Oct 08 Wednesday
Learn and create with us during an interactive ArtBreak that will highlight the power of sharing stories and experiences in order to unite communities! “The Rope Project” began in 2017 as an alternative arts initiative woven together by Education for the Arts’ visual teaching artists, whose hope was to bring students across the county together to share stories celebrating their community and their unique experiences. These stories are written on fabric and tied together to form a rope using a rope-making machine.
Gayle Swank-Reyes, with the help of her EFA advanced high school students, will discuss the history of the rope-making project and share some of the projects inspired by the ropes and the stories they hold. Attendees will then be invited to contribute their stories to a rope we will create together. This rope will later be incorporated into a project that EFA students will develop during the school year.
All hybrid events will be livestreamed to our YouTube page and can be found under the “Live” tab. Recordings of select past events are available on YouTube as well.
Oct 09 Thursday
In the quiet glow of a moonlit junkyard, a community of cats gathers for one extraordinary night. They dance, they sing, they tell their stories — each one hoping to be chosen for a new life.
Western Michigan University’s production of CATS brings this beloved musical into the intimate Williams Theatre, placing the audience right in the heart of the Jellicle Ball. With characters that range from rebellious to wise, mysterious to magical, this is a show about identity, memory, and connection — told through music that leaps off the stage and choreography that fills every corner of the space.
What if, just for an evening, you could step into a café where people simply lived together — enjoying coffee, ice cream, love, and laughter — without the barriers that so often divide us? That’s the gentle power of Utopia, a play by Charles L. Mee. As a mother and daughter watch lives unfolding around them, we hear tender confessions, playful debates, and dreams shared across tables. Different perspectives collide and comfort, inviting us to imagine a world where everyone belongs and small joys are truly enough. Warm, thoughtful, and quietly profound, Utopia reminds us how good life might feel — and how it still could be.
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.
Discover the beauty and expression of Chinese ink painting! Start the evening by exploring Ink Rhapsody: The Art of the Lingnan Masters in Hong Kong and get inspired by the dynamic brushwork. Then bring your ideas to life with a fun, hands-on art activity. Ink painting will be offered for ages 8 and older. This workshop is open to the first 20 participants and runs from 6:30 to 8 pm. A drop-in hand fan activity will be available for all ages to enjoy from 6 to 8pm.
Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.
Oct 10 Friday
Oct 11 Saturday
This October, Art Detectives will explore the wonders of fall! We’ll read a charming story about some hesitant leaves who aren’t quite ready to change colors and let go. Then, we’ll search the galleries for autumn-themed art and create our own leaf-inspired creation.
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!