Community Calendar

Taekyeom Lee: Designed, Printed & Fired showcases the artist’s innovative reimagining of the world of graphic design in three dimensions. Bringing conventional design elements off of the page or screen, Taekyeom blends them with ceramics using a variety of materials. During this Gallery Gathering, we will discuss select works in this exhibition, examining Taekyeom’s unique approach and methods.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.
Gallery Gatherings are short, lightly-moderated conversations about selected artworks from ongoing exhibitions. Chairs and gallery stools are available for guests. This program is free, but preregistration is encouraged.

In January, Art Detectives will investigate different art forms and techniques. We’ll read a story about all the ways art can take shape, tour the Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review to see amazing works by our talented teaching artists, and then make our own art inspired by what we’ve seen.

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!

Shake off the post-holiday blues and celebrate the new year with a dance lesson and dancing hosted by the Southwest Michigan Ballroom Dance Club. The dance will be held at the Kalamazoo Ballroom Academy at 2020 Fulford Street in Kalamazoo, MI 49001. At 2 p.m. Mary Hoedeman will teach the smooth Country Two-Step. Dance to current popular tunes and music hits from the past with DJ Bob Sievert From 3:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. All levels of dancers, beginners, couples, and singles are welcome. There is a $5 discount for newcomers! For additional information, please visit https://swmbd.com.

The Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review is a much-anticipated biennial exhibition at the KIA, showcasing the considerable talents of Kirk Newman Art School faculty members who provide world-class instruction in a wide range of media. During this ArtBreak, KNAS Director Leslie Donaldson will offer remarks on this year’s show, which centers on the theme of process, before leading guests on a walkthrough of the exhibition. Please note that this ArtBreak will involve standing and walking. Gallery stools will be available.

Leslie Donaldson has served as Director of the Kirk Newman Art School since 2023, bringing to the role more than 20 years’ experience in varied arts management functions, including education, programming, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, and entrepreneurship. She served as the inaugural CEO of Common Grounds Cooperative, a nonprofit real-estate cooperative in Traverse City. Her career also includes successful stints as the Director of Engagement for Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Executive Director for the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, and the Director of Arts Programs for the City of East Lansing. Donaldson holds an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in Painting/Printmaking and a BFA in Studio Art from Michigan State University.

January 15, 11 am – 1 pm

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

Meet: Front desk inside the Visitor Center

Join Mike Ricco of Sea Michigan and hear about his journeys exploring the beautiful shorelines of Lake Michigan, or as Mike calls it, “Sea Michigan”!

Bring your lunch! We will eat together after the program. Part of the Silver Maples Series: NatureCenter.org/SilverMaples

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

While the weather outside is chilly, the KIA will be warm and welcoming. Join us for a cozy winter-themed family night. We’ll start with a guided tour of the permanent collection, searching for artworks that capture the spirit of the season. Then, create your own winter-inspired masterpiece.

If you are unable to join us right at 6pm, feel free to come when you can. Guests will be able to view the exhibition on their own until 8pm and art projects will be available until 7:30pm.

Image credit: Detail from: Hasui Kawase, Zojo-ji Temple in Shiba from the series of Twenty Views of Tokyo, 1925, woodblock print. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Gift of Erik and Alice Jensen and Family, 2024.18.

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre brings Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard to life January 16-25, 2026, in the Carver Studio.

The Cherry Orchard is an exploration of love, loss, and societal transformation. Set in early 20th-century Russia, the story follows an aristocratic family as they return to their ancestral estate, complete with a sprawling cherry orchard, ahead of its impending auction. As cherished memories collide with an uncertain future, this bittersweet drama with a dash of humor captures the universal human struggle between clinging to the past and embracing change. From one of the most prolific playwrights of the 19th century, The Cherry Orchard remains a cornerstone of modern theater.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/TheCherryOrchardTix-Jan16-25

Performance Dates and Times
Friday, January 16 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 PM^
Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 PM
Friday, January 23 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 24 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 PM
^Saturday, January 17 - ASL interpretation and audio description services available

Ticket Prices
$32 Adult
$25 Senior (65+)
$25 Student (13+)
$17 Children 12 & under
$99 - "Flex Pass 4" subscription (four admissions - to be used as you wish)
For group rates (12+ admissions for the same performance), please call the box office at 269-343-1313 for pricing and to purchase.

Phone: (269) 343-1313
Email: boxoffice@kazoocivic.com
Website: https://bit.ly/TheCherryOrchardTix-Jan16-25

By Anton Chekhov
Translation by Paul Schmidt
This translation of THE CHERRY ORCHARD was originally presented by the Rushmore Festival – Woodbury, New York. THE CHERRY ORCHARD is presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com

The Greens of Winter Walk
Saturday, January 17 at 2 pm

Audience: All Ages
Meet: Visitor Center front desk

We might think of Winter as a season dominated by whites and browns, but our hardiest green photosynthetic life clings on all year round! Take a tour of the mosses and lichens of the woods and learn how these radically different organisms survive and thrive. This program has a flexible end time to accommodate for hiking time.

Fee: Included in regular KNC admission; drop in program

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre brings Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard to life January 16-25, 2026, in the Carver Studio.

The Cherry Orchard is an exploration of love, loss, and societal transformation. Set in early 20th-century Russia, the story follows an aristocratic family as they return to their ancestral estate, complete with a sprawling cherry orchard, ahead of its impending auction. As cherished memories collide with an uncertain future, this bittersweet drama with a dash of humor captures the universal human struggle between clinging to the past and embracing change. From one of the most prolific playwrights of the 19th century, The Cherry Orchard remains a cornerstone of modern theater.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/TheCherryOrchardTix-Jan16-25

Performance Dates and Times
Friday, January 16 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 PM^
Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 PM
Friday, January 23 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 24 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 PM
^Saturday, January 17 - ASL interpretation and audio description services available

Ticket Prices
$32 Adult
$25 Senior (65+)
$25 Student (13+)
$17 Children 12 & under
$99 - "Flex Pass 4" subscription (four admissions - to be used as you wish)
For group rates (12+ admissions for the same performance), please call the box office at 269-343-1313 for pricing and to purchase.

Phone: (269) 343-1313
Email: boxoffice@kazoocivic.com
Website: https://bit.ly/TheCherryOrchardTix-Jan16-25

By Anton Chekhov
Translation by Paul Schmidt
This translation of THE CHERRY ORCHARD was originally presented by the Rushmore Festival – Woodbury, New York. THE CHERRY ORCHARD is presented through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com

Yoga & Forest Bathing
Sunday, January 18, 2-4 pm

Audience: Adults

Meet: Gallery in the visitor center

Reconnect with yourself and with nature by joining us for a mindful session of yoga and shinrin yoku, the art and practice of forest bathing. Yoga will be gentle and perfect for all experience levels, followed by a guided meditative walk led by an experienced shinrin yoku instructor. Bring a yoga mat and be ready to change into outdoor clothing for our walk.

Fee: Member $28, Non-Member $35. Please register.