Old Art Building

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Leland Cultural District hosts Indigenous Peoples’ Day events

Monday, Oct. 12, marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day—previously observed as Columbus Day—now a national holiday recognizing the histories, cultures, contributions, and resilience of Indigenous peoples. In Leland, community partners invite the public to gather for a free, family-friendly day celebrating and learning about Anishinaabek history and culture. The day will culminate at 6 pm at the Old Art Building with featured speaker James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw, a descendant of Turtle Mountain, international speaker, author, educator, and creator of Ojibwe Word of the Day. Vukelich is the author of The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings and is known for sharing connections between Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibwe language), culture, and traditional teachings.

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Growing Up Leelanau: LIFT features narrative portrait exhibit of Leelanau County teens

LIFT Teen Center (LIFT) is excited to announce an upcoming, one-night-only narrative portrait exhibit of local teens, titled “Growing up Leelanau.” Through 12 life-size portraits and first-person narratives, local teens will share the people, places, and experiences that have shaped who they are and what it means to grow up here. On Thursday, Oct. 8, community members are invited to the Old Art Building in Leland for a fundraiser and an elevated art-show experience featuring the portraits and stories, along with drinks, appetizers, and an opportunity to connect with their community from 6-8 pm. Click here for tickets, which are still available.

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Old Art Building hosts renowned New Yorker cover artist Gayle Kabaker

The Old Art Building in Leland is thrilled to announce a rare and captivating summer feature: Finding Beauty & Light: A Gayle Kabaker Exhibit, running daily from Saturday, Aug. 8 until Sunday, Aug. 16. The highly anticipated event kicks off with an Opening Reception on Friday, Aug. 7, from 6-8 pm, giving the public a first look at the collection alongside the internationally acclaimed artist. Kabaker is an award-winning painter, writer, and visual storyteller celebrated for her work through a distinctly feminine lens. Best known for her iconic New Yorker covers—including her debut 2012 cover “June Brides” celebrating marriage equality, and nine subsequent covers since—Kabaker’s career highlights also include painting 100 portraits for the book and Kennedy Center exhibition Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower, as well as authoring The Washington Post column, Sketching My Way Through Crisis.

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Leland Old Art Building hosts Unfixed author

The Leland Township Public Library, the Old Art Building, The Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library and Bay Books, invite the community to a literary evening featuring author Kimberly Warner in conversation with her uncle, acclaimed Michigan filmmaker Rich Brauer. The event will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Old Art Building, in Leland. The evening will begin with a wine reception at 5:30 pm, followed by a conversation at 6.

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Fresh off the Easel: 14th annual Leland Air returns to Old Art Building

The Old Art Building is thrilled to announce the return of its signature spring event, Leland Air, on Saturday, May 23. This 14th annual plein air tradition invites artists from across the region to capture the awakening Northern Michigan landscape in a high-energy, single-day celebration of art and community.

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Ugandan singer-songwriter Jon Muq brings global sound to Leland’s Old Art Building

The Old Art Building is proud to announce that international singer-songwriter Jon Muq will return and perform on the main stage–Saturday, May 16. This intimate performance offers Northern Michigan audiences a rare chance to experience the soulful, uplifting sounds of an artist whose journey has taken him from the streets of Kampala to the biggest stages in the world. Born in Uganda and now based in Austin, Texas, Muq’s music is a vibrant tapestry woven from African roots and Western pop influences. After a video of him performing for homeless children in Uganda went viral, Muq’s talent led him to a stint as a cruise line performer, eventually catching the ear of legendary Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), who produced his debut album.

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Old Art Building honors master artist Charles Passarelli in career-spanning retrospective: “A Legacy of Artistic Exploration”

The Old Art Building (OAB) is proud to announce a special solo exhibition, Charles Passarelli: A Legacy of Artistic Exploration , running from March 2-25 . This comprehensive exhibit celebrates the life and work of Leelanau County local and master artist Charles Passarelli, a figure whose career reflects the evolving landscape of American art over the last 70 years.

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Mighty Tundra Tones take on Leelanau

Residents and visitors to the county have not one, not two, but three chances to catch one of the region’s favorite bands this coming week. The little big band Tundra Tones, f.k.a. Jazz North, will be performing Aug. 28 at Leland, Aug. 29 at Music in the Park in Northport, and Aug. 31 at Little Traverse Inn.

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Tapping into the County’s music

Three diverse musical acts are among those on the horizon across the county in the coming weeks: upbeat reggae and country from the Sun Dogs, Cajun and zydeco from K Jones and the Benzie Playboys, and bracing brass traversing the musical spectrum, courtesy Bourbon & Brass Company.

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Singer/Songwriter Jon Muq visits Leland’s Old Art Building

The Old Art Building in Leland is thrilled to welcome rising singer/songwriter Jon Muq to the its main stage on Wednesday, June 18, from 7-9 p.m. Born in Uganda and now living in Austin, Texas, Muq draws from African as well as western musical trends and traditions. Featured on the PBS News Hour, Muq has opened for Billy Joel, Norah Jones, Lyle Lovett and other headliners. He describes his songs as small gifts, designed to settle into everyday life and provoke reflection and resilience.

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