Tag Archives: UICA

UICA moving to former Grand Rapids Art Museum space, putting 2 Fulton up for sale

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UICA will be moving to the Woodbridge N. Ferris building, the former home of the Grand Rapids Art Museum. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) announces its intention to relocate from its 2 Fulton West space to the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building, 17 Pearl Street, on the campus of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, in Spring 2021. All in-person UICA programming, which has been paused due to COVID-19, will continue to be on hiatus until the organization reopens in the Ferris Building.

The decision was finalized June 17 by the Ferris Board of Trustees.

The UICA identity and mission will remain when it reopens in the LEED-Gold certified Ferris Building, which, until 2007, was the home to Grand Rapids Art Museum. One of the biggest questions that came to light with the announcement is what would happen to the alternative movie offerings at UICA. According to officials, UICA is working on outdoor movies, movie panel discussion opportunities, and potential upcoming partnerships.  

“The impact of COVID-19 has led us to rethink how we work and provide programming in the future, and I’m confident our re-envisioning of UICA will help it succeed,” said Kendall Interim President Tara McCrackin. “We realize this is an unexpected announcement, but we believe it is a necessary move to ensure UICA continues to be a leading cultural arts destination in Grand Rapids.”

UICA Executive Director Miranda Krajniak has been actively participating in this process and believes that UICA’s future stability enhances, not diminishes, its commitment to the community, and strengthens its connection to Kendall.

“We believe a smaller footprint and associated expenses will allow UICA a more stable foundation going forward,” said Krajniak. “Additionally, for some time now, UICA has been managing Kendall’s student art exhibition spaces, so the move will provide for more efficient operations and present a stronger alignment between Kendall and UICA.”

After a University-wide review of all programming, and subsequent conversations between Ferris, Kendall and UICA leadership, it became apparent that UICA’s current location, the 2 Fulton West building, is too large and expensive for the University to maintain going forward. 

The intent is to immediately begin adjusting the space at the Ferris Building to accommodate UICA. The building offers a world-class space that will easily allow UICA to re-envision its public offerings including activating an outdoor area for the downtown and student community.

Although the location will be different, UICA’s exhibitions and programs will continue to present the voices of those who have been oppressed, marginalized and exploited by society.

“We pledge to continue to work to recognize and act against the inequities that systematically hurt artists, neighbors, and diverse communities and to show work that reflects our entire community,” Krajniak added.

“We look forward to enhancing our partnership with UICA and the arts in West Michigan,” said Ferris President David Eisler. “The UICA plays an important role in the Grand Rapids community, and Ferris State University is pleased to see the relationship strengthened with Kendall College of Art and Design.”

West Michigan documentary offers candied view of being a black man in America

Entertainment, ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Every story has a starting point. For Jon Wesley Convington’s film “Black Man,” it started when he was hired by the Muskegon Museum of Art to do a five-minute video loop featuring interviews of African-American males in the community to accompany the MMA’s 2018 – 2019 Winter exhibition “Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male.”

“I started into the project and suddenly realized there was so much more,” Covington said. “Five minutes turned into 50 hours of film which became an hour and half documentary.”

That documentary, “Black Men,” will be screened Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 2 W. Fulton St. Tickets are $5 for UICA members and $10 for non-members.

The film features interviews from 36 African-American males ages 21 – 91, who all hail from the West Michigan area. The men candidly discuss about loves, lives, losses, longings and their America.

“What amazed me was the transparency and the emotions,” Covington said of the film, adding the interviews are like nothing people have seen before.

 

Just from the four-and-half minute trailer, the intensity of these men’s stories can be felt. One interviewee laughs his way through a story as the tears roll down his face, another, you can feel his pain through a simple glance at the camera. And a third makes a profound statement that shows just how similar we all are in our wants and desires.

“We are in America and we all want the same thing for ourselves and our kids, and that’s opportunity.”

The final cut of “Black Men” was screened at the 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. program on Jan. 20 at the Muskegon Museum of Art. The film has been screened at several venues and featured at festivals, most recently the Pan African Film and Art Festival in Los Angeles and received awards from the Capital City Black Film Festival. The film is scheduled for a second Grand Rapids screening through Spectrum Health on March 19.

For more about the documentary “Black Men” and other showtimes, visit the Facebook page.

Jon Wesley Covington

About Jon Wesley Covington

Covington is a Muskegon native who now lives in the Cascade area. He is a filmmaker who has worked on a number of projects including the iparticipate campaign spearheaded by Michelle Obama. He also is the founder of the literacy initiative Men of Color Read, which has recently partnered with Kent District Library.

UICA receives $40,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts

Entertainment, Local Entertainment
UICA just received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for its upcoming exhibit “A Beautiful Struggle.” (Supplied)

By The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids has received a $40,000 ArtWorks grant from The National Endowment for the Arts to support programming for its upcoming “A Beautiful Struggle” exhibition.

Running from Feb. 21 through June 14, “A Beautiful Struggle: Black Feminist Futurism” is an interdisciplinary contemporary art exhibition that explores the integration of Black feminist and Afrofuturist ideas.

Afrofuturism is a creative and cultural genre that examines perspectives of the African diaspora based in a communal reimagining of the past – as well as envisioned futures – while considering themes of identity, escapism, magical realism, and technology. Yet, Black feminism specifically focuses on the perspectives of those who are both Black and female. The relevancy of exploring visual representations of Afrofuturism from a Black feminist perspective rests in the understanding of the necessity to lay aside the historically exclusive nature of both Black nationalism and feminism; instead, promoting the intersectionality of Black womanhood. 

Rather than focusing on an imagined existence as a form of escapism from oppression, marginalization, and invisibility, this exhibition dares to expound upon unique characteristics of Black womanhood and ways in which these characteristics can be emphasized. By highlighting Black women’s experiences, without blatant representations of oppression, Black women’s self-defined identities are centered, rather than explored in a responsive way.

Afrofuturism also allows for the constant dialogue of past, present, and future, and the dynamic nature of constantly changing creations. Therefore, this exhibition offers examinations of Black feminist empowerment without constraints of particular time periods. All aspects of time are considered simultaneously, reimagined through Black feminist lenses, and used as tools of empowerment.

Through this exhibition, artists negotiate re-imagined pasts, contemporary realities, and envisioned futures by corresponding to the necessity of elevating voices of the African diaspora community, with particular focus solely on the voices which have been most suppressed, those of Black women.

The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation. An opening reception for “A Beautiful Struggle” is set for Feb. 21 from 5:30 – 9 p.m. at UICA, 61 Sheldon Blvd. SE. The event is free to UICA members and free with admission to non-members.


For more information about the exhibit or other UICA events and activities, visit UICA.org.

Mark your calendar meow! for ‘CatVideo Fest’ at UICA Feb. 22

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events

By Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)


CatVideo Fest is a compilation of the latest and best cat videos pulled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and — of course — classic internet powerhouses. CatVideo Fest is a joyous communal experience only available in theaters.


UICA, in collaboration with the makers of CatVideo Fest, is committed to using the screening of this film to raise awareness for cats in need, right here in Grand Rapids. 10% of ticket sales will be donated to Carol’s Ferals for the work they do with cats in West Michigan.

  • What: CatVideo Fest; Run Time: 70 min.; MPAA Rating: NR; Origin: USA
  • When: Caturday, Feb 22, 2020, at 8pm
  • Where: UICA, 2 Fulton St. West, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Cost: UICA Members: $5; Non-members: $10

Get your tickets now!



Documentary ‘Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry’ at UICA, Nov. 8

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Food, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

By UICA and Access of West Michigan

 

Look & See revolves around the divergent stories of several residents of Henry County, Kentucky who each face difficult choices that will dramatically reshape their relationship with the land and their community.

 

In 1965, Wendell Berry returned home to Henry County, where he bought a small farm house and began a life of farming, writing and teaching. This lifelong relationship with the land and community would come to form the core of his prolific writings. A half-century later, Henry County, like many rural communities across America, has become a place of quiet ideological struggle.

 

In the span of a generation, the agrarian virtues of simplicity, land stewardship, sustainable farming, local economies and rootedness to place have been replaced by a capital-intensive model of industrial agriculture characterized by machine labor, chemical fertilizers, soil erosion and debt — all of which have frayed the fabric of rural communities. Writing from a long wooden desk beneath a forty-paned window, Berry has watched this struggle unfold, becoming one of its most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.

 

Filmed across four seasons in the farming cycle, Look & See blends observational scenes of farming life, interviews with farmers and community members with evocative, carefully framed shots of the surrounding landscape. Thus, in the spirit of Berry’s agrarian philosophy, Henry County itself will emerge as a character in the film — a place and a landscape that is deeply interdependent with the people that inhabit it.

Directed By: Laura Dunn | Jef Sewel
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 82 min
MPAA Rating: NA
Origin: USA
A film showing and panel in partnership with Plainsong Farm, Local First, and the UICA, this documentary delves into the life of Wendell Berry as well as the interdependence of land and community.

*A short panel discussion will follow the film

  • Nov. 8 at 7 pm at UICA
  • UICA Members: $4
  • Public: $8

Get tickets here.

 

Co-sponsored by Plainsong Farm, Access of West Michigan,  Urban Roots, and Local First”

 

From UICA.org

UICA expands its ArtPrize offerings to the Grand Rapids Ballet

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Luisa xxxx
Louise “Quizi” Chen creates an ArtPrize entry at Grand Rapids Ballet’s Ellsworth building.

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts’ (UICA) ArtPrize Eight exhibition extends beyond the gallery walls. This year, UICA’s exhibition features a satellite site, located on the exterior walls of the Grand Rapids Ballet Company building at 341 Ellsworth Ave. SW.

 

This summer, UICA commissioned the Detroit-based artist Louise “Ouizi” Chen to create a sprawling public mural as part of its ongoing public art initiative, the Exit Space Project. This mural is an official ArtPrize Eight entry (Vote Code: 63983), and a permanent addition to Grand Rapids’ public art collection. ArtPrize goers can watch Chen work at the mural site as she finishes the final touches on her recent public work. Chen will be working at the site during ArtPrize, Sept. 27 – Oct. 3.

 

UICA, Michigan’s largest contemporary arts center, is host to the Exit Space Project, a dynamic series of art installations investigating ideas, images, and conversation that are conveyed by contemporary artists working in public spaces. The first volume of the Exit Space Project featured public works and street artists from the Midwest who installed work in a public-facing but protected space in UICA’s building facing Fulton St. The second wave of the Exit Space Project highlights and continues to support local and regional artists on buildings and structures throughout the city.

 

This UICA initiative aims to increase Grand Rapids’ vibrancy, build the sense of creative place for our residents and visitors, and advance the city’s identity as a growing collaborative ecosystem that nurtures business, technology, art, and design. The Exit Space Project was first introduced to Grand Rapids by local artists Erwin Erkfitz and Brandon Alman, who continue to work with UICA to implement public artworks.

Big Screen Cuisine: ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ March 13 at the Downtown Market and UICA

Local Entertainment, Local Food, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , ,
grand budapest hotelBy UICA

Join the Downtown Market and UICA for Big Screen Cuisine, the scrumptious series and hands-on cooking lessons at the Downtown Market inspired by your favorite food-focused films.

Enjoy dinner and a movie, Wes Anderson style. Learn how to make Courtesans Au Chocolat inspired by the film’s pastry shop, Mendle’s. After indulging in delicious pastry treats, head to the UICA Movie Theater to watch the film.

 

About Grand Budapest Hotel:
In the 1930s, the Grand Budapest Hotel is a popular European ski resort, presided over by concierge Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes). Zero, a junior lobby boy, becomes Gustave’s friend and protege. Gustave prides himself on providing first-class service to the hotel’s guests, including satisfying the sexual needs of the many elderly women who stay there. When one of Gustave’s lovers dies mysteriously, Gustave finds himself the recipient of a priceless painting and the chief suspect in her murder.

 

Sunday, March 13, 2016
Class/Dinner: 3:00-5:00 pm at Downtown Market, 435 Ionia St. SW, Grand Rapids.
Call 616.805.5308 for more info and to register.

 

Movie: 5:30 pm at UICA, 2 Fulton West, Grand Rapids.
Call 616.454.7000 for more info.

 

TICKET PRICE: $38

 

Includes class registration, snacks, and movie admission.

UICA Showcasing Oscar Shorts

Citizen Journalism, Local Entertainment, Recreation, , , ,

brett_wiesenauerIn coordination with my Oscarwatch series, I decided to throw some recognition towards that little theater in town that is taking part in Oscar season by showing the films that not everyone typically gets to see.

 

Today, the subject is short films, an often overlooked style of filmmaking too often dismissed by typical audiences as not worth their time unless the Disney logo is plastered on the front of it. That is a shame, since there are many talented people out there whose livelihoods thrive on the 45 minutes and under length of storytelling. Some stories just work better in bite size form, which many of Hollywood’s star producers and directors could take some lessons from.

 

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA for short), located on Fulton and Division in downtown GR, is taking the time to showcase the Oscar nominated shorts this year, three categories split into four programming blocks. The programs consist of the animated, live action, and two sets of documentary short films deemed worth of recognition by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, along with the Shorts Channel (ShortsHD). The programming shows Tuesdays thru Sundays through March 3rd, with at least 2 showings per day, sometimes more.

we-cant-live-without-cosmos
The Russian nominee WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS

 

I personally went to see the animation selections with a small group over the weekend and was not disappointed. The program included the 5 nominees as well as 3 honorable mentions, all of which were unique in their own right. I even thought one of the honorable mentions was better than a couple of the nominees. The program lasted about 90-95 minutes, and the best thing about the UICA is that like other theaters, they pad out the first five minutes with trailers and advertisements, so if you get caught in traffic, you won’t miss the important bits.

 

World_of_Tomorrow_(film)_POSTER
Poster for WORLD OF TOMORROW

Up for Animated Short this year are five shorts spread out across three continents and four countries, showcasing many different cultural perspectives. Bear Story, the submission from Chile, details a day in the life of a pauperish animal, who struggles to eke out living as a performer. The Russian entry, We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, is set during the glory days of the cosmonauts, exploring the relationship between two best friends who pass through Russia’s space program, hoping to make their country proud. The United Kingdom entry, Prologue, from the lauded animator behind the legendary unfinished project The Thief and the Cobbler/Arabian Knight and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, shows the anxiety and brutal chaos of a battle between two pairs of warriors in ancient Greece.

 

The PIXAR submission, Sanjay’s Super Team, deals in Hindu heritage and lore while giving nods, as evidenced in the title, to American superhero mythologies. The American independent darling, World of Tomorrow, narrates the inter-spatial meeting between a precocious young girl and her third-generation clone from over 200 years in the future, with a droll, goofy heart alongside morbid philosophizing on what the future holds in store for humanity.

 

All the shorts are certainly worth viewing, especially for the value of seeing them theatrically in downtown Grand Rapids of all places. Be warned, there is a viewer discretion break for young viewers after the fourth entry, as the fifth entry, Prologue, is a very violent and graphic depiction of an grisly battle scene. Luckily, the program does pad itself with 3 honorable mentions before that film. This goes to show that not all animation is kid-oriented, as most of the general public is due to find out.

 

Tickets are available at the UICA front desk, cost is $4 for UICA members, $8 for non-members. For showtime specifics, visit http://www.uica.org/movies

Take Date Night to a Whole New Level

Local Entertainment, Local Food, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , ,

Treat yourself or your loved one to an unforgettable night of food-focused entertainment. Enjoy the classic romance film, Like Water for Chocolate in the UICA Movie Theater. Then, head to the Downtown Market where market chefs will put together a delectable six–course dinner inspired by the food featured in the movie complete with drink pairings.

 Chef’s Dinner:

– Cocktail: Mezcal, pineapple, chile, honey, cinnamon, and lime
– Green salad with crispy pork, avocado, and tomato
– Vinho verde rose
– Chiles in walnut sauce
– Chateau L’Aqueria Tavel
– Quail in rose-petal sauce
– Adelsheim Pinot Noir
– Turkey mole
– Langmeil Shiraz-viognier
– Oaxacan cream fritters
– Cocktail: tepache, blanco tequila, wild thyme, and lemon

About Like Water for Chocolate:
The youngest daughter in her family, the beautiful Tita (Lumi Cavazos) is forbidden to marry her true love, Pedro (Marco Leonardi) because tradition dictates that Tita must care for her mother. So, Pedro weds her older sister, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), though he still loves Tita. The situation creates much tension in the family, and Tita’s powerful emotions begin to surface in fantastical ways through her cooking. As the years pass, unusual circumstances test the enduring love of Pedro and Tita.

$75 per person

Includes six-course chef dinner, drink pairings, and movie.

Like Water for Chocolate
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Movie: 3:00 pm
Class/Dinner: 5:30 pm

Reserve your tickets today.

Here’s a Great Date Night Idea: ‘Sideways’ and Wine Tasting at the UICA

Local Entertainment, Local Food, Movie Review, Upcoming Events, , , ,

sidewaysBy Victoria Mullen

 

Make it a great date night, and enjoy a special wine tasting led by a professional sommelier. You’ll savor the wines featured in the hit movie, Sideways and complement your palette with appetizers and charcuterie. Then follow the class to the UICA Movie Theater to watch the film on the big screen with a whole new appreciation.

 

About Sideways:
Struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his engaged friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), on a trip to wine country for a last single-guy bonding experience. While Miles wants to relax and enjoy the wine, Jack is in search of a fling before his wedding, sending the trip into disarray.

 

Sunday, January 24, 2016
Class: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Movie: 5:30 pm

 

$48 per person includes class registration, food, wine, and movie admission. Reserve your tickets today.

UICA’s ‘Coming Home’ Showcases Works by Emerging and Established Michigan Artists

Local Entertainment, Reviews, Upcoming Events,

By UICA

 

Spice up your winter with a trip or three to the UICA and check out Coming Home, a series of exhibitions featuring works by emerging and established Michigan artists. Following SENSE and the international spotlight of ArtPrize, Coming Home returns the viewer’s focus inward, celebrating Michigan’s role as a platform for inspiration, exploration, and creative development by highlighting a diverse group of working artists.

 

Coinciding with the calendar year’s passing of the seasons, and the broader homecoming of travelers, Coming Home celebrates both departures and reunions. Coming Home features work by artists who are from Michigan, are currently based in Michigan, or have spent a considerable amount of time in Michigan during the course of their careers. Here are the current and upcoming works:

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Through 6 pm, Sun, Jan 17, 2016: Sandra Wilcoxon

 

Wilcoxon’s Embellished Bones explore the themes of memento-mori and macabre while honoring the spirit of the animals used in her work. Sandra Wilcoxon served as the first Executive Director at UICA.

 

 

 

Jacob Wiseheart

 

Through 6 pm, Sun, Jan 17, 2016: Jacob Wiseheart

 

Jacob Wiseheart is a Michigan based artist who currently resides in Grand Rapids. Wiseheart’s paintings vary between landscapes, figurative process, as well as conceptual abstraction.

 

 

 

 

Through 6 Living with Myselfpm, Sun, Feb 7, 2016: Living with Myself by Lisa Walcott

 

Walcott says, “Living with Myself is spirited, thin as air, and uncanny—ready to haunt or strike fancy. Vignettes that are inviting and safe as well as lazy and bored portray the allures and the threats of domesticity. Moods, fears, mystery, sensations, monotony, accumulation and change are given bodies in objects and movement. There is a sense of balance that is on the verge of being lost as joints are precarious and elements within the pieces are codependent—everything has a place for now. Eventually the absurd attempt to manifest shapeless experience or formless sensations will fail, but something energetic and visual remains.”

 

 

 

Through 6 pm, Sun, Feb 28, 2016: Matt SchenkMatt Schenk

 

Matt Schenk is the recipient of UICA’s annual solo show awarded to an artist from the Festival of the Arts Regional Arts exhibition competition. Schenk is an accomplished artist who has illustrated coloring books and album covers and worked on productions for Sony Pictures including the animated version of Jackie Chan Adventures, Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights, Men in Black, and Jumanji. Schenk is currently an Assistant Professor of Illustration and Medical Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University.

 

 

 

Through Gretzinger6 pm, Sun, Feb 28, 2016: Jerry Gretzinger

 

Jerry Gretzinger is a Michigan artist whose works embody themes of mapping and making real the imagined. Gretzinger uses a variety of mediums to complete his works including acrylic marker, colored pencil, ink, and collage. Gretzinger’s work is dictated by the interplay between an elaborate set of rules and randomly generated instructions.

 

 

 

 

From 12 pm, Fri, Jan 29, through 6 pm, Mar 20, 2016: Lydia Boda, UICA Fresh Pick

 

Lydia Boda, a 2015 BFA graduate from the KCAD Functional Sculpture department, won the inaugural UICA Fresh Pick award. Boda’s work is rooted in memory and ritual. Her meditative practice, itself a ritual, is paired with a deliberately complex and rigorous systematic process. This process includes a strict set of rulesLydia Boda for every material she uses: paper, clay, wood, metal, and found objects. The resulting works are both a record of balance between practice and process, and a collection of meticulous, ethereal sculptures and installations.

 

The UICA Fresh Pick is a distinction awarded annually to one student in the graduating class at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, and recognizes an emerging artist of exceptional promise. The recipient of the Fresh Pick award receives a solo exhibition at UICA within the following calendar year, and is designated during the annual student exhibition at KCAD with a seal of achievement.

 

From 12 pm, Fri, Jan 29, through 6 pm, Sun, Mar 13: Sticks & Squares

 

Visually we can break up grids and deconstruct their forms. The organic way in which our eyes create movement within the woven elements is shown through the repositioning of these pieces. Hand drawn lines create visual weight as well as guide us through a piece. Sticks & Squares is an exhibition of these principles. Featuring works by: Monica Lloyd, Mandy Cano Villalobos, Christine Mauersberg and Ann Cole.

 

FEric Germanrom 12 pm, Fri, Jan 29, through 6 pm, Sun, Mar 20: The Third Age of Bashan by Eric German

 

Eric German creates drawings, 3D prints, installations, and other works filled with rainbow-colored creatures, shapes, and forms. German’s “tiny worlds,” and the characters that inhabit them, function as stage and props within pieces that are both technological and whimsical.

 

 

 

 

AJ Cooke

From 12 pm, Fri, Jan 29, through 6 pm, Sun, Mar 27: U080715-315 by Aj Cooke

 

Aj Cooke earned her Master of Fine Arts from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, and has exhibited locally and nationally. Cooke’s work concentrates on the basic connections of biology, and specifically focuses on the cognitive function of perception. Cooke explores the construction of a postmodern sense of variance, unity, and order from chaos.

 

For more info, go here.

 

UICA Members Free
Non-Members $5

 

2 Fulton West
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

 

616.454.7000

Babette’s Feast: Enjoy a Fine Film and Culinary Treat on a Brisk Winter’s Night

Local Entertainment, Local Food, Upcoming Events, ,

Babette's FeastBig Screen Cuisine–a collaborative effort between UICA and Downtown Market–presents a complete culinary experience by pairing a favorite film with a meal from recipes featured in the film. Each event features a different menu and film.

On Sunday, December 6, attendees will enjoy a screening of Babette’s Feast at the UICA Movie Theater at 3 pm, and then travel to Downtown Market where the Market chefs at Downtown Market’s dining room will tempt the palette with the food featured in Babette’s feast, course-by-course.

That’s right: Enjoy a delectable chef’s dinner from soup to fabulous dessert, a special culinary treat on a brisk winter’s night. The Class and Dinner begin at 5:30 pm.

The event is $75 per person, which includes movie admission, a six-course Chef’s Dinner and drink pairings. Reserve your tickets today. And just what will the Chef’s Dinner feature? Feast your eyes on this menu:

– PotaChicory and Walnut Saladge a la Faux Tortue
– Amontillado
– Blinis Demidoff au Caviar
– Champagne
– Caille en Sarcophage
– Cotes de nuits
– Chicory & Walnut Salad
– Roquefort, papaya, pineapple, grapes
– Cognac
– Savarin au Rhum

About the film:Caille en sarophage
Beautiful but pious sisters Martine (Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (Bodil Kjer) grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict pastor father on the forbidding and desolate coast of Jutland, until one day, Philippa’s former suitor sends a Parisian refugee named Babette (Stéphane Audran) to serve as the family cook. Babette’s lavish celebratory banquet tempts the family’s dwindling congregation, who abjure such fleshly pleasures as fine foods and wines.

 

Enjoy the Art of Giving at UICA’s 27th Annual Holiday Artists’ Market

Holidays, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

"UICA Holiday Market"
By Victoria Mullen

If you had the choice of receiving a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift or something that was mass-produced, which would you want? I know what I’d choose–something made from the heart, providing it is artfully made, of course. There is artful, and then there is “artful.” A family member once made me an “artful” sweatshirt. I still can’t talk about it.

Normally I make paintings specific to each gift recipient; it beats buying a soulless item from a big box store, although such gifts have their place. Back in the ’60s, my dad built a color TV from a kit–remember Heathkit?–but not everyone has the patience and expertise to do something like that. Plus, Heathkit is no more. And it wasn’t all that much fun for the rest of the family because Dad was overly picky and constantly adjusting the contrast and color on the TV even while we were watching it. This was especially devastating when Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom came on, and he wouldn’t quit until it was perfect. Which it never was.

Thinking back, I have a hunch he built his oscilloscope and tube tester from Heathkit kits as well. I was in love with that tube tester, but only rarely would he let me test any tubes, and only if I caught him testing some. He was so darn secretive about it.

"UICA Holiday Market"

Anyway, I digress. I usually make paintings for my special recipients, but this year I’m not; my paints and other art supplies are packed away because I’m moving soon. No problem, thanks to UICA’s fabulous Holiday Artists’ Market.

Here are only some of the cool things you’ll find this year: Beautifully crafted gifts and goods from dozens of regional artists—from jewelry, home goods, and fine art to holiday cards, accessories, and toys. Live music by The Kent County String Band Friday 6-8 pm for your enjoyment, and local food and beverage vendors both days while you shop… plus craft stations for kids and grown-ups, and a photo booth. You can even create your own gift wrap."UICA Holiday Market"

This year the UICA Holiday Artists’ Market is at the Steelcase Town Hall, 901 44th St. SE, Grand Rapids so you can browse, meet the artists and have more room to stroll. Admission and parking are both FREE at this two-day event.

It’s a win-win-win: Not only will your gift recipient be pleased and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you made someone feel very special, but you’ll be supporting local artists, too. Here are even more cool things you’ll find… and this by no means an exhaustive list:

– Woodcuts

– One-of-a-kind assemblages

"UICA Holiday Market"– Handcrafted leather work

– Sculpture

– Earthenware

– Bonsai plant balls

– Pewter works

– Fine-art photography

– Paintings

 

– Decorative ceramic art

– Fiber arts

– Illustrated paper goods

– Functional ceramic art

– Ecological art

– Organic jewelry

Two days only. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait another whole year.

Friday, December 4th:
UICA Member Preview: 5:30-6 pm
Public Welcome: 6-9 pm

Saturday, December 5th:
Public Welcome: 10 am-7 pm

"UICA Holiday Market"

 

UICA Partners with Downtown Market for ‘Big Screen Cuisine’ Series

Local Entertainment, Local Food, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , ,
chocolat-5010485f4d4f4In a world where food and film are the modern expressions of culture, the Grand Rapids Downtown Market and the UICA announce “Big Screen Cuisine,” an interactive culinary and cinematic experience that seeks to bring dishes to life that are inspired by classic and modern foodie film favorites and accompanied by a same-day movie screening.“Big Screen Cuisine” makes its debut on Sunday, September 27. Ticket prices will vary and will allow attendees to engage in a hands-on, top-level culinary food experience with fantastic food from local chefs. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the UICA, relax in the theatre, and watch the paired movie with a new and very personal understanding of all the culinary scenes they’re viewing. Depending on the experience, the culinary portion of the night may fall before or after the screenings.“Big Screen Cuisine will utilize films from all over the world while exploring diverse cultures and food histories through hands-on connection and interaction,” said Mimi Fritz, president and CEO of the Downtown Market. “Our goal is to help educate cooks of all ages and experience by bringing to life the flavors from the big screen.”Over the course of the year-round, once-monthly film series, guests will be treated to various lessons in creating delicacies such as chocolate, pastries, cocktails, French cuisine as well as wine tastings and charcuterie, an all-ages cooking class and even an occasional succulent chef’s dinner.

“UICA and the Downtown Market are creating a deliberate connection between the sights and sounds of the film experience with the tastes and aromas of the local food culture,” said Miranda Krajniak, executive director of the UICA. “Audiences can explore the UICA and broaden their knowledge of not only art, but food, film and how they translate into a unified experience.”

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Here’s the full schedule of screenings:

  • Sept. 27: Chocolat; chocolate class: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 18: Sideways; wine tasting and charcuterie 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 22: Ratatouille; all-ages cooking class 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 6: Babette’s Feast; movie at 3 p.m., chef’s dinner at 5:30 p.m.
  • Jan. 24: Hey Bartender; cocktail class and charcuterie 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Feb. 21: The 1000-foot Journey; movie at 3 p.m., chef’s dinner at 5:30 p.m.
  • Mar. 27: Grand Budapest Hotel; pastry class 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Apr. 17: Bottle Shock; wine tasting and charcuterie 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • May 15: The Big Night; movie at 3 p.m., chef’s dinner at 5:30 p.m.
  • Jun. 26: Julie & Julia; movie at 3 p.m., French cooking class at 5:30 p.m.
  • Jul. 17: Waitress; pie class 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., movie at 5:30 p.m.
  • Aug 28: Like Water For Chocolate; movie at 3 p.m., chef’s dinner at 5:30 p.m.