“Tree decorating with cats. O Christmas tree, O christmas tree, your Ornaments are history!”
Courtney VanSickle
Perfectly decorated trees at MMA
The Muskegon Museum of Art is jumping into the holiday spirit early with its 15th annual Festival of Trees, running through Dec. 1, highlighted by a silent auction of the display trees. The complete story is here.
Get a early peek at the Garden
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s annual Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition is not officially open until Nov. 26, but much of it is already up — and thee is a great show in the featured art gallery. The complete story is here.
The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ holiday concerts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Holiday music live at GRPM
Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) holiday events kicks off this weekend with two Classic Melodies organ concerts as part of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Concert Series. The complete story is here.
Fun fact:
Almost 1 million
The number of songs in the “Christmas Music Catalogue” … Well. actually, 914,047 tracks represent 180,660 unique songs and were created by 63,711 unique artists – from Aaron Neville to Zuma the King. The top 20 artists with the most Christmas tracks in the Spotify catalog are all pre-Beatles artists. (Source)
A scene from Romeo and Juliet, as performed by the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company. (supplied)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
WKTV later this month will offer three broadcasts of an August production of Shakespeare’s classic tale of love and loss, “Romeo and Juliet” as presented by the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, produced in partnership with the local Shadblow Theater, and performed at the Jenison Center For The Arts.
A video of the play will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 30, at 10 p.m., on WKTV Community Media Cable Channel 25.
The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company is a Nonprofit Organization out of Grand Haven, with the motto “Live Shakespeare. Made in Michigan.” Shadblow Theatre is a theatre company based out of Jenison. The original live production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Jenison Center for the Arts was performed Aug. 4.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government cChannel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are give the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26).
When it comes to supporting America’s military veterans, sometimes all you can do is listen to their stories. When you are as talented a singer/songwriter as Mary Gauthier, you can go one step further — listening and then retelling those stories in powerful and moving ways.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier will perform at Grand Rapids’ The Listening Room on Dec.13 in support of Rifles & Rosary Beads, an 11-song collection of songs co-written with U.S. veterans and their families that “reveal the untold stories and struggles that veterans and their spouses deal with abroad and after returning home.”
(A fairly new venue in town, The Listening Room is located at Studio Park, 123 Iona Ave. SW. Tickets are still available.)
Mary Gauthier. (Laura Partain)
“My job as a songwriter is to find that thing a soul needs to say,” Gauthier said in supplied material about her interactions with veterans through meetings of SongwritingWith:Soldiers. “Each retreat brings together a dozen or so soldiers and four songwriters, three songs each in two days. We don’t have a choice. We have to stay focused, listen carefully, and make sure every veteran gets their own song. And we always do.
“None of the veterans are artists. They don’t write songs, they don’t know that songs can be used to move trauma. Their understanding of song doesn’t include that. For me it’s been the whole damn deal. Songwriting saved me. It’s what I think the best songs do, help articulate the ineffable, make the invisible visible, creating resonance, so that people, (including the songwriter) don’t feel alone.”
SongwritingWith:Soldiers is a non-profit program that facilitates retreats bringing professional songwriters together with wounded veterans and active duty military.
Each song on Rifles & Rosary Beads is “deceptively simple and emotionally complex”. From the opening “Soldiering On”, with the line “What saves you in the battle/Can kill you at home”; to “Bullet Holes in the Sky” — “They thank me for my service/And wave their little flags/They genuflect on Sundays/And yes, they’d send us back”. And it is not just male veterans who have told her their story: the song “Iraq” depicts the “helpless horror of a female military mechanic being dehumanized and sexually harassed by fellow soldiers.”
With now 10 albums in her catalogue, Gauthier is no stranger to musical audiences, especially country music audiences — her classic track “Mercy Now” was included in Rolling Stone’s “Saddest Country Songs of all Time”. In her official biography, she states that “no stranger to pain or demons herself, Gauthier has used songwriting to work through addiction and childhood abandonment as an orphan, but this is the first album where she has focused solely on experiences other than her own.”
Mary Gauthier, with special guest Jaimee Harris, is Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $27. For more information on this show and the venue, visit listeningroomGR.com.
Kentwood city officials accompanied by carolers previously conduct the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. (WKTV)
By City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood invites the community to begin the holidays with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Centered around the Kent District Library’s Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, the event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will be filled with festive activities, including live holiday music, hot cocoa, cookie decorating stations, carriage rides and pictures with Santa.
“ ‘Tis the season for peace and joy as our community comes together to celebrate the holidays,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley. “We encourage Kentwood families to join the festivities including Kentwood’s Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade where memories and traditions are delightfully made.”
The Holiday Light Parade will start at 6 p.m., at the Kentwood Public Works, located at 5068 Breton Ave. SE, and travel north to the Kentwood Justice Center at 4740 Walma Ave. SE. Sections of both Breton and Walma will be closed from 5:50 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. for the procession.
City officials will conduct the tree lighting at 6:30 p.m., followed by caroling. After the ceremony, community members will have the opportunity to take pictures with Santa, go on carriage rides and enjoy live holiday music. There will also be activities for kids and refreshments available for purchase inside the library for the entirety of the event.
As with any large community event, the City relies on volunteers to ensure a safe and successful event. Individuals interested in helping with the evening festivities may sign up online.
There are also openings for the parade. Groups interested in participating can submit a parade entry form online. The cost to participate is $15.
More information about Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Light Parade is available online at kentwood.us/treelighting.
Muskegon Museum of Art’s Festival of Trees. (Supplied/LaShelle Mikesell)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Looking to get an early start on the Christmas festivities? How about taking an easy and beautiful way decorate your own home for the holidays?
The Muskegon Museum of Art is jumping into the holiday spirit early with its 15th annual Festival of Trees, running Nov. 20 through Dec. 1, highlighted by a silent auction of the display trees, as well as a special concert and cocktail hour Friday, Nov. 29.
The Festival of Trees includes professionally designed themed trees and décor which will be available for purchase through silent auction over the 11 days of the festival. Raffles, music, holiday shopping, and other special events will also be available.
The festival runs Wednesday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Dec. 1, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 12-5 p.m, but closed Thanksgiving Day. Festival admission is $10 for adult, $5 for MMA members, $3 for children 3-17 yrs. (under 3 free), and $15 for an All Festival Pass.
Among the special events are a First Day Food Drive, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when attendees receive half-off Festival of Trees admission with your donation to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.
Other special events are a Deck Your Halls Decorating Demo Event on Nov. 24 — when floral designers Deb Moon from Le Fleur Shoppe and Skeeter Parkhouse from Wasserman’s Flowers and Gifts will demonstrate how to create unique holiday décor , with items created during the demo raffled to the audience.
Other special events are Senior Day, Family Day, , a Teddy Bear Breakfast, and a special Cocktail Hour for Muskegon Civic Theatre “The Christmas Carol” ticket holders.
The Teddy Bear Breakfast, on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., is a family-favorite especially fun for kids 3-8 years old. Tickets includes festive breakfast with fruit, sausage, muffins, quiche, juice, and coffee; Teddy bear checkup by a certified teddy bear nurse; a visit with Santa; Teddy Bear Parade and Story Time; and Make-and-Take craft.
The special Nov. 29 concert and cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. and is $12 per person ($10 MMA members) and tickets may be purchased by calling 231-720-2580.
Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon. For more information visit muskegonmuseum.org .
In Act II of “The Nutcracker Ballet,” the Prince whisks the slumbering Clara away to the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy holds court in a magical land of make believe.
Guests at the Grand Rapids Symphony and Grand Rapids Ballet holiday programs in December will discover a Land of Sweets as soon as the walk through the doors of DeVos Performance hall.
To celebrate the season, culinary students at Grand Rapids Community College’sSecchia Institute for Culinary Education are creating a sugary wonderland filled with ballerinas in stained-glass sugar and bells made from blown sugar in DeVos Performance Hall in December.
The Land of Sweets created by baking and pastry students at GRCC will be on unveiled on Thursday, Dec. 5 for the opening of the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops. It will remain on view through the final performance of “The Nutcracker” on Sunday, Dec. 22.
Led by their professor Chef Gilles Renusson, a certified master pastry chef and renowned sugar artist, students already are at work building the elaborate display that will be installed in the outer lobby.
A student builds her design. The Land of Sweets will be on display Dec. 5 – 22. (Supplied)
Passersby will be able to see portions of it through the window, but only concert goers will be able to see the entire display up close from every angle.
Such elements as sugar ribbons, royal icing and marzipan will be used to create figures including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker and a symphony orchestra conductor as well as musical motifs and depictions of dancers in the display that will include a 6-foot-tall croquembouche.
Some 14 students enrolled in the Pastry Centerpiece and Wedding Cake class, a capstone course in the Secchia Institute, are working on the project. The class teaches the major aspects of artistic decorations in pastry arts such as creating wedding cakes and centerpieces for tables and buffet presentations.
The class has been working on this project since the start of the semester, brainstorming, designing and then creating all the components. Soon they’ll begin the painstaking process of transporting the delicate confectionary artwork from the GRCC bakeshop to DeVos Performance Hall.
The project is a practical application of the skills the students are learning in class, with the added bonus of having their work on display for thousands of people to see and add to the excitement of the holiday.
A GRCC student puts the final touches on her piece for the Land of Sweets. (Supplied)
Chef Gilles Renusson, who recently was awarded the Chevalier du Merite Agricole – The Order of Agricultural Merit – from the French Minister of Agriculture for his decades of outstanding service in the culinary arts, is directing the project.
“For the students, this is a wonderful opportunity for them to gain practical skills and really master them and also to have their work be seen and appreciated,” Renusson said. “And we get to work with our partners in the city and tell people about the programs we have and work we do at the college.”
For tickets for the Fox Motors Pops and the Old National Bank Cirque de Noel, contact the Grand Rapids Symphony office, (616) 454-9451 ext. 4 or go online toGRSymphony.org. For tickets for “The Nutcracker” call the Grand Rapids Ballet at (616) 454-4771 or go online toGRBallet.com
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition. (Supplied/Johnny Quirin)
By Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Experience the wonder of the holidays at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park with the annual Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition, on display from Nov. 26 through Jan. 5, 2020.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition. (Supplied/Johnny Quirin)
Guests from all over the world visit Meijer Gardens to experience 46 trees and displays representing countries and cultures from across the globe. The adored and enchanting Railway Garden, and the holiday wonderland that encompasses it, will once again loop through three lush indoor garden spaces, including the Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse.
Guests are invited to ring in the holiday season with our most beloved winter exhibition.
This year, Meijer Gardens celebrates the signs of the season and highlights iconic symbols that are used in holiday festivities. Winter is a season rich with symbolism. On display are icons that evoke a deeper meaning and represent holiday cheer. Guests will celebrate both fact and folklore, past and present.
Each winter, Meijer Gardens transforms into a botanic wonderland with fresh poinsettias, orchids and amaryllis. The smell of evergreens as visitors enter the building and the sounds of carolers make it a place to reflect and enjoy the holiday season. Indoors and out, our grounds sparkle with 300,000 lights. 500 volunteers lovingly decorate the trees and displays.
The unique horticultural artistry of the Railway Garden complements the trolleys, trains and handcrafted buildings replicating 37 Grand Rapids landmarks. Visitors will find familiarity in the Fifth Third Ballpark replica building, with its light posts made of willow, as well as Royal Poinciana pods, Pomegranate, Japanese Fantail Willow and Bamboo that make up the iconic architecture of the Van Andel Institute replica building. Five landmarks from Grand Rapids sister cities around the world are also represented in the Railway Garden.
“This winter, Meijer Gardens is highlighting iconic symbols from around the world,” said Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. “Guests will have the opportunity to explore the signs of the season with deeper meaning and find the commonalities shared within diverse cultures.”
Mainstays of the exhibition include the Germany tree, adorned with handmade glass ornaments and homemade springerle cookies, the England tree—with antique Christmas cards and mistletoe—and the beautiful Eid ul-Fitr display, which celebrates the end of Ramadan.
In many cultures, the holidays bring people together in distinct and memorable ways that are difficult to capture in a display. Meijer Gardens is once again presenting the wonderous original film, joy, that explores the diverse festive fabric that is holiday life across our local communities. This film will be shown continuously in the Hoffman Family Auditorium and is also available on the Meijer Gardens YouTube channel.
(Supplied/Dean VanDis)
A variety of family-friendly activities are offered throughout the exhibition. Exhibition activities include:
Extended Holiday Hours: Open until 9 p.m. on Dec. 17-21, 23, 26-28 and 30. (Please note Meijer Gardens is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).
The Original Dickens Carolers: Tuesdays: Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17 from 6-8 p.m.
Santa Visits: Tuesdays: Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17 from 5-8 p.m.
Winter-Time Walks: (Dec. 3-Jan. 4, 2020), with preschoolers Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:15 a.m., and family and friends Saturdays at 11:15 a.m., with fee included with admission. Winter in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden can be chilly, but fun! Bundle up and join us on an outdoor interactive discovery walk to investigate the Children’s Garden in new ways. We’ll explore different winter themes and gather in a cozy spot to learn about winter with stories, kid-friendly conversation and other activities.
Christmas and Holiday Themed Classes: Enjoy festive learning opportunities for adults and families. Fees apply.
Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions is made possible by made possible by Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, the Meijer Foundation, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation, the Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Star 105.7. The Railway Garden is sponsored by Warner Norcross + Judd, Inc.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today an exciting lineup for the upcoming holiday season. Visitors to the Museum can enjoy the upcoming Bodies Revealed exhibit, new Design Zone exhibit, popular TOYS! exhibition and a variety of interactive holiday displays and events that are sure to be favorites.
The Museum will host two Classic Melodies organ concerts as part of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Concert Series to kick off the Thanksgiving week on Friday Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23. Hear classic melodies on the GRPM’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ by Andrew Rogers. Many will be recognizable to all ages including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more. The final concerts in the 2019 series, Holiday Classics, will take place on Dec. 20 and 21, featuring Dave Wickerham. For tickets and additional information, visit grpm.org/organ.
On Black Friday, Nov. 29, the GRPM will host a Light Show Double Feature in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium. Catch a double feature of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show! Music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome. The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission. Tickets include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members.
Also kicking off on Thanksgiving weekend is the ever popular Let it Snow Planetarium Show. Let it Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multimedia finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, laser imagery and special effects. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. Let it Snow will run from Nov. 29 through Jan. 5.
The Museum’s Curiosity Shop will participate in Museum Store Sunday on Sunday, Dec. 1. Get a jump on holiday shopping! Discounts up to 50-percent and additional discounts for Museum members. The Curiosity Shop features a variety of eclectic gifts, Michigan souvenirs, apparel, children’s gifts and more and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All proceeds support exhibits and programs at the GRPM. Admission is not required to shop in the Curiosity Shop.
Details about everything the GRPM has happening can be found online at grpm.org. Slip the lines and purchase your tickets online in advance. Tickets can easily be purchased on the GRPM’s website, including special discounts for Kent County residents.
Holiday Displays
Historic LEGO Display
See historic Grand Rapids built from LEGO® bricks, showcasing what the city looked like during the early 20th century. The 1925-era display, complete with operating trams, will be on display in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibition now through Jan. 11, and is included with general admission. Built by the Western Michigan LEGO Train Club.
Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Christie Bender stands next to the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. (Photo by WKTV)
Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train
As an annual tradition, visitors to the Museum can enjoy a community favorite on display, the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. Recognizable to any baby-boomer, the train chugged along the ceiling of the toy department at the Herpolsheimer’s Department Store. Seeing and taking photos with the train is included with general admission to the Museum and will be on display through Jan. 13.
Santa and Elf Hunt
Find 15 historic Santas from around the World in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, and 12 elves hidden throughout the three floors of the Museum. The Santa & Elf Hunt is included with general admission.
The Museum will host the following activities and events throughout the holiday season:
Breakfast with Santa
Visitors are welcome to join the GRPM for a special morning with Santa & Mrs. Claus for pictures, breakfast, Let it Snow in the Planetarium, a holiday gift and endless exploration of the Museum all day. This holiday fundraiser supports exhibitions and programming at the Museum. Breakfast with Santa has one session remaining at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at grpm.org.
Mark Your Calendars – Snowflake Break!
Looking ahead to the December holiday break, the Museum will again host Snowflake Break that includes a variety of family-friendly programs and activities themed around special exhibits Design Zone and TOYS! Snowflake Break runs from Dec. 21 through Jan. 5. General admission includes hands–on activities for Snowflake Break, special holiday displays and admission to TOYS! and Design Zone. Bodies Revealed is an additional fee. More information can one be found at grpm.org.
The Street of Old Grand Rapids will feature nostalgic holiday decorations. (Supplied
Exhibitions
Bodies Revealed Bodies Revealed features real, whole and partial body specimens that have been preserved through an innovative process, giving visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems in a way that’s normally reserved for medical professionals. The exhibit will have 10 full body specimens on display as well as over 100 organs and partial specimens. Bodies Revealed allows visitors to learn about their own bodies and ultimately, teaches the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Advance ticket purchases are recommended as some time slots will sell out.
Design Zone In Design Zone, visitors of all ages can explore a variety of concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. Organized into three thematic zones, the activities featured in Design Zone highlight the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation in art, music and engineering. More specifically, visitors will discover the secrets behind how video game developers, music producers, roller coaster designers and other creative problem solvers do what they do in this new exhibition.
TOYS!
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not. The exhibit, designed and curated by the GRPM staff, features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from community members. Visitors will imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations.
Bell’s Brewery’s is “Goin’ Dark” as it honored veterans, active service military members and their families with a special beer release on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, as part of its Celebration Series of special releases.
Don’t know the term? Think what happens when you know something and tell only a select few others — like military secrets or a great new beer find.
Goin’ Dark is a 6.3 percent ABV Coffee Milk Stout brewed with bourbon barrel-aged coffee beans. The beer was conceived, written, brewed and packaged by a committee of more than 20 Bell’s employees who either served in the military, are currently enlisted or are military family members.
“Celebrating diversity has always been core to our company,” Larry Bell, founder and president of Bell’s Brewery, said in supplied material. “It’s an honor to recognize the men and women in our military as well as their families and extend that celebration to those who make that sacrifice.”
Goin’ Dark is the third release in Bell’s Celebration Series that highlights different groups within the company. Earlier this year, Bell’s employees brewed Unite Hibiscus Saison as part of International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, and then Alliance Lemon Lager to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. And more celebration brews are being planned for 2020.
Goin’ Dark will be available on draft at the Bell’s Eccentric Café (355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo), and 12-ounce bottles packaged in 6-packs are available at Bell’s General Store. (The group wanted to bottle the beer so it could be shared with family members when they return from deployment.)
As part of the event, Bell’s worked with Section Collection, a local nonprofit that provides direct support to veterans in need.
Kent District Library’s KDaLe schedule includes local events
TwoGuys Brewery’s tap room. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
You got to love Kent District Library’s continuing efforts to get readers out of the book shelves and into local brew pubs with their KDaLe series of programs, and in the next few weeks there will be several local pub stops.
Tops on the schedule will be events at Wyoming’s own Two Guys Brewing and Kentwood’s Broad Leaf Local Beer in early December.
On Dec. 10, from 6-7 p.m., there will be a “behind the scenes” tour at Two Guys Brewing, 2356 Porter St. SW. Then, there will be a Dec. 11 KDaLe Kick Off fundraiser, for adults 21 and older, at Broad Leaf Local Beer, 2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd, during regular hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Broad Leaf will donate a portion of all revenues to KDL on that day.
Other local KDaLe events include: Nov. 21 (and Dec. 19), 7-8 p.m., KDaLe Book Club (combine your love of books with your love of beer) at Osgood Brewing, 4051 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville; and Dec. 9, 7-8 p.m., KDaLe Book CLub at Thornapple Brewing Company, 6262 28th St SE, Cascade Township.
New Holland Brewery’s Barrel Bash is coming back to their pubs Nov. 22 through Dec. 1. Over the course of 10 days, they will be rotating through 20-plus barrel-aged beers — “Some are ones you know and love, others are new beers that are not to be missed,” they say.
Among the planned releases are New Holland’s Cabin Fever Brown Ale (6.5 ABV), which actually came out on Nov. 1. (And none too soon given the winter weather we’ve been experiencing!) Also planned are releases of Ride Those Ponies Home pastry stout and You Serious, Clark? spiced stout.
Good news: The Michigan Brewers Guild recently announced a new rsing festival to be held on Saturday, May 16, 2020, from 1-6 p.m., in Traverse City’s Pit Spitters Park (333 Stadium Drive; US-31 South). Bad news: Tickets will not go on sale to the general public until March.
“Over the past 22 years, the Michigan Brewers Guild has prided itself on hosting the best beer festivals in the state,” Scott Graham, Guild Executive Director, said in supplied information. “We started with the Summer Beer Festival in 1998 and have grown over the years in terms of the number of events as well as participating breweries and attendees. Adding a festival in northern Michigan rounds out the geographical footprint for our events.”
In addition to this new festival, the Guild has announced its complete 2020 schedule of festivals – which include changing two events back to one-day festivals, including the local Michigan Winter Beer Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22, at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park.
For more on each festival, including ticket on-sale dates for Enthusiast Members and the general public, visit MiBeer.com/events.
Vocalist Ashley Daneman and her husband, trumpeter Benje Daneman, center. (Supplied)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Jazz standards, African-American spirituals and a little something new will be on the setlist as the Jazz in the Sanctuary concert series opens its sixth season Sunday, Nov. 17, in the acoustically inspiring sanctuary of Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids.
Robin Connell (Supplied)
Each concert in the series has guest performers joining Robin Connell, series host and local jazz musician, onstage for an hour or so of music and musical conversation. The Nov. 17 concert, set for 3 p.m., will feature vocalist Ashley Daneman and her husband, trumpeter Benje Daneman, Andrew Peck on bass and Connell on piano.
There is no bad seat in the house due to the venue’s famous acoustics and a large projection screen displays the performers up-close. Connell often invites audience members to ask questions.
According to supplied material, the setlist “will include standards, African-American spirituals, compositions by Benje and music from Ashley’s new album, People Are Fragile.”
Vocalist Ashley Daneman and her husband, trumpeter Benje Daneman. (Supplied)
Ashley Daneman, originally from Ohio, honed her singing voice in Washington, D.C., and New York City, earning her master’s degree from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Her original music is available on Bandcamp and other online platforms, according to supplied material, and she has drawn comparisons to Becca Stevens, Laura Nyro, and even Stephen Sondheim.
Benje Daneman started his professional career in 2007 with the Doc Severinsen Big Band and now performs and records with his band SearchParty. He has co-founded and directed multiple educational programs including the Jazz & Creative Institute (JCI), Kalamazoo Youth Jazz Orchestra, Kalamazoo Trumpet Workshop, and JazzStart Summer Jazz Workshop.
Included on a long musical resume, Connell received West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2017 “Musician of the Year” award for her widespread collaboration with area jazz artists and her work on this series. She performs regularly throughout West Michigan, often with her husband, trombonist and educator Paul Brewer.
General admission to each Jazz in the Sanctuary concert is $15 online or at the door. Students admission is $5 with a valid school ID. Please visit fountainstreet.org/jazz.
“All art is good, all is worth doing. Some is even worth seeing.
Norman Kentwood
Classic poster for a classic opera (Weir Collection)
Opera anyone?
Opera Grand Rapids will present Gilbert and Sullivan comedic opera “The Mikado” Nov. 1 and 2 at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ranson Ave. NE. The performances are at 7:30 p.m. both days. More information here.
Elton John has announced a new concert date at the Van Andel Arena on April 23, 2020, as part of his sold-out Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour after selling out a previous show in Grand Rapids. Tickets go on sale Nov. 1. More information here.
May Erlewine (Supplied/Michael Poehlman)
May’s music anyone?
West Michigan’s own May Erlewine’s latest full-length album release, Second Sight, hits the streets Nov. 1 at all the usual places. More information (and a little review/preview) here.
Fun fact:
Friday Night Death Slot, anyone?
The “Friday Night Death Slot” is a perceived graveyard slot for American television as programs scheduled on Friday evenings (typically, between 8 and 11 p.m.) are likely to be canceled. Why? People go out and do things! (Wikipedia)
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center begins their eight season at St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday, Nov. 21, in a program entitled: Great Innovators, featuring the powerful works of brilliant composers Beethoven, Stravinsky, Mendelssohn and Smetana.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center artists who will perform include Anne Marie McDermott, piano; Ida Klavafian, violin; Gary Hoffman, cello; and José Franch-Ballester, clarinet.
The program features Beethoven’s innovative Trio in B-flat major for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 11, the first of its kind to include the clarinet in a trio; Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du sold (The Soldier’s Tale), Trio Version for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano, a piece that introduced the composer’s wildly controversial music extremism to the chamber music stage in the early 1920’s; Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words for Piano, an invention all his own; and Smetana’s Trio in G minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 15, the first major chamber work from the Bohemian region.
“It is truly a special experience to see the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center perform at St. Cecilia Music Center,” said Executive Director Cathy Holbrook. “These artists are amazing to watch with incredible artistry that is flawless. To hear the works of four powerful and brilliant composers — Beethoven, Stravinsky, Mendelssohn and Smetana — with these incredible artists in our world-class hall will be a memorable experience.”
Tickets for the Nov. 21 CMS of Lincoln Center concert are $45 and $40 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.
A pre-concert reception for $15 will take place at 6:30 p.m. with wine and dos d’oeuvres, is available by reservation in advance (by Friday, Nov.15). A post-concert reception with dessert, coffee and wine is open to all ticket-holders to meet the artists and to obtain signed CDs of their releases.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series will return on Jan. 23, 2020 with a program entitled French Enchantment where the audience will experience the grace, wit, and charm of French music. The program begins and ends with early works by Saint-Saëns and Fauré that recreate the elegant atmosphere of 19-century Parisian salons. In between the two works will be Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, written soon after World War I, where he used just two string instruments to produce a composition of unique, austere beauty. CMS artists performing include pianist and Co-Artistic Director Wu Han, violinist Paul Huang, violist Matthew Lipman, and cellist Clive Greensmith.
On April 30, 2020, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Co-Artistic Directors Wu Han (piano) and David Finckel (cello) will perform with violinist Arnaud Sussman and violist Paul Neubauer on a program entitled From Prague to Vienna. This concert celebrates friendship and family with three composers who mentored and inspired each other: Brahms, Dvořák and Suk. Brahms discovered Dvořák through a composition competition and helped him rise to international stardom, and became his lifelong friend and mentor. In turn, Suk was one of Dvořák’s favorite students and eventually became his son-in-law.
The St. Cecilia Music Center Acoustic Cafe Folk Series is usually all about the singer/songwriters, and the list of fine concerts in the series got a bit longer and better recently with the announced return of Grammy award winners Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin, who is currently revisiting her classic 1989 album Steady On.
Cohn, who delivered a great set at St. Cecilia in 2017, will return on March, 19, 2020. Colvin, who last visited Royce Auditorium in 2016, will visit on May 19.
“Since he was last here … Marc has spent time on the road with legendary Michael McDonald, worked closely with David Crosby and other American music greats,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director, said in supplied material. “His appearance will also closely follow the release of his collaborative record with gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama. This will be one of our most exciting concerts featuring a terrifically talented artist and amazing songwriter.”
The two concerts add to an upcoming folk series schedule which includes The Infamous Stringdusters of Thursday, Feb. 6; Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal on Wednesday, Feb. 20; Chris Thile on Tuesday, Feb. 25; and Raul Midón on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Marc Cohn. (Supplied)
While Cohn won a Grammy for his classic ballad “Walking in Memphis” in 1991, he has “solidified his place as one of this generation’s most compelling singer-songwriters, combining the precision of a brilliant tunesmith with the passion of a great soul man,” according to supplied material.
In August of this year, Cohn released a collaborative record with gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama, Work To Do, comprised of three studio tracks by Cohn and the Blind Boys — two originals, including the title track, and a version of the gospel standard “Walk In Jerusalem” — plus seven intimate live performances recorded at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Conn., during a taping of the PBS series “The Kate”.
Shawn Colvin is expected to perform her newly released album Steady On Acoustic in its entirety. Her original 1989 album Steady On was her first Grammy Award winning album. (She has three Grammy’s to her resume.)
Shawn Colvin. (Supplied/Alexandra Valenti)
“I’ve played these songs countless times, primarily as a solo acoustic artist. All in all, this is the incarnation that feels most genuine,” Colvin said in supplied material. “And so, to commemorate this milestone I decided to celebrate Steady On by recording it again, this time using only my voice and my guitar. This represents who I am as an artist and all I ever wanted to be.”
In promotional material, Colvin also talks about bringing 30-year lens to her treasured songs, casting new light on the stories she first told as a young artist.
“I was 32 years old, and the dream of my life had been fulfilled,” Colvin says, “not only because I made an album but mostly because I had written or co-written every song, an accomplishment that was hard won. I was so proud. My feeling was then — and still is— that if I never made another album, Steady On would have been enough.”
More about Marc Cohn can be found on his website marccohnmusic.com .
More about Shawn Colvin can be found at her website at shawncolvin.com .
Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin and all folk series concert tickets can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org. A post-concert “Meet-the-artist” reception with a cash bar will be offered to all ticket-holders giving the audience the opportunity to possibly meet the artists obtain signed CDs of his many releases.
WKTV Journal’s latest newscast includes a feature on a young artist combining fanciful clay figures with high-tech photography — currently on exhibit at Grand Rapids Community College’s Collins Art Gallery through Friday, Oct. 25.
Wyoming resident Jon Lopez has a day job in a bagel shop, but later, in his basement sculpture studio, he transports himself to another world — a world of clay-full characters including thoughtful monkeys, mice on a mission and an octopus named Charlie that he is almost on talking terms with.
WKTV talked with Jon about his medium, taking his creatures on the road, why he photographs and then recycles his clay creations.
For a print story on the artist and his art, visit here .
The GRCC Collins Art Gallery is located on the 4th Floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, formerly Main Building, 143 Bostwick Ave NE. Grand Rapids. Gallery hour at Monday to Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information visit GRCC.edu/visualarts .
Pianist Fred Hersch and guitarist Julian Lage will perform a St. Cecilia Music Center begins its jazz series this month. (from promotional material)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Pianist Fred Hersch and guitarist Julian Lage, like two good friends who occasionally share coffee and stories — which is kind-of how they met — will meet up again for some wordless musical discussion as St. Cecilia Music Center begins its jazz series this month.
The story goes that Hersch and Lage, both with impressive resumes as front men and ensemble players in a wide range of musical genres but always focused on jazz, first met at a coffee shop in Boston and stayed together long enough to produce the much admired 2013 duo release “Free Flying”.
They are back together, undoubtedly having more coffee and musical conversations, for a few gigs this month including their Thursday, Oct. 17, concert at St. Cecilia, where tickets remain available. And don’t be surprised if their short reunion is only a prelude to another recording session.
Julian Lage. (Supplied)
“After the (2013) record, over the years, we find ourselves together every so often,” Lage said to WKTV in a telephone interview late last month. “It is one of those things that is somewhat unschedulable — I can relate, given what we’ve been up to. But it still remains a passion of ours.
“Frankly, we’ve been toying with this idea of recording again, doing some more shows, for a while. This upcoming run we have coming up (in October) … is kind of an opportunity to initiate some more stuff together. … I think we are just kind of moving towards, God wiling, doing some more stuff.”
Hersch, additionally, sees the pair’s current and, hopefully, future work together as part of a long relationship.
“I put this in the class of on-going special projects,” Hersch said to WKTV. “Julian is really busy with his own career and other projects. So am I. So sometimes it is complicated to find, like, three three great dates in a row. … But I think this is something we plan to keep going, indefinitely. As long as both of us has our brains and our fingers.”
The pair’s musical knowledge and manual dexterity, together and in their “other projects,” have gained them praise, awards and audience applause.
Fred Hersch. (Supplied/Vincent Soyez)
Hersch has 14 Grammy nominations to his credit and, citing only some of his recent distinctions, he was named a 2016 Doris Duke Artist, and was the 2016 and 2018 Jazz Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association. The New York Times Sunday Magazine called him “singular among the trailblazers of their art, a largely unsung innovator of individualistic jazz — a jazz for the 21st century.”
Lage, who is also Grammy nominated, has placed his own mark on music written by a wide range of artists, from Roy Orbison to Ornette Coleman, and, according to supplied information, he “builds upon a wandering sonic outlook with jazz fusion, jam band liberation, standards, and rock ‘n’ roll.”
While the pair seldom play together, let alone in the duo format, their preparation for a concert such as the one in Grand Rapids is mostly a matter of shared musical language, as jazz people like to say.
“Julian lives in Brooklyn and I live in lower Manhattan, and we did play together this past May, on an on-going series where we play at the Jazz Standard (New York City club) where I invite a different partner each night of the week to come play with me,” Hersch said. “That was sort of our preparation. … We plan to meet in Grand Rapids, have a sound check and we have a pretty good sized repertoire, for now, which we keep adding to as well can. But it’s not really a rehearsal intensive process.”
While both have ventured in others realms, musically, they consider themselves to be jazz players at heart and in their soul.
“I consider my self a bonafide jazz guitar player, you know, and I think the definition of what it means to be a jazz musician is often wider than what we think,” Lage said. “At the end of the day, I kind of play the same all the time, I don’t really change … but my allegiance is to jazz.”
“Both of us believe that whatever piece we are playing, we are not only authentic to our own voices, as musicians, but authentic to that piece of music,” Hersch added. “Each piece of music you play might bring out the different influences, but Julian has a very distinctive voice, in the music. I think I have a very distinctive voice. So we are kind of speaking with our own accents but obviously affected by the particular material we play.”
Playing in a piano-guitar duo, sans drums and bass, is also a chance for Hersch to more fully utilize his keyboard, he admits.
“In jazz, the piano is a member of the percussion family. When I’m playing, I’m playing like a big drum set with 88 notes,” Hersch said. “I can create a lot of sound and play very orchestral. I can play in different registers with the piano. Julian and I have this great radar where it seems like whenever Julian is playing, even while I’m for all intents and purposes soloing, whatever he plays is adding to what I’m doing, not getting in the way.
“In order to work in a duo, whether it is piano-guitar, piano and saxophone, piano and voice, everybody has to have a great responsibility for the rhythm. … Both people have to have good understanding of where the beat is, where the time is … and so, (if we have that) we really don’t miss the bass and drums at all. Frankly it is very liberating.”
Tickets for Fred Hersch and Julian Lage are $40 and $45 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.scmc-online.org. A pre-concert reception for $15 at 6:30 p.m., with wine and hors d’oeuvres, is available by reservation in advance (by Friday, October 11). A post-concert party with dessert, coffee and wine is open to all ticket-holders to meet the artists, obtain autographs and CD purchases.
Artist Jon Lopez’ creatures come to life in his studio. (Photo Credit: WKTV)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Wyoming resident Jon Lopez’ early day job is managing a Bagel Beanery on Clyde Park Avenue SW, where he is often present at the crack of dawn getting ready for the morning rush of caffeine seekers and bagel lovers.
Ernie and Ziggy (bakers bear and rabit) with bagels Jonathan Lopez 2019 (Courtesy of the artist)
But in the afternoons or early evenings, in his basement sculpture studio, he sort of transports himself to another world — a world of clay-full characters including thoughtful monkeys, mice on a mission and a green octopus that he is almost on talking terms with.
“I always have a tremendous amount of self-doubt when I’m starting a sculpture, but then suddenly the character is looking back at me and I say ‘Oh, shoot’, this is the character, its spirit,” Lopez, a 2015 graduate of Grand Rapids Community College, said to WKTV. “An animal will just set on the desk until that breath of life is put into them. … If I don’t get that feeling, it does not get put out.”
And one of the self-titled Clay Alchemist’s favorite characters-come-to-life is a green octopus called Charlie, who will be present at the current exhibition “GRCC Alumnus: Jonathan Lopez”, at GRCC’s Collins Art Gallery. The exhibition held a soft opening Sept. 30, plans a opening reception on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 3-7 p.m., and will run through Oct. 25.
Charlie the Octopus Charlie the Octopus Jon Lopez 2019. (Courtesy of the artist)
“The simplicity of Charlie is one of my favorites,” Lopez said. “And I’ve come back to him a couple times. I just like messing with octopuses. They are really fun … they have really comical faces.”
Lopez has a long history with clay sculptural work, which has undergone a environmental transformation to plasticine, and over the years developed an artistic preference for the end result being high-tech photos of his sculptures in unusual settings and then the recycling of the original works of art.
“I like the idea (of using plasticine), that I can reuse it over and over again. … I just like the concept of nothing is permanent,” he said. “There is something nice and refreshing that when something is done, it is out of my hands. I might keep it for a short time, so some people can see it in person. But when it is done — once the (photograph) illustration is done, I like to take them apart and that same clay goes into the next illustration. … In a way it is environmentally friendly.”
And as far as the choice of photographs being the final product?
Jon Lopez in his studio. (Photo Credit: WKTV)
“I have always been really reserved with letting people see the finished product, in person, the actual sculpture in person,” he said. “Allowing me to do the photograph, rather than you see it in person, I have more control of the lighting and where it is at. I almost feel that, as an artist, you lose a lot control and emotion when you hand it off to someone else. And the photography just enables you that control when you hand off the finished piece.”
He uses Fuji metallic paper in printing, which “brings a really dimensional esthetic to the picture,” he said. “When you have just a standard glossy, or luster, there is a lack of depth to there photograph. The metallic just picks up the highlights in a certain way where I’ve had so many people come up to a print and say ‘It looks lifelike. It looks 3-dimensional.”
While most of the sculptural and photographic work occurs in his basement studio, sometimes his creatures travel.
“My friend and I went to Colorado as well as Louisiana with some characters … There has been a few spring breaks where I have taken them along,” he said. “I took a turtle down to Louisiana and I took his photograph in New Orleans and in the swamps.”
The exhibition is really the evolution of his work, starting with his first publicly shown work, when he was just out of college, “which was an online dating parody,” then there is a series which has not been on exhibit called “Curious Cuisine, which is sort of a humorous approach to looking at the lives of food.”
Some of his work — maybe as he matures — is becoming more serious, maybe even described as “dark”. One series of works is called “No Dignity” which includes the photograph “Untermench”.
Untermench Jonathan Lopez 2019. (Courtesy of the artist)
“Untermench literally means sub-human, and it’s just an analogy of the way that people treat, that people in general, demonize a group of people. The photograph is of a cat exterminating mice and cockroaches, and over the years, since Hitler, really, people have been called cockroaches or vermin, and exterminated,” Lopez said. “This is an examination of social issues, really. … It is important to have these conversations about how we treat each other.”
But, Lopez says, when he gets too dark, there is always Charlie and other fun and funny creations waiting to come to life.
“As an artist, when you have a point in life, when you’re getting a more low-key part in your life, or you are just going thorough some inner turmoil, it is nice to have an outlet,” he said. “But at the same time, when I do a couple of darker pieces, then I would have to do a curious cuisine illustration … The truth is that I cannot stay in that (serious) vein for too long.”
The GRCC Collins Art Gallery is located on the 4th Floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, formerly Main Building, 143 Bostwick Ave NE. Grand Rapids. Gallery hour at Monday to Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information visit GRCC.edu/visualarts .
A scene from rehearsals of Ballet 5:8’s “Butterfly”. (Supplied/Ballet 5:8)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Ballet 5:8, the Chicago-based dance company known for providing audiences with “a unique opportunity to engage in conversation on relevant life and faith topics addressed in the company’s repertoire”, will return to Grand Rapids Oct. 5 with a program both emotionally heavy and delightfully spiritual.
The three works including the world premieres of “Butterfly”, which evokes the emotional scenes of the World War 2 Terezin ghetto, but also “Brothers and Sisters”, which explores the “Creator’s handiwork — the simple beauty of male and female.”
The show, held at the Devos Center for Arts and Worship on Saturday, Oct. 5, starting at 7 p.m., will include both artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager’s newest works as well an older work, Slager’s “Meditations”, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ essay “Meditation in a Toolshed”.
(Last season Ballet 5:8 also held a world premiere last year in Grand Rapids; read the review here).
“Butterfly”, according to supplied material, explores the Holocaust tragedy of Terezin, “where residents created masterful works of art in defiance of their oppressors … where, from the ashes of this hellscape, glimmers of hope emerge.”
Terezin, according to the website terezin.org, was a concentration camp 30 miles north of Prague in the Czech Republic during the World War II. It was originally a holiday resort reserved for Czech nobility.
“By 1940 Nazi Germany had assigned the Gestapo to turn Terezín into a Jewish ghetto and concentration camp,” the website’s history page states. “It held primarily Jews from Czechoslovakia, as well as tens of thousands of Jews deported chiefly from Germany and Austria, as well as hundreds from the Netherlands and Denmark. More than 150,000 Jews were sent there, including 15,000 children, and held there for months or years, before being sent by rail transports to their deaths at Treblinka and Auschwitz extermination camps in occupied Poland, as well as to smaller camps elsewhere. Less than 150 children survived.”
The Ballet 5:8 work tells the story of a Jewish art teacher refused to let the children die without hope. “She challenged her students to create art that spoke of their misery but also of the hope that lies within,” according to supplied material. “Every human, male or female, desirable or marginalized, born of privilege or born of poverty, each one is precious and created with purpose.”
“The remnants of art from the nearly forgotten children of Terezin challenge us to look with clear eyes upon our potential for both evil and beauty,” Slager said in supplied material.
A scene from a previous performance of Ballet 5:8’s “Meditations”. (Supplied/Ballet 5:8)
“Brothers & Sisters” is described in supplied material this way: “We are living in an age of culture war over gender identity and ethics. In ‘Brothers & Sisters’, choreographer Julianna Rubio Slager takes a moment to step aside from the chaos and strife to revel in the Creator’s handiwork — the simple beauty of male and female. Contrast and subtlety. Difference and similarity. Overlap and distinction. The Creator must have moved with delight as he drew his children with contrasting and complementary strokes.”
The Devos Center for Arts and Worship, at Grand Rapids Christian High School, is located at 2300 Plymouth Ave SE, Grand Rapids. The performance includes a post-performance Q&A with Slager and artists from the cast. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for students and seniors, and $15 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at ballet58.org or by calling 312-725-4752. Performance information is available at ballet58.org/Grand-Rapids.
The new Robin Connell Trio (shown is promotional graphic) will debut on the local scene in October. (Supplied)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Local jazz pianist and singer Robin Connell’s new trio, with Rob Hartman on bass and Keith Hall on drums, will debut at Grand Rapids One Trick Pony on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 8-11 p.m.
Connell, the Artprize 2016 jazz music award recipient and the West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2017 Musician of the Year, is no stranger to the local jazz and music education scenes.
Originally from Detroit, Connell spent more than a decade in New York City, at places such as The Waldorf-Astoria and The Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, and performs regularly as bandleader or sidewoman throughout Michigan and the region, according to supplied material. She is also a music educator, having taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp for 20 years (did-you-know fact: Norah Jones studied with Robin for two summers) and she currently hosts a jazz piano concert series, Jazz in the Sanctuary at Fountain Street Church, and co-directs the St Cecilia Music Center’s Youth Jazz Ensembles.
Hall, when he is not playing professionally, is the director of the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive and is the Jazz Drum Set Professor at Western Michigan University, according to supplied material. He is the author of Jazz Drums Now! Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and is the radio host for Jazz Currents on WMUK. As a musician, he has toured with singer Curtis Stigers (for 12 Years) and leading his New York trio TRI-FI (for 15 years). He also spent 8 years in New York City where he played drums on Broadway’s “Lion King” and has performed with Betty Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Lovano and Wynton Marsalis.
Hartman performs regularly all around west Michigan with a variety of jazz trios and bands.
One Trick Pony is located at 136 Fulton St E. There is no cover charge on jazz nights. For more information visit onetrick.biz or call 616-235-7669.
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Roy T. Bennett
Finny, the finback whale skeleton, greats visitors as the enter the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)
Free day at GR Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM), in partnership in the 15th annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day on Saturday, Sept. 21, is offering the opportunity for free general admission to Museum Day ticket holders. Get more info here.
A scene from a previous West Michigan Freedom Cruise and Gold Star Family Honor Ride at the Fifth Third Ball Park. (Supplied)
Honor America with a ride
The 2019 West Michigan Freedom Cruise and Gold Star Family Honor Ride — an event intended to to “Remember Gold Star Families, Support All Veterans and Never Forget!” — will return to Fifth Third Ball Park in Comstock Park Sunday, Sept. 22. Get more info here.
A close-up of part “Community” by British installation artist Rebecca Louise Law. (Supplied by the artist)
New show at Meijer Gardens
When Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opens its next exhibit, “Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb”, on Sept. 20, the Gardens horticultural staff and community volunteers might be excused if they feel a little ownership of the artwork. Get more info here.
Fun fact:
2.32 hours
On average, in 2018, people watched TV for 3 hours 19 minutes per weekend day and 2 hours 32 minutes per weekday. (An NFL game lasts at least 3 hours, so …)
Lee Ann Womack will bring her six Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards and a Grammy with her when she kicks off St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café Folk Series concerts with a show Thursday, Oct. 3.
Okay, she won’t actually bring the Grammy to the stage, but she will bring her guitar and music from her latest album ‘The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone’.
The show begins a folk music series which includes the legendary Judy Collins later in the month, on Oct. 20, and then a packed February 2020 lineup with Grammy-award winning bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters on Feb. 6; multiple Grammy-award winner Rosanne Cash with guest-musician/composer/husband John Leventhal — maybe the folk series show of the year — on Feb. 19; multi-Grammy-award winner Chris Thile (a member of Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek) on Feb. 25; and guitarist and singer Raul Midón on Feb. 27.
Tickets for Womack and all folk music series shows are still available.
“We are so excited to kick off our new season with Lee Ann Womack, one of the best-known female country singers,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia Music Center executive director, said in supplied material. “From her popular earlier hits like, ‘I Hope You Dance’ to the powerful new rootsy selections from her latest album ‘The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone,’ those who come to this concert will see how Lee Ann masterfully captures her audience with her beautiful voice, presence and skillful execution.”
Lee Ann Womack has performed award-winning duets with everyone from Willie Nelson, John Prine to John Legend.
Her latest album ‘The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone’ has transformed her sound back to her “roots,” the East Texas native said in supplied material. “I could never shake my center of who I was. I’m drawn to rootsy music. It’s what moves me.”
Tickets to Lee Ann Womack and all St. Cecilia shows are available by calling 616-459-2224 or visiting St. Cecilia Music Center at 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids, 49503 or online here. The Oct. 3 concert with Womack begins at 7:30 p.m. and includes a post-concert party with wine and beer for all concert ticket holders.
WKTV and The Kamla Show, a show known for “authentic conversations with real people,” will present a special episode focused on director Stanley Nelson’s new documentary “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool”, with three airings the week of Sept. 16.
The episode of the The Kamla Show will be shown on WKTV Monday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 11:30 a.m.; and Friday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m.
“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool”, according to supplied material, “makes for an absorbing watch” as Nelson uses rare archival footage, photos and interviews with musicians to paint a complex picture of this famous and complicated musician and composer.
The film is named after the 1957 seminal album “Birth of Cool”, which is considered an important milestone in the history and evolution of modern jazz. The film highlights the high and low points, as well as his complicated relationship with the women in his life.
“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” screened at the 2019 SFFILM festival, which is where the producers of The Kamla Show caught up with Erin Davis (son of Miles Davis) and Vince WIlbrun Jr. (nephew of Miles Davis).
“We spoke to them about their memories of Miles Davis, what music meant to him, his love for technology and his fondness for cooking,” the producers of the show state.
“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” releases in September in the United States.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.
Scene from 2018’s City of Kentwood End of Summer Food Truck Festival. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
The City of Kentwood, always looking for unique ways to get its community together for a little fun, has had a busy summer with playground improvements, road runs and community sand volleyball tournaments.
But the summer is not quite over yet and Kentwood will host its fourth annual End of Summer Food Truck Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kent District Library, Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
The event, with music, family activities, a beer tent and — for course — eats and sweets from nearly 30 vendors, will be both an opportunity for city to offer residents and guests a fun community activity as well as an opportunity for food truck vendors to network and maybe show off a little.
“The food truck rally has been really well received by the public. This is an open even so anybody can come and you can spend the entire day here,” Lori Gresnick, City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, said to WKTV. “This is our fourth year. So we’ve grown from just a couple food trucks to now we have over 30 food trucks — not only food trucks but that includes desert trucks.”
For more discussion from Gresnick and well as the operator of a Kentwood-based food truck, Rock Dandeneau, of Taste Buds Kitchen Concepts and the Pressed in Time food truck, see a video here.
Live music will start at 11 a.m. with The Bootstrap Boys, followed by DJ Snax, Molly and Last Gasp Collective. A beer tent featuring craft beer and cider will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
While entry to the festival is free, cost for food and beverages varies by vendor. For more information visit kentwood.us/foodtruckfestival .
When Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opens its next exhibit, “Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb”, on Sept. 20, the Gardens horticultural staff and community volunteers might be excused if they feel a little ownership of the artwork.
After all, the site-specific exhibition includes about 10,000 flowers and plants gathered from the Gardens’ massive gardens and strung together in delicate wire strings by local volunteers and staff, and then added to Law’s existing collection of approximately 1 million flowers and plant material.
The resulting newly created sculptural works, as well as painted works, will be on display within, and in spaces preceding, the main gallery in an exhibition which will run through March 1, 2020.
While the British installation artist has gained international acclaim for her works and her use of natural materials, the ability to have such a wide range of local material to select from and work with is a little unusual but very pleasing to the artist.
British installation artist Rebecca Louise Law. (Supplied by the artist)
“It was amazing to have a dedicated team that would daily harvest flora from an abundant garden,” Law said to WKTV. “I felt spoilt by the horticulture team as I’ve given them my preferences and guidance as to what will work best in this installation.”
While some of new exhibit is based on previously produced material, the initial stringing of local materials by a variety of local volunteers does present the artist with a kind of variance, of randomness, that plays into her final artistic decisions as the exhibit comes together.
“I am strict with the method of wiring each flower and we prepare the flowers according to size and tone,” Law said. “Apart from this, I allow the volunteers to work naturally. I have always loved the artwork involving many hands, what makes the installation beautiful to its core is all the handmade twists of copper.”
A close-up of part “Still Life” by British installation artist Rebecca Louise Law. (Supplied by the artist)
The titles of some of Law’s other works seem to reflect or hint at a place and time in nature — “Life in Death” for example. So we asked if “The Womb”, which uses seeds or pods or early roots as well as flowers and other plant material, reflects or hints at an early stage of nature.
“‘The Womb’ studies the start of life and the human cocoon in nature,” Law said to WKTV. “I wanted to study the womb as a vessel and the first human relationship with nature. I have always had the fantasy of being enveloped in nature and through studying the womb, this artwork is the closest I have got to creating an essence of this experience.”
Law’s use of natural materials, mainly floral, will “encourage guests to experience the relationship between humanity and nature. The natural decay of the plant material makes this exhibit time based and encourages frequent visits to observe the process of drying,” according to supplied material.
A close-up of part “Community” by British installation artist Rebecca Louise Law. (Supplied by the artist)
The installation is also described as “an intimate exploration into the relationship between humankind and nature, and explores the sensation of being cocooned in nature, and the fantasy of being naturally enveloped.” The artworks surrounding the installation look in detail at the womb as a natural cocoon.
Although photography will be allowed in specific areas, Law encourages guests to “put aside their cell phones and cameras and fully engage with the exhibition,” she said in supplied material.
An advocate of sustainability, Law frequently reuses dried plant materials that have been displayed in her previous installations.
“I like to capture and treasure small, beautiful natural objects to create an artwork that can be observed without the pressure of time,” Law said in supplied material. “Preserving, treasuring, celebrating and sharing the beauty of the earth with the world is what drives me.”
That advocacy for the natural world combined with artistic vision fits in perfectly with Meijer Garden’s vision.
“We have been aware of Rebecca’s work for some time, and are very excited to be working with her,” Laurene Grunwald, Director of Sculpture, Art Collections, Exhibitions & Installations at Meijer Gardens, said in supplied material. “Her concern for the environment and practice of sustainability is a perfect fit for us along with the literal combination of sculpture and horticulture, which directly mirrors our mission.”
The exhibition will include several free-with-admission special “drop-in” programs, including:
A Director’s Walk will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m., led by Grunwald and Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture, as they explore one of the places where this combination of nature and sculpture is emphasized — the wildflower meadow with Mark di Suvero’s sculpture “Scarlatti” at its center.
A lecture, “The Secret Symbolism of Flowers”, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., with Suzanne Eberle, Professor of Art History, Kendall College of Art and Design. Eberle will discuss how flowers often contain a symbolic meaning that is sometimes specific to the period of art, region or artist from which it was created.
A lecture, “The History of Environmental Art”, on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m., with Billie Wickre, Professor of Art History, Albion College. The Environmental Art movement began in the 1960s and early ’70s as a way to appreciate nature. Over time, it has become a way for artists to address the endangering of ecosystems. Wickre will highlight some important works of art in the Environmental Art movement that have been intended to evoke change in the ways in which we understand and interact with our surroundings.
Fountain Street Church, with public art across the street. (William Thompson)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
The Fountain Street Church community has been honoring its past and looking to its future during its 150th anniversary year, and its collective memory is deep with history and tradition.
But if you ask individual members — those who attend Sunday for its more traditional Sanctuary Service in the awesome and history sanctuary, or its it very non-traditional Chapel Service in its humble but equally historic chapel, or those who are at Fountain Street for the multitude of activities and groups throughout the rest of the week — it is the individual memories that often stand out.
WKTV asked three Fountain Streeters what their most cherished memories were, and the answers ranged from a special prom for youth who do not fit into the “straight” prom scene, to a woman’s group focused on community outreach, to the smiles on the faces of children reenacting the Christmas Story.
If that does not tell the story of the spectrum of people at Fountain Street, nothing will.
Fountain Streeter Todd Johnson (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The thing I remember, that means the most to me, is when we instituted the Family Christmas Pageant, on Christmas Eve,” said Todd Johnson, co-chair of the church’s 150th Celebration committee. “We’d been holding an 8 o’clock and and 11 o’clock service, but for many of us with children that was too late for them. They’d fall asleep. So we started a 5 o’clock service and it was just great.
“For the kids, we basically reenact the Christmas story. We have Mary and Joseph, and someone reads the story, and the innkeeper and the kings and the angels and the shepherds. The kids would participate in this wonderful service. It would culminate with each kid taking a little candle, a 4-inch candle, they’d light it and they’d put it in the front of the chancel.
“It was just beautiful,” he said, fighting back tears of beautiful memories. “They’d turn the lights out and we’d all sing ‘Silent Night’. It is just a beautiful service.”
Memories, and lifelong friends, are also made outside the church.
One of the many community outreach activities of the church, which has members and attendees all across West Michigan, are having Districts, geographical divisions with district leaders who work with fellow Fountain Streeters on activities, gatherings and projects — and, sometimes, personal needs.
Fountain Streeter Judy Botts. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I’ve been a District leader for like 14, 15 years,” said Judy Botts, a coordinator of the Fountain Street Church 150th Anniversary Grand Celebration Street Party. “It started off being a group of 14 or 15 of us, and over the years we are down to about five people. But we come together once a month and our purpose is to help people within our geographic district that we’ve been assigned to, in terms of any care services they have, to involve people in social action kinds of things, and just plan fun things within our districts so that people can get to know each other better, to make stronger connections.
“That is what makes the church, the connections that you have,” she said. “There is long term friendships that have been established here. … That is part of what a church is about.”
Minister’s has many special memories, but …
Even the senior minister of Fountain Street, W. Frederick Wooden, a man whose efforts and accomplishments are too long to list, will — if pressed — pick one memory that stands out.
“There are too many wonderful moments. That is what keeps a clergy person going,” Wooden said. “It is the moments of real meaning and power, and they do come.
“But the one I’ll pick, because it is different from the others, is the Fountain Club meetings of our high school (age) youth. Seven years ago, maybe upwards of 10, we had the idea that there were kids their age in high schools around the area that could not go to their prom because they did not identify as ‘straight’. And if they went as themselves, they would be ridiculed, bullied or harassed.
Fountain Street Church front with Gay Pride flag. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“And they (the club), they came up with the idea that we should host a prom for all those who did not feel welcomed at their prom. … Every year since, we have had a dance for LGBTQ kids — and their friends, it is not just for LGBTQ kids but everybody else. … They come in all shapes and sizes and colors … and they are just having the best of time in the world.
“There is nothing that makes you feel more hopeful about the future,” he said. “If this is what America is going to look like, I am all for it.”
Then U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Vietnamese Minister General Phung Quang Thanh sign a joint statement after a 2015 meeting at the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense in Hanoi, Vietnam. (DoD/Glenn Fawcett)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
If you look in the history books, international relations between the United States and the countries of Vietnam, Germany and Japan have had dark periods of political axis when American was at war with each.
But if you look at modern international and strategic relationship, all three are among America’s most important economic partners and military allies in the world.
So it is fitting that the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan (WACWM) begins its 70th year of with a fall series titled “Global 2020: Three Strategic International Relationships”, where America’s relationship with Vietnam, Germany and Japan will each be focused on for a night.
The three evening presentations — Vietnam on Sept. 20, Germany on Oct. 8 and Japan on Oct. 29 — are scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Donnelly Center on the campus of Aquinas College.
“These three countries — Vietnam, Germany and Japan —all have obviously complicated historical relationships with the U.S.,” Michael Van Denend, WACWM executive director, said in supplied material. “But no one would deny the strategic importance of all three nations to U.S. foreign policy and trade today. We’re interested in discussing how the countries are currently collaborating.”
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Ed Martini, associate provost at Western Michigan University and director of the school’s Extended University Programs, will speak on “Vietnam, the United States, and the Long Road to Peace.” Martini, a professor of history, has centered his research on Vietnam, and he is the author of “Agent Orange: History, Science, and the Politics of Uncertainty”.
Germany is the focus on Tuesday, Oct. 8, as the Consul General for Germany in the Midwest, Wolfgang Moessinger presents “Wunderbar Together: Germany and the U.S.” Consul Moessinger began his work in the Chicago Consulate this summer, after having served in numerous countries for the German government since 1991, including Senegal, Finland, Russia, Scotland, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine.
To close out the fall series, Japanese Consul General Tsutomu Nakagawa, the country’s chief representative in the Midwest and based in Detroit, will lead a conversation on “The Future of Japanese-U.S. Relations” on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Consul Nakagawa has served in India, Thailand and the Middle East, and has also been a senior advisor to the Japanese government for international trade policy.
All three presentations are open to the general public for a $10 fee and additional information is available at worldmichigan.org/fall2019 or by calling 616-776-1721. The Aquinas College Donnley Center is located at 157 Woodland Lane S.E., Grand Rapids. Free parking is available at the center.
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is located at 1700 Fulton Street E., Grand Rapids, For more information visit worldmichigan.org .
Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Mandolin Orange. (Supplied by the band)
Bittersweet bluegrass
Mandolin Orange will be at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage on Sept. 4. Visit here for the story.
Avett Brothers. (Supplied/Crackerfarm)
High stepping’ folk
The Avett Brothers, who had the house jumping when they were last in Grand Rapids , return to the Van Andel Arena on Friday, Sept. 6. Visit here for the story.
Sigrid. (Supplied by the artist)
Norwegian pop
Norway’s Sigrid performs Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. at Calvin University’s Covenant Fine Arts Center. Visit here for the story.
Fun fact:
What do you think a ‘bukkehorn’ is?
Epic folk songs are the most important form of vocal folk music in Norway and traditional Norwegian instruments include the bukkehorn (goat horn), the harpeleik (chorded zither) and the langeleik (box dulcimer). Source.
The public is invited to the official Project 1 free events happening Saturdays during the run of the exhibition.
From Sept. 7-Oct. 27, 2019, Project 1: Crossed Lines exhibition will occupy multiple outdoor sites in Grand Rapids, Michigan and will feature temporary public artworks by five artists. The seven-week run will be punctuated by a series of events, volunteer opportunities, educational programs and performances.
Each Saturday in September and the last week in October will feature a different program of free and open-to-the-public events that will activate the artists’ works in an unforgettable way. Many other exhibitions, community events and performances will be happening throughout the run of the exhibition.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with community members and organizations across the city to build out a spectacular set of events throughout September,” said Jori Bennett, executive director.
ArtPrize has also partnered with community partners to provide an even richer experience at each of the Saturday events. All Art Works is putting on an exhibition to provide connections between artists and art buyers. The WestSide StreetFair will be happening on Saturday, Sept. 14th that coincides with the run of Project 1. The Grand Rapids African American Art and Music Festivalwill also be happening on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Martin Luther King Park.
“The Grand Rapids African American Art and Music Festival is thrilled to partner with ArtPrize again,” said Lisa Knight, Festival board chair and director of the Centers for Innovation, Health, Education, Youth and Community Engagement, at the Urban League of West Michigan.
“This will be the first time the Festival is held in Martin Luther King Jr. Park and the Project 1 installations there will provide exciting programming opportunities.”
Saturday, Sept. 7, presented by DTE Foundation
Join ArtPrize and the City of Grand Rapids for a day of one-of-a-kind performances and events. Begin at Rosa Parks Circle at noon to kick off the inaugural Project 1 exhibition with a headlining performance from BANDALOOP. From 2-5pm enjoy the Martin Luther King Jr Park community kick-off with a headlining performance by Jordan Hamilton.
While downtown, stop in to see the All Art Works Show: Great Art at Great Prices at 37 Ottawa Ave NW from 10am to 6pm — 200 artists of every career level are curated next to works by world-famous artists. The show is free and open to the public, and all artwork is for sale and priced for fledgling and experienced buyers. The show runs from Sept. 6 through 10.
Evening programming includes an artist panel hosted at Critical Infrastructure at the Tanglefoot site. After the talk, the Disability Drag Show, presented by DisArt, be taking place at a venue to be announced.
Saturday, Sept. 14, presented by Meijer
Start the second weekend of Project 1 at the WestSide StreetFair on Broadway and Bridge from 11am to 6pm. Enjoy live music, art and educational activities for the whole family. Community partners John Ball Zoo, Experience Live Art, Artists Creating Together, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Comedy Project, Gilda’s Club and more will be there.
Be sure to check out Meijer’s Grand Taste Truck sited at Rosa Parks Circle, which will be giving food and household items out. There will be art activities happening from 11am to 3pm.
Then don’t miss an unforgettable evening of light, sound and community at this one-night-only performance at Blue Bridge Amplified, presented by Founder’s Brewing Company. Electronic beat-maker and headliner, Dan Deacon, as well as an array of local artists and musicians will take over Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Voice Bridge, activating the sound system and 400+ lights that will traverse Grand Rapids’s iconic Blue Bridge from 8-11pm.
Saturday, Sept. 28, presented by DisArt and SiTE:LAB
For the final Saturday in September, join DisArt and its collaborators as they present Voices an immersive, multimedia project displayed and interacted with throughout the Tanglefoot site. Designed as both an aesthetic and archiving experience, Voices will gather and visualize stories of alienation and belonging from Disabled community members as well as visitors to the site. The event runs from noon to 10pm, and all are encouraged to attend and participate.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Join us at Studio Park to celebrate the final weekend of Project 1. The evening will kick off with a press conference where several exciting announcements will be made for ArtPrize 2020. The evening will unfold to feature live music in the Studio Park Listening Room.
About Project 1 by ArtPrize
The ArtPrize organization produces open citywide contemporary art experiences that encourage critical discourse, celebrate artists, transform urban space and promote cultural understanding. Project 1: Crossed Lines is the first in a series of multi-sited public art exhibitions to take place between biennial ArtPrize competitions.
Rosanne Cash and her husband, musician/composer John Leventhal in concert. (Supplied by the artist)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
The pending arrival of September means the busy October beginning of St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2019-20 concert season is just a few weeks away. And while the impressive Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and jazz series lineups have been set and on sale for months, there have been two recent additions the Acoustic Café Folk Series you might have missed.
The Infamous Stringdusters. (Supplied/Aaron Farrington)
After a busy October for the folk series — with Lee Ann Womack opening the fall season on Oct. 3 followed by an encore visit by Judy Collins on Oct. 20 — the folk series has added nights with The Infamous Stringdusters and Rosanne Cash to an already busy February 2020 folk feast on the Royce Auditorium stage.
After the Stringdusters on Feb. 6 and Cash on Feb. 20, Chris Thile will visit on Feb. 25 and Raul Midón on Feb. 27 — and doesn’t a night of folk music sound perfect for a midwinter escape from the weather?
St. Cecilia also says “additional folk series concerts may be announced for the 2019/2020 season.”
While the Stringdusters are a good get for St. Cecilia, the addition of Rosanne Cash is a sure sell-out.
“We are delighted to feature Rosanne Cash and her husband, musician/composer John Leventhal in concert,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia Music Center executive director, said in supplied material. “With both of their many achievements and personal work together, this will be a very special evening.”
Cash is touring in support of her most recent release, “She Remembers Everything”, which is described as “a poetic, lush and soulful collection of songs of personal songwriting and reflection.”
Rosanne Cash (Supplied by the artist)
“There is a woman’s real life, complex experiences and layered understanding, in these songs,” Cash said in supplied material. “I could not have written them 10 years ago …time is shorter, I have more to say.”
“She Remembers Everything” was produced by collaborator and husband Leventhal and Tucker Martine (who has worked with The Decembrists, My Morning Jacket, Mavis Staples, Neko Case).
One of the country’s pre-eminent singer/songwriters, Cash has released 15 albums of that have earned 4 Grammy Awards and 11 nominations, as well as 21 top 40 hits, including 11 No. 1 singles. In 2015, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. She also currently writing the lyrics for a musical “Norma Rae” with Leventhal serving as composer and John Weidman as book writer. (More about the artist at rosannecash.com .)
In addition to the folk series, the jazz series will open in October as well, with Fred Hersch featuring special guest Julian Lage coming on Oct. 17, followed in the new year by Emmet Cohen’s Master Legacy Series featuring Benny Golson on Jan. 16, Luciana Souza on March 5, and The Clayton Brothers — a must-hear for jazz fans — on April 16.
We will have to wait for November for St. Cecilia to raise the curtains on the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center series, with a program titled “Great Innovators” on Nov. 21. The final two concerts will be “French Enchantment” on Jan. 23 and “From Prague to Vienna” on April 30.
Tickets to all shows are still available and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org. Many concerts have a post-concert “Meet-the-artist” party with a cash bar will be offered to all ticket-holders.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of its annual Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival, the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids has turbocharged the free event this upcoming weekend with top-notch entertainment and demonstrations of Polish cooking, dance and crafts.
Demonstrations on how to make pierogi (dumplings), chrusciki (cookies), beet soup, haluski (fried cabbage and noodles), mizeria (cucumber salad), crepes and canning peaches;
Presentations on Polish pottery and the fine art of creating pysanky eggs;
Explanations of Polish folklore such as how to tell a person’s future from hay straw and the meanings behind the Wigilia feast on Christmas Eve; and
Crafting treasure boxes for children.
Courtesy Polish Heritage Society
“A lot of the activities will center around our demonstration tent, which we liken to a visit to your busia’s (grandmother’s) kitchen — the place where all the fun stuff is going on,” said Marilyn Lignell, past society president and demonstrator of the Wigilia feast.
In addition, the Polish Heritage Society is bringing the internationally known Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push band to play two nights of the three-day event, along with other well-regarded polka bands, including Gerry Kaminski’s Polka Network, Dave Slivinski & The Noteables, Gary Szotko’s GPS Polka Band, the Polski Chix Polka Band and Ray Watkoski’s Family Band.
Gomulka is considered a living legend in the polka community; he’s developed a huge base of followers in the United States and Canada since he formed the Chicago Push in 1980. Nominated for 12 Grammy awards in the polka genre, he was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame & Museum in his hometown of Chicago in 2016.
Admission is free to the Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival at Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center, from Aug. 23-25, and there will be plenty of inexpensive parking in Parking Lot Areas 7, 8, and 9 for those who don’t mind a short walk.
Courtesy Polish Heritage Society
Other fun activities during the festival include the paczki eating contest, crowning of the busia queen and a performance by the P.R.C.U.A. Malbork Dance Ensemble, a dance group for youth ages 3-18 that teaches traditional Polish folk dances with authentic garb.
The Polish Heritage Society also selects a local not-for-profit group for special recognition during the festival as a way to build awareness and support for the organization, and this year the society is highlighting the Wolverine Worldwide Family YMCA in Belmont. Representatives of The Y will be present during the afternoons of the festival to educate visitors about the offerings and mission of the organization.
The Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival is the major fundraiser for the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids, a non-profit organization founded in 1963 to perpetuate and advance the Polish culture that has been so integral to metro Grand Rapids. Among a number of its activities, the society awards scholarships annually to students of Polish descent who attend Aquinas College, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Davenport University.
For a full calendar of events for the three-day Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival, please view the society’s website at Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids.
The Avett Brothers, from left, Scott Avett, Joe Kwan, Bob Crawford and Seth Avett. (Supplied/PC/Crackerfarm)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Scott Avett, who with his brother and co-conspirator Seth is the heart if not soul of The Avett Brothers, was talking about the band’s 2106 release “True Sadness” when he said “We trust and have faith in what we do, and in each other. By the time it is making it out to the world, we have already come to own our work.”
From the beginning — that sort of being the Avetts’ 2009 major label debut of “I and Love and You” — the to pending arrival of “Closer Than Together” on Oct. 4, Scott and Seth and the rest of the North Carolina based band have kept the faith if not always kept the same sonics.
“We are always confident by the time we are putting something out,” Scott said to me just before the band’s 2016 Grand Rapids stop at the Van Andel Arena, where they will return Sept. 6. “We are always confident that we have learned from what we have made, and always confident that we are going to be able to go out and put on a show with what we made. I just don’t think we would release anything we would not stand behind.”
Photo from Avett Brothers “High Steppin'” video shoot (Supplied/Ellison White)
Standing behind “Closer Than Together”, it would appear from the teaser single recently released, “High Steppin’”, as well as a “mission statement” put out by Seth and Scott also in preparation for the release, is sort of an admission that while the Avetts have lived life pretty fully and grown older in due course, they have stayed truthful to their music as it has continued to change with them.
Some may see a little bit of a dark side, or at least a dark humor side, to the video for the new single if not the lyrics of the single itself — after all, there is this little thing in the video of Scott appearing as a “rhinestone cowboy” and Seth is trailing along as what some could describe as “death.” But there is also an often recurring songwriting endpoint that love, ultimately, wins.
“My brother and I have never been more aware of our own failings in the department of golden-rule navigation,” Seth writes in the mission statement. “We see it in ourselves and we are accustomed to seeing it in our neighborhood, our state, our country, our planet. We speak daily with each other about the lunacy of the world in which we live … the beauty of it, the mystery of it, the hilarity and the unspeakable calamity of it.
“The Avett Brothers will probably never make a sociopolitical record. But if we did, it might sound something like this,” Seth writes, but adds that, musically at least, “there is no massive departure from our continued artistic language.”
And while some have suggested that the single “High Steppin’” has, in fact, a more high energy, almost rock ’n’ roll sound to it — and it does seem a million miles away from the sounds of “I and Love and You”, specifically “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”, maybe my favorite single on a long list of band favorites — the promise and premise of the lyrics of the new single seem to keep with the same not-so-subtle artistic language.
“The best beggars are choosers. The best winners are losers. The best lovers ain’t never been loved. And first place ain’t easy. The hardest part is believing. The very last word is love.”
Anybody who knows the Avetts has heard that language, that simple-yet-somehow- deep meanings, before and will undoubtedly will again, at the upcoming night at the Van Andel and on the new release.
The Avett Brothers usual suspects. (Supplied photo)
And anybody who knows the Avetts in concert, knows that while the band often speaks softly, Scott and Seth — and usual suspects and long-time band members Bob Crawford on bass (and things) and Joe Kwan on cello (and things) — carry big sticks when it comes to live concerts. (See a review of their 2016 Grand Rapids show here.)
Tickets for The Avett Brothers at the Van Andel Arena on Friday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m., are available, ranging from $47 per to $195 on various ticket sellers and resellers. Search you favorite.
Mandolin Orange is a North Carolina based band led by singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz. (Supplied/Kendall Bailey)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
One of the great things about the Meijer Gardens Summer Concert series is catching up with emerging bands just making their national headlining splash, or tour-tested bands making a stop between somewhere and Chicago.
Not really sure where Mandolin Orange fits into that spectrum, but the North Carolina based band led by singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz have a growing reputation on the alt-Americana scene (if that is such a thing?), but may well be new to most of the audience at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage on Sept. 4.
I expect the introduction to be good for all of us, as their sweet-sounding music is as familiar as it is rare.
And speaking of sweet sounds … ya, I know; a little cheesy … you will probably not find two more sweet voices than that of lead singer Marlin and harmonizer Frantz, as evidenced by “The Wolves”, one of the singles off the band’s most recent release, from February of this year, “Tides of a Teardrop”.
As evidenced by “Tides of a Teardrop”, Marlin not only writes sweet songs, he often writes bittersweet songs.
As the new release was being created, according to supplied material, Marlin wrote the songs, “as he usually does, in a sort of stream of consciousness, allowing words and phrases to pour out of him as he hunted for the chords and melodies. Then, as he went back to sharpen what he found, he found something troubling and profound. Intimations of loss have always haunted the edges of their music, their lyrics hinting at impermanence and passing of time.”
For this album, Marlin and Frantz enlisted their touring band, and, having recorded all previous albums live in the studio, they approached the recording process in a different way this time.
“We went and did what most people do, which we’ve never done before — we just holed up somewhere and worked the tunes out together,” Frantz said in supplied material.
“This record is a little more cosmic, almost in a spiritual way — the space between the notes was there to suggest all those empty spaces the record touches on,” Marlin adds.
And the record is clearly touching a receptive audience.
“Tides Of A Teardrop”, when it was released, debuted at #1 on four different Billboard charts: Heatseekers, Folk/Americana, Current Country Albums and Bluegrass.
The band’s last record, 2016’s “Blindfaller”, was their breakout, earning them raves from Vox and NPR Music, and since then they have played Red Rocks with The Avett Brothers, played Bonnaroo as well as the Newport Folk Festival.
Mandolin Orange’s Wednesday, Sept. 4, concert, With Bonny Light Horseman opening, will start at 7 p.m. (5:45 p.m. gates open), with a $40 general admission ticket price. For more information and tickets visit meijergardens.org .
Grand Rapids has a great lineup of breweries and beers. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
My Beers City Passport is getting a little crowded but there are always new places to explore, and after all that’s why the passport has those blank pages in the back — pages which came in handy last weekend when my wife and I had a vision quest but needed MapQuest to find Speciation Artisan Ales in Comstock Park.
The quest was accomplished and our thirst was quenched, with a fruity sour beer for my partner and a hefty IPA for me. They are apparently known for their sour beers.
And what sort of a place is Speciation? As only one bit of evidence, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the brewery and pub will host a Bill Murray Birthday Party when, they say, “We are celebrating the life and work of Bill Murray with a very special birthday party. Special Bill Murray themed beers served in custom Bill Murray glassware. Bill Murray themed trivia begins at 7 p.m., with Quizmaster Quinn. Costumes are encouraged.”
Not sure what a Bill Murray costume might be, but sounds like fun to me.
Check out this and other events at Speciation Artisan Ales — and how to get there — by visiting speciationartisanales.com .
Anyway, placing a new stamp in my passport got me thinking about what I’m missing these days, so thinking I have the Greater Grand Rapids area choices well in hand, and with the help of the West Michigan Tourist Association. I made a short list of places to visit not too far out to town.
In the Saugatuck-Douglas area, is the new Waypost Brewing Company in Fennville looks like a good day trip destination. You got to love their motto “Waypost brewing Co. is founded on the notion that good beer speaks for itself, and the best ones sing.” For more information visit here.
A little closer to home is Old Boys Brewhouse, in Spring Lake, which not only has a dog in their logo but also beers named “DogTail” and “Kennel King” IPAs and “His Porter is the Shih Tzu”. For more information visit here.
GR’s Beer City Fall Crawl starts at Downtown Market
Not that we’ll need a good reason to do a little bar hoppin’ on a (hopefully) beautiful fall September day next month, but the Grand Rapids Downtown Market has announced at “Beer City Fall Crawl” partnership with six other Heartside neighborhood businesses.
The crawl will take place Saturday, Sept, 15, from 1-5 p.m., and, according to supplied material, will take participants on a 1.5-mile loop starting and ending at the Market with six other stops in between — Craft Beer Cellar, Peppino’s Pizza, Tavern & Tap, The Grand Woods Lounge, Founders Brewing and The Tin Can, then returning to the Downtown Market. Each stop will have drink specials for participants, with participation costing $30.
Entry includes a t-shirt, a “Chugging Checklist” and a pint glass, with a free first drink at the Downtown Market bar, drink specials at each stop, and a $5 Downtown Market gift certificate.
With all that beer crawling, food consumption along the way is not only available but advisable, at the Downtown Market or along the route.
“Grand Rapids is known as Beer City, and we’re so fortunate to be in the midst of tons of great bars and breweries here in Heartside,” Amanda Gielczyk, VP of the Downtown Market, said in supplied material. “The Fall Crawl is a great way to partner with our neighbors and create a one-of-a-kind experience, and more importantly a reason for participants to support seven local businesses all in one day.”
Bell’s Two Hearted, celebrating a birthday, wins national awards
Bells’ Brewery his holding a two-prong, Two Hearted celebration this week. Not only idd the beer recently gain another national award, but Two Hearted Day, Aug.15, marks the anniversary that Two Hearted Ale debuted in 1997.
“Two Hearted Ale is a special beer for us at the brewery and for many beer lovers,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, said in supplied material. “We’re excited to celebrate with everyone this week. It’s a celebration of all of the people who work tirelessly to make Two Hearted the best quality beer it can be every day. It’s also a tribute to all of the fans who love the beer and helped make it what it is today.”
Bell’s Brewery and two of its beers — Two Hearted Ale and Hopslam Ale — were recognized again in this year’s Best Beers in America survey from Zymurgy magazine. (Ya, that’s a real magazine!)
According to supplied material, Two Hearted was No. 1 in the Top-Ranked Beers category and Bell’s Brewery itself was named top brewery. This is the third consecutive year that Two Hearted has claimed this honor. It came in second to Russian River’s Pliny the Elder for seven straight years previously. Hopslam Ale also placed in the top-ranked beers list tied at No. 7.
Full personal connection disclosure: When in doubt at an unknown pub, if there is Two Hearted on tap, it’s mine. And, in case you’ve never tried Northern California’s Russian River brews, Pliny included, you should check it out.
Also, just so you know, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), which publishes Zymurgy, annually chooses as favorites up to five of their favorite commercial beers available for purchase in the U.S. The full Best Beers in America list, which includes complete rankings on all the top beers, breweries and more, is available at HomebrewersAssociation.org.
A variety of for trucks will be at Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival. (WKTV)
By City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks invites foodies and families to explore cuisine from nearly 30 vendors during the fourth annual End of Summer Food Truck Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The free-to-attend community event will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. In addition to a cornucopia of food trucks, the event will also feature live music and a beer tent.
“Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival is a great way to celebrate the last few days of summer sun in Michigan with friends and family,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “Our lineup of local eats, drinks and live music means a whole day of fun for the community.”
Food trucks attending the event include: Alt City Beverage Company, Babatürk Food Truck, Bavarian Inn Cluck Truck, Coffee Rescue, D&D’s Gluten-Free, D&W Street Eatery, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, Daddy’s Dough Cookies, Doughrunts, El Caribe Food Truck, Fire and Rice, Ice Box Brand Ice Cream Bars, Kona Ice of West Grand Rapids, Kool Breze, LLC, Lazy Man BBQ, Nick’s Gyros, NOM NOM Ninja, Patty Matters, Pig Out on the Fly, Porter’s Smokehouse, Pressed In Time, Saladino Smoke, Silver Star Cafe, Sleeping Bear Burritos, Specialty Cheesecake and Dessert Company, Summer Pops, Tamale Rose, Touch O’ Dutch and Underground Cookie Club.
Live music will start at 11 a.m. with The Bootstrap Boys, followed by DJ Snax, Molly and Last Gasp Collective. A beer tent featuring craft beer and cider will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Food trucks are known for providing a great mix of creative bites from talented chefs with quick service,” said Alan Stone, president of GR8 Food Trucks. “Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival is an opportunity to sample a variety of food while supporting several local businesses.”
While entry to the festival is free, cost for food and beverages varies by vendor.
“A wise man once said, ‘In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.’ “
Benjamin Franklin
New tastes in the area
The local chamber of commerce and the City of Kentwood welcomed Wise Men Distillery and Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant to town this summer. Been there yet? Visit here for the story.
New art exhibit in St. Joe
Up for a little road trip? St. Joseph’s Krasl Art Center (KAC) opened a show by artists Jon Hook and Andrea Peterson with their immersive installation: Inhaling the Universe, on view starting Aug. 9. It runs through Sept. 29. Visit here for the story.
Polka and beer. What is not to like?
… And the Polish fest is coming
Admission is free to the Dozynki Polish Festival that will be held at Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center, from Aug. 23-25, and festival organizers stressed that there will be plenty of inexpensive parking. Visit here for the story.
Fun fact:
Polish peeps in Warren, Mich.
According to Wikipedia — whatever — Warren has the largest population in Michigan of people of Polish ancestry, at about 28,000. Detroit has about 19,000.
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions, comes to Grand Rapids with extensive art curatorial experience, having most recently led curated exhibitions at Nashville’s renown Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art including a much admired exhibition “Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape” in 2015-16.
He also has an equally impressive resume as an art historian and teacher, which includes being a lecturer on art history at prestigious institutions of higher education including Vanderbilt University — and he now holds the Lena E. S. Meijer Professorship in Art History at Aquinas College.
But the “American” portion of the German-born Wierich’s art history resume only hints at his depth of knowledge and appreciation of art, and his desire to share his knowledge and appreciation with local students and the general public visiting Meijer Gardens.
During one of his first in-depth interviews after coming to Meijer Gardens in late July, Wierich wore his curatorial jacket as he discussed his admiration for the Meijer Gardens sculptural art collection as well as some works which surprised him on his initial tours of the gardens. (See the following video.)
During the WKTV interview, however, he also discussed his views on the differences between art education in Europe and America, as well as his conviction that understanding history and culture is essential to understanding art.
“I see a number of differences in the role of art and art education in Europe and in the United States,” Wierich said to WKTV. “From my own perspective, in Europe young people grow up understanding that art is a part of a kind of cultural heritage, a part of a kind of patrimony, that we inherit. So even outside the classroom education, that is something that young people in Germany, in Europe, they just bring to their college education.
“I, you, she or he” by Jaume_Plensa. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by William J Hebert)
“In the United States, I would say that museums have done a great job of helping, educating young people, in the arts. Encouraging them to be creative. And then to appreciate art. But, still, art is not as much imbedded in the broader education sphere in the United States. And so, when the students come to college, they just don’t quite bring that background, that kind of familiarity with the arts, that I see in Germany and in Europe.”
But passing on his passion for art is where Wierich’s passion for education comes into play.
“That is something that, especially as a college teacher, I also want to help with,” he said. “Being part of the Aquinas faculty, and interacting with the students in the classroom, and possibly encouraging them to come out here and explore the sculpture collection, that is going to be part of my job. … And maybe bridge that gap a little bit.”
Another stop in Wierich’s American journey was at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Wa. — a place which cemented his belief in the importance of culture and historic context in understanding and appreciating modern art.
“The issue of understanding art within the historic and cultural context, to me, it is something that I think about all the time,” Wierich said. “My background, as you know, is in art history and American studies. So I thrive in museum environments that are multi-disciplinary, if you want (to call it such). And, for example, here at Meijer Gardens, you have art and horticulture, and you have programs that bring music and literature to this institution, and create this conversation across different disciplines.
“At the MAC, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, you might see in one visit a Native American contemporary artist painting landscapes, you might see additional plateau Indian baskets, and then you might see an exhibition of German and Italian immigrants who came to the inland Northwest as farmers. And so, each of these exhibitions contributes to, in a sense, framing the art.”
When it comes to modern and contemporary art appreciation and art history “I think that learning about the context (is important), that none of these works was created in a vacuum. That each of these works can help us understand what the historical circumstances were that, maybe, inspired the artist,” he said. “Think about the great Picasso painting “Guernica”, without understanding the (Spanish Civil) War, that painting is not quite the same.”
And he brings that idea home to Meijer Gardens.
Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by PeterMcDaniel)
“Even with the artists here in the sculpture park — Ai Weiwei, Jaume Plensa — you can really understand what an artist like Ai Weiwei is processing in terms of his growing up in contemporary China, and struggling with the changes in China,” Wierich said. “Or Jaume Plensa, somebody who grew up right after the dictatorship of Franco, and when Spain became a democracy. This are all stories that allow us to have a greater appreciation of the modern and contemporary art works.”
Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, Wierich held teaching positions at Whitman College, Free University in Berlin and Belmont University.
He earned a Master of Arts degree from the Universitat Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Universitat Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. He has a master’s degree in American Studies from Goethe University of Frankfurt and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William and Mary in Virginia — where his dissertation is titled “The Domestication of History in American Art, 1848-1876”.
Joseph Becherer, who previously held both the Meijer Gardens and Aquinas College positions, was named director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame last fall.
