Community Calendar

Representatives from several Midwest colleges and universities will be available to meet with students to review their portfolios and offer admissions advice. Registration is strongly encouraged. This event is free to attend and open to all high school junior and senior art students.

• 8 – 9am: College and university presentations
• 9am: Galleries open
• 10:30am: Kirk Newman Art School Tour
• 9 – 11am: Portfolio reviews
• 10:30am: Kirk Newman Art School Tour

This event is free to attend and open to all high school juniors and seniors. Representatives from several Midwest colleges and universities will be available to discuss your students’ portfolios and give admissions advice. Please register by October 8, 2026. If you have any questions please email Amy Hudson at museumed@kiarts.org.

Please note:
• Students bringing digital portfolios must bring their own computer/tablet on which to display. Please do not use cell phones for this purpose.
• The galleries will open at 9:00am and Portfolio Day participants will be able to explore for free.
• Free parking is available in our lot on South St. The Lovell St. lot immediately adjacent to the building is reserved for contractors, but is available for dropoff. The lot on the south side of Lovell St remains open for parking.

Portfolio Requirements:
• All colleges and universities will accept digital work. Digital portfolios should be organized neatly in a Powerpoint or Google Slide Presentation.
• Submit 8-10 works and a sketchbook.
• Videos should be 2 minutes in length or less.
• Come prepared to talk about your work.

"Jimmy Mirikitani (1920-2012) was a Japanese American artist who survived the trauma of WWII incarceration, the loss of family and friends in his ancestral city of Hiroshima, a harsh life on the streets of New York, and the chaos of 9/11 – all by making art. Sitting alone on a windy corner in Soho, he drew whimsical cats, bleak concentration camps, and the angry red flames of the atomic bomb. Blending beauty and humor with tragedy and loss, The Cats of Mirikitani is an intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing power of art.

This film was directed and produced by Linda Hattendorf, who has worked in the New York documentary community for decades. Her editing work has aired on PBS, A&E, and The Sundance Channel, as well as in theatrical venues and hundreds of festivals. Produced in 2006, The Cats of Mirikitani was her directorial debut and won awards at more than thirty film festivals around the world. The film has a run time of 74 minutes. "

Looking for something whimsical or theatrical? This half-day class is perfect for broom dancers, fall festival lovers, Halloween enthusiasts—or anyone who wants to make a statement piece! These brooms are designed to look amazing, not necessarily to sweep up dust. This class sets aside the usual rules and goes wild with colors, textures, and decorations. Students may bring their own sticks, handles, or other materials. No experience needed—just creativity!

Nature Pop Culture Trivia
Could you identify every tree on Endor? Know which species of eagle comes to Gandalf’s aid? Then you’re our type of nerd, and you belong at our Nature Pop Culture Trivia Night! Come answer a gauntlet of questions on the ecology of your favorite media and compete to bring prizes home for your team.

This is a great time to make new friends and enjoy friendly competition! Teams of up to 5 players are welcome.

Thursday, October 15, 2026, 6:30-8:00 pm

Meet: Coopers Glen Auditorium inside the Visitor Center

Fee: KNC Members $12; Non-Members $15

Please Register >

Audience: Adults

All the pageantry and vibrant energy of a harvest festival in rural Korea comes together in the flying footwork, brilliantly colored dress, and joyful percussion of pungmul, breathtakingly presented by the master artists of the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago.

This event will take place at the Light Fine Arts Building on the campus of Kalamazoo College.

Founded in 2013 as a drumming program for youth, Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago hosts a slate of projects including instruction in a variety of percussion, wind, and string instruments; artist residencies; performances; workshops; and lectures to more than 50,000 people annually in Chicago and beyond.

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Celebrate the unifying power of the world’s music at the 2026 Connecting Chords Music Festival, running from August 14 – November 29. Established in 2001, the Festival features an incredible variety and quality of musicians every year – if you know, you know!

Learn more about the Festival at ccmusicfest.com.

Take a Fall Fun Run! Start off your day at the popular 5K Raptor Run/Walk along some of KNC’s most beautiful fall trails. All proceeds support the Kalamazoo Nature Center’s education program.

1K Kids Run
Starts at 9 am Saturday, October 17, 2026
$30, includes short sleeved shirt if registered by October 4.

Kids ages 8 and under head out on a stroller-friendly, 1K romp around the Habitat Haven Trail.

Raptor Run 5K
Starts at 10 am Saturday, October 17, 2026
$50, includes long sleeved shirt if registered by October 4.

Run or walk along some of KNC’s most beautiful trails. The untimed event includes steep hills, forest views, and a variety of terrain.

Register by October 4 for a FREE run shirt!

Gobo, Red, Mokey, Wembley, and Boober Fraggle discover the legend of the Celebration Stone—an ancient Fraggle treasure that has the power to bring everyone together for the greatest party of all time, but was shattered and lost generations ago. As the Fraggles set off on an exhilarating, adventurous journey exploring exciting new caves within Fraggle Rock and even beyond, they discover magic that they never knew existed, and learn to work together to unite the lost pieces of the magical artifact. Can the Fraggles succeed in their quest to bring the Celebration Stone back to Fraggle Rock so everyone can enjoy the most incredible party in Fraggle history? And along the way, will they find something even more memorable and heartfelt than they could have ever imagined?

Based on the Emmy-winning series on Apple TV, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE is packed with comedy, dancing, and music that are hallmarks of the iconic Jim Henson Company. This family friendly live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, a visit from a giant Gorg, and exciting original puppet creature friends—all built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. With plenty of fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock. With lots of music, laughter and imagination, it’s an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles!

Praised for performances of remarkable depth and poise, Aristo Sham is one of the most exciting young pianists on today’s international stage. Winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Sham has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and other leading ensembles, collaborating with conductors including Simon Rattle and Marin Alsop. Critics have praised his performances as “noble” and “thorough, strong, and brilliant,” recognizing both his musical insight and commanding technique.

Sham first drew international attention as a young artist when he was featured in the 2009 Channel 4 documentary “The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies”. Since then, he has performed for royalty and dignitaries, including King Charles and the Queen of Belgium. In 2024, he recorded and hosted the complete solo piano music of Brahms for RTHK Radio 4, Classical Radio in Hong Kong.

A graduate of Harvard University, New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School, Sham brings exceptional artistry and maturity to every performance.

Program
L.v. BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1
S. RACHMANINOFF
Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16
F. CHOPIN
4 Impromptus
L.v. Beethoven
Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2, (“Moonlight Sonata")

Described as "an intrepid improviser" by Michael Barone (host of American Public Media’s Pipedreams), internationally renowned organist David Briggs frequently performs improvisations to silent films such as Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and a variety of Charlie Chaplin films.

At our October 20 Festival event, David will improvise the score for the 1927 silent-film thriller The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The six-piece ensemble collectively known as "Silent But Deadly" will be opening the show with live scores for four short horror films:

- The House of the Devil (1896)
- The X-Rays (1898)
- The Doll's Revenge (1907)
- The Witch (1906)

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Celebrate the unifying power of the world’s music at the 2026 Connecting Chords Music Festival, running from August 14 – November 29. Established in 2001, the Festival features an incredible variety and quality of musicians every year – if you know, *you know*!

Learn more about the Festival at ccmusicfest.com.

Volunteer Tree Planting Day
Planting the Food Forest
Tree planting at KNC is evolving. The beloved Sugarbush, where tree planting has previously occurred, is full of growing saplings. This provides us with the opportunity to plant trees in another area of KNC near DeLano Farm. As part of our Friends of the Forest initiative, staff, donors, and volunteers like you are working together to create a food forest! In addition to utilizing some of the fruit, nut, and other forageable material already within the habitat, this is where we will plant a diverse selection of trees, including edible species.

Tree Planting Day
Wednesday, October 21, 4 – 6 pm
We welcome you to plant trees with us in the Food Forest. Registration is preferred, as we have a set number of trees to plant. To register, please contact volunteer@naturecenter.org

Interested in planting trees as a group with your coworkers, peers, or students? Please contact volunteer@naturecenter.org to learn more about scheduling a tree planting session for a group of 15 – 30 volunteers.

Audience: Teens and adults

Meet: DeLano Farm 555 W E Avenue, Kalamazoo MI, 49009