Community Calendar

Silver Maples: Introduction to Recycling with Schupan Sustainability
February 12, 11 am – 1 pm

Audience: Geared for Adults 50+, but all are welcome

Meet: Front desk in the Visitor Center

What really happens to your recycling after you put something in your curbside recycling bin? Does it just end up in the landfill anyway? Is recycling really real? Join an expert from Schupan’s sustainability team to explore the foundations of how the recycling system works in Michigan and the United States. Bring your lunch! We’ll eat together after the program. Part of the Silver Maples Series.

Fee: Member $16, Non-Member $20 Please register.

Come enjoy a hands-on night of art and design! Wander through Taekyeom Lee: Designed, Printed & Fired and see how the artist uses surprising materials and digital tools to create letters, graphics and objects that encourage visitors to explore design through touch, sight, and play. After your gallery visit, make your own artwork inspired by what you discovered. This event is appropriate for all ages.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.

One morning, a young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. He’s got a secret that can land him in terrible trouble, and he has roughly one thousand miles to enlist the help of his fellow travelers – all of whom are reckoning with their own choices in search of a way forward.

Told through a blend of imagined conversations and internal monologues, the play lets us hear what the characters might say if fear and politeness didn’t get in the way. Funny, moving, and deeply human, The Coast Starlight is a story of reinvention—of finding connection in moments that almost pass us by.

Spend a crisp, romantic evening with your loved ones at Wolf Tree Nature Trails!
Lanterns will light your path on a ¾ mile trail, then warm up after hiking with a cup of complementary hot chocolate. This event is open-house style, so come as you please, but the event will end at 8 pm.

Additional info:
♦ Though leashed dogs are normally welcome on the preserve, we ask that you please leave your furry friend at home for this hike.
♦ There are no restrooms at Wolf Tree Nature Trails.

One morning, a young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. He’s got a secret that can land him in terrible trouble, and he has roughly one thousand miles to enlist the help of his fellow travelers – all of whom are reckoning with their own choices in search of a way forward.

Told through a blend of imagined conversations and internal monologues, the play lets us hear what the characters might say if fear and politeness didn’t get in the way. Funny, moving, and deeply human, The Coast Starlight is a story of reinvention—of finding connection in moments that almost pass us by.

Join us this month as local author and artist Emmy Kastner shares her book So Tortoise Dug. After a gallery walk to find animals in the artwork, Emmy will help us create our own watercolor masterpieces. Space is limited, and registration is required.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.
Art Detectives is a free program for children 4-8 years old (but all ages are welcome). Join us as we read a story, look at art, and make a project to take home. Caregivers must stay with their children at all times. This is a free program; preregistration is encouraged. Adults, remember to register your children!

One morning, a young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. He’s got a secret that can land him in terrible trouble, and he has roughly one thousand miles to enlist the help of his fellow travelers – all of whom are reckoning with their own choices in search of a way forward.

Told through a blend of imagined conversations and internal monologues, the play lets us hear what the characters might say if fear and politeness didn’t get in the way. Funny, moving, and deeply human, The Coast Starlight is a story of reinvention—of finding connection in moments that almost pass us by.

One morning, a young man boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. He’s got a secret that can land him in terrible trouble, and he has roughly one thousand miles to enlist the help of his fellow travelers – all of whom are reckoning with their own choices in search of a way forward.

Told through a blend of imagined conversations and internal monologues, the play lets us hear what the characters might say if fear and politeness didn’t get in the way. Funny, moving, and deeply human, The Coast Starlight is a story of reinvention—of finding connection in moments that almost pass us by.

Author Nicholas Smith examines the history, innovation, and societal impact of sneakers in American life through marketing, economic, and cultural trends. Smith weaves together a story of how the sneaker evolved over the course of a century. As production methods were revolutionized, the perception of this iconic footwear shifted as well, making them into must-have shoes. Themes in this book will tie into Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks.

Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.
All book discussions are free, open to the public, and take place in-person at the Meader Fine Arts Library. Participants do not need to have read the book, but it will help facilitate the overall discussion. Preregistration is encouraged.

Join author Demarra West on February 18, 2026 from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Black Arts and Cultural Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a book reading and signing for her newly released book Love Will Liberate, hosted by the Black Arts and Cultural Center. In addition to the reading and signing, the evening includes an author Q and A and time to connect and celebrate the book release.

Love Will Liberate explores the science behind why we're hard wired for connection and how relationships, more than anything affect our wellbeing. The book introduces the Love Liberation Framework, a nine part model based on West’s extensive research, along with plethora of practical resources to help you gain greater self awareness, strengthen boundaries, work through conflict, and love with clarity and intention.

RSVP for free to save your spot since space is limited. If you want a copy before the event, you can order at www.demarrawest.com/love-will-liberate or through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IngramSpark, and other online book retailers.

See you there!