half a century been part of the Wyoming and Kentwood community and, with Metro Cruise being one of largest gatherings of our community, we have a long history with the event,” Tom Norton, general manger of WKTV Community Media, said. “We have covered it in many ways over the years. Rain or shine. Big and smaller. The cars change but our commitment to coverage has not.”
For just a sampling of WKTV’s coverage, and some recent YouTube highlights, see the following links:
The History of Metro Cruise
Even in the COVID-19 year of 2020, WKTV got creative and still offered up a show.
In 2017, a car show met Hollywood premiere as WKTV brought classic vehicles to the red carpet.
In 2018, WKTV looked at what “classic sports and performance cars” might look like in the future.
Calling all local musicians! Kent District Library is now accepting submissions to KDL Vibes, our upcoming streaming platform that features music from West Michigan musicians.
Vibes will offer an online collection that showcases and shares current local music for free. Musicians who would like to have their music selected to be featured in the collection are invited to submit a sample track from their album using the online form. After submitting the form, a jury consisting of members of West Michigan’s local music community and library staff with music backgrounds will review and select 40-50 albums per submission round. These musicians will be paid an honorarium for their contribution which is a way for the library to support our vibrant arts community.
“The Vibes platform is a great way to celebrate our local music scene,” said Stacy Schuster, Collection Development Librarian for KDL. “Musicians will have the opportunity to share their songs and music lovers will have access to the amazing talents of musicians in the West Michigan area.”
KDL Vibes streaming platform is set to launch to the public later this year for patrons to listen to music from their favorite West Michigan musicians.
Musicians looking for more information or who have any questions can visit vibes.kdl.org/faq or email the team at vibes@kdl.org.
The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will again collaborate with LMCU Ballpark to host live theater at the ballpark in August. Broadway at the Ballpark is scheduled for Aug. 27 and 28 with shows at 7 p.m. each night.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre back to the ballpark this year,” said Dan Morrison, VP of Sales for the West Michigan Whitecaps. “This event will once again provide an opportunity for guests to get an up-close look at our field and will offer amazing entertainment for baseball and theatre fans alike.”
The 2021 event will feature world-class entertainment and bigger and better entertainment experiences for all ages. The concert will feature Broadway favorites performed by Civic Theatre actors. This year, the event will also include more musical numbers, greater seating capacity, and an expanded selection of food and beverage, including beer and wine.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for youth aged 3-15. Children 3 and under are free. Guests will bring their own chairs be seated in the outfield of LMCU Ballpark. Gates will open at 5:30 pm, and a special performance from the cast of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of the musical Once will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale July 7th and will be available online and at the LMCU Ballpark box office.
Civic Theatre is returning to regular live performance after the pandemic closed their doors for nearly 18 months. As the company prepares for its 2020-2021 season in September, Civic Theatre returns to the ballpark for another outdoor show.
“After what’s been a very challenging year, we are so excited to return to LMCU Ballpark again in 2021,” said Ben Greene, Director of Marketing and Engagement for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. “With fewer pandemic restrictions in place, we are planning to make this experience even more enjoyable for our guests this year.”
“Broadway at the Ballpark”was born after both Civic Theatre and the West Michigan Whitecaps were forced to cancel regular programming in 2020 due to the pandemic. The inaugural event was a hit among guests, and both parties agreed to host the event again in 2021.
VIP packages will be available for purchase for the event for $150. The packages include a table for up to four guests, early entry, VIP parking, and an all-you-can-eat meal plan in the General RV Campground.
“We are always looking for ways to strengthen our community partnerships and offer unique and fun experiences in West Michigan,” Morrison added. “We hope that even more families choose to make ‘Broadway at the Ballpark’ a part of their summer plans this year.”
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announced today, Aug. 11, that the Friday, Aug. 13, concert with Mat Kearney has been postponed until Sept. 8 due to a positive test for COVID-19 by the singer.
And while Kearney is full vaccinated, and is in good health, he is exercising caution.
Mat Kearney. (Supplied)
“Despite my best efforts, I have tested positive for COVID-19. I’m thankfully vaccinated, and just feeling a bit under the weather,” Kearney said in supplied material. “For the health and safety of the band, crew and fans, we will be rescheduling Friday’s show … I’m so bummed. I’ve only missed one show in my life, and can’t wait to see you all again.”
(He also asked for “Your binge-worthy tv recommendations,” and we respectively suggest “Queen’s Gambit”, if not already on his board.)
Tickets purchased for the Aug.13 concert will be honored on Sept. 8, according to the Meijer Gardens statement. But for those who cannot attend the Sept. 8, refunds will be available through Etix through Aug. 20. Please note, according to the statement, ticket fees are non-refundable. To request a refund, please click visit bit.ly/KearneyRefundRequest.
Any returned tickets for the sold-out show will be available for purchase beginning on Aug. 21 via Etix.com.
More than 20 regional businesses will showcase their goods and services during the return of the Black-Owned Business Showcase at Woodland Mall on Saturday, Aug. 14 — and there are still booths available.
The event enjoyed a strong response from the local community at its debut in 2020, according to an announcement from the mall, and will again feature booths with Black-owned businesses offering fashion apparel, food, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, kitchen items, gifts, stationery and cards, financial planning, health and wellness items, photography, home services and goods, and more.
Shoppers will be able to browse, sample, buy and connect during the day-long showcase from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“In response to strong consumer demand, we are so pleased to offer this showcase for a second consecutive year,” Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall, said in supplied material. “We appreciate the opportunity to open the mall’s doors to support Black-owned businesses serving our community. There will truly be something for everyone at this event, and we look forward to welcoming these entrepreneurs and their companies.”
Woodland Mall is owned by PREIT, which launched its Support Black-Owned Business and Brands 365 in February as part of an ongoing effort to spotlight Black-owned entrepreneurs and brands within its portfolio of top-tier and region-leading properties in eight states.
Woodland is one of 10 PREIT properties to offer a Black-Owned Business Showcase in August. PREIT properties have hosted activities throughout the year, including art exhibits, documentary screenings and food festivals, as a way to highlight the importance of Black-owned businesses and brands.
The Grand Rapids Ballet, after a year of beautiful but somewhat distant virtual performances last season, returned to rehearsals this week as the company prepared for a 2021-22 season of live audience performances.
But before GR Ballet artistic director James Sofranko’s troupe hits the Peter Martin Wege Theatre stage with a live audience in October, when the ballet will present the appropriately title Off the Canvas program to being its 2021-22 season, the dancers will perform twice this month out-of-doors.
The Studio Park “Listening Lawn”. (Supplied)
In what the ballet is calling its “Summer Series”, it will perform “under the evening skies” at two outdoor venues, the Listening Lawn at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids on Aug. 14, and at the amphitheater at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on Aug. 31.
“We are filled with gratitude that Grand Rapids Ballet is returning to live performances after more than a year away from the stage,” Sofranko said to WKTV this week, “To have the full company back in rehearsals in the studio is such a welcome sight, and our first performance back will no doubt be an emotional one.”
That first performance, at Studio Park, is expected to include on its program “Sweet By and By” and “Calling Forth”, both choreographed by Sofranko, with the latter featuring violinist Gene Hahn. Other works include “Brothers”, choreographed by Jennifer Archibald; “The Old Child” by Danielle Rowe; “Give Me” by Penny Saunders; and a preview of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Christopher Stowell (and set for full performance in April 2022).
Company dancer Gretchen Steimle, after a rehearsal this week, probably spoke for her fellow dancers as she echoed Sofranko about the “emotional” return to live audiences.
Grand Rapids Ballet company in rehearsal on Aug. 3. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“We are so excited to get back to live performances, this year has been so difficult for artists who typically perform live,” Steimle said to WKTV. “We’ve had to pivot to do these virtual (performances) … but there is nothing that can replace that shared moment of art … live with an audience. And I know that the dancers have been waiting all year to be able to share what we love to do with our audiences again.”
At both Studio Park and Meijer Gardens, there will some artistic adapting to performing outside, with or without a true stage, in often uncontrollable circumstances. But at least in one aspect, in Steimle’s opinion, there is a joyful advantage to being outside — seeing the audience. (See the video above for her discussion of performing outside.)
As far as the planning for the Summer Series, and using the outside venues, Sofranko said it is all about adapting to audiences and challenging the artistic expression that is dance.
James Sofranko, Grand Rapids Ballet artistic director. (GR Ballet)
“I am always looking for new ways to present the art of ballet to our community and the outdoor venues at Studio Park and FMG offer a unique opportunity to experience the depth and artistry of the Grand Rapids Ballet dancers,” Sofranko said.
The programs also will feature guest artists, including Hahn, associate concertmaster at the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra, at Studio Park; and Chisako Oga — an acclaimed soloist at Boston Ballet — at the Meijer Gardens performance.
The Meijer Gardens program is expected to include Archibald’s “Brothers”, “The Old Child” by Danielle Rowe, “Cold Virtues” by Adam Hougland, “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy”, and “Don Quixote” Pas De Deux with guest Oga. “Cold Virtues” will also feature the mesmerizing music of Philip Glass.
The Studio Park program on Aug. 14 will begin at 7 p.m., with general admission tickets available for $25 through Studio Park. The second program features a return to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, on Aug. 31, also at 7 p.m., as part of the Garden’s Tuesday Evening Music Club series, free for Meijer Gardens members and included in general admission for other guests.
The 2021-22 Season will feature classical ballet favorites, including The Nutcracker,Cinderella, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and explores new favorites with contemporary works such as Off the Canvas and Jumpstart 2022.
And having learned from its season of virtual performances, and community feedback, the Grand Rapids Ballet is also is set to begin offering a “virtual season” subscription for those who wish to see the GR Ballet dancers “differently” or are unable to join in person. Additional program details and performance dates and times can be found at grballet.com/2122season. Season subscriptions are now available for the 2021-22 season starting at $139. Individual tickets will go on sale this fall.
It is just too easy to think of the UK band Squeeze and follow your mind’s 1980’s classic earworm memory lane to a song like “Tempted” — oh, you know it alright: “Tempted by the fruit of another. Tempted but the truth is discovered. …”
Still Squeeze founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook’s songbook — and catchy, moody hipster tunes — went deeper that that back then and goes much deeper today, as the audience at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will find out when the band stops by on Aug. 22.
If you remember the 1980s, then you remember other “can’t get our of your mind” tunes such as “Cool for Cats”, “Pulling Mussels From A Shell”, and the ultimate kick-back date song for those special “Friends” nights: “Black Coffee in Bed”. If you weren’t there, time to catch up on the caffeine kick.
(Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl even joined the band at the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville in September 2019 to perform percussion on “Black Coffee in Bed”.)
Tickets for the Meijer Gardens show are still available. For more information visit meijergardens.org.
Founding members, and hipster heart-n-soul, of Squeeze, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. (Supplied)
Squeeze was set to begin the U.S. leg of their 24-date Nomadband tour in early August with a headlining tour interspersed with 18 support dates for Daryl Hall & John Oates and will continue throughout the summer into early fall 2021.
And after more than a year of social isolation due to the COVID pandemic, and all those years playing the hits, more modern tunes, and whatever else strikes their Brit fancy, Difford and Tilbrook say they will be inspired and emotional.
“I’m so excited to be back on stage and in the thick of our wonderful set list of songs,” Difford said in supplied material. “Seeing an audience again will be inspiring and emotional, it’s been too long.”
And this Nomadland tour will feature a little something new in addition to its historic attractions.
“I think this is my most anticipated U.S. tour since our first in 1978,” Tilbrook said in supplied material. “Our great band is just getting greater and we are also welcoming Owen Biddle, who joins us from Nashville.”
History and musical journeys
Squeeze’s debut self-titled album was released in 1978 and at the height of the punk revolution, but its pop songwriting hooks and melodies were often compared to the 1960s British Invasion. The band continued, off and on stage and vinyl releases, through 1999, when the original Squeeze disbanded before reuniting in 2007 and releasing three new albums since then — 2010’s “Spot the Difference”, 2015’s “Cradle to the Grave” and 2017’s “The Knowledge” — as well as various solo projects.
The critically acclaimed ‘Cradle to the Grave’ was written as a soundtrack to Danny Baker’s BBC TV sitcom ‘Cradle To Grave’. One reviewer said “This album marked the complete and triumphant reintegration of the masterful songwriting axis of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, in a beautifully-observed series of fond vignettes about childhood, growing up and the absurdities of the ride through life we’re all on.”
The band has always been known for its live performances as well, and in 2016 they triumphed on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, with The Guardian saying they “[went] down a storm… Squeeze’s success is a pretty infectious thing.”
Aside from Difford and Tilbrook, Squeeze now features keyboardist Stephen Lange and drummer Simon Hanson (since 2007,) percussionist/back-up singer Steve Smith (vocalist for house music group Dirty Vegas) along with pedal/lap steel guitarist Melvin Duffy (who joined them for the 2019 tour) and Owen Biddle, former bassist for The Roots.
Tulip Time Festival is pleased to announce the 2022 First Bloem Festival Artwork Competition through which a work of art is selected for the official Tulip Time poster. Each year, the Festival invites a juror to select the Top 20 pieces for First Bloem. Mary Sundstrom, Visual artist and Exhibitions Director of the Holland Area Arts Council, will be the 2022 juror.
Through 2010, posters were commissioned work from selected artists. Beginning in 2011, the Festival Artwork Competition began. Nine local artists have been awarded this honor:
2011 Beth Charles – “Drama Queens”
2012 Brittany Strabbing – “Beautiful Dream”
2013 Maggie Schultz – “Clothed in Splendor”
2014 Karin Nelson – “Resilience”
2015 Carolyn Stich – “Joy of Spring”
2016 Alla Dickson – “Spectacle”
2017 Michele Gort – “Playful Time”
2018 Cindy Awrey – “Together”
2019 Carolyn Stich – “Enduring Delft”
2020 Aron Lowe – “Dutch Dance”
In 2020, due to the pandemic restrictions, a competition was not possible. The Festival commissioned a piece from Aron Lowe, the 2020 winning artist, and Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Spring is Here became the 2021 Festival Artwork. Now, for 2022, we are pleased to be able to reintroduce the competition to all local West Michigan artists.
Artists in Ottawa, Allegan, Kent, Muskegon and Kalamazoo counties are invited to submit artwork. Submissions for the 2022 Festival Artwork Competition will be accepted Sept. 27 – 30. The artwork theme should represent Tulip Time’s mission to celebrate Holland’s tulips, Dutch heritage and community. The winner of the 2022 competition will be announced at the First Bloem Reveal, a special unveiling reception held in February.
Come catch a wave next Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Great Lakes Surf Festival, taking place on Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon.
The event weather forecast is sunny and warm and Tommy’s Boats of Grand Rapids will be making artificial waves ensuring that surfers and paddle boarders will have plenty of waves to enjoy.
Fourteen surfboards and paddleboards will be given away to event goers, including a surf trip to Cost Rica. Enjoy yoga, music, food, and the best of the Great Lakes surf culture has to offer.
“We encourage anyone interested in a fun and family friendly beach day to come out and join us. Imagine a late summer day on an amazing beach, doing what you love and surrounded by so many people from all over the Great Lakes, who share the same passion. That is our goal,” said Event Co-Founder Tammy Bidawid.
This Saturday, Wyoming residents have the opportunity to participate in the citywide Community Clean Up Day. Residents, with proof of residency, may bring items, free of charge for most items, to Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW. Hazardous waste will not be accepted this year. The site will be open from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and participants must be in line by 1:30 p.m to drop off items. For more information, visit wyomingmi.gov/cleanup.
Photo taken by Tom Schillaci of Muskegon (WMTA)
Make Your Vote Count
Voting is now open for the West Michigan Photo Contest hosted by the West Michigan Tourist Association. More than 1,800 photos were submitted to the competition with WMTA narrowing down the photos to the top 50. Now Michigan residents have the chance to vote on who will be the winners. The top 50 photo entries are posted in a photo album on the West Michigan Facebook page, also available at https://bit.ly/WestMIPhotoContest2021. Visitors to the photo album may cast votes for any photos by “liking” or “reacting” to each photo. Votes may be cast for multiple photos. The winners will be announced on August 16.
Gary E. Mitchell as John Adams and Mary Beth Quillin as Abigail Adams in “My Dearest Friend.” (Photo by Scott Baisden)
The Original Adams Family
“My Dearest Friend,” the story of John and Abigail Adams, will run this weekend and next at the LowellArts, 223 W. Main St., Lowell. “My Dearest Friend,” written by local playwright Mary G. Kron, is based on the letters between John and Abigail Adams, played by Gary E. Mitchell and Mary Beth Quillin from GEM Theatrics. Prolific letter writers, the couple’s story is told through flashback as they witness the American Revolution and the birth of a nation. For tickets, call 616-897-8545.
Fun Fact: The Butterfly Files
Every year, the Monarch butterfly makes the 1,900-mile trip from Northern America to Mexico. One of its stop off points is Peninsula Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Many of the insects make a pit stop there before taking the long journey across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. The best time to see this “monarch madness”? Early September.
The City of Kentwood Farmers Market is seeking five competitors for its first-ever Charcuterie Challenge, described in a city statement as “a food assembly showdown using only farmers market ingredients” and slated for Thursday, Aug. 12.
Individuals who are interested in the competition must submit an online application by Monday, Aug. 9. The market will select up to five challengers out of the group of applicants to each receive $25 and 30 minutes to shop the market and assemble a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board using only those purchased ingredients.
The beauty of food will be on display and the Kentwood Farmers Market’s “Charcuterie Challenge”. (WKTV)
“Charcuterie has become such a fun, popular way to display and enjoy a variety of food,” farmers market manager Kristina Colby said in supplied material. “We are looking forward to seeing all the creative ways challengers showcase local foods found at the Kentwood Farmers Market and use the beautiful, handmade charcuterie boards Handcrafted by Fellow is suppling for the competition.”
In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. The idea of charcuterie has evolved over the years to include an assortment of meats, cheeses, veggies and other items.
The “friendly” competition will take place during the Farmers Market, from 5-5:30 p.m., behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE, and the boards will remain on display until 7:30 p.m. Marketgoers can watch the competitors build their boards and then vote for their favorite. The winner will receive a gift courtesy of the Kentwood Farmers Market.
Handcrafted by Fellows, a husband-and-wife duo, will be on-site selling their charcuterie boards and other handmade wood decor items. An additional 20 vendors will be at the market, from 4:30-7:30 p.m., selling staples such as fresh produce, cheese, honey, jam, bread and more. Food trucks El Jalapeño and Ohana Hawaiian Ice will also be on-site. Live music entertainment by Just Jill will be available 6-7 p.m.
In its seventh season, the Kentwood Farmers Market provides the community weekly opportunities each summer to buy a variety of goods from local vendors. This year’s market is offered every Thursday, 4:30-7:30 p.m., behind Kentwood City Hall. In addition to exploring an array of items for purchase, marketgoers can enjoy free classes and special events tied into the market’s schedule.
Other special events planned in August include: On Aug. 19, Makers and Crafters Day featuring more than 40 vendors, with a free concert at 7 p.m. featuring The Soul Syndicate; and on Aug. 26, free yoga at 6 p.m.
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The City of Kentwood’s National Night Out community celebration this week had police and other city personal at more than 15 locations throughout the city, but events at three local churches clearly showed a shared desire to engage the community after a long period of pandemic distancing.
On the evening of Aug. 3, at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue — which along with Faith Baptist Church and Pentecostals Church on 44th Street hosted special large scale events — Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts and Ada Bible pastor Jason Ross talked to WKTV about their shared focus on the community.
Kentwood police Chief Richard Roberts and Ada Bible Church Pastor Jason Ross, at the church’s National Night Out event. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“What we share, is we desire to connect with the community in a positive way,” pastor Ross said. “We can do that as a church. We can also do that with the people, within Ada Bible Church, as well as in the community. … We want you to feel like you are welcome here.”
Chief Roberts also talked about the shared focus and the great opportunity of interacting with the community at local churches.
“We are privileged to be invited to Ada Bible Church … This just gives us a great opportunity, especially given this past year, for us to all come out and celebrate in a special way on National Night Out,” Chief Roberts said.
McGruff and a future Detroit Lions fan had a moment at Woodland Mall. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The City of Kentwood was truly bustling with block parties, neighborhood events and other activities — including a special presence at Woodland Mall — on National Night Out, a nationwide annual event that “promotes community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer.”
Kentwood police officers, firefighters and city leaders joined residents, who had the opportunity to explore police cruisers, fire engines and other emergency response vehicles at events, as well as learn about a variety of safety topics.
“Positive interactions with residents are invaluable for fostering strong community relationships and safer neighborhoods,” Chief Roberts previously said in supplied material. “National Night Out creates a wonderful opportunity to bring officers and community members together in a fun and relaxing setting. Members of our department always look forward to getting to know residents better and encourage more open lines of communication.”
National Night Out was created in the 1980s through an established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, crime prevention associations and volunteers across the nation. It began with a goal to promote safer, better neighborhoods by uniting community members and police against neighborhood crimes.
Audie Blaylock & Redline perform at the Sounds of Summer
Audie Blaylock
Audie Blaylock on guitar and Reed Jones on bass
Evan Ward, from California, on banjo
Mason Wright on fiddle
Reed Jones on bass
Plenty of dancing at the last concert
They were even dancing on the playground.
By Patty Williams P. Williams Productions
It was a bluegrass ending to the Sounds of Summer as headliner Audie Blaylock & Redline closed out the music series on July 29.
Cutler Park was filled with bluegrass fans ad local musicians from all over Michigan and the surrounding states. They were not disappointed as the consensus of the audience was that the last concert was a tremendous show.
The Redline musicians traveled from California, West Virginia, and Indiana to perform at the Cutlerville Sounds of Summer. The band features Reed Jones on bass, Evan Ward on banjo, Mason Wright on fiddle and Audie Blaylock on guitar. Audie opened with “Hello Michigan good to be back.”
This past year halted many touring musicians/bands including Redline. So, the group had a blast playing music to the packed park and live audience.
Audie opened with “Hello Michigan good to be back.” (Photos by Patty Williams
From start to finish, Audie performed bluegrass music from its roots. Mason Wright kicked off a hot fiddle tune and the audience knew this was going to be some “good ole” toe tapping bluegrass and the excitement resonated all evening.
The group played and sang many Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley songs and featured several requests including Audie Blaylock’s No. 1 song recorded on The 615 Hideaway Records, “Love’s Fleeting Fire.”
The music was exceptional and the bands tight harmonies were flawless. The concert ended with an encore standing ovation.
All the Sounds of Summer concerts are recorded and can be watched on WKTV Channel 25. Check listings for times. The concerts are produced by P. Williams Productions and sponsored by Byron Township. To follow the Sounds of Summer, visit the Facebook page. Note that the series will be back in 2022 with the same schedule, every Thursday in July at 7 p.m. at Cutler Park.
The Accidentals, talking to WKTV early this year, said they could not wait to leave their pandemic quiet places in their hometown of Traverse City and get back on the road — but they were productive in their time off.
“We found things that work for us and found things that didn’t work for us,” Savannah “Sav” Buist — who along with Katie Larson and Michael Dause make up The Accidentals — said to WKTV in May. “But I think it was just nice to have the time … We toured so consistently that when we come home Katie and I just tend to spit out songs within a week and then not really look back. It was nice to look back … I learned to take my time, to come back to a song.”
Back on the road with their usual hectic pace of concerts across Michigan and the region, the band will be making a stop Thursday, Aug. 5, at the outdoor Kentwood Summer Concerts free series hitting the stage at 7 p.m.
And songs familiar and new will be on the set list.
The Accidentals (Supplied/Courtesy Aryn Madigan)
“Might As Well Be Gold” is one of the new songs, included on the “TIME OUT (Session 1), which was released May 7. The EP is a collection of songs which includes the single “Wildfire”, co-written by Kim Richey — who has worked with the likes ofTrisha Yearwood, Radney Foster, Brooks & Dunn — and which is getting The Accidentals a fair amount of national notice and airplay.
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series has one more Thursday night date, a rescheduled night with The Soul Syndicate on Aug. 19.
While most of the series of concerts have been livestreamed by WKTV, contractual restrictions by the band’s record label will prevent The Accidentals from being shown live or on-demand.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule as the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
“Democracy is about voting and it’s about a majority vote. And it’s time that we started exercising the Democratic process.”
Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Voters at the voting booth. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)
Voting in Kentwood and Wyoming
There will be contested primary elections happening in both Kentwood and Wyoming, with a Kentwood City Commission race possibly settled, and local Democrats and Republicans set to decide who from their part will be on the ballot for a State Senate seat up for final vote in the fall. Go here for the story.
National Night Out is all about getting people out and mixing with local public service employees including police and firefighters. (NATA.org)
Night out in Kentwood
The City of Kentwood will be bustling with block parties, neighborhood events and other activities as part of the city-and-community celebration of National Night Out, a nationwide annual event that “promotes community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer.” Go here for the story.
Night out in Wyoming
A change for this year’s Wyoming National Night Out event will be that the city will host two main sites — Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW, and Grace Christian University, 1011 Alden St. SW. Both locations will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
71
Number of cities in Michigan which have registered to be involved in National Night Out. Source.
