How do artists think, work, and practice? Those questions are explored during Creativity Q+A LIVE, a series of conversations with Northern Michigan artists at the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC). On Sunday, April 23, at 1 pm Leelanau County artist Angela Saxon talks about her practice with Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC gallery manager. The program is free. No reservations are required. Doors open at noon.
A variety of sounds will fill the air during the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s Manitou Music series this year, from piano to saxophones to drums, drums and more drums. The series kicks off April 28 with pianist Tyler Faruzzi, and concludes Aug. 24 with New Music Detroit’s take on chamber music, featuring works by 20th-century composers.
There is a phenomenon—albeit a very small one—sweeping the country, and it has made its way to Glen Arbor: the “Free Little Art Gallery” (FLAG). It was the ingenious idea of Glen Arborite, Michele Aucello, to install one on the grounds of the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC). Founded in May 2021, Aucello branded the micro-gallery: the “Little Free Art Gallery.” Despite the differentiating nomenclature, its purpose and spirit are indistinguishable from that of the countless FLAGs in existence: “Make Art, Take Art, Love Art.” The concept is gaining traction everywhere.
The Manitou Music series is one of the most enduring and significant programs of the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC). Each year, to commemorate the music series, the GAAC selects a painting representative of Leelanau County and the surrounding area for its annual poster. This year the honor has been bestowed upon Randi Ford, a landscape artist based in Grand Rapids. Ford’s painting, entitled Path Through Time (2021), is a vibrant and lyrical rendition of the Arcadia Dunes and its surrounding azure waters. Ford’s love of nature—northern Michigan and Lake Michigan, in particular—is abundantly clear from her acrylic works. Ford exclusively paints landscapes. The outdoors provides deep and endless inspiration. Her intention is to capture the energy and spirit of nature, and share it with her audience.
Parallel 45 Theatre returns to the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC) with a dose of magical realism. A performance of “Smokefall” takes place on Wednesday, March 22, at 6 pm in the GAAC main gallery. Tickets are $10. Seating is by reservation and limited.
How can a creative practice help one navigate the grief that accompanies the death of a loved one? This topic is explored during Exploring Grief Through Creativity, a Glen Arbor Arts Center retreat focused on increasing wellness through creativity. The retreat takes place March 11, from 9 am-5 pm at Pine Street Studios, next door to GAAC. The cost is $175, including all materials, breakfast, and lunch. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 12 participants.
“The Feral Housewife” is the nom de guerre of Mary Beth Acosta, a longtime Leelanau County resident, whose collage work is on display at the Glen Arbor Arts Center until April 23. The word “feral,” generally, is defined in one of two ways: “of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast,” or “having escaped from domestication and become wild.” The latter definition of “feral” is that which resonates with Acosta. Indeed, she playfully sees herself as “feral.” Acosta’s exhibit at the GAAC includes a retrospective of nine collage works that reference American culture from the 1940s through the 1960s, with an emphasis on female domesticity and Detroit automotive design. Her body of work is, essentially, a reflection on the ethos of those decades, and, also a parodic critique thereof.
Grand Rapids artist Randi Ford’s acrylic-on-canvas painting “Path Through Time” is the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s 2023 Manitou Music poster image. Ford’s painting was selected by the GAAC’s Manitou Music Poster Committee from a field of 40 entries. The 2023 poster can be viewed and purchased online at GlenArborArt.org and the GAAC office.
Submission deadlines for two artist opportunities at the Glen Arbor Arts Center are near. Swimming, an exhibition about a familiar activity, takes a metaphoric look at what it means to move through water—both literally and symbolically. The deadline for online submissions is Feb. 1. This juried exhibition runs March 31-June 1. A second creative, artist opportunity is the GAAC’s Artist-in-Residence program, a juried competition.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Cherry Republic’s 31 Days of Giving annual campaign, which runs through December. Throughout the past decade, the Glen Arbor-based company has provided grants to dozens of well-deserving organizations—“from loyal stewards of our climate to big-hearted groups that care for our neighbors who need a bit of a hand up during difficult times,” the company wrote in a news release. We caught up with Sara Harding, Cherry Republic’s vice president of climate and community impact, to learn more about the giving campaign.