Category Archives: Local Entertainment

Expansive, impressive Ai Weiwei exhibit opens at Meijer Gardens

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Ai Weiwei’s long-anticipated show at Meijer Gardens will open to the public on Jan. 27. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Two years after giving the West Michigan arts community a beautifully patinaed example of the power of renowned Chinese artist and social activist Ai Weiwei, in the form of the stunning “Iron Tree”,  the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will open to the public its long-anticipated exhibition Ai Weiwei at Meijer Gardens: Natural State on Friday, Jan. 27.

 

Ai Weiwei’s “Iron Tree” has been on display for two years but now an extensive exhibition of the artist’s works will be on view. (Supplied)

In total, more than 30 works — including iconic works from the artist’s repertoire and work specific to Meijer Gardens — will be sited in galleries, conservatories, public spaces and the auditorium.

 

“I am looking forward to the exhibition at Meijer Gardens and to share my work and ideas in this unique place,” Ai Weiwei said in supplied material. “I appreciate that they are so committed to my work; they even acquired Iron Tree in 2015. This opportunity to bring an exhibition to Michigan is something I greatly anticipate.”

 

The public should also “greatly anticipate” the show as well, according to David S. Hooker, President and CEO of Meijer Gardens — for purely artistic enjoyment as well as intersecting with the artist’s unique political and social esthetic.

 

“Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is pleased beyond words to host this major exhibition, Ai Weiwei’s first ever in a botanical garden or sculpture park,” Hooker said in supplied material. “It will be an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy his vision and boundless creativity … (and his) compelling life story that is told through his art.”

 

The title of the exhibition — “Natural State” — underscores the relationship between the artist and the venue, according to supplied material, combining the artist’s use of the natural materials in his works, set in the often natural settings of Meijer Gardens, but pushing those natural materials into unique states of being: personal, historical, social, political. Materials such as ceramics, silk, bamboo and wood become symbols of Ai Weiwei’s views on humankind in his native China and around the world.

 

Ai Weiwei’s “Taifeng” will be part of a series of natural material sculptures on display. (Supplied)

The exhibition will use four gallery spaces, four indoor conservatories, the auditorium and numerous public areas at Meijer Gardens. And many of the works will be placed not only in the artist’s unique vision but in context to their surroundings, including having five monumental sculptural bodies derived from ancient Chinese mythological text — “Taifeng”, “Dijiang”, “Shuyu”, “Mingshe” and “Shusi” — shown in a “scenic corridor” outside the normal gallery spaces.

 

“Having worked with Ai Weiwei for many years and in venues across the world, it has been a pleasure to see him focused on the very distinguished and unique circumstances of Meijer Gardens,” Greg Hilty, curatorial director of Lisson Gallery, said in supplied material. “The work carefully selected by the artist and thoughtfully installed at this venue offers a truly memorable experience.”

 

Lisson Gallery, out of New York City, collaborated with Meijer Gardens on the Ai Weiwei exhibition, as it did with a previous show of the works of Anish Kapoor.

 

A full list of exhibition activities can be found at www.meijergardens.org/aww

For videos associated with the show, visit Meijer Gardens on YouTube.

 

Kentwood parks and rec Craft Beer 101 program starts this week

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The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a series of Craft Beer 101 classes starting this week. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

It is not too late to fill your Monday calendar with a little beer (education) as the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department beings four weeks of its Craft Beer 101 adult education program Monday, Jan. 23, with a program at Jaden James Brewery.

 

The program — continuing on Monday evenings from 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 and 13 — is for people 21-years-old and older who want to learn more about what goes into beer, how beer is made and the various kinds of beer, according to supplied information. The class will include tasting.

 

The classes are led by Ben Darcie, founder of Experience Beer WM and a beer writer, educator and self-proclaimed “beer geek extraordinaire.” The classes are for the beginner as well as the advanced home-brewer.

 

The program at Jaden James Brewery, located at 4665 Broadmoor Ave. SE, is called “Intro: Beer Ingredients and Process” The other classes, in order of date, are “Beer Tasting: Lager, Pale Ale & IPA; Hops and Brewing Them” at Schmohz, 2600 Patterson SE; “Beer Tasting: Belgian, Porter and Stout; Alternative Yeast and Recipe Design” at Railton Brewing, 3555 68the St. SE; and “Infection and Off-flavor” at Horrock’s Market at 4455 Breton SE.

 

Cost of the four-class program is $50 or $15 per class; and night-of registration is available. For more information call 616-656-5270 or visit yourkprd.org

 

St. Cecilia’s next chamber music concert features works by Brahms, Fauré

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
Pianist Alessio Bax. (Supplied/Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

WKTV Staff

 

It will be an evening of chamber music master musicians playing chamber music master composers Jan. 26 as St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Chamber Music Series continues with four of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s brightest stars playing works by Brahms, Fauré.

 

The artists scheduled to perform are pianist Alessio Bax, violinists Ani Kavafian and Yura Lee and cellist Paul Watkins, each of whom are among the most respected — and most exuberant — chamber musicians in the world, in the opinion of St. Cecilia executive director Cathy Holbrook.

 

“The many artists from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center are some of the most fun and outgoing people I’ve met,” Holbrook said in supplied material. “And this exuberance shines through during their exquisite performances. I’m very excited to have these four artists here and to introduce them, up close and personal in the intimate Royce Auditorium.”

 

The audience will be able to hear and see their skill and exuberance when the four takes the stage Thursday, Jan 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

 

 

The program includes Brahms’ “Scherzo, WoO 2, from ‘F-A-E’ Sonata for Violin and Piano”; Fauré’s “Quartet No. 2 in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello”; and Brahms’ “Quartet No. 2 in A Major for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello”.

 

See Alessio Bax perform the original piano solo version of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmxezP1xzNk

 

This season’s St. Cecilia Chamber Music Series will conclude March 16, with a program titled “French Virtuosity” and featuring Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center co-artistic director and pianist Wu Han performing with colleagues Kristin Lee, Yura Lee and Arnaud Sussman on violins, Richard O’Neill on viola and Nicholas Canellakis on cello.

 

On Jan 26, there will be a pre-concert wine and hors d’oeurves reception from 6-7 p.m. (for a $15 fee), a pre-concert artist talk with the musicians performing that evening moderated by Grand Rapids Symphony President Peter Kjome from 7-7:30 p.m., and a complimentary post-concert wine, coffee and dessert reception for the audience to meet the artists and obtain signed CDs.

 

For more information and tickets, call 616-459-2224 or visit scmc-onlilne.org.

 

Living a musical life; Kentwood man part of St. Cecilia community band 

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John Weitzel, who lived in Kentwood for almost 30 years, has spent the last two years as part of St. Cecilia Music Center’s Grand Band. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

John Weitzel, who lived in Kentwood for almost 30 years, has been a musician for the majority of his 92 years — as a musical student, teacher and high school band leader. And he has no intention of stopping.

 

The St. Cecilia Grand Band in rehearsal at the music center’s Royce Auditorium. (WKTV)

So, with is baritone horn in hand, John has spent the last two years as part of St. Cecilia Music Center’s Grand Band, one of a series of community youth and adult music programs offered by the center.

 

“I was one of those people who started playing early in my life, I was eight years old when I first started playing the trumpet, became a member of the high school band a little early and had quite an experience there. Then I went to college and played trumpet there,” John said in a recent interview during a break in rehearsal with the band.

 

He has a masters degree in music from Columbia University in New York, still majoring in trumpet. Then became a high school band director in Alliance, Ohio, and was there for 35 years, as director of the band and supervisor of music. “After I retired from that, my wife and I moved to Grand Rapids and I joined up with several bands and have been in the (St. Cecilia) Grand Band for a couple years. It has been a great experience.”

 

His life has been full of great musical experiences, however. One of his fondest is his relationship with world-famous composer, conductor and arranger Henry Mancini.

 

Friends in music, life

 

“We met when we were in junior high school in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. We were both 12 years old. We hit it off right away because we were both only children,” John said. “He had quite a personality, even at that age, and I was attracted to him. We had quite an experience together, in high school, through our music. He was a life-long friend.”

 

Even when Mancini was at the top of his fame, and John a high school band director, they shared musical moments.

 

“He played a concert at Blossom Hills, Ohio, with the Cleveland Orchestra, and he was kind enough to introduce me during that concert,” John said. “Then we met after, in the Green Room, and we were able to renew our friendship at that point. … unfortunately, he passed away at just 70 years old. I was always curious about the music he might have written had he been allowed to live a little longer.”

 

And speaking of long life, John credits his continuing love of music as one reason for his longevity.

 

“I just feel that physically, and mentally, it is a great outlet,” he said. “I have been extremely happy, in my old age, playing in three different bands and I feel that the Grand Band is my favorite. … (it was) attractive to me for a lot of reasons: the atmosphere, the fact that we play on the same stage where world-class musicians perform, great directors. It is a fund band, and I have met a lot of friends.”

 

Weitzel’s attraction to the band is shared by other members, as is the feeling that it helps senior players keep or renew their musical skills.

 

Many members, many musical stories

 

Tom Ennis, a 70-year-old trumpet player, also started playing when he was eight and played through high school. But then life got in the way.

 

Tom Ennis is a trumpet player with the Grand Band. (WKTV)

“I joined the Army. Went over to Vietnam, and then got stationed in California and raised my family there. I kind of fell out of it,” Tom said. “When I retired from work, out in California, I wanted to play my horn again, but they don’t have community bands out there. When we moved back to Michigan, I found out about the Grand Band.

 

“For myself, I think you can continue to improve and improve, as you get older and older, you don’t have to just stagnate. … but, like anything, it is very hard if you just do it by yourself. You can’t play a trumpet by yourself and enjoy it a whole lot. The enjoyment comes with playing with a full band.”

 

Weitzel’s and Ennis’ stories are just two of the many stories of the St. Cecilia music programs, according to Grand Band director Paul Keen.

 

St. Cecilia Music Center Grand Band director Paul Keen. (WKTV)

“There is a wide variety of musical talents in this band,” Keen said. “It is not exclusively an elder band, we invite musicians of all ages. In fact, the young person … (in the band) is home schooled. He is the son of one of our percussionists, and we welcome him.”

 

But Keen, 70, sees special benefit to older musicians.

 

“It is an opportunity to continue to socialize with people with similar interests. There is also a benefit in terms of cognitive functioning,” her said. “If people, as they get older, stimulate their brains, whether it is through board games, through art, music, other intellectual pursuits, it really does help our frame of mind, our physical and mental wellbeing. I know from my own personal situation, all the aches and pains I feel, I never seem to feel them when I am playing an instrument or standing up here (leading the band).”

 

St. Cecilia Music Center. (WKTV)

The St. Cecilia Music Center’s Grand Band rehearses Monday mornings and performed in concert in December. The Grand String Orchestra, conducted by Cyndi Betts, rehearses on Wednesday evenings. No auditions are needed for either group. For more information about joining one of the adult ensembles visit SCMC-online.org or call the education director at 616-459-2224.

 

Wyoming’s Kitzingen Brewery to host KD aLe tour

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Wyoming’s Kitzingen Brewery will host a visit from the Kent District Library’s KD aLe program this week. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The Kent District Library’s continuing KD aLe program will visit Wyoming’s Kitzingen Brewery on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for a brewery tour — and a little taste of Kitzingen’s speciality: German beers and German food.

 

The event beings at 7 p.m. The brewery is located at 1760 44th St SW.; Suite 8A; in the Chateau Centre strip mall. Attendees receive a discount on beer when you show your library card.

 

The beers produced by Kitzingen brewmaster Rommie Bailey include between 9 and 15 brews on tap, including an IPA, a stout and a seasonal authentic Hefeweizen, according to its website: “We’re inspired by the proud German brewing tradition but we will give it a healthy twist of the innovative American craft brewing spirit,” Bailey said.

 

For more information on Kitzingen Brewery call 616-805-5077 of visit Kitzingen-Brewery.com . For more information on the library’s KD aLe program visit KDL.org

 

Wyoming set to have a brew, or two, with TwoGuys Brewery

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Owner and brewmaster Tom Payne is in the process of renovating two buildings in the Wyoming Park area for TwoGuys Brewing (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

After nearly 10 years of working a small business plan, and recent action by the City of Wyoming, TwoGuys Brewing has taken over an old firehouse and a rundown one-time 7-Eleven convenience store in the Wyoming Park neighborhood and — with any luck to match hard work — should be serving up craft beer for guys and gals who like microbrews in 2017.

 

Tom Payne of TwoGuys Brewery. (WKTV)

“Now its about six months of demolition and renovation, were we turn this ugly old 7-Eleven into a beautiful tap room,” Tom Payne, managing partner and brewmaster of TwoGuys Brewing, said Nov. 10 at a friends-and-neighbors open house at what will be the new brewpub. “We are hopeful for September 1” to open.

 

“This business came about about 10 years ago,” he said. “I realized I was not just another home brewer, at least I did not think so. I had entered beer in outside competition, outside of just (treating) my normal friends, and it was taken very well. I said ‘You know what? I think we’ve got something here.’ And then my wife and I, after hours and hours of talking, we said ‘This is something we are going to do.’ At that time we put together a 10-year plan, and we are at the end of that 10 years. It is time for TwoGuys Brewing to open.”

 

An old 7-Eleven story will become TwoGuys Brewery’s taproom. (WKTV)

Opening the brewery and brewpub involved the leasing of two buildings located across from each other on Porter Street SW, the old 7-Eleven at 2356 Porter Street SW and an unused fire station at 2385.

 

An old city fire station will become TwoGuys Brewery’s brew house. (WKTV)

The leasing of the fire station to Tamaz LLC (an LLC doing business as TwoGuys Brewery) by the city was part of three actions taken by the Wyoming City Council in late November. The actions included granting the business a liquor license, a waiver of city zoning code to allow for the sale of alcohol within a certain distance from a church or residential area, and the lease of the old fire station, which had been used by the city for a meter shop and a temporary laboratory but was currently vacant.

 

City support of business

 

“The City of Wyoming has been absolutely instrumental in this,” Payne said. “We approached the city three or four months ago, we completely laid out our business plan and what we wanted to bring to Wyoming Park. They put together a timeline … a ‘we need you to do this and we need you to do this’, and we have done everything the city has asked for. … They have been fantastic.”

 

Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt made clear the reason for the city’s actions:

 

“Our region is increasingly embracing craft beer,” Holt said. “You can look around our community and see the many brewpubs that have sprung up over the last five years. We are pleased that TwoGuys Brewing has identified Wyoming as its location and feel that it will be a welcomed by the neighbors — and by Wyoming residents in general.”

 

Several of those neighbors visited the open house on Dec. 10 as well, and Payne said he expects to be an attribute to the neighborhood.

 

“The biggest reason (for placing their business in Wyoming) is that this is where we live, my wife and I,” he said. “I grew up in Wyoming Park. I graduated from Wyoming Park. I have lived, aside from my time in the Marine Corps, in this area and it has always been my home. When we decided to open up our brewery, it was going to be where we live and provide our neighbors with something they could certainly be proud of.”

 

About that name …

 

And the name of of TwoGuys? Where did it come from?

 

“10 years ago, there was me and one of my best friends, Charlie, I had gotten him started brewing,” he said. “So, long story (made short), we entered another competition and took best of show on an IPA (India Pale Ale), which at the time had no name. We brewed this beer at Founders. We brewed 10 barrels having won the best of show. … About half an hour before tapping, Founders said ‘You guys need to name this thing something.’ I told them ‘Its just the two of us, we are just two guys, so how about TwoGuys IPA?’”

 

Now, though, the name takes on another context, Payne said.

 

“Our TwoGuys, today, is, well … everybody’s two guys. You’re the other guy. My grandson is the other guy. Everybody is the other guy. I am just one guy. It is all about community, which is what brought us to Wyoming Park. … I will consider every guest that comes into these doors, starting next year, as the family, as the other guy.”

 

Plans at this point the business will focus on an array of craft-brewed beers — maybe wines, meads and sodas — as well as what the business calls a “pub-centric” menu of food. Payne’s brewer pedigree includes his having been involved with Osgood Brewing in Grandville as well as head brewer at 57 Brewpub and Bistro in Greenville.

 

“We are going to focus on traditional styles, beers that you don’t necessarily find everywhere else,” he said. “A lot of English style ales that no one brews around here …  I am not knocking any other brewery in town, there are some fantastic ones, but it is going to be all about the other guy, what they like.”

 

Tentatively, seating at the brewpub will be for about 80 with a possible outdoor patio planned. The property has about 18 parking spaces in front, with about 50 possible behind the building and another 25 or so across the street at the old firehouse.

 

Review: Cécile McLorin Salvant brings big jazz voice to St. Cecilia

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Cécile McLorin Salvant. (Supplied/Mark Fitton)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

60-second Review

 

Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dec. 8, at St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids, Mi. 

 

Cécile McLorin Salvant, the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series, brought a spectacular voice and mesmerizing presence to the stage Thursday for a 90-minute set.

 

Accompanied by the very tight Aaron Diehl Trio — with Diehl on piano, Paul Sikivie on bass and Lawrence Leathers on drums — McLorin Salvant opened her set with just Diehl’s piano and  singing “Lucky to be Me.” From that moment on, you were lucky to be in the audience.

 

The singer showed her versatility — heartbreaking to humorous; booming to a whisper — throughout the night,  with her set including a trio of Cole Porter songs, both well-known and little-known, and a hauntingly theatric song from the 1946 jazz-opera “Street Scene”, with lyrics by Langston Hughes.

 

My favorite song of the night was a stark, stripped-down version of the classic folk song “John Henry”, with special note given to Sikivie’s unique work on the base. My only disappointment was that all the songs were in English, which the native French speaker sings perfectly — S’il vous plaît, Cécile, un peu de Français.

 

McLorin Salvant ended the night as mesmerizingly as she started it, with “Tell Me What They are Saying Can’t be True.” It left you wanting more.

 

May I have more, please?

 

Having never heard McLorin Salvant before, I suspected a little hyperbole when some reviewers compared her to Ella Fitzgerald. But, listing to a local public radio jazz program before the concert, my wife, TJ — who knows her jazz —  remarked “I wonder who that is? She sounds like Ella.” Sure enough, the DJ confirmed the song was by the songstress we would see shortly.

 

Good enough recommendation for me.

 

It may still be a little early to compare the 27-year-old to Ella, but she does have an impressive resume: youngest winner the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010, her debut recording, “WomanChild”, nominated for a Grammy in 2014, and her follow-up recording, “For One to Love”, winning the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album this year.

 

And did I mention that she has a set of pipes? (Her singing voice is astounding.)

 

‘Nutcracker’ includes sibling youth dancers from Kentwood

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The Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” returns to DeVos Performance Hall for two weekends — Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

When the annual run of the Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” hits the stage Friday, Dec. 9, it will include staring rolls by the company’s professional dancers and, as always, often a stage full of youth dancers.

 

Again this year, Kentwood sisters Grace and Micah Jones will be among those lending their talents to the production a part of the ballet’s youth dance program — one sister because she sees dance as a possible future career and the other because it is just “so much fun.”

 

The classic family holiday tradition returns to DeVos Performance Hall for two weekends — Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18 —  with four evening shows and four matinees. Live orchestra music is provided by Grand Rapids Symphony, conducted by symphony Associate Conductor John Varineau.

 

Grace, a 16-year-old junior at Grand River Preparatory High School, has been dancing at Grand Rapids Ballet for 11 years and has been a member of the Junior Company since its inception. This year will be her 8th Nutcracker appearance.

 

Grace Jones

“I started dancing when I was 2, my parents saw that I loved movement and loved dancing,” Grace said last week, prior to a rehearsal. “My parents saw I needed something to get my energy out so they said ‘Let’s put her into dance.’ I really didn’t get into ballet right away. I was into jazz and tap and hip hop, but at about 5, I went into ballet because I loved the movement.”

 

She also loved The Nutcracker, thanks to her father, Ronald.

 

“I remember going to The Nutcracker every year, when I was younger,” she said. “My dad would take me every year, starting at 4 and then every year until I was 8, when I got to be in it for the first time.”

 

Seven productions later, she is still excited about the annual holiday production.

 

“I have always loved being in front of the audience,” Grace said. “I love sharing, I love exposing the audience to something new. For me, when I first watched it, it was so beautiful, to watch those beautiful dancers, the beautiful colors and costumes and shapes they make on the stage. I said ‘Wow. I want to do that.’ … Now I want to give some other girl that feeling, the feeling I felt when I was younger.”

 

According to her mother, Sandra, Grace hopes to dance in college while pursuing professional opportunities. But she sees dance as a means to other career paths as well.

 

“I love teaching, maybe teaching dance, “ Grace said. “I would love to show others the joy I found in dance.”

 

One of the people she has shown the love of dance to is her sister.

 

Micah, age 13 and a 7th grader at Cross Creek Charter Academy, says music is her first love — she has been playing the piano for 8 years, and her mother says she has talked about assisting with her college expenses by playing piano for ballet companies.

 

Micah Jones

But Micah has been with working with the Grand Rapids Ballet youth program for four years and will be in the Nutcracker for the third year.

 

“I saw saw my sister, and other people, in dance and it looked so fun,” Micah said, explaining why she wanted to dance. “It is so free, you get to move how you want to move.”

 

She also said she receives plenty of advice and encouragement from her older sister.

 

“Since she is such a good dancer, she really helps me when I need help, with technique or how I am supposed to move,” Micah said.

 

And as far as her first time in front of the usually large crowds watching the Nutcracker, any advice from her older sister?

 

“She told me not to think of the crowd, just remember your choreography, remember what you are there to do.”

 

While the two sisters will be dancing different rolls this season, the thing they have in common is an affinity for the famous battle scene. “It is a giant battle scene,” Grace points out, while Micah simply says the scene is “so much fun.”

 

Anybody who has seen the production knows what they are talking about; those how haven’t have two weekends worth of opportunity.

 

For more information, call 616-454-4771 or visit grballet.com

 

Experience the Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball Dec. 9

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Holidays, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,
harry-potter-book-cover-jw-32715Dancing. Music. Harry Potter-themed activities & a special giveaway. These are a few of the various things you’ll find at the Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball.

Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids cordially invites customers of all ages to experience its first-ever Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball on Friday, Dec. 9, starting at 7 pm at Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE. Barnes & Noble’s Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball will feature dancing, music, Harry Potter-themed activities and a special giveaway. Customers are encouraged to wear their most festive Harry Potter costumes and holiday attire to the special event as they dance the night away and celebrate all things Harry Potter with Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids.

 

Magical Harry Potter-Themed Activities & Giveaways 

The Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball will be complemented by special activities, featuring a designated Harry Potter-themed Craft Making Station, where customers can create their own ornaments and owl fans, while supplies last. There will also be Wizard Charades, Trivia, a Word Search, and more, plus a coloring station for customers to enjoy, and a special photo-op station where they will be able to forever capture the magic of the Harry Potter-inspired celebration. Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids will also feature delicious treats from the Barnes & Noble Café, including free samples of a festive sugar cookie and a caramel apple spice drink, available while supplies last. 

Plus, Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids will offer a free giveaway of a special Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Illustrated Edition poster, available while supplies last.

 

Additional activities that will take place at Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids include special guest DJ AB (Adrian Butler), kid friendly crafts, Quidditch games and a costume contest runway.

 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Barnes & Noble

Fans of Harry Potter can continue to relive the magic at Barnes & Noble this holiday season with a dedicated Harry Potter experience inside Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids. Customers can shop a unique assortment of books and gifts from J. K. Rowling’s wizarding world, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay, as well as Harry Potter wands, chess sets, music and DVDs, hats, scarves and so much more. For additional details, customers can visit Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids today. 

 

For more information on how customers can relive the magic of Harry Potter at Barnes & Noble Grand Rapids this holiday season with Barnes & Noble’s Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball, they should visit BN.com/MagicalHolidayBall. For more information on Barnes & Noble’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a unique assortment of books, toys & games and gifts, perfect for the whole family, customers should visit BN.com/HarryPotter. 

Sign up by Dec. 30 for ‘Kentwood’s Got Talent’!

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events,

kentwoods-got-talentAre you a singer, dancer or comedian? Do you play an instrument, perform magic or have other talents?

 

Brush off those skills and start practicing for the Kentwood’s Got Talent, the talent show competition that features the best in the area.

 

The event will take place outdoors August 11, 2017, behind Kentwood City Hall at 4900 Breton SE.

 

The deadline is fast approaching — you have until December 30 to apply. Download the application here and send it in. Don’t delay!

 

For more info, go here.

St. Cecilia opens jazz series with Grammy winning vocalist

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Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant is the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series,
Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant is the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

You might say that songstress Cécile McLorin Salvant, the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series, wasted no time in adding Grammy winner to her already melodic name.

 

infoOn the heals of being the youngest winner the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010, McLorin Savant’s debut recording, WomanChild, was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 and her follow-up recording, For One to Love, won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album this year.

 

St. Cecilia executive director Cathy Holbrook, in supplied material, was not overstating facts when she said:  states, “At 27 years old, Cécile is already a sensation.”

 

So expect a sensational night of vocal jazz when McLorin Salvant takes the stage Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

 

Cécile McLorin Salvant

McLorin Salvant’s repertoire includes interpretations of little-known and scarcely recorded jazz and blues compositions, as well as unique takes on jazz standards, and original music and lyrics sung in a variety of different languages – English, Spanish and French, her native language.

For a video of McLorin Savant, click here.

 

 

The rest of this season’s St. Cecilia Jazz Series includes young — as in 13-year-old — pianist phenom Joey Alexander on March 23, and the SFJAZZ supergroup performing the music of Miles Davis as well as their own compositions on May. 4.

 

At the McLorin Savant concert, there will be a free post-concert “Meet-the-artist” reception for all ticket-holders. A pre-concert reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres is available for $15 per person in addition to the ticket cost.

 

For more information and tickets, call 616-459-2224 or visit scmc-onlilne.org.

 

GR Public Museum returns Beer Explorers, with pour by Founders

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Last year's Beer Explorers program at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)
Last year’s Beer Explorers program at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Grand Rapids area beer lovers this fall will again get a chance to belly up the bar and learn more about their favorite libation as the Grand Rapids Public Museum returns its Beer Explorers program starting Thursday, Dec, 15.

 

A sampling of beers at the Grand Rapids Public Museum's Beer Explorers program -- yes there is glasses of what you like available for purchase. (Supplied)
A sampling of beers at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Beer Explorers program — yes there is glasses of what you like available for purchase. (Supplied)

The series — which explores the roots of brewing beer with hands-on experiences related to the brewing and tasting of beer — will include programs on Jan. 12 and Feb. 16.

 

Classes begin at 6 p.m. and will be held on the 1st floor of the museum. Admission to each class includes general admission to the museum as well as three beer samples. A cash bar will also be available.

 

The December program is titled “History of Beer” and will feature museum curator Alex Forist talking about the history of beer but focused on the brewing history of Grand Rapids, as well as Michael Steil, from Founders Brewing Company, discussing the science of brewing.

 

The January program, “Beer Pairings”, will feature Founders experts discussion why certain beers and desserts work together. The February program, “Barrel Aging”, will focus on the process of barrel aging and how different factors affect the taste and quality of the beer.

 

Tickets to Beer Explorers is $8 for museum members and $18 for non-members. Participants must be 21 and older.

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located at 272 Pearl Street, NW. For tickets and more information visit grpm.org.

 

Did you catch our story on the expanded Beer City Passport and Brewsader program?

 

Musical Tradition and Timeless Memories: Handel’s ‘Messiah’ Dec. 5

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , ,

Holiday Celebration “Musical Tradition and Timeless Memories: Handel’s Messiah”

holiday3When: Monday, Dec. 5, 7:30 pm

 

Where: Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI

 

FREE and open to the public

 

One of the greatest delights of the Christmas and holiday season is the chance it brings us to revisit cherished and familiar traditions. For many, it is the recollection of much loved musical gems that most completely provides the festive and warm mood to which we enjoy returning year after year.

 

This year, celebrate the holiday season as the Grand Valley State University Arts Chorale and Orchestra perform the music of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah.

 

Messiah, as Handel penned it in 1741, was nothing more than an unstaged drama with all of the musical and theatrical ingredients of an opera, but without the costumes and physical movement. The first part of Messiah, the Christmas section, which is centered on the prophecy and the story of the birth of Christ, will be performed along with other holiday favorites for orchestra, vocal solo, and choir.

 

From the majestic tenor recitative, Comfort Ye, to the reverential, smoothly flowing melodic lines of the Pifa, to the brilliance of the Hallelujah Chorus, you’ll enjoy immersing yourself in Handel’s timeless music, especially within the magnificent acoustic environs of Fountain Street Church.

This year’s Grand Valley Fall Arts holiday celebration promises a not-to-be-missed performance — a musical holiday gift from the faculty members, students, and staff members of Grand Valley State University to our West Michigan community and friends.

Expanded Beer City Passport, ‘Brewsader’ program debuts

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Not only does the Beer City Passport program allow you to get great beers, you get to fly your Brewsader freak flag with a t-shirt. (Supplied)
Not only does the Beer City Passport program allow you to taste great beers, you get to fly your Brewsader freak flag with a t-shirt. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktvv.org

 

So many brews; so little time.

 

For those of you who, like me, are on a mission to fill out your Beer City Brewsader Passport book by visiting all the participating Western Michigan breweries and brew pubs, the constantly growing list of brewers is a pleasant frustration.

 

expgr-brewsader-logo-final-copyBut good news: The passport book now has an addendum adding nine additional beer stops to the original 23 locales — including Wyoming’s Kitzingen Brewery — where stamps and brews are available.

 

Experience Grand Rapids officially rolled out the second edition of the Beer City Passport last week. Among the new stops are Atwater GR, Bier Distillery, City Built Brewing, Creston Brewery, Elk Brewing’s Comstock Park location, Greyline Brewing Co., Schmohz Brewing Company, New Holland Brewing’s The Knickerbocker, and Fountain Hill Brewery at Grand Rapids Community College.

 

For those of us with a partially filled out passport already, the addendum sticks on the back of the original. But it is a little bit of a tricky maneuver, so do so before you start tasting at you next beer city stop.

The Beer City Passport, which debuted a little more than a year ago, has had more than 4,200 beer lovers get at least eight stamps and join the Brewsaders club, according to Experience GR.

 

“The Beer City Passport was a huge success in the first year,” Janet Korn, senior vice president of Experience GR, said in supplied material. “We created the second edition to add new craft beer locations and prepare for future breweries. When a new brewery opens, we will announce on our website if they are going to be a part of the Passport. If they are, visitors can go there and collect a stamp on one of the newly included blank pages.”

 

To become a Brewsader, the passport must be either take to the Welcome Center in Grand Rapids Art Museum or mailed directly to the Experience GR office. New this year, collect all 32 stamps and earn an Ultimate Brewsader wallet card which offers discounts on the Beer City merchandise at GrandRapidsStore.com and perks at local businesses.

 

According to Experience GR, Longwoods Intl. found that 1 percent of Western Michigan tourists come specifically for beer compared to the national average of about 5 percent.

 

For more information visit ExperienceGR.com/Brewsader. and join the social media conversation at #GRBrewsader.

Lights On: Meijer Gardens opens holiday traditions display

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A nativity scene from Italy is part of the Meijer Gardens holiday display. (supplied)
A nativity scene from Italy is part of the Meijer Gardens holiday display. (supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The holidays officially kick off not with Black Friday, or even with Thanksgiving eve, but when Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park unveils its annual Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World exhibition Tuesday, Nov. 22.

 

A model of the Chomeiji Temple in Omihachiman Shiga Prefecture of Japan.
A model of the Chomeiji Temple in Omihachiman Shiga Prefecture of Japan.

The display, open through Jan. 8, presents more than 40 international trees and displays, as well as the railway garden and several special events and activities.

 

“This year we’re celebrating not only the various holiday traditions observed around the world, but also the folklore that makes these celebrations so unique,” Steve LaWarre, Meijer Gardens director of horticulture, said in supplied material. “Many of these traditions are rooted in horticulture and natural elements. … (including how) legendary folklore such as mistletoe, spider webs, olive trees and rosemary are important parts of holiday customs around the world.”

 

The exhibition will include narratives and special displays from Iceland, Ghana, Germany and other counties and cultures. The railway garden meanders through four indoor garden spaces, including the newly renovated Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse.

 

Another highlight will the return of the beautiful Eid ul-Fitr display, which celebrates the end of the Muslim holy period of Ramadan.

 

Meijer Gardens is open daily but is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. There will be extended holiday hours not just on Tuesdays as usual but also Dec. 19-23 and 26-30. There will also be special events such as The Original Dickens Carolers, Santa visits, Rooftop Reindeer, the Christmas Cabaret Gala, and winter-time walks and classes on select days and times.

 

For more information call 616-957-1580 or visit meijergardens.org

 

‘Waiting on Division’ photography exhibit is Nov. 18

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Upcoming Events, , ,
waiting-on-division-photography-exhibit
Photo copyright Tom Gunnels, Waiting On Division

The exhibit will showcase the photographs of Tom Gunnels taken throughout the summer, along with the stories of how the photos and friendships came to be.

 

Come down, learn more and maybe meet some cool people along the way.

 

Where: The Collective Artspace, 40 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, MI; call 517.899.6766 for more info.

 

When: Friday, Nov. 18 – 6-9 pm

‘Raise the Woof’ fundraising event to benefit Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue

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waise-the-woof-e1476129731849Join Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue as they celebrate five years and 1,000 adoptions! The event will feature a cash bar, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, live music by local band Decoy, a photo booth and an opportunity for attendees to meet some of the dogs the organization is working to save.

 

It all happens Friday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 pm at The Intersection, 133 Grandville Ave. SW in Grand Rapids. Tickets are $10 prior to the event and $15 at the door. Get tickets here.

 

Hearts of Hope Dog Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization driven by a network of volunteer foster families in the Grand Rapids area. Because they are committed to saving the lives of unwanted dogs of all backgrounds, they are considered by many in the local dog community as the last line of support for dogs in need.

Why Adopt?

Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Here are five reasons to adopt your new best friend.

  • You’ll save a life.
  • You’ll get a healthy pet.
  • You’ll save money.
  • You’ll feel better.
  • You won’t be supporting puppy mills or pet stores.

Beautiful Bella is waiting for a home

bella
Courtesy of Lynae Marie PhotographyBella’s Info…
Beautiful Bella is a perfect girl! She is sweet, happy, playful and affectionate as well as being house-trained and crate-trained. She loves to play with her toys and go for long walks. Bella gets along great with her foster brother and the silly kitten too. Any dog siblings must be sure to like a playful jumpy pup, as she sometimes acts like the annoying little sister. With people Bella can start out shy, and loud noises and movements can make her a bit timid at times, but with reassurance, she knows it will all be OK. She is a total love and such a well-behaved girl. She is up to date on vaccines, microchipped and spayed. Her adoption fee is $200. Apply to adopt her here.

Grand Rapids Public Museum goes “Peanuts” for the holidays

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The Grand Rapids Public Museum got its holiday celebrations started a little early with the end of October opening of its latest exhibit “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!”

 

The traveling exhibit, which will be at the Museum through Jan. 29, celebrates the holiday season through 50 “Peanuts” daily and Sunday comic strips that adorn the walls of the exhibit along with more than 50 vintage “Peanuts”-themed seasonal novelties and a video featuring Charlie Brown creator Charles Schulz, producer Lee Menelson and animator/director Bill Melendez that details the sometimes magical and often madcap making of the ground breaking animated feature “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

 

peanuts3“This was an exhibit we were really interested in because it resonates with a lot of people,” said Kate Moore, the museum’s vice president of marketing and public relations. “‘A Charlie Brown Christmas!’ has been out since 1965 with a lot of people who have seen it and who have share it with their families.”

 

For many growing up from the late 1960s to the 1990s, gathering in front of the television to watch Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang remind everyone the meaning of Christmas was a time-honored family tradition.

 

And like many classics, those involved in its creation, and even the television executives who reviewed it, were certain they had created a flop. But with less than a week for its national broadcast premiere, the show went on with “A Charlie Brown Christmas” airing on Dec. 9, 1965 and receiving critical acclaim from “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Weekly Variety,” “The Washington Post,” and the “New York Post.” It went on to win a 1966 Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program with Charlie Brown’s creator, Charles Schulz joking “Charlie Brown is not used to winning, so we thank you.”

 

Along with opening the door to other similar half-hour animated specials such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a television tradition, it was the first to feature religious text, which those involve discuss in the “Making of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ which was aired in 2001 and was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. Those who visit the exhibit will have the opportunity to view the documentary on a retro TV in overstuffed beanbags.

 

peanuts2Also in the exhibit, which is located on the second floor of the museum marked by a large Snoopy doghouse, visitors can write letters to Santa, try their hand at animation and even test their musical skills on a Schroeder-style piano.

 

“We will have other activities themed around this exhibit and our recently opened ‘Whales: Giants of the Deep’,” Moore said, adding that the museum’s annual Snowflake Break will incorporate both the “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown” and “Whales” exhibits with the Museum also having the elf scavenger hunt, display of historic Santas, and Night at the Museum on Dec. 28. As to the theme of this year’s Christmas tree, Moore said “well, people will just have to come by and see.”

 

Also StageGR will be presenting “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” at the museum’s Meijer Theatre.

 

“Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown,” which is organized and toured by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, is part of the regular admission to the museum, which is $8/adults and $3/students and children 3- 17. “Whales: Giants of the Deep” is $13/adults and $8 students with ID and children 3 – 17 and includes the general admission. For more information, visit www.grpm.org. The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located at 272 Pearl St. NW.

See Will Juggle Nov. 7 and Nov. 11

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,
will-oltman
Will Oltman, aka Will Juggle, courtesy his Facebook page

See a real-life introvert juggle as an extrovert on-stage. No mean feat, this, but it helps to take on a name that’s an incomplete, future-tense sentence. I mean, who’s juggling here?

 

The answer, of course, is self-explanatory.

 

Will Oltman, aka ‘Will Juggle,’ works corporate events, birthday parties and street performances, but perhaps the grandest audience of all was the U.S. President.

 

This month, Will performs in Grand Rapids and Kentwood at two venues:

 

Nov. 7 – performing as part of Comedy Outlet Monday at Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson Ave. SE, Grand Rapids. Show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $5.

 

Nov. 11 – performing at Flowerland’s Holidazzle, Kentwood Flowerland, 4321 28th St. SE, Kentwood. 6-9 pm, free and open to the public. Registration required at myflowerland.com.

 

Lamp Light Music Festival — and workshops — Nov. 4, 5 & 6

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,
lamplight-festival
Artwork courtesy Lamp Light Music Festival

Where else can you get up close and personal with talented musicians but in someone’s living room or basement?

 

Such is the draw of Lamp Light Music Festival, now in its fifth year. Although the concept of house concerts is nothing new, the fact that they exist in Grand Rapids at all is cause for celebration.

 

This weekend, Nov. 4-6, four neighboring homes — all on Benjamin St. SE in Grand Rapids — will host 21 acts and seven workshops (“Experimental Film Photography,” “Floral Mandala Making,” “Intro to Natural Dyeing,” “Kombucha 2.0 Bloom Ferments” and “Sprouts and Nutrition”).

 

As its website states, “Lamp Light Music Festival is a house concert festival designed to celebrate music and community in the Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. Bringing together musicians and audiences within such a setting promotes opportunities for meaningful and sustainable exchange.”

 

Here’s the artist lineup:

 

Abigail Lapell
Alexander Lynch
Allen Karpinski and Tucker Theodore (of The Six Parts Seven)
Arrow Hill
Boroscilicate Purl
Brian Mulder
Cloudlight
Cold Country
Cynga Lyra
Dear Tracks
Fauxgrass
Fiona Dickinson
Heavy Color
Joey Dosik + Theo Katzman
Jonathan Timm
The Great Ones
May Erlewine
Mega Powers
Michael Beauchamp and My Northern Voices
Michigander
MotorKam
Nathan K
Oliver Houston
Rachele Eve
Rebel Kuzco
Saltbreaker
Seth Bernard
ShamarAlef
Spissy
Steve Leaf
The Go Rounds
The Hunt Is On
The Seventh
The Soil and the Sun
The Youngest
Tom Hymn
Ty Maxon
Upstate Rubdown
Wu Zee

Tickets range from $15 for a single show to $40 for a weekend pass. Go here to get yours. Please note: If you plan on purchasing tickets at the festival they are taking cash only.

 

Here’s the schedule, courtesy of the Lamp Light Music Festival website:

lamp-light-schedule_linear_final_update-1

 

 

First Friday Gallery Hop: 6-8 pm, Nov. 4

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , ,
avenue-of-the-arts
Courtesy Avenue for the Arts website

 

On the First Friday of every month, South Division in downtown Grand Rapids becomes the ultimate destination to find artwork by local artists, handmade goods, food and drink specials. This monthly event is a unique opportunity to check out new exhibitions, events and features at shops, galleries and eateries in the rapidly evolving South Division Corridor. First Friday events are supported by a grant from DGRI.

 

First Friday Gallery Hops are supported by Dwelling Place’s Neighborhood Revitalization Department, which works to promote economic development in the Heartside area. Working to enhance not only the physical appearance of the commercial district, Dwelling Place works to promote the commercial district’s assets to customers, investors, businesses, visitors, and citizens. The Neighborhood Revitalization Department builds upon the existing economic base, promoting new business development.

Locations

Grand Valley Artists keep the art discussion going

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defaultgva_squareBy Anthony Wilder Puzzuoli

LocalFirst

 

When one thinks about “Grand Rapids” and “art,” it’s impossible not to think about ArtPrize. The event helped put Grand Rapids on the map and into the national art discussion. However, before and after the crowds leave, the art community of Grand Rapids is still here, and has been here for a while. Organizations like the Grand Valley Artists are providing valuable opportunities for area artists of all skill levels to connect, learn, provide critique and improve.

 

Founded in 1955, Grand Valley Artists is one of the oldest art organizations in Michigan. According to Bob Kraai, it was founded in response to a greater emphasis being placed on modern art in the city. Grand Valley Artists sought to bring more awareness to Realism and traditional art. Members would meet to draw, discuss and share their art with each other.

 

This volunteer-run organization currently meets in a space north of Leonard on Monroe in the Coopers Landing building. A quick look at the group’s monthly calendar shows a plethora of opportunities for artists of all medias. A photography group meets twice a month and there are recurrent meetings for figure sketching, plein air/still life, still life studio and portrait sketching. Plein air painting, for those curious, is the act of painting outside, in the open air. Be on the lookout for this group out and about town. The organization also offers monthly critique sessions that take place the first Thursday of each month. Artists are encouraged to share their work and thoughts. These are great opportunities to see one’s work through a different lens.  In addition to the meetings, the organization produces a monthly newsletter highlighting artists, showings, and art events around town.

 

Perhaps the Grand Valley Artist’s most well-known event is the annual Reed’s Lake Art Festival. 2017 marks the 52nd year of the popular festival that takes place along Wealthy Street in East Grand Rapids. Each summer hundreds of people visit the festival to experience and purchase art from fine artists from all over the country. One quick note, if you’re interested in participating this year, you can fill out an application – the deadline is March 1, 2017.

 

The organization isn’t just for artists. Those with an interest are welcome to attend events and most of the programming is available to non-members for a minor fee. With that in mind, the Grand Valley Artists are hosting a Photography Group Artists Reception this Saturday Nov. 5, from 4 – 8 p.m. Examples of “photographic composites, hand colored black and white silver gelatins, tin types, collodions and metallic prints” will be on display as well as refreshments. The reception will be taking place at the Grand Valley Artists’ space at 1345 Monroe Avenue Suite 140, in the Coopers Landing building.

 

For more information about the Photography Group Artists Reception and Grand Valley Artists in general, visit www.grandvalleyartists.com.

PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” is Nov. 9 at DeVos Hall

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property-header-paw-patrol-desktop-portrait-2xBased on the Spin Master-produced, hit animated TV series on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” brings PAW Patrol characters to the stage for an action-packed, musical adventure. When Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found during the day of the Great Race, the pups come to the rescue. Join Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye and the newest pup, Everest, when they take the stage for two shows at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

 

PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” shows that “no job is too big, no pup is too small,” and shares lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as the characters each use their unique skills and teamwork. The show includes two acts and an intermission, and incorporates an innovative costume approach that brings the pups to life on stage with their vehicles and packs during the rescue mission.

 

The performance features up-tempo music and is considered a good introduction to live theater for young children. Classic theatrical scenery along with a high-tech video wall visually transports families to locations from the TV series, like Adventure Bay, The Lookout, Seal Island, Farmer Yumi’s Farm and Jake’s Mountain. During the show, guests have the opportunity to participate in the adventure and become a part of the PAW Patrol Cheer Team.

 

Ticket prices are $19.50, $29.50, $39.50, $57.50, and $112.50 for VIP. Tickets are available here, at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of 10 tickets will apply to every order and prices are subject to change. All children ages one and older will require a ticket.

 

Groups of 10 or more can save $5 per ticket excluding VIP and Gold Circle seats. Groups can call 616-742-6185 or email GroupSales@smggr.com for more information or to purchase group tickets.

Experience ‘E.T.’ as you never have before, Nov. 4-6 at DeVos Hall

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , ,

https://youtu.be/XIjW5zinXqg

 

Grand Rapids Pops presents E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with a full-length screening of the entire movie, coupled with a live performance of the film score Nov. 4-6 at DeVos Performance Hall.

 

For the two or three people out there who’ve never seen E.T., the film tells the tale of a gentle alien who is accidentally stranded on Earth. Discovered and befriended by Elliott, who brings his new friend to his suburban California home, E.T. soon falls ill. But with the help of his brother and sister, Elliott manages to keep E.T. hidden from the government long enough for the visitor to return home.

 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was a huge hit when it was released in 1982. The film by Steven Spielberg quickly surpassed Star Wars as the top-grossing film of all time until it was topped 11 years later by Jurassic Park. The three films all have two things in common: All three are Spielberg films and all three have film scores composed by John Williams.

 

“He is my hero,” said Grand Rapids Symphony Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt, about the five-time Oscar-winning film composer of more than 100 film scores.

 

Williams uses the ethereal sounds of harps, celeste, other keyboards plus some polytonality, to suggest the separate but intertwined relationship between Elliot and E.T.

 

Grand Rapids Symphony’s Principal Harpist Elizabeth Wooster Colpean has been studying and practicing her part — some 90 pages of music — since May. Williams gives the harpist at least four or five major solo passages, including two scenes that are nearly an entire harp solo.

 

“I’ve noticed in the years I’ve watched John Williams’s films that he often uses the harp in very unusual ways,” Colpean said. “What makes these particular scenes challenging is three-fold: rhythms, technique and the fact that it’s so exposed.”

 

Grand Rapids Symphony Associate Conductor John Varineau leads the Grand Rapids Pops performance of the score that won Williams his third Oscar and his second for Best Original Music.

 

e-tThe inspiration for the 1982 film, which launched the career of actress Drew Barrymore, was an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents’ divorce in 1960. It has inspired young people of all ages ever since.

 

The final scenes of E.T. proved to be a milestone in Williams’s career and 40-year association with Spielberg. During the recording process, after Williams made several unsuccessful attempts to match his score to the film, Spielberg turned the film off and asked Williams to conduct the music for the scene as he would in a concert. Instead of the usual practice of recording the soundtrack to coincide with the final edit of the film, Spielberg re-edited the finale to match the music.

 

One of the most popular and successful American orchestral composers of the modern age, Williams’s films also include such dramas as Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan as well as comedies including Home Alone and The Witches of Eastwick. Besides his five Academy Awards, Williams has received 50 Oscar nominations — most recently for Star Wars: The Force Awakens — making him the Academy’s most-nominated living person and the second-most nominated person in its history.

 

In January 1980, Williams was named Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, after which he hired Bernhardt as a guest conductor for the Boston Pops. Though Williams retired in December 1993, Bernhardt continues as a recurring guest conductor for the venerable orchestra.

 

Bernhardt will be back in Grand Rapids for the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops with five performances featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, Youth Chorus, and Embellish Handbell Ensemble, December 1st to 4th in DeVos Performance Hall.

 

Tickets

See the movie that won four Academy Awards — including Best Original Score — at 8 pm Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5, and at 3 pm Sunday, Nov. 6 in DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

 

Tickets start at $18 and are available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9am to 5pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)

 

Tickets are also available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10am to 6pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.

 

Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Passport program. This is a MySymphony360-eligible concert.

GRCC and GVSU present the first Tournées Film Festival 2016

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,

d93c8d84-b3cc-8980-d3eeaba2ac853c39_oAn upcoming film festival collaboration between Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) comes to downtown Grand Rapids on Oct. 26 & 27 and Nov. 3 & 4.

 

GRCC’s and GVSU’s French programs both received a grant to put together the Tournées Film Festival which begins next week and will take place on both campuses —  at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium and GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center Auditorium, Room 168, ATC. Films may contain adult content.

 

Admission for all films is FREE.

 

Here’s the lineup:

  • Valley of Love (2015) Wed., Oct. 26, 6:15 pm, GVSU Loosemore Auditorium
  • Phantom Boy (2015) Thurs., Oct. 27, 7 pm, GVSU Loosemore Auditorium — Meet the director!
  • La Spienza (2014) Italian/French, Wed., Nov. 2, 6:30 pm, GVSU Loosemore Auditorium
  • Chocolat (1988), Thurs., Nov. 3, 6 pm, GRCC ATC Auditorium
  • Jauja (2014) Spanish/Danish/French, Fri., Nov. 4, 4 pm, GRCC ATC Auditorium
  • Le Grand Homme (2014), Fri., Nov. 4, 7 pm, GRCC ATC Auditorium

Tournées Film Festival is made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the
French Embassy in the U.S., the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), the French American Cultural Fund, Florence Gould Foundation and Highbrow Entertainment.

 

All participants are welcome. Those in need of accommodations for films showing at GRCC, please contact Language and Thought at 616.234.3544; for films showing at GVSU call Modern Languages and Literatures at 616.331.3203.

 

 

The Midwest’s largest wine, beer & food festival is baaaaack

3-bottom, Beer, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Food, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,

Now in its 9th year, the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival has established itself as Michigan’s premier tasting event, measured by 1,600 wines, beers, ciders and spirits. From the connoisseur who lives and breathes for the finer things in life to the novice looking for an introduction to the world of food and spirits, this Festival will deliver a grand experience that is sure to please every palette. This is the weekend you won’t want to miss.

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 17 (5-10pm) | Friday, Nov. 18 (4-10pm) | Saturday, Nov. 19 (Noon-10pm)

WHERE: DeVos Place, Downtown Grand Rapids — with over 100,000 square feet (nearly 3 acres).

COST: $15 – Thursday (and advanced ticket sales for Friday & Saturday); $20 – Friday & Saturday. 3-Day Pass – At $40, this option allows admission each day of the Festival and is intended for those who want to get the most out of their tasting experience. Online sales end Thursday, Nov. 17 at 5pm (Box Office sales for the pass end at 10pm on Thursday, Nov. 17).

Attendees must be 21 years of age and older. ID is required for admittance.

grw-3001On the menu

NEW! GR MIXER:

Blending together award-winning spirits and mixers into craft artisan cocktails, the region’s noted mixologist and distillers will serve up hands-on workshops guaranteed to educate and entertain. These complimentary 15-minute workshops will amp up your bartending skills, just in time for holiday entertaining with family and friends. Held in the new craft cocktail concourse along the river, each workshop limited to the  first 12 people who step up to the bar at the scheduled times.

Bartenders from six-one-six inside the JW Marriott are also planning an exciting “Chopped”-style competition during their Pairing (see below) aimed to perfectly match cocktails with prix fixe menu.

Held in the Secchia Lobby, running along the western edge of the Steelcase Ballroom, overlooking the Grand River.

THE ELITE WINE COLLECTION:
Located in the center of the Vineyard, inside the Steelcase Ballroom at DeVos Place, this special collection of wine has been selected by our consulting sommeliers and importing specialists as the “best of the best” top shelf vintages, chosen from among 1200 assorted wines. These high-end wines require a minimum 10-ticket ($5) tasting fee due to the cost of the product being served. Each of these wines have at least a 90-point value in a recognized wine rating system and are regarded as among the most elite wines of the festival according to industry experts. No need to invest hundreds of dollars in a full bottle—the Elite Wine Collection allows you the opportunity to sample these wines for a minimal cost.

BEER CITY STATION:
The Festival’s popular beer area returns to the Exhibit Hall C on the Main Floor of DeVos Place off the Grand Gallery. Step into the world of creative craft beers, imported and domestic brews, hard ciders and foods that pair well with both. Meet the American craft brewer—the small, independent and traditional producers who display passion and excitement for their unique beverages. New products, as well as traditional favorites, will be offered for sampling.

CIDER ROW:
Tap into the Cider Row at the Festival, featuring almost 20 cider producers from Michigan and nationally-known brands. Hard cider is among the fastest growing craft beverages, on a national scale. It is fermented to produce a range of flavors – from dry to sweet. Featured in the Beer City Station in Exhibit Hall C off of the Grand Gallery.

FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES:
This sector of the beverage industry is taking off with hard iced tea; sodas—such as root beer, orange, cherry, lemon and other fruit flavors; seltzer waters and carbonated caffeinated products. Featured in the Beer City Station in Exhibit Hall C off the Grand Gallery.

GROWERS CHAMPAGNE FLIGHTS:
Add a little extra class to your glass with an intimate tasting with Bradford Hammerschmidt from Imperial Beverage. These special flights offer champagnes you will not find anywhere else in the Festival. Each of the champagnes will be paired with specially selected cheese and crudités. Flights offered Saturday at 4pm and 7pm only. The cost is $40 per person. Reservations may be made online, or on site – space permitting.

PAIRINGS:
Select restaurants partner with distinguished wineries and breweries for special Pairings – gourmet multi-course meals served on-site in a casual yet intimate “bar top” setting. Tickets are $45-$65 each and may be purchased in advance online or at the Festival on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s restaurants include: Ganders, San Chez, six.one.six, Reds at Thousand Oaks and Wolfgang Puck’s The Kitchen.

ULTIMATE DINING OPPORTUNITIES:
Additionally, chefs from about a dozen of the area’s top restaurants prepare and serve small plates of their culinary specialties.

RENDEZBREW:
The Coffee, Cordials and Dessert Café will be open in the Grand Gallery for the duration of the Festival. Start your Festival experience, or make it a nightcap, with unique pairings of coffee, lattes and cocktails crafted for your enjoyment with a variety of cordials, indulgent sweets and other treats.

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS:
Esteemed individuals from the culinary world host demonstrations on the Meijer Food Stage. Complimentary beverage seminars, held classroom-style in the rooms off the Grand Gallery, give attendees an in-depth look into the world of wine, beer and spirits. Cocktail workshops are also offered for a unique hands-on experience for those wishing to learn tricks of the trade from top leaders.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM:
Students from Ferris State University, the Culinary Institute of Michigan at Baker College in Muskegon, the Secchia Institute of Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University work alongside industry leaders for a premier educational experience.

OFFICIAL PROGRAM: Download the official Festival program here.

WEBSITE: GRWineFestival.com

GET SOCIAL: Facebook.com/GRWineFestival | twitter.com/GRWineFestival | Instagram.com/GRWineFestival | #GRWineFest16

The Weekend Edition: Things to do Oct. 13 – 16

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Patty Matters

 

 

Rallying for the food trucks

 

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation will host the “Bags & Bites” event Saturday, Oct. 15, at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE. The food truck rally, which will include a cornhole tournament, is from noon to 4 p.m.

 

The event will feature seven different food trucks including Gettin’ Fresh, Two Scotts Barbecue, Big Baby’s Bar-B-Que, Blue Spoon Catering, Patty Matters, Rix Stixs Pronto Pups, and Kentwood’s own River City Cup & Cake. There will be lots to choose fun and a great way to snag lunch or an early dinner.

 

group-photo

 

They made the songs that everyone loves

 

Lee Shapiro, Jimmy Ryan, Larry Gates, Russ Velazquez and Steve Murphy are not names that are easily recognized but they are some of the people who helped to make some of the most well known songs, well, well known.

 

The Hit Men come to Van Singel Fine Arts, 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW, for a one night-only performance Sunday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. The quintet will perform such hits as “Crocodile Rock,” “You’re So Vain,” “Lets Hang On,” Sherry” and “Who Loves You,” along with sharing stories about some of these hits including how “Oh What a Night” came about.

 

Tickets for the show are $45.50/adults and $25.50/students, high school and younger. For tickets, call 616-878-6800 or visit www.vsfac.com.

 

byronexpo

 

Also to the south of us

 

The Byron Center Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its “Best Community Expo” from 10 am. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Byron Center High School, 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW.

 

There will be a free photo booth, prizes, DIY demonstrations and a the Grand Raggidy Roller Derby Girls along with more than 100 exhibition booths. Also A Taste of Byron will be taking place with free food samples. The entire event is free.

 

opera

 

The lure of the tango

 

Here’s a fun fact about the surreal, genre-bending opera “Maria de Buenos Aires”: Even though the international airport in composer Astor Piazzolla’s hometown of Mar del Plata is named in his honor, his biggest single work has hardly been heard there since its debut almost 50 years ago.

 

Luckily the Grand Rapids area has Opera Grand Rapids which will be presenting the “tango opera” at 7: 30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15, at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center, 1320 E. Fulton St. The story centers on the ill-omened Maria who was born “on the day God was drunk.” She is seduced by the music of the tango and heads down a path of darkness.

 

Tickets are $45 at the door and $40 in advance. Both shows include a pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.operagr.org.

 

 

 

charlie-s-surname-charlie-chocolate-factory_38c445b41af5194d

 

It’s Scrumdidilyumptious

 

Head over to Grand Haven where the Central Park Players are kicking off the first of two weekend performances of Ronald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka.”

 

The delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory will come to life on the stage of the Grand Haven Community Center, 421 Columbus Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday Oct. 14 – 16 and Oct. 21 – 22. Tickets are $13/adults and $11 for children.

 

walking

 

On a health kick

 

It’s not quite a weekend activity, but the Kentwood Parks and Recreation’s Fall Walking Club will certainly help to keep those weekend “pounds” from adding on.

 

Every Monday, the group meets at 6 p.m. at various locations to walk a trail through Nov. 7. This Monday, Oct. 17, the group will be at the East Paris Nature Trail at Endeavor School, 5757 E. Paris SE. The group meets again on Oct. 24 at the M-6 Trail at Celebration Cinema, skips Oct. 31 and meets again Nov. 7 at the East West Trail near the Kentwood Library, 4950 Breton Rd. SE.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is digging some ‘Holes’ with its upcoming production

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Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production “Holes.” (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

 

This fall, Civic Theatre season asks the question; How much of a persons’ destiny depends on fate and can that fate be changed? From Septembers’ emotionally charged “Good People” to the upcoming adventures in “Holes” this theme is explored – or in the case of “Holes,” dug into!

 

An interview with Civic Theatre guest director, Jason Marlett

 

Jason Marlett (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Jason Marlett (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

Jason, what is this show about?

 

The simple, easy answer is a coming of age story about friendship and uncovering truths. Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great, great, grandfather is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he didn’t commit. Every day, Stanley and his friends are forced to dig holes that are 5×5 and cover every inch of the desert. However, things aren’t always as they seem.

 

Stanley believes his life is unfairly destined to be full of bad luck. It isn’t until he is taken out of his home environment, his comfort zone, that he begins to see life a different way. You might say, he starts digging deeper into his past and present – his destiny. It’s no coincidence this storyline is built like an onion, layers and layers of hidden meanings, messages, and treasures.

 

holesinfoWe have had a blast exploring the significance in the character’s names, for example Yelnats is Stanley spelled backward: Stanley Yelnats – why? The story also explores how friendships can lead to life transformations, the power fate plays in defining our character, and the undertones of how cruelty and history impact us every day. Wow, that sounds intense! There is a lot going on during this show, it is a full-on tale filled with adventure.

 

How closely does this play follow the 1999 Newbury awarded young adult novel?

 

Louis Sachar adapted his novel so this is his story coming to life on stage.

 

Does that means audiences can expect to see acts of violence?

 

It’s strange to even say this but yes, violence will be carried out on the stage because it is an important element to the story. Even stranger is my telling you, if you have a child sensitive to violence DO NOT BRING THEM TO THIS SHOW! Wow, you would think a director would encourage attendance but there are very physical fights, gun shots and a death.

 

Rehearsal of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre's "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Rehearsal of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Holes.” (Photo courtesy of GRCT)

How do you keep your actors safe during these scenes?

 

Fortunately, in addition to the title tech director, Steve Schwall is also a stage combat instructor. He spent about 10 hours with cast to carefully choreographing safe fights and falls. He was busy; there are a lot of falls. He was also able to show the safe handling of firearms and safe lanes for weapon props to move in between actors. With stage violence each actor has to approach it as a partnership, with both partners helping each other to execute and trust enough to set a believable scene.

 

Fighting aside, what was the most difficult to produce?

“Holes” is full of mysteries that aren’t limited to the plot. Lighting and set design presented a few obstacles. Production designers tackled two significant challenges in order to create an environment that supports the storytelling. The first, how are we creating a stage full of holes? I mean, we have set changes throughout the show, so we can’t just have a bunch of holes hanging around in a living room. So, that was fun and handled perfectly I might add.

The second is creating a unique time period transformation. Three stories from separate time periods in history are combined in “Holes” to create one story. It is important for the audience to react to the changes without feeling awkward because while in the past we continue to reference the present, and no matter where we are in time, we never forget where the story is ultimately headed.

 

Can you share any secrets with us, what should the audience keep an eye on while watching the show?

 

The Yellow Spotted Lizards! Keep a lookout for them because where they go, so goes trouble. These lizards have quite the reputation, if they bite you – YOU WILL die, or will you? Things are not always what they seem in “Holes” – it blurs between reality and fable. But those Lizards, they hold a lot of power.

 

Okay, I am interested by why should others see the show?

This cast is sharp, and they have developed rich and full characters. This show is going to leap off the stage, maybe just like a yellow spotted lizard. Is there one under your seat? You’d better check.

West Michigan filmmaker’s ‘Two Guns and a Body Bag’ premieres Oct. 20

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By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

 

West Michigan filmmaker Chris Penney and actor Sophia Maslowski visited our studio to talk about Penney’s eighth feature film, Two Guns and a Body Bag, which premieres at Celebration Cinema Woodland Thursday, Oct. 20 at 8 pm. Tickets are on sale now on Celebration Cinema Woodland’s website.

 

 

It’s a rally of food trucks and fun in Kentwood Oct. 15

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Because of the positive feedback to having food trucks at its summer concert series and Fourth of July event, the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department has decided to host a Cornhole Tournament and Food Truck Rally Saturday, Oct. 15.

 

“Since the food trucks and the Parks and Recreation Department had such a busy summer schedule, we decided to plan something for the Fall instead,” said Parks and Recreation Marketing and Events Coordinator Laura Barbrick. “We thought it might be fun to have another activity to draw an audience, so we came up with a combination Cornhole Tournament and Food Truck Rally.”

 

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the Kentwood City Hall Lawn, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Live music will be provided by Just Cuz and Barbrick noted that just like the concert series, guests are welcome to bring their own beer or wine to the event.

 

Seven area food trucks have signed up for the event so far. Those trucks are:

 

Big Baby’s Bar-B-Que: Just as the name implies, this truck offers barbecue: chicken, spare ribs, rib tips and Big Baby’s Gourmet sausages along with baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad. Full rack of ribs is $23 with prices going down from there.

 

Blue Spoon Catering: Operated by Goodwill, this food truck offers a wide variety of menu options from a classic Tex-Mex to its signature “Kabob Bash” menu. There is also unique side dishes such as vegan black bean hash, tomato bruschetta, and the truck’s signature spinach and artichoke dip. Menu option prices range from $3 to $9. Special dietary options are also available.

 

Gettin’ Fresh: This truck features a bacon burger and beer brats from Bob’s Butcher Block in Jenison. Bob mixes the bacon right into the ground beef. Also availabe are turkey pesto panini and Italian beef panini along with Nantucket breads, an assortment of salads, a variety of snacks such as the Nantucket Soft German-Style Pretzel and assorted desserts.

 

Patty Matters: This truck offers a variety of gourmet burgers such as the Señorita Cha Cha with a chorizo patty, cheddar cheese, chipotle aioli and back bean salsa wrapped in a tortilla and grilled along with traditional burgers such as the All American classic a burger with American cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Also available are variety of sides such as sweet potato fries and potato bombs and deserts such as salted caramel pretzel bars.

 

Rix Stix Pronto Pups:This truck offers Pronto Pups, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and French fries for $3 to $5.50. Combos that include chips and drink are $8 and $9. Also available are deep fried Twinkies (two for $5) and deep fried Oreos (six for $5).

 

River City Cup & Cake: We’ll call this the desert truck as it offers a variety of sweet treats such as cookies, brownies, Danishes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, and an apple frangipane tort. Also available is a variety of coffees, teas, hibiscus and hopps sodas. Note, nothing at this truck is more than $4.

 

Two Scotts Barbecue: This truck offers pulled pork, sliced brisket, pulled chicken, burnt ends and sausage in both “Just Meats” and sandwich offerings. There is also St. Louis ribs and jumbo wings. A Scott #3 Combo features three meat choices, two sides, bread, pickles and a drink for $16. Sides range from pimento mac and cheese to cheddar biscuit and homemade tots. And of course there are plenty of sweet treats.

 

The event is free and open to the public. There is a $20 fee per team (of two players) to participate in the Cornhole Tournament. If you are interested in participating in the tournament, you can register online at www.yourkprd.org or call 616-656-5270. Prizes will be award to the winning teams. There will be some other yard games as well.

 

For more information, visit www.yourkprd.org.

Get ready for a whale of a party at the Grand Rapids Public Museum

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whales-of-the-deep

 

Before the advent of humankind, whales roamed the oceans unfettered by humans and dangerous, man-made noises. It is said that back then, a whale in the Pacific Ocean could hear a whale singing in the Atlantic Ocean. What a world that must have been.

 

Sadly, those days are long gone and we have become far removed from our huge mammal friends. But the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) wants to change that. The GRPM’s Whales: Giants of the Deep exhibition’s unique blend of science, storytelling, and innovative interactivity gives visitors the opportunity to discover more about the world of whales.

 

Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, including an impressive 58-foot male, Whales showcases amazing and rare specimens from New Zealand’s Te Papa Museum’s whale collection, one of the largest in the world. Visitors will see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.

 

They’ll also learn about whale biology, the extraordinary evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, and the history of whaling in New Zealand.

Children can even crawl through a life-size replica of the heart of a blue whale, the Earth’s largest living creature.

Interactive, immersive, and featuring the latest in international cetacean research, Whales: Giants of the Deep is an experience that brings adults and children eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures.

whale-skeleton

Here are some of the exhibition highlights:

  • See life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, including a beaked whale skull and a massive 58-foot, fully-articulated sperm whale skeleton.
  • Learn about the intricacies of whale biology, the history of whaling in New Zealand, and efforts being made by scientists and others to protect whales from threats of entanglement, shipping and sonar use, and the continuation of whaling practices in some parts of the world.
  • View casts of fossil whale ancestors, which show the evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.
  • Encounter whales through video portholes, be transported into their underwaterworld via two immersive projections, and enjoy a moving film experience that tells the stories of three whale-riding traditions in New Zealand, including the famous story of Paikea featured in Whale Rider.
  • See ancient and contemporary works of art and hear stories from people of the South Pacific illustrating the powerful influence these creatures have had on human culture.
  • Tune in to a range of whale sounds and discover how scientists and amateur trackers identify individual whales on their migration through the Pacific Ocean.
  • Gain a true appreciation of the physical and behavioral traits that enable whales to make a living in the challenging and dynamic marine environment.
  • Walk among the giant—and not-so-giant—articulated skeletons of an astoundingly diverse collection of whale specimens, and then explore the evolutionary paths that gave rise to this unique group of mammals.

 

whale-bonesBeginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, Whales: Giants of the Deep tickets will be $2 for member adults and children, and $13 for non-member adults and $8 for non-member children. Admission to Whales: Giants of the Deep includes general admission to the Museum. Get tickets here.

Come to the Special Opening Party, Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 am to 2 pm.

Visitors of all ages will have first access to the exhibit at this party coming eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures. Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, visitors are able to see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, discover how scientists identify whales on their migration process and interact with a life-size replica of a blue whale, the world’s largest living creature.

Tickets to this event will include admission to the exhibit, as well as hands-on activities and performances including live animals from the John Ball Zoo, performances by traditional Maori dancers, admission to Dynamic Earth in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium and lunch.

Use your ticket for lunch between 11 am and 1:30 pm to eat lunch at the Museum. Lunch will include hot dogs, chips, fruit with a drink and dessert.

 

TICKETS FOR THE PARTY ARE ON SALE NOW! Go here.

 

Non-members: Receive incredible savings for the Opening Party! Purchase a one year family membership plus 4 tickets to the event for only $80 (saving $57). To purchase a membership package call 616.456.3977.

 

Members are $10 for adults and FREE for member children. Non-member event-only tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for children. Limited tickets available.

 

 

Ho, ho, ho. Santa’s arrival is only two months away

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kids at santa paradeIt’s October and believe it or not, the 9th Annual Santa Parade is less than two months away.

 

This year’s parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and will head down S. Division Avenue from 33rd Street southbound to Murray Street. After the event, residents are invited to stop by Brann’s Sizzlin’ Steaks & Sports Grille, 4132 S. Division, for pictures with Santa immediately after the parade.

 

And there is still a lot to do in Wyoming and Kentwood in preparation for the arrival of the Big Guy. The Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce is looking for chamber members interested in helping with this year’s parade. The Chamber is looking for people who want to help in making this year’s event even bigger and better. If you are interested, contact the Chamber office at 616-531-5990.

 

santaIt is never too early to book your spot in the parade. It is $25 for corporate/business participants for a float or fleet car and marchers in the parade. Company information must be included for the WKTV broadcast of the parade. It is $10 for any non-profit for a float or fleet car and marchers. It is also $10 for public participants.

 

For questions or more information including sign up forms for parade or Chamber membership, contact the Chamber office at 616-531-5990. The Santa Parade is sponsored by the Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.

ArtPrize entry comprising 7.3 million dots makes Top 100 list

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7-5-million

Pennsylvania-based pointillism artist Brian Delozier made the Top 100 for his 2-D ArtPrize Eight entry “Dot Nation” — a 3-by-17-foot banner that consists of 7.3 million colorful dots. The piece took 1,600 hours over the course of eight months to complete. You can see the piece at 99 Monroe Ave. NW.

More than 180,000 votes were cast in the first seven days of ArtPrize Eight.

“I am thrilled to be competing in ArtPrize this year and overjoyed to make the Top 100,” said Delozier. “Dot Nation is an ode to the unexpected events that shape our lives. This piece is my biggest accomplishment to date and no words or pictures can describe how challenging yet rewarding a process it was creating Dot Nation.”

 

Delozier has limited mobility due to a serious accident that left him paralyzed in 2002. Several years after Delozier’s accident, he went to Hawaii where he discovered pointillism and his passion for creating dots. Since then, Delozier has created dot art that consists of hundreds of thousands of dots, with some of his pictures having more than 600,000 individual dots.

 

 

“Instead of allowing my injury to become a barrier between me and pursuing art, I have used it to fuel my passion,” said Delozier. “I’ve met so many amazing people this first week of ArtPrize, and I hope that people who see Dot Nation will become inspired to follow their passions and become excited about art.”

 

“We are truly honored to have Brian’s work on display at 99 Monroe for this year’s competition,” said Jessica Geerling, Director of Marketing for Vision Real Estate Investment. “Brian has a unique story that I think a lot of people can connect with, and we encourage everyone to stop by 99 Monroe to view this incredible piece and learn about Brian’s story.”brians-dots
“Dot Nation” will be displayed at 99 Monroe Ave. NW through Oct. 9. Voting ends Saturday, Oct. 1 and his ArtPrize vote code is 62794. Delozier’s work has appeared in art competitions across the country. For more information about Delozier and his work, visit briansdots.com or facebook.com/briansdots

 

About Brian’s Dots

Brian Delozier, owner and founder of Brian’s Dots, is dedicated to spreading his love for art throughout the world. Brian discovered his passion for pointillism after a serious ski accident in 2002 that left him with limited mobility. Today, Brian’s Dots has appeared in art festivals across the country including the Parallax Art Fair in Manhattan, the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis and the Northern Tampa Art Festival. To learn more about Brian’s journey, visit briansdots.com.

 

 

Sensory Friendly Museum Night Oct. 4 at the GRPM

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sensory-friendly-museum-nightThe Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will open its doors free of charge to families affected by autism and other sensory-processing challenges on Tuesday, October 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visitors will receive free general admission on this night to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits at no cost.

 

Visitors will enjoy a sensory-friendly museum environment, special ArtPrize-themed activities and a free planetarium show. The Museum and the Chaffee Planetarium will adapt sounds, lighting and activities within the current exhibits to create a low-sensory experience for all.

 

“We are excited to be able to offer a night at the Museum to those with autism and family members to experience our exhibits in an environment comfortable for them. This allows more community members that wouldn’t usually be able to visit the Museum an experience to create lifetime memories from our sensory-friendly exhibits and artifacts,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM.

 

The Museum is able to host this Sensory Friendly Museum Night thanks to a sponsorship from Behavioral Health.

 

The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids; and West Michigan Habitats that showcase the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.

 

Art.Write.Now.Tour. showcases best student work through Oct. 14 at KCAD

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shirakarni_portrait-1
“Portrait 1” by Shira Karni, a high school student from Grandville, Mich. is featured in the Art.Write.Now.Tour. Exhibition

Now through October 14, you can see work from some of the most talented young writers and artists in America at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD). The traveling exhibition will feature the work of three students from Michigan: Shira Karni of Grandville; Scott Hanna of Beverly Hills; and Abe Cone of Chelsea.

 

The Art.Write.Now.Tour. traveling exhibition showcases innovative and inspiring works from national winners in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and it’s on display in the Helen Miller Kendall Gallery (HMK Gallery) on the first floor of KCAD’s 17 Fountain St. NW building.

 

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — recognized as the nation’s preeminent and longest-running scholarship and recognition program for students in grades 7-12 — spotlights outstanding original work in a variety of different creative mediums, including writing, illustration, photography, drawing, sculpture and more. Works were first adjudicated regionally, then again on the national level by leading creative professionals. KCAD has played host to the Awards’ West Central Michigan region for a number of years, with support from Howard Miller.

 

“This selection of teen work is truly remarkable,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “The visual art and the written pieces delve into themes ranging from the most intimate of human emotions to the current political climate. It’s a privilege to glance into the minds of some of our country’s most talented teens and an honor to have their work on display nationwide in our traveling Tour and in the DC exhibit.”

 

Approximately 50 visual art works selected from the Art.Write.Now. 2016 National Exhibition which took place in New York City at Parsons School of Design and the Pratt Institute this past June will be on display, as well as The Best Teen Writing of 2016, an annual anthology of selected Gold Medal writing, which will be displayed in the exhibition on iPads.

 

After Grand Rapids, the exhibition will visit Houston, TX; Bozeman, MT; and Jackson, MS.

 

For more information on the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit artandwriting.org.