Glen Arbor Arts Center’s “Whose Story” exhibition offers a reckoning

HIStory/HERstory: Whose Story? The Glen Arbor Arts Center poses this question in one of its most profound and timely exhibitions to date. Whose Story? is not simply an art show. It is a reckoning. The exhibition invites artists to examine who exactly shapes the narrative—to explore identity, legacy, and power. At its crux lies the question: who determines which stories are immortalized and which are relegated as derivative.

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Glen Arbor Arts Center hosts artists in residence

Ohio artist Nicholas Hill brings the 19th century to his Glen Arbor Arts Center residency in September. Hill, a resident of Granville, Ohio, has developed a practice around the combining of intaglio printmaking and cyanotype photography, a plein air approach to camera-less photography. Hill will talk about the resulting collages he’ll make while in Northern Michigan at a presentation on Sept. 18, at 10 am. The program takes place at the GAAC and is open to the public at no charge.

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Tariffs and boycotts and supply shortages, oh my!

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The Trump administration’s federal policies and steep tariffs are adversely impacting Leelanau companies that sell chocolate, coffee, fruit and wine. “Never in my 23 years as a small business owner have I felt obstructed by our national government in my ability to operate, manage, and grow my business as I do now under President Trump,” said Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate co-owner Jody Hayden. “Like many small businesses, we’re feeling the effects of a very uncertain and volatile global economy.” On its most recent shipment of bulk chocolate, valued at $171,500, the small business based in Empire paid a tariff of $24,725 after Trump raised duties on Ecuadorian products to 15 percent on July 31.

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Glen Arbor Players present The Half-Life of Marie Curie

The Glen Arbor Players will stage their third production of the 2025 season with a play brimming with wit, wisdom and passion: The Half-Life of Marie Curie. The play was written by Lauren Gunderson and is directed by Bob Boles. The play will be performed at The Leelanau School on two weekends: September 12-13 at 7:30 pm and 2 pm on Sunday, Sept. 14, as well as on Sept. 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm. Jean Jenkins and Janet Stipicevich will portray Ms. Curie and Ms. Ayrton, respectively.  

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Dave’s Garage owners, Olvey family ready to race or repair

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Cars have been a passion for Craig Olvey for as long as he can remember. The owner of Dave’s Garage in Empire can’t exactly say when his love affair with automobiles began, but it was early on. “Growing up, I always had a fascination with cars,” he  says. “I lived down the street in Cincinnati from a Porsche dealer. I grew up working at a carwash.” And it appears he’s passed his passion on to his sons. Craig and his older son Caden will be participating in the Empire Hill Climb Sept. 13.

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Celebrating songs of Leelanau: Chris Skellenger’s “Old Yellow Dog”

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Skellenger, who has played nearly every music venue and hot mic in the County, wrote “Old Yellow Dog” about 30 years ago as an homage to small towns. The song was “inspired by trips I took from college back in the late ’70s, where—to a city kid—Leelanau looked like a place out of a Field & Stream magazine in a barber shop,” said Skellenger. “It was remote and wild. I expected to see a moose! “The roads and beaches were pretty much empty. If you’re too young to have experienced the old Leelanau, you missed something special.” This is part of our ongoing series featuring songs inspired by Leelanau and the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

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Serenity Ranch: a lesson in the healing power of horses

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Serenity Ranch, founded by Dawn and Phillip Chippewa in 2020, is on a mission firmly rooted in helping people in need of emotional healing through the mitigating power of horses.  Set on a beautiful 65-acre parcel just north of Suttons Bay in Leelanau County, the property is blessed with grazing pasture areas, woods, trails and fenced pastures, several barns and other outbuildings as well as an indoor riding arena. The ranch currently has 17 horses including four miniature ponies, a mule, a donkey, two very curious goats and the always eager to greet visitors, their affable dog Makwa, meaning “Bear” in Chippewa.

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Flowing on the river

It’s all flowing on the Leland River this season: beauty, fitness, community, and a deep appreciation for the natural environment that surrounds and supports Leelanau County. This August marked the one-year anniversary of Leland River Studio, a boutique yoga and pilates center nestled into charming downtown Leland. The tranquil space, formerly home to an art gallery, still embodies beauty and art with its striking design. Clean white walls and a simple, modern aesthetic cultivate a deep sense of calm, while abundant windows showcase the colorful and ever-changing scenic views surrounding the studio. M22 passes in the front, the Leland River flows in the back, and skylights bring in the blue skies floating above. Natural light floods the space and comfortable seating on front porch and back deck invite lingering connections before and after class.

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The Open-Air Resort of D.H. Day Campground

“We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home, in towns and cities” wrote Civil War veteran and expert outdoorsman George Washington Sears. Before my family purchased cherry orchard property, we were campers, and, I’ll be honest, not exactly roughing it campers. Heading to D.H. Day Campground several times each summer, our cars were overloaded, not with children, but with stuff. The children were mixed in between the crevices and cracks of the stuff, writes Rebecca Carlson in this sixth story in our series on the history of Leelanau County resorts and getaways.

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‘Not Accepted: An Historical Look At Art Exhibition Rejection’

Rejection from juried exhibitions is baked into the cake for artists who want to show their work. “Not Accepted: A Conversation About Rejection,” a slide lecture, delves into the topic. The lecture takes place at the Glen Arbor Arts Center on September 7, 11 am. Tickets are $5 for GAAC members, $10 for nonmembers. Reservations are required.

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