Art Beat

Don Desmett began his art career thinking he’d be a sculptor. But he walked away from that, feeling that he just didn’t have it in him. But Desmett did have a good eye for great art, so he became a curator instead.

Rachel Hopkins loved her work as a freelance illustrator. But something was missing. When she and her architect husband Adam found an empty 100-year-old firehouse in Plainwell, Hopkins knew what it was: a community of artists. They turned the station into Design Street, where all kinds of artists share their work.

She’s an off-the-grid farmer in Fennville and harpist who somehow also finds time to write. Joan Donaldson has several historical fiction novels and nonfiction books to her name, along with children’s picture books. Her newest historical novel, Hearts of Mercy (Black Rose, 2018), is about Viney Walker, a spirited young woman in Tennessee during the 1880's.

The Kalamazoo YWCA, 353 East Michigan Avenue, is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. No one takes that mission more seriously and with more passion than CEO Grace Lubwama. Art is just one of the many ways she and the Y help women and children heal and find their voices.

Everyone loves a good movie. We all hear about the big showstoppers: the movies with big stars and flashy special effects. But they may not be the best movies. For 30 years, the mission of the Kalamazoo Film Society has been to show first-run, world-class, independent and foreign films that would otherwise not be offered locally.