Kempf House Museum: Fall Noon Lecture Series

Sat, 10/15/2011 - 10:42am by Caser

Every Wednesday this Fall, Ann Arbor's historical landmark, the Kempf House Museum, hosts a noon lecture series that delves into fascinating pieces of Michigan history.

The Wednesday lecture on October 19 is titled I'm Still Here, Acts Two and Three and features "Theatre Historian J. B. Harris, who continues his research for his planned book on the surviving opera houses of Michigan by telling us about the Tibbits Theater in Coldwater, and the Calumet theatre in Calumet."

The following Wednesday lecture is titled Lodi Township, Past, Present and Future and features "preservationists Margaret Canham and Wayne Clements, who have long had an interest in Lodi Township history, and will update us on efforts towards restoring the cemetery and the original Township Hall. The latter is reputedly the third oldest in Michigan."

Kempf House Museum is located at 312 S. Division Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Admission is $1.00 for members, and $2.00 for non-members.

Take Part in Art – Texture

Fri, 10/07/2011 - 1:25pm by StoryLaura

Smooth, bumpy, gritty, soft – it’s all superficial! Texture can play a great part in art, from paintings by Vincent Van Gogh to sculptures by David Smith, to the surface of new and old buildings on our very own campus. Join us at the Downtown Youth Department Art Table to make rubbings with crayons and drawings on mini-chalkboards. Feel the texture!
The Ann Arbor Art Center offers wonderful pottery classes where you can get messy and dive your hands into cool clay. You can also check out the Chinese Woodblock Prints at UMMA. For one of the best reminders of the importance of texture, just walk up to your favorite tree and run your hands over the bark. Natural art!

"Death of the Book -- and Other Good News"

Sat, 10/01/2011 - 4:07pm by annevm

Daniel Okrent -- who went to U-M and worked on the Michigan Daily -- will speak about "Death of the Book -- and Other Good News" 4-5:30 pm Thursday Oct. 6 at U-M Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery. Okrent is perhaps best known as the first public editor at The New York Times, but he first spent more than 25 years in magazine and book publishing. The digital revolution may turn out to be as beneficial to the world of words as the printing press, Okrent says. His books include Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history.

Ann Arbor in the Sixties: Were you there?

Sat, 10/01/2011 - 9:49am by amy

Students for a Democratic Society. White Panthers. Student Riots. Sit-ins. The Great UFO Chase. Concerts in West Park. Sheriff Doug Harvey.

Were you in Ann Arbor during the Sixties? Do you have a story to tell? Award-winning author and archivist of popular culture Michael Erlewine, founder of the All-Music Guide (and related All-Movie Guide and All-Game Guide), ClassicPosters.com, and lead singer for the Prime Movers Blues Band (Iggy Pop was his drummer), will share some of his personal memories of the cultural shifts that took place in Ann Arbor during the Sixties and early Seventies. If you were there, we'd like to hear from you as well.

We'll also let you know about a related series of events the Library is planning in collaboration with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in December to mark the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally that took place on December 10, 1971.

Ann Arbor in the Sixties -- 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2011 -- Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room

Washtenaw County Clean Up Day

Fri, 09/30/2011 - 4:20pm by monkk

The Washtenaw County Solid Waste Program and local units of government will be sponsoring an Environmental Clean-up Day for Washtenaw County residents on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Football Stadium. The event is free, but there is a suggested $10 donation per car to help decrease disposal costs and to keep this community collection going.

This event provides an opportunity for people to dispose of many unwanted household items in a safe and sustainable manner. Numerous household materials can be brought to this event, including:

Traditional recyclable materials (plastics, glass, tin, cardboard, paper)
Scrap metal
Freon appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.)
Household hazardous wastes (cleaning supplies, motor oil, mercury, oil based paints, etc.)
Furniture
Tires
Yard waste
Electronic equipment (computers, televisions, toasters, etc.)
Sharps (diabetic needles, etc.).

Residents may bring up to four tires for free, but a donation of $5 will be requested for each additional tire. Residents can also bring one television, Freon containing appliance or computer, but a donation of $10 will be requested for each additional item. Household garbage will not be be accepted at this collection event.

This is a service for Washtenaw County residents only, funded and coordinated by the Washtenaw County Solid Waste Program, EMU, and Superior Township. All residents are welcome and encouraged to attend. This collection is intended for residential use only – please, no businesses.

For more information, please visit http://recycle.ewashtenaw.org or call the Washtenaw County Solid Waste Program at (734) 222-3827.

Multiple Impressions: Contemporary Chinese Woodblock Prints

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 7:47pm by muffy

The exhibition Multiple Impressions: Contemporary Chinese Woodblock Prints opened without much fanfare this summer at The University of Michigan Museum of Art. Now that the fall semester is in full swing, interesting programs are popping up on the museum calendar.

The 114 works on view by 41 of China's leading contemporary printmakers showcase the extraordinary innovations, both in technique and conception while providing an important framework for understanding both contemporary art from China and contemporary Chinese society.

On Sunday, September 25 @ 2 pm, (Helmut Stern Auditorium) guest curator of the exhibition Xiaobing Tang will present noted printmakers Fang Limin and Zhang Yuanfan in a series of conversations. Both Fang and Zhang are teachers of the China Academy of Art, an important center for innovation in printmaking.

On Wednesday, September 28, @ 5 pm (Multipurpose Room), Chen Limin — one of the youngest artists in the exhibition, and one of only two women printmakers represented — will talk about her work, as well as the challenges and opportunities for women pursuing careers as artists in China today. Born in Hangzhou, China, Chen Limin was educated in China and France, where she now resides.

The exhibition runs through October 23, 2011.

Housing Access for Washtenaw County

Mon, 09/19/2011 - 1:00pm by Beth Manuel

One of the agencies that's been instrumental in housing & services to the homeless in Washtenaw County for decades, SOS Community Services, will be closing from September 21st -September 30th. When the doors re-open they will be called Housing Access For Washtenaw County. This means the Food Pantry at SOS will close on Tuesday September 27th and will resume Tuesday October 4th under its new name, Housing Access for Washtenaw County. We will keep you posted as more details are announced.

The Princess Curse: Author will discuss fairy tale/myth

Fri, 09/16/2011 - 7:54pm by annevm

A debut tween novel, The Princess Curse will be discussed by the author Oct. 4 from 4-5:30pm in the Gallery of U-M Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. The author is the library's own Merrie Haskell Fuller. In her fairy tale/myth, twelve princesses suffer from a curse -- and whoever breaks it will win a reward. Reveka sees the money could bring her a master herbalist position, so she goes for it. On her quest she meets a shadowy stranger, finds a blighted land in need of healing, and must decide whether to break the curse at the peril of her soul. On Oct. 4, the author will discuss the book and the process of getting published.

Free Community Family Math Night hosted by Mathnasium of Ann Arbor and the Clonlara Campus School

Fri, 09/16/2011 - 2:56pm by K.C.

Tuesday, September 27 | 6:00-8:00 PM | Clonlara – 1289 Jewett Ave. | Grades K-8

Math is fun and the staff of Mathnasium will prove it at the Family Math Night at Clonlara Campus School. Come have fun, and play games with a chance to win great prizes. This event is free and open to the entire Ann Arbor community. Don’t miss it!

Organize to Challange Elder Abuse

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 5:00pm by iralax

On Friday, Sept. 23, 9-11 am, at United Way of Washtenaw, 2305 Platt Rd., the first public meeting of the Washtenaw Elder Justice Coalition will take place, sponsored by Neighborhood Senior Services and Blueprint for Aging. This new organization will work to engage and educate our community about the very real issue of elder abuse and neglect. The featured speaker is Ron Tatro, a nationally certified trainer on elder abuse issues and Director of Elder Abuse Prevention Services for Elder Law of Michigan, a non-profit organization. This event is free of charge.