By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
The West Michigan Tourist Association
With destinations and events for novices and experienced artists alike, you can let your creative side explore West Michigan art galleries, museums, art centers, performing arts centers, and more.
Visit the events calendar for more art exhibitions and events.
Explore the Arts in South West Michigan
Whether you’re a theater buff, art connoisseur, or modern enthusiast, Greater Lansing has a gallery, festival, or museum to suit your taste. Find award-winning Broadway performances and thought-provoking works on display at area art museums and galleries. Greater Lansing also has multiple festivals throughout the year that celebrate the arts.
Go on a mural tour in Battle Creek. There are more than 30 colorful paintings to see, thanks to the annual Color the Creek Festival in August. From traditional graffiti to photo-realistic portraits, there’s something for everyone. Half of it is walkable in downtown Battle Creek, then you’ll need to hop in the car to get to others. They’re very popular as backdrops for portraits and Instagram. And while you are in the area, stop by the Art Center of Battle Creek, withexhibitions that highlight diverse subjects from traditional arts to contemporary visual art. Included in the annual schedule is the Michigan Artist Competition exhibition to showcase talented artists from around the state.
From performing arts to gallery art, concerts, and festivals, come experience Arts Alive in south central Michigan’s Coldwater Country. An area known for the vast outdoor recreation opportunities, trails, and more than 100 lakes also offers a variety of cultural experiences.
It is home to Tibbits Opera House: so much more than a theatre since 1882. Catch a performance during Tibbits Summer Theatre, a concert during the entertainment series, or spend an afternoon viewing the permanent Henry Clay Lewis art collection prominently displayed throughout the theatre. In addition, Tibbits also features a rotating themed art gallery with artwork submitted by local and regional artists. For a schedule of upcoming events, exhibits, and concerts in Coldwater Country follow Arts Alive-Coldwater on Facebook.
A visit to Southwest Michigan can also include a walk through art galleries and musical experiences. Find art events, performances, exhibition information and more at the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council calendar of events.
More South Region Art Ideas:
Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan
Barn Theatre, Augusta
Farmers Alley Theatre, Kalamazoo
Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Institute of Art, Kalamazoo
Krasl Art Center, St Joseph
Leila Arboretum, Battle Creek
Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Saugatuck
Explore the Arts in Central West Michigan
You’ll find fine art galleries, performing arts, and more in the Ludington area. From painting and pottery to sculpture and jewelry, Ludington hosts a variety of local, regional, and national talent throughout the year. Find exhibit and performance dates, as well as art classes, on the Pure Ludington events calendar.
Founded on a tradition of aesthetic excellence, the Muskegon Museum of Art is committed to fostering the life-long study and appreciation of the visual arts by strengthening, preserving, and exhibiting its collections; offering a wide range of traditional and contemporary exhibitions.
February 2020 marks the first year Tulip Time Festival’s annual First Bloem event opens its doors to the greater Holland Community. A celebration of the Visual Arts Series at Tulip Time, the reception serves as both a preview of the Quilt Show and new Dutch Dance Costume Exhibit, as well as the formal announcement of the 10th Annual Festival Artwork Competition Winner and Klompen Garden Public Art winner. Music, live art, cash bar, and yummy local bites will give locals a mid-winter opportunity to socialize and partake in this Tulip Time tradition. Tickets: $70 per person/$130 per couple and includes one drink ticket per person.
A vibrant arts center located in the heart of downtown Holland, the Holland Area Arts Council plays a leadership role in enriching the cultural life of the lakeshore. The Holland Area Arts Council also offers a variety of art classes and workshops for children and adults throughout the year. Visit now through January 20th to see works created by Art for All (a program for adults with cognitive and physical disabilities) on display.
The Holland area is home to historic performance spaces, art galleries, and art events. Be sure to visit Holland’snewest free attraction, the Wizard of Oz Outdoor Exhibit featuring life-sized bronze statues of the Wizard of Oz characters. Located at the corner of 12th St & River Ave, on the north side of Herrick District Library, the permanent statues pay homage to L. Frank Baum, who is said to have written parts of the classic tale while staying at his family’s cottage just minutes from downtown. Holland holds an annual fine arts and crafts fair, Art in the Park, the first Saturday of August with up to 300 artists and artisans from surrounding states displaying and offering their work for sale.
The arts come to life in the Mecosta County area. With art centers, museums, and a sculpture tour of Big Rapids, art enthusiasts will find plenty to explore!
Experience artistry in every form in Mt. Pleasant. From canvas and sculptures at local galleries to learning more about American Indian culture and enjoying music or theatre performances at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant thrives on art and culture.
More Central Region Art Ideas:
C2C Gallery, Grand Haven
Circle Theatre, Grand Rapids
Courtyard Concerts, Grand Haven
Dale & Gail’s Music and Art Gallery, Hart
DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids
Fallasburg Art Festival, Lowell
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, Grand Rapids
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives, Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids
Lake Odessa Area Arts Commission, Lake Odessa
Lakeshore Art Festival, Muskegon
LowellArts, Lowell
St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids
Seven Steps Up Live Music & Event Venue, Spring Lake
Explore the Arts in North West Michigan
Michigan Legacy Art Park is located on the grounds of Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, in densely wooded 30-acre preserve on 1.6 miles of hiking trails. The Art Park features over 50 sculptures, poetry stones, and an outdoor amphitheater. Each of the sculptures interprets, in its own way, a piece of Michigan’s history. The Art Park is open year-round from dawn to dusk, and is accessible by foot, cross-country skis or even snowshoes. Admission is $5 per adult. Kids ages 17 and under are free.
For all of its small-town charm, Traverse City possesses plenty of big-city sophistication, thanks in large part to its established and thriving arts community. The area is home to world-class performance stages that attract internationally acclaimed artists as well as special events like the National Writers Series, who hosts award-winning and New York Times Best Selling authors. The ever-changing exhibits at the Dennos Museum Center feature historical and contemporary work, and its permanent display of artwork by the Inuit people of the Canadian Arctic is one of the largest and most complete in the world. In addition to performing arts, the area is overflowing with fine artists–many of whom display their work at local shops, museums, and art fairs throughout the region.
Great Lakes Center for the Arts. located in Bay Harbor, offers year-round events across all genres—music, dance, theater, movies and film, intellectual dialogue, education—making it a regional and national performing arts destination. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind performance and extend your visit with a stay at Hotel Walloon, a four diamond luxury boutique hotel just 15 minutes away.
The Ramsdell Regional Arts Center is a vibrant regional center for cultural arts, education and community engagement in Manistee, where you’ll find performances, art exhibitions, lectures, and more. Their upcoming exhibition “100 Years of Polish Independence: Zakopane 1918” features over 30 photographs broken into three periods during the 400 hours of the Republic of Zakopane’s independence between October 31st and November 16th, 1918. The exhibit opens February 10th and runs through March 27th.
More North & U.P. Region Art Ideas:
Art Gallery of Algoma, Sault Ste Marie
Harbor Springs Lyric Theatre, Harbor Springs
Oliver Art Center, Frankfort
The Michigan Hemingway Society, Petoskey
