Community Calendar

A dazzling musical based on the L. Frank Baum classic story. Book by Tim Kelly Music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur. A cyclone carries Dorothy and Toto to the magical Land of Oz. When Dorothy’s house squashes the Wicked Witch of the East, she is ecstatically thanked by the liberated Munchkins and given permission to wear the witch’s powerful silver slippers. From there, Baum’s lovable characters — rubber-legged Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Woodsman — join Dorothy on a journey to meet the great Oz. While on their trek, they battle the Wicked Witch of the West, who is determined to get revenge for the death of her sister. This bright musical is charged with a bundle of wonderful songs and thrill after thrill...

Please join us the first Saturday of each month at 9 AM (barring special events or bad weather which will be announced on our Facebook page), for "Beginning Birding Walks," led by experienced birders from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the second parking lot at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, just off SR 43. All skill levels are welcome.

We will enjoy nature while typically identifying 20-40 species of birds, plus butterflies, frogs, etc. Over 200 bird species have been sighted at Wolf Lake, which offers a variety of habitats and easy walking trails. Annual highlights include colorful songbirds like orioles, warblers, tanagers, hawks and eagles, kingfishers, Great Blue and Green Herons, and over 20 species of waterfowl. Eastern Bluebirds can be found year-round! Children accompanying adults are welcome. The focus is on birding fundamentals, and extra binoculars are always available. The walk typically takes about 2 hours (but feel free to arrive late or leave early).

The Kalamazoo Recorder Players are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a concert that will feature world premiere performances of four pieces by composers from the Sound Ecologies Music Artist Collective based in Indianapolis. Rob Funkhouser, Luke Garrigus, Brenna Green, and Amanda S. have each written pieces for the Kalamazoo Recorder Players to celebrate this milestone. Additional works on the concert will be by William Byrd, Marg Hall, Josquin des Prez, and William Ruthenberg.

The Kalamazoo Recorder Players began in 1974 under the direction of Judith Whaley. Over the years, they have performed public concerts, school concerts, and music for community events. Since 2006 the group has been directed by Karen Woodworth. Membership is open to recorder players of all ages who are interested in exploring music as a group with the goal of sharing it with the community. The Sound Ecologies Music Artist Collective formed to utilize music and the arts to specifically benefit environmental conservation and social causes. Their members are dedicated to cultivating music, community, and conservation.

The concert will be held in the sanctuary of Portage United Church of Christ on Sunday, May 4th at 2:00 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.

During this ArtBreak, artist and educator Tom Rice will discuss the evolution of his large-scale drawings and installations that address the global climate crisis. The increasing size and frequency of hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods are symptoms of a seismic transition from a relatively stable climate to a new normal. The denial of these signs and the quickening pace of global warming brought on by the extraction, production, and burning of fossil fuels are the themes of his work.

Tom Rice is an artist working primarily in drawing, painting, and installation. He received a BFA from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia and an MFA from the University of Georgia. Rice is the Jo-Ann and Robert Stewart Professor of Art at Kalamazoo College.

Enjoy free admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays. Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.

During this special offsite lecture, Dr. James Denison, Postdoctoral Fellow at Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, will offer a new interpretation of the artist John Marin’s (1870–1953) work in Maine. Drawing on Marin’s writings, Denison’s presentation will investigate the artist’s attempted assimilation into what he perceived to be a rustic “Yankee” community on the Maine coast. Denison will relate Marin’s representations of denizens of the Maine coast to contemporaneous notions of whiteness and New England identity, situating the artist’s fascination with Maine within the long history of ethnic and cultural tourism in the state.

A native of the DC area and a graduate of Bowdoin College, James completed his PhD in art history at the University of Michigan, where he wrote a thesis on the connections between the Stieglitz Circle and racism in the interwar U.S. In 2023 he joined Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts as a postdoctoral fellow.

This lecture will take place in the Connable Recital Hall in the Light Fine Arts Building at Kalamazoo College, at the corner of Thompson and Academy Streets. The recital hall is located off of the main lobby, next to the Dalton Theatre. Parking can be found in the lot behind the building on Thompson Street, as well as on adjacent streets.

What makes a gathering truly meaningful? Whether it’s a team meeting, a community circle, or a family dinner, how we come together matters more than ever.
 
Join us for a special EQ Workshop: Transforming the Way We Gather, inspired by Priya Parker’s acclaimed book *The Art of Gathering*. Led by Emotional Intelligence Facilitator, Darby Fetzer, (Holtyn & Associates), this interactive session will help you deepen the purpose and impact of your gatherings—big or small.
 
What You’ll Gain:
 
✅ A fresh framework for intentional, human-centered gatherings 
✅ Insightful conversation and guided reflection 
✅ Practical tools you can start using right away 
 
📅 Thursday, April 8
🕖 7:00–8:30 PM ET  
📍 Held on Zoom
🎟️ No cost to attend** 
 
Whether you're planning seasonal events or everyday meetings, this workshop will leave you inspired to create more meaningful, memorable moments. 
 
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/TransformGathering
 
Let’s reimagine how we come together—because how we gather matters. 

Help bring back the floral beauty we look forward to seeing on our summer walks, drives, and events in downtown Kalamazoo. There are numerous community planting days throughout May. With double the number of flowers to plant compared to last year, lots of volunteers are needed to get the work done in the few short hours each day.

Volunteer for any amount of time you can give. Signing up in advance is encouraged, but you can also show up on the day of planting. For all of the dates, times, locations, and details on where to park and check in, they can be found on SignUpGenius, https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4BA8AD2DAAF49-55696108-2025#/

Gardening experience is not required, and supplies will be provided if you don’t have your own gloves, trowel, or kneeling pad. Beverages and snacks will also be provided. Planting happens whether it rains or shines or is hot or cold. Dress for the weather.

These spring planting days are the perfect opportunity for bonding, team building, and meeting new friends.

Eat Drink Give is an annual extravaganza where guests can indulge in an array of cuisines from various local restaurants, sip on refreshing wine and beer, and try their luck at winning some fabulous auction and raffle prizes. Top it all off with a DJ and photo wall, and you've got yourself a FUNdraiser you don’t want to miss!

By Heldris de Cornuälle
Adapted by Lofty Durham

Presented in collaboration with the WMU Medieval Institute

The Mostly Medieval Theatre Festival (MMTF) is a performance festival showcasing and invigorating the global heritage of drama, music, dance, and performance styles from late antiquity through the Renaissance.

In 2025, the MMTF is proud to partner with WMU’s Department of Theatre to produce a new dramatic adaptation of the Roman de Silence, the thirteenth-century romance about the knight who was a girl. MMTF founder and associate professor of theatre Lofty Durham is crafting the adaptation and leading the ensemble of student and faculty collaborators for the production which will open the week of Congress and continue its run for local audiences in the following weeks.