Take Part in Art -- Mix It Up

Mon, 11/08/2010 - 8:01pm by MariaK

Mixed Media Art combines more than one medium -- painting, drawing, collage, stenciling -- to make something unique and new. You can always visit the Art Table downtown to make some cool mixed media art, or you can follow along at home!

Making mixed media art is as easy as can be. Pencils, markers, crayons, interesting magazine pictures, paper scraps and paint -- you can use anything, in any combination! Think about combining different materials to make a picture, or tell a story -- or just have fun with patterns, colors and shapes. For more ideas, check these websites by Kinderart and PBS. An excellent and detailed introduction to mixed media is Donna Hugh's Collage Art For Kids DVD series. This series has four volumes, everything you need to become a mixed-media maestro!

Adults interested in making their own mixed media art can check out Creative Collage by Marie Browning, or maybe stop by the University of Michigan Museum of Art's Mixed Media Workshop Series. To learn more about two excellent mixed media and collage artists read Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories by Jan Greenberg and Ooh! Matisse by Mil Niepold.

Sculpture and Poetry in Nature

Sat, 10/16/2010 - 11:42am by flora

Oaken Transformations, an innovative integration of "art and poetry in a natural environment to promote community, support of the arts, and preservation of wilderness places," hosts its grand opening on Sunday, October 17, 1:00-4:00. Oaken Transformations was borne of Dr. Fred Bonine’s experience of the transformative and healing qualities of art and nature. Dr. Bonine invites the public to share in this experience by walking the .4 mile nature trail behind his office, throughout which are installed original sculptures and poetry from local and nationally-renowned artists and poets including John Sauve, Kate Silvio, Janet Kauffman, and Robert Fanning. This free exhibit will run for one year in Brighton, at 6893 Grand River Road, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but will be closed for holidays.

Raising Money for Breast Cancer Research

Thu, 10/14/2010 - 5:44pm by annevm

Greenhills School will present ACTivate the Cure Oct 16 (Saturday) at 8 p.m. in the school's Campbell Center. Students and faculty will dance, sing, act, and play music, in this annual show to benefit breast cancer research and patient care at U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. An art show and silent auction will take place 6-7:30 in the entrance to the center.

Every Generation: Family Secrets and Their Consequences

Thu, 10/14/2010 - 2:41pm by annevm

U-M's Center for the History of Medicine will present Steve Luxenberg, associate editor at the Washington Post and author of Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret. His talk is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at U-M Hatcher graduate library, and is called "Every Generation: Family Secrets and Their Consequences." His book -- a 2010 Michigan Notable Book -- chronicles his investigation into the life of Annie, his mother's sister who was committed at age 21 to Eloise Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Wayne County. Luxenberg will sign books at 6 p.m. before his talk. For directions to the library, call 647-6914.

Learn to Mulch Leaves and Win a Lawnmower - Now That's an Event!

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 9:48am by Debbie G.

Tired of raking and bagging those fall leaves? Come to the City of Ann Arbor's leaf mulching demo on Sunday, Oct. 10, 1:00 p.m. ~ 2:30 p.m. at Wheeler Park and learn several ways to mulch those nutrient-rich leaves. There will be cider, donuts, and kid activities. Carpenter Brothers Hardware will be demonstrating lots of cool ways to use mulching mowers and then at 2 p.m. .... the big drawing for a new Lawn Boy mulching mower. Wow! Winning a lawn mower will more than make up for losing to the Spartans on Saturday, right?

Historic Michigan: Author appearance Oct. 5

Mon, 10/04/2010 - 11:11am by annevm

Here's a good book to take along if you're touring Michigan and might enjoy witnessing some of our state history: Michigan's County Courthouses, by John Fedynsky. The author -- a Ferndale lawyer and Michigan assistant attorney general -- wrote about 83 courthouses, plus the Michigan Hall of Justice. On Oct. 5 (Tuesday) from 7-8:30pm, he appears at U-M Hatcher Library, in the University of Michigan Press Author Series.

The Art of Couture in Ann Arbor

Tue, 09/28/2010 - 12:40pm by cecile

Enter the sophisticated world of couture when Rebecca Lambers, “Couturiére,” Fashion Designer and Exclusive Dressmaker visits the Downtown Library at 7:00 p.m. on September 29th.

One of Ann Arbor’s unique treasures, Ms. Lambers’ is an exclusive dressmaker and fashion designer, who specializes in creating unique custom clothing for women. She was showcased at the Detroit Institute of Arts in conjunction with fashion photographer Richard Avedon and was profiled in the May 2010 edition of Hour Detroit Magazine. Current Magazine calls her 'the fanciest stitcher between Chicago and New York.'

Rebecca will talk about her life in art – showing images, garments and presenting a few live models to illustrate her process of connecting with the ideas of each client and highlight the value of useful, tangible, beautifully made objects.

Banned Books Week: 9/25 - 10/2

Thu, 09/23/2010 - 10:22am by Caser

Celebrate the freedom to read! This Saturday, September 25, marks the kickoff of Banned Books Week, which aims to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges made against books with content that some people are trying to censor. You might be asking yourself, 'just who are these people trying to take away our right to read?' Check out this Google mashup which plots and details the 400+ book challenges that have occurred from 2007-2010 in every U.S. state.

Some of the most challenged titles last year were Lauren Myracle's ttyl series, Carolyn Macklin's 2004 Printz Honor book, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, Stephen Chbosky's Teen novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and the American contemporary-classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

The AADL celebrates Banned Books Week and Mockingbird's 50th anniversary with Mary McDonagh Murphy, author of Scout, Atticus & Boo, who will be showing and discussing clips from her new documentary, Hey, Boo, at the Downtown library on Mon., Sept. 27 at 6:30 pm.

Susurrus: A play without stage or actors

Sun, 09/12/2010 - 4:10pm by annevm

A promising fall field trip would be Susurrus, running Wed.-Sun. through Oct. 3 at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. This creation, named for the sound of wind rustling in trees, was written and directed by David Leddy. It is an adult-themed "genre-defying reinterpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream that weaves snippets of opera and a lesson in bird dissection into a mournful, poignant love story." Participants walk a path, while using headphones to listen to the story. Groups of four people are admitted every 15 minutes. Tickets are $30 in advance at the Michigan League or from the University Musical Society.

September at The Ark

Thu, 09/09/2010 - 2:48pm by manz

The fall line up at The Ark is looking good! If you’re in the mood for some shows, check out their schedule.

Indie rock favorites, Toad the Wet Sprocket, will be playing on Sept 15, 16. Although the band “broke up,” they are still around playing various gigs for your entertainment. The same week, improv entertainers The Second City, will be performing for two nights as well, on September 17, 18. If you’re up for satire and wit, The Second City is for you.

And of course some local faves like The Chenille Sisters and RFD Boys will be on hand at The Ark in September as well. With a huge line-up listed already, here’s sure to be something for everyone this fall at The Ark!