EVENTS

Free 60-90 minute walks designed to promote overall wellness through engagement with the natural environment of the Kalamazoo area.

Enjoy the health benefits of physical movement, mental stimulation and the emotional connection that comes from interacting with the natural world. Walk leader, David Nesius, is well versed in specific information surrounding each walk location. He is eager to share his knowledge about the history of the area and its plants and wildlife.

These free walks are not necessarily “fitness” walks, but they do move at a reasonable pace. Walks take place rain or shine unless severe weather is predicted.  Bring water, mosquito repellent, binoculars and/or a field guide, if desired. No registration required.  Please see website for directions to the meeting place for the walk.

Each program will feature a bird walk focusing on seasonal birds that are visiting Wintergreen Lake and the wetlands and forest along the trail. Following the hike, one of the four roasts of Birds and Beans© coffee will be available for sampling. Birds and Beans© is Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center certified coffee, meaning it’s “bird friendly”. Rather than being grown on cleared lands, this shade-grown coffee provides and protects habitat for many migratory birds such as warblers, vireos and orioles. Birds and Beans© coffee is also USDA certified organic.

The Community Medal of Arts celebrates the residents and employees in Kalamazoo County who are actively engaged in the artistic life of the community. The award is given only to individuals. Artists, teachers and arts administrators are eligible for this award. Recipients need not be Arts Council members.

The 2010-2011 Senior Day series starts off with a bang!  Visit the KIA for docent-guided tours of Strong Women, Beautiful Men: Japanese Portrait Prints from the Toledo Museum of Art, an exhibition of intriguing kabuki actors in famous roles. Guests will also hear a lecture by Jonathan Zwicker, Assoc. Professor of Japanese Literature at the University of Michigan. Professor Zwicker is currently working on a book studying the intersection of the theater and print culture in 19th century Japan. Light refreshments will be served.

To register, call 349-7775 or email michelles@kiarts.org by Monday, September 6. Please specify the 1:00 or 3:00 pm tour. All participants will be attending the 2:00 p.m. lecture by Professor Zwicker.

For seniors 62+, registration is required.

Art Hop is a free event that features new art exhibits in a fun, casual atmosphere. Numerous galleries and businesses in the downtown area host a variety of artwork which makes it easy to hop around from one exhibit to the next. You also have the opportunity to meet the artists!

Join Pete as he recounts the events, products, ideas, people and decisions that changed the face of birding in his lifetime. Some will surprise you and some you will greet with a smile and a nod. All, in sum, will bring you to a higher awareness of the elements that have made birding North America's fastest growing outdoor activity.

West Michigan Glass Art Center has moved into a new facility in the Park Trades Center building. During Friday night's Art Hop, tour the new, larger studio and watch glassblowing and lampworking demonstrations.

Join Gazelle Sports and Lynn Houghton, Regional History Curator for the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections and co-author of “Kalamazoo Lost & Found,” for a walking tour of the Haymarket Historic District.

Enjoy great conversation, intriguing information and the healthy benefits of exercise! Each 1.5 mile walk will feature a variety of historical sites with additional points of interest mentioned along the way.

Meet at Gazelle Sports, 214 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo.

Considered the funniest man of his time, Mark Twain was a critic of human nature who used his humor to attack hypocrisy, greed, and racism. As America's best-loved author, he created some of its most memorable characters and quoted sayings. Director Ken Burns digs beneath the legend to discover the true Twain and reveals his extraordinary life, filled with adventure and literary pursuit, incredible success and defeat, comedy, and tragedy.

Come join the International Plastic Modelers Society during its 12th Annual Air Zoo Model Contest.

Enjoy this chance to learn more about your treasures and help support the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts! Professional appraisers from DuMouchelle's auction house in Detroit donate their time to provide verbal appraisals for artworks, antiques, jewelry, and other treasures in your collection. (No coins, stamps, or firearms, please.)

A maximum of 3 items may be brought for verbal appraisal. Funds raised at this event support museum education programs. KIA member registration opens Monday, August 2 and non-member registration starts on Monday, August 16.  Call 349-7775 to register

Drop in and enjoy stories and songs celebrating families, the changing seasons and more! This program is geared toward 4-8 year-olds.  No registration required.

It’s migration time! Help capture the Monarchs that have lived in the Nature Center's Butterfly House all summer and release them into the wild.

This 16th Annual event is the area’s largest gathering of muscle cars.  The car show and swap meet features hundreds of muscle cars, antiques and special interest vehicles.

Come slow down, celebrate the season’s harvest and share a meal with your community. Dine outside under tents on the centenial Kirklin Farm, just outside Kalamazoo while helping protect the stewardship of our land and strengthen our local economy. Area chefs come together to prepare a five course meal and celebrate the best of the season’s offerings.

Art therapy gives a voice to what is otherwise unspeakable. By confronting grief, trauma, and loss in a creative and transformative way, it allows the artist to be heard, validated, and honored. Registered and Board Certified Art Therapist Genevieve Willson discusses the therapeutic power of art through examples of archetypal imagery from art history as well as those of her past clients.

ARTbreak is a free, informal program. Bring your lunch--coffee and homemade cookies are provided.

Bring your little one to explore the wonders of nature in an engaging, hands-on environment.  Join the Nature Center staff for the last stroller stroll of the season!

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo is proud to present the Community Arts Awards and its winners for 2010!

The Community Arts Awards celebrates those who live or work in Kalamazoo County and are actively engaged in the artistic life of the community. It is presented annually to honor those who make a long-term commitment of personal time and energy to the arts. Winners are selected by a panel of community volunteers that includes previous medalists. The evening will include a reception, dinner, program, and afterglow.

Artist Mary Brodbeck has gained an international reputation through her work in moku hanga- woodblock prints made using traditional Japanese methods and materials. Join Mary as she demonstrates the unique Japanese woodcut carving and printing techniques. Mary will also discuss her own work in moku hanga, including her studies in Tokyo with Yoshisuke Funasaka.

Where are birds going and how do they know how to get there?! Join the staff at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary for a fun, family program to explore the mysteries of migration.

The Bird Sanctuary is a great place for witnessing the fall migration of waterfowl and woodland birds because the abundance of diverse habitats. During the Migration Extravaganza they will play games and take a walk outside to explore and see what birds might be spending the night on Wintergreen Lake. This program will be fun for all ages, so come ready to experience the magic of migration!

Farmers Alley kicks off its third season with the works of one of the most beloved female singers of all time. Following her climb to stardom - from her hometown in Virginia to The Grand Ole Opry, Las Vegas and Carnegie Hall.  A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline is a wonderful blend of theater and music that audiences of all ages will enjoy. Starring Lana Hawkins, the popularity of Patsy’s music is witnessed by the fact that she is the number one juke-box play in the world. Twenty of her best-known songs, including “Crazy”, “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall to Pieces”, make this show a treat for the young and old alike.

Join Willy McDonald at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary to learn about the evolution of decoys used for hunting purposes from the 1800s to today. Decoys representing various eras and styles will be on display. An overview of the modern decoy process will also be presented. Do you have an old decoy you would like identified and possibly appraised? Bring it along!

Willy McDonald is an award-winning and nationally known carving and waterfowl expert. He is a mentor and master carver in MSU’s Traditional Arts Apprentice Program. See his work on his website at www.theduckblind.com.

This program is for adults and children 13 years of age and older.

Explore nature with your child! Interactive nature stations will be set up to encourage learning, including time outdoors (weather permitting). No registration is required; just drop in! Children must be under age 5 and accompanied by an adult.

Spiritual traditions tell us that the deeper beauty and substance of life often emerges when we stop grasping and struggling for control in our lives. Watercolor painting is a truly experiential metaphor for the spiritual journey.

This workshop will teach beginners basic techniques. So whether or not you have previous experience, come and let yourself go!  Participation is limited to 14 people to allow individual work with the presenter. Registration fee includes program, materials and lunch.  Please register by Sept. 7.

Transformations Spirituality Center is located at 3427 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048.

Drop in to see our Observation Hive and talk with Beekeeper Wade about what is happening in our hive. Watch for the bees’ waggle dances and search for the Queen! Indoor exploration for all ages.

The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health is organizing a Home Safe Home Party in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo Home Safe Home Party will help families learn about ways to reduce their exposure to toxic household chemicals. Attendees will have the opportunity to make their own homemade non-toxic cleaning products, and if they bring in children's toys or products, we'll test them for toxics - like lead and cadmium.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Where: Kalamazoo Community College, Arcadia Commons Campus
Ann Whitten Hall, Room 128
202 North Rose St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Considered the funniest man of his time, Mark Twain was a critic of human nature who used his humor to attack hypocrisy, greed, and racism. As America's best-loved author, he created some of its most memorable characters and quoted sayings. Director Ken Burns digs beneath the legend to discover the true Twain and reveals his extraordinary life, filled with adventure and literary pursuit, incredible success and defeat, comedy, and tragedy.

Buy, sell or trade a variety of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and other exotic pets.

Join the Kalamazoo Nature Center as they explore the KNC Bird Banding Station! Learn why and how KNC bands birds and talk with some of their expert banders!

Get ready for the Gazelle Sports Metro Trek Urban Adventure Race taking place Saturday, September 25.

This orienteering session will meet at the equestrian staging/trailhead at Fort Custer State Park, ,5163 Fort Custer Dr., Augusta, MI 49012.

**Compass required. Bug spray highly recommended.

A graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Music, Italian pianist Vacatello was a finalist in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and first-prize winner in the 2009 Top of the World Piano Competition in Norway. Her program includes music by Schumann, Fedele, Ligeti, Chopin, Stravinsky and Shostakovich.

Family tours of the exhibit Strong Women, Beautiful Men during Sunday Funday.

Journey to Japan! Explore the traditional arts of origami and calligraphy with Ms. Michiko Yoshimoto and students from the WMU Soga Japan Center. See a Kendo demonstration with Mr. Yutaro Matsuura and the Battle Creek Kendo-kai, taste some Japanese treats and try on Japanese clothing. Guests can also hear Japanese stories in the KIA library, make Gytoku (Japanese fish prints) and visit the exhibition, Strong Women, Beautiful Men. Just drop in, no registration is required.

This documentary describes how an unlikely group of photographers led by a tenacious bureaucrat worked together for social change. The Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information put a human face on the hardships of Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and forced relocation of Japanese-Americans. In the process, they created one of the most remarkable portraits of America ever complied.

ARTbreak is an informal program on art topics. Bring your lunch. Coffee and homemade cookies provided.

Tommy's unique style - he calls it simply 'finger style' - is akin to playing the guitar the way a pianist plays piano, using all ten fingers. Rather than using a whole band for melody, rhythm, bass, and drum parts, Tommy plays all that (and more) on one guitar.

The Color Purple, s soul-stirring musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world.

Dessert with Discussion presentations are opportunities to meet MSU scientists and learn about current issues that can affect us all.

Join this informal, hour-long event which features an array of delicious desserts.

Free 60-90 minute walks designed to promote overall wellness through engagement with the natural environment of the Kalamazoo area.

Enjoy the health benefits of physical movement, mental stimulation and the emotional connection that comes from interacting with the natural world. Walk leader, David Nesius, is well versed in specific information surrounding each walk location. He is eager to share his knowledge about the history of the area and its plants and wildlife.

These free walks are not necessarily “fitness” walks, but they do move at a reasonable pace. Walks take place rain or shine unless severe weather is predicted.  Bring water, mosquito repellent, binoculars and/or a field guide, if desired. No registration required. Please see website for directions to the meeting place for the walk.

The 10th Fontana Chamber Arts season kicks off in grand style with the celebrated Tokyo String Quartet. Regarded as one of the supreme chamber ensembles in the world, the Quartet performs over 100 concerts each season and has a devoted international following that extends to all four corners of the globe. They are joined by Fontana artistic director Abhijit Sengupta for a very special Opening Night concert featuring a program of Viennese masters.

The K Valley Orthopedics Metro Mini features treasure hunt-style navigation, a bike orienteering course and fun surprises. Two person teams for kids ages 6 to 14: two kids + one adult on each team please.

Race will be 1-2 hours. Cool shirts, fun prizes, yummy snacks and a memorable introduction to a great sport!  Registration deadline: September 23, 2010.

Join Gazelle Sports and Lynn Houghton, Regional History Curator for the WMU Archives and Regional History Collections and co-author of “Kalamazoo Lost & Found,” for a walking tour of the Fairmont Neighborhood.

Enjoy great conversation, intriguing information and the healthy benefits of exercise! Each 1.5 mile walk will feature a variety of historical sites with additional points of interest mentioned along the way.

Meet at the corner of North Street and Douglas Avenue.

Schrier Park, located at 850 W. Osterhout Ave. in Portage, will be the scene of the 2010 Apple Festival. The entire family will enjoy a fun-filled day, including giant inflatables, soccer kick, pony rides, great food, music, magicians, clowns, face painting, kids' crafts, equipment displays, community groups and many more attractions. A $6 ticket includes one admission to several inflatables, pony ride and soccer kick. Please note admission fee includes parking at South Westnedge Park (9010 S. Westnedge Ave.) and round trip school bus transportation from 1:45 to 6:30 pm.

Come join the Air Zoo staff and learn all about space flights! Kids will even get a chance to build comets!

The Air Zoo's Super Science Saturday, "To Space & Back," will take place throughout the day. This 30-minute presentation will occur at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Garrick Ohlsson performs Brahms Second Piano Concerto with Raymond Harvey and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess.

Drop in to see our Observation Hive and talk with Beekeeper Wade about what is happening in our hive. Watch for the bees’ waggle dances and search for the Queen! Indoor exploration for all ages.

Enjoy a guided tour of the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.

The 10th Annual Schoolcraft Coin Show has become an annual tradition in Southwest Michigan. Buying and selling COINS - CURRENCY - TOKENS - MEDALS and BULLION. There will be many dealers on hand to identify and evaluate coins and medals - both U.S. and foreign.  This event will truly showcase an outstanding array of coins and other rarities.

Come see some of KNC’s animals up close! Staff and animal care volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about these interesting critters.

For beginners and experienced racers, the Charter Communications Metro Trek is a 8-10 hr sprint adventure race offering the best wilderness and urban combo! Bike, trek, navigate, ropes, paddle and a great time.

Registration deadline: 11:59 pm on Thursday, September 23, 2010.

Beer tents, live music and great cuisine throughout the day and evening.

Come meet other families that enjoy exploring the outdoors and having fun along the trail! These outdoor experiences are led by a naturalist and will give your family new ways to play outdoors together! Dress to be outdoors and bring a snack.

Public tour of the exhibit Landscape Images from Beauty amid Thunder: The Past Two Centuries of Chinese Art.

Join us for the 2nd Annual "Traditional Hot Rods, Customs and Pre-1965 Motorcycles Show"

Join Naturalist Pete Stobie to learn about the hidden Kingdom. Discover some basic biology about fungi and then go and search for some examples on the trail.  Share stories about these mysterious mushrooms and mischievous molds.

Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother is an iconic American image. Yet few people know anything about the obsessed, charismatic, yet private woman whose work dominated 20th century documentary photography. Join photographer and docent David Curl as he discusses Lange's vision and the role photography played in defining America during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Migrant Mother will be included in "Light Works: Photographs from the Collection".

ARTbreak is an informal program on art topics. Bring your lunch. Coffee and homemade cookies provided.

Learn about agricultural research at the MSU Kellogg Biological Station. Tours start on the hour and last about 1 hour.

How do robots milk cows? Why do cows eat grass? Learn the answers to these questions and more during a tour of the new pasture dairy facility at the Kellogg Biological Station. Guided tours are offered from 3 to 8 pm.

Anyone interested in learning about the new facility is welcome.

The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is hosting public tours on the fourth Saturday of every month through November 2010. The tours will be led by the Sanctuary’s volunteer interpreters and staff. Tour begins at the Sanctuary’s auditorium for a 15-minute introduction to the Sanctuary’s history and its connection to W.K. Kellogg and MSU’s Kellogg Biological Station. The tours will continue outside along the Sanctuary’s main path, which is stroller and handicap accessible, down to Wintergreen Lake. The mile-long tours will focus on the various birds found at the Sanctuary—both residential and wild birds. Come dressed appropriately for the weather.

The History of Stock Car Racing. Featuring 24 Stock Cars from all eras on display

Show off your "Pride & Joy," enjoy oldies music, snap a photo in front of the 1930s gas station and eat at the authentic 1941 "George & Sally's Blue Moon Diner!" Museum Grounds open, exhibit buildings are closed.

Features over 80 examples of "tall tale" postcards from around the United States, which demonstrate a unique form of popular humor dating back to the early 20th century. Other items in the exhibit include taxidermy specimens, newspaper cartoons, and magazine covers, all of which help tell the story of the tall tale postcard.

An inspirational traveling exhibit showcasing the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). 

They can be objects of beauty, a reference to the natural world, a symbol of rebirth, or even a reminder of our mortality. Flowers have a long tradition in the history of art and make an appearance - as the focus or as a component - in more than 400 works in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts collection. Their color, form, texture and even scent continue to inspire artists of all cultures. In selections on view in the lower level this summer, flowers are featured as a centerpiece, adornment, decorative motif or contextual element.

Famous original costumes are featured from some of the most popular science fiction and fantasy films and television shows of all time. Indiana Jones's leather jacket and whip, Darth Vader's cape and helmet, and the Wicked Witch of the West's hat are a few of the cultural icons that explore the role of costume in defining characters.

This series focusing on the history of the American West will preview one episode per week.

Gazelle Sports, located at 214 S. Kalamazoo Mall in downtown Kalamazoo, offers two programs each Wednesday evening for runners.

The Good Form Running clinic provides runners with the necessary tools to run easier, faster and injury free.  Each attendee is video taped running with individual feedback given to assess their form. Registration is required by visiting https://www.gazellesports.com/info/89-good-form-running.html.

Runners may also attend the Wedneday Night Live 2-6 mile fun runs every Wednesday.  Just show up at Gazelle Sports - no registration required.

Both programs are free and begin at 6 pm.

Wish List is an original New Vic musical revue - with a chance to hear some of the great moments in their wish list of favorites.

Celebrate local food with this month-long scavenger hunt - sponsored by Eat Local, Kalamazoo. Pick up a game card from participating vendors (available in mid-August), then visit local restaurants, markets, farms, bakeries and wineries to find answers to fun, food-related questions. Qualify for delicious prizes. No registration required for this event and it is free and open to the public.  Event ends September 30th.

To celebrate the opening of the Joy Light Gallery of Asian Art, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts will feature two exhibitions drawn from the Richard Fabian Collection, a distinguished and extensive private collection of Chinese art.

Through hanging scrolls, painted fans, and illustrated albums, both exhibitions will feature landscape, bird-and-flower, and figurative paintings, as well as fine examples of the revered art of calligraphy. The exhibitions will focus on the late 19th and 20th centuries, a period of great change in China's political, social, and cultural landscape.

"Beauty amid Thunder" will be shown in the KIA Galleries on the first floor, and "Wondrous link" will be shown in the new "Joy Light Gallery of Asian Art" located on the Lower Level.

Two recurring themes-beauty and celebrity-are traced through three centuries of Japanese printmaking in this exhibition at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

Images of celebrities are spotlighted, including renowned courtesans and beautiful women and famous kabuki actors. Artists, carvers, printers and publishers inventively used caricature, parody, stylization and physiognomy to create compelling images that appealed to an increasingly competitive market.

This exhibition was organized by the Toledo Museum of Art.

Saturdays, September 4 and 11, and Thursdays, September 9 and 16

As part of a continent-wide project, the Monarchs that visit the Hummingbird-Butterfly Garden are tagged before they migrate to Mexico. Check out www.monarchwatch.org for more info.

31st annual event that brings Street Rods to Kalamazoo from across the nation. New this year, the event is now open to 1980 and earlier manufactured vehicles.

From Eadweard Muybridge's 19th-century photographic studies of animal locomotion to Richard Misrach's contemporary chromogenic prints, this exhibition spans the history of photography. Images by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Curtis, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and many other celebrated photographers were selected from the KIA collection by guest curator, Gary Cialdella.

This exhibition is offered in conjunction with the 2010 Midwest Conference of the Society for Photographic Education at the Frostic School of Art, Western Michigan University.

This 50-piece retrospective spans a 30-year career, including projects that document the changing cultural landscape of Wing Young Huie's Minnesota home.

Accusations fly in the University Theatre’s season opener IN THE BLOOD.  Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks exposes a poverty stricken mother’s battle to escape her sordid past in this modern retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. This compelling drama explores the hand of fate and asks: are we in charge of our own destiny or is it “in the blood”?

Come join this two-day celebration of all things Irish!

Prepare ye for one of the longest running and most beloved Off-Broadway musicals of all time. Combining improvisation and contemporary storytelling to illustrate the parables found in The Gospel According to Matthew, Godspell has entertained audiences around the world. The fun-filled score, by Stephen Schwartz, who also wrote the smash hit Wicked, incorporates a variety of styles including pop, folk rock, gospel and vaudeville. Many of the songs featured in the show, including Day by Day, Learn Your Lessons Well, All For The Best, All Good Gifts, Turn Back, O Man and By My Side have become staples of the American Musical Theatre and pop culture alike. This uplifting musical proclaims a message of tolerance, kindness and hope that is sure to resonate with family members of all ages.

Geologists attending the 2010 AAPG-Eastern Section Meeting will be discussing and debating topics such as Power Plants and CO2 Sequestration, Hydrocarbon Exploration Trends, Renewable Energy Resources,GIS and Computer Applications for mapping,along with numerous other geological issues.