The Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will begin another season of Stories & More, a weekly preschool program, on Thursday morning, Sept. 11, at 11 a.m. These engaging hour-long sessions are led by Joanne “Yogi” Beare, a retired daycare provider and early childhood educator. Each weekly gathering features stories, songs, crafts and play, and also introduces kids and their caregivers to the many resources available at the library.
What is Elaine Dalcher’s goal for her Aug. 31-Sept. 13 artist-in-residency with the Glen Arbor Art Association? “Explore, discover, draw and paint daily” the Leelanau landscape. The Grand Rapids artist will talk about her travels through the locality on Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Art Association, 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor.
The Glen Arbor Art Association invites artists to submit original paintings for the annual Manitou Music Festival poster competition. Deadline for the 2015 poster competition is September 15. The limited edition posters are hugely popular and sold through the art association and selected shops and art galleries in Leelanau County. Competition is open to anyone who is a current member of the Glen Arbor Art Association. Subject matter must be appropriate to the Manitou Music Festival. That is, work that represents recognizable area scenes. All artwork must be original and previously unpublished. There is no entry fee. Detailed guidelines and a submission form are available at GlenArborArt.org.
Taking a stroll down Western Avenue in the village of Glen Arbor, you’ll come to a lawn that is beautifully landscaped in Michigan native plants. This is 6391 Western Avenue, the headquarters of Sleeping Bear Birding Trail (SBBT). What, you wonder, is a birding trail? That’s the most frequently asked question by both tourists and locals coming through the door, said operations director Mick Seymour. “What the heck is a birding trail?”
The Glen Arbor Art Association is hosting an exhibition of acrylics by Michelle Jahraus August 29-30 at the Art Association, at 6031 S. Lake Street in Glen Arbor. “What color is it?” This has always been Jahraus’ first question in deciding on a bike, cat, sweater, car, house, etc.
Linda Beeman, an Owosso, Mich., resident specializing in Japanese woodblock printing, will exhibit her prints of the landscape and lakeshores of northern Michigan and Japan from Aug. 29-Sept. 18 at the Lake Street Studios Center Gallery in Glen Arbor. The show opens Aug. 29, 6 p.m. with a reception for the artist.
Glen Arbor merchants hold their biggest sales of the season on Labor Day weekend, as the traditional tourism season winds down. Sales usually begin around 9 a.m. on Friday, August 29, and line the sidewalks of downtown Glen Arbor until Labor Day Monday. Be sure to visit each store for some deals inside, too. Enjoy checking out your favorite places and some new ones too.
The next Empire Area Community Emergency Fund Concert will be held on Sunday, Aug. 31, from 4-6 p.m. at the Manor on Glen Lake with a featured performance by the “Reggie Show” with John Rutherford. Come hungry and thirsty there will be an open cash bar and a special menu available.
Grab your friends and attend the seventh annual Traverse City Summer Microbrew & Music Festival, August 22-23 at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Over 200 beers will be on tap. Enjoy great music all evening long, shake your tailfeather in the Silent Disco tent, delight in delicious local food, and visit with thousands of other craft brew and music lovers. With the incredible Brandi Carlile and Nahko and Medicine for the People headlining, the weekend tickets are worth their weight in solid gold memories.
Photos of Lake Huron, taken during a family vacation, caused portrait painter Charles Pompilius to consider a new direction for his work. The Ferndale resident talks about how he explored this mid-career transition during his Glen Arbor Art Association (GAAA) artist-residency on Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Glen Arbor Art Association, 6031 S. Lake St. in Glen Arbor.