Encore April 2022

ICYFC Transforms Teens' Lives

Magic Museum's Top Artifacts

April 2022

READY?

The Gilmore Piano Festival Returns

The Woman Behind Mitsubachi Dojo

Meet Lissette Mira-Amaya

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

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ENCORE EDITOR'S NOTE

From the Editor W

ith buds and flowers peeking out, mask mandates on the shelf, and more sunshine all around, we may all be feeling a little more optimistic and that attitude is reflected in this month's stories.

Our cover story is a sure reason for sunny spirits. The Gilmore International Piano Festival is back in full force, once again bringing piano music lovers and international attention to our mid-sized Midwestern town. After Covid-19 nipped the 2020 festival in the bud, the Gilmore has bounced back strongly and soundly with an impressive slate of performances. Writer Katie Houston talks to Gilmore Executive Director Pierre van der Westhuizen about what's going to make this year's festival memorable.

Maggie Drew gives us a story about Inner City Youth for Change, a unique program that teaches mentoring and leadership skills to teens of color, with an emphasis on community service. Through their service work, which culminates in a trip to Africa, the teens involved say they've come to see not only themselves in a new light but their community as well.

Also in this issue, writer Chris Killian introduces us to Roo Heins, who has opened Mitsubachi Dojo, the first aikido training facility in Southwest Michigan owned by a woman. Her studio, where she teaches the martial arts of aikido and iaido, is in the Art & Innovation Center, at 509 Mills St., which provides purpose-driven studio space for female artists and innovators from culturally diverse backgrounds.

And, yes, there is something magical about April's issue: Our “Five Faves” feature takes us to Marshall, where Sara Schultz, director of the American Museum of Magic, points out her favorite pieces in the museum's extensive collection.

Take a minute to enjoy this issue and the world opening up around you.

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CONTENTS

A p r i l 2022

FEATURE The Gilmore Returns

Covid-19 canceled the 2020 festival, but after a ‘wild ride’ for staff and heartbreak for musicians, the piano extravaganza returns

Must-See Gilmore Events

With more than 100 events at 27 venues and dozens of piano and jazz artists, these are our picks for festival to-dos

DEPARTMENTS 20

3 From the Editor 7 Contributors

23

8 Five Faves

Magical artifacts from Marshall’s American Museum of Magic

10

First Things

12

Enterprise

16

Good Works

38

Back Story

A round–up of happenings in SW Michigan A Woman-Owned Aikido Dojo — Roo Heins says her Mitsubachi Dojo is the first such facility in the region Transforming Teens — Inner City Youth for Change's service work, foreign travel help youth develop as leaders

Meet Lissette Mira-Amaya — She's one of the few therapists in the region helping Latinos with mental wellness

T heArts 26 27 28 30

On the cover: The Gilmore International Piano Festival's Executive and Artistic Director Pierre van der Westhuizen is ready for the festival's return. Photo by Brian K. Powers

Theater Visual Arts Music Literature

31 Poetry

"At the Railroad Crossing" by Robert Haight 32

Events of Note

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 5

ICYFC Transforms Teens' Lives

Magic Museum's Top Artifacts

The Woman Behind Mitsubachi Dojo

April 2022

Meet Lissette Mira-Amaya

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

READY?

The Gilmore Piano Festival Returns

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ENCORE CONTRIBUTORS

Maggie Drew

For this month's issue Maggie wrote about Inner City Youth for Change, a nonprofit organization that mentors teens into becoming leaders. The teens do community service in Kalamazoo, and their time in the program culminates in a trip to Africa. “Inner City Youth has such a unique approach to helping kids,” Maggie says. “Focusing on building the kids up as leaders and sending them to Africa seems like an experience that they will never forget.”

Maggie is a senior at WMU majoring in journalism and an intern at Encore.

Katie Houston

An admitted classical music neophyte, Katie says she is looking forward to broadening her musical horizons at this year’s Gilmore International Piano Festival, about which she wrote this issue’s cover story. “I love the wide net cast by this organization that makes Kalamazoo the center of the piano performance world every two years. It draws in professional and ascending musicians, technicians, volunteers and patrons,” she says. Katie is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer, communications coach and marketing consultant.

Chris Killian

Chris interviewed martial artist Roo Heins, the first woman to open an aikido dojo in Southwest Michigan.

“When I first met with Heins, I felt a palpable calm wash over me. Her vibes will do that to you,” says Chris. “It quickly became apparent that her Zen-like nature is at least in part attributable to her martial arts practice.

And in times like these, we could all use something to calm us down and focus our high-speed minds.” Chris is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Encore.

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FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Five Faves

Magical artifacts from Marshall’s American Museum of Magic

BY SARA SCHULTZ

O

nce referred to as “the Smithsonian of American Magic” by illusionist and magic historian Jim Steinmeyer, the American Museum of Magic in downtown Marshall was established in 1978

by Detroit-area journalist Robert Lund and his wife, Elaine, to house Lund's private collection of magician artifacts and archives. It has grown to become the world’s largest collection of American magic artifacts, including apparatuses and illusions; more than 12,000 books on conjuring; about 3,000 posters, scrapbooks and periodicals; letters, diaries, memorabilia, photographs and costumes; and approximately 350,000 pieces of ephemera. The museum opens for its 45th season this month, and among the things you will see are some of my favorite pieces:

Ellen Armstrong Poster Circa 1940

H

alfway up the wall on the museum's second floor, you can find this rather plain poster with an extraordinary background story. Ellen Armstrong was the daughter of J. Hartford Armstrong (1876–1939), one of the few Black magicians performing from the 1880s through the early 20th century. He primarily toured the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. from 1889 until his death in 1939. Ellen Armstrong started working as an assistant to her father at age 6 and eventually had her own mentalist segment during the performance. After her father’s death, Armstrong took over his show and became the lead performer. To the best of our knowledge, this makes her the first and only woman of color during her time to run an independent touring magic show.

8 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Suzy Wandas Poster 1954

The

American Museum of Magic has nearly 3,000 posters. Some are quite large, such as this poster for magician Suzy Wandas. Wandas (1896–1986) was a female pioneer in a male-dominated magic profession.

Born Jeanne Van Dyke in Belgium to a family with a magic act, she began performing as a child and went on to have an extensive and highly acclaimed career that focused mainly on sleightof-hand magic, which involved coins, cards and cigarettes. Wandas spoke five languages, an ability that was quite useful as she performed all over Europe.

Blackstone’s ‘Golem’ Circa 1930s

Undoubtedly one of our more bizarre-looking

artifacts on display is the late magician Harry Blackstone's "Golem." The prop is on wheels and has panels on all four sides. Blackstone would open the panels and give the prop a spin, showing his audience that they could see right through it and that no one was hidden inside. Then he would wind up a key to "animate" the Golem figure inside, and its light-bulb eyes would light up!

An audience member would come up, and Golem would miraculously play checkers or cards with them. Cardplaying abilities aside, we think this Golem is a fun, albeit a little creepy, example of a handcrafted stage prop.

Houdini’s Spirit Trumpet Circa 1920

Harry Houdini may have been best known for his

death-defying escape tricks, but he was also famous during his lifetime for debunking spiritualist mediums and occult con artists. He lectured on the subject and wrote a book, Miracle Mongers and Their Methods: A Complete Exposé, about how mediums and others would perform their fraudulent tricks. In the early 20th century, a popular tool used by mediums during seances was a spirit trumpet. The trumpet would mysteriously float in the air and emit the voices of spirits. This particular spirit trumpet, part of the Museum of Magic’s Houdini exhibit, was purchased by Houdini so that he could demonstrate to his audiences how the spirit trumpet was merely a trick and nothing supernatural.

About the Author: Before taking up her current position as director of the American Museum of Magic, in Marshall, Sara Schultz worked as a museum coordinator for the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, in Detroit. She holds a bachelor's degree in public history and a master's degree in sociocultural studies of education, both from Western Michigan University. If you ask her how Blackstone’s “Golem” actually works, her response will be: “It’s a secret.”

American Museum of Magic Where: 107 E. Michigan Ave., Marshall.

When: Open from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday from April– November. Open by appointment only December–March.

More info: americanmuseumofmagic.com or 269-781-7570.

The Discoverie of Witchcraft Circa 1584

This

rare book, called The Discoverie of Witchcraft, is the oldest artifact in the American Museum of Magic’s collection. It is a first edition and was written by Reginald Scot and published in London. Considered by magic historians to be the first printed book in English to explain how magic tricks are performed, the book wasn’t actually intended as an instruction manual for magicians.

Scot’s purpose was to convince the reader that people, including magicians, did not have supernatural powers and should not be persecuted as witches. Unfortunately, his message was not popular with certain people in power, and by the 17th century the book was banned.

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FIRST THINGS ENCORE

First Things

Something Energetic

Andy Frasco & The U.N. bounce into Bell's Andy Frasco & The U.N., a blues-rock band known for its blend of

harmonic funk and jazzy influences and high-energy performances, will perform at Bell's Eccentric Cafe at 8 p.m. April 10.

The band is touring to support its latest album, Wash, Rinse, Repeat, which will be released April 8. The Michigan band Desmond Jones will open the show. Tickets are $20 in advance or $23 the day of the show and available at Etix.com and Bell's General Store, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave.

Something Shiny

Show features rocks, gems and more Rockhounds, get ready. More than 50 booths featuring rocks, gems, jewelry, fossils, beads and other rock-related items will be at the Kalamazoo Rock & Gem Show April 29– May 1 at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center.

The show will also feature presentations and demonstrations, Petoskey stone polishing, gold panning and kids' activities.

Among the speakers are Steve Arnold, host of the television series Meteorite Men; Krystal Dorris, who appears on the television series Prospectors; and Erik Rintamaki, who discovered “Yooperlites,” the first verified occurrence of fluorescent sodalite in Michigan.

The show is sponsored by the Kalamazoo Geological & Mineral Society. The hours are 4–8 p.m. April 29, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. April 30, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May 1. Admission is $5 for those ages 12 and up, and free for young children with a paid adult.

For a full schedule of speakers and presentations, visit kalamazoorockclub.org.

10 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Something Natural

Many ways to honor the Earth Earth Day is April 22, and you can find a lot of ways to honor our planet this month: The W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, in Augusta, is offering free admission from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. April 22. Visitors can travel the sanctuary's trails to experience its 180 acres of diverse wildlife habitats situated around Wintergreen Lake.

For those who feel like getting their hands dirty, the sanctuary will have two sessions of tree planting for volunteers. Groups will work from 10 a.m.–noon and noon–2 p.m. planting native trees to provide cover and food for wildlife. Volunteers are expected to bring work gloves and wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants and closed-toed shoes. Planting will occur rain or shine. Each session is limited to 20 participants, and registration is required by April 17.

To register or get more information, visit birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu.

• The Kalamazoo Nature Center is encouraging folks to walk, run or stroll in observance of Earth Day, with its Earth Day 5K and Raccoon Run on April 23. The Racoon Run for kids 8 and under on a strollerfriendly 1K trail begins at 9 a.m. The untimed 5K travels along KNC trails and includes steep hills, forest views and a variety of terrain.

In addition, the nature center is offering free admission for the day, with free activities such as a guided wildflower hike and sessions on foraging for edible plants and seeing animals in their habitats. For more information visit naturecenter.org.

• Green-A-Thon, Portage's annual homage to the Earth, is set for 11 a.m.–3 p.m. May 1 at Portage City Hall.

This free event will feature a "sneak peek" of the summertime Portage Farmers Market, with vendors selling their wares as well as games, seedling giveaways and local organizations and businesses providing education about being friendlier to the environment.

The event is hosted by Portage’s Youth Advisory Committee in cooperation with the city’s Environmental Board and Park Board. For more information, visit portagemi.gov/441/events.

Something Tasty

Symposium explores Latino food Claudia Albertina Ruíz Sántiz

The Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium, an annual week-long exploration of the history and heritage of food and food systems in Southwest Michigan, is offering a hybrid program of online and inperson events April 5–9.

This year’s theme of Central American and Mexican Foodways will be explored by experts through lectures, workshops, demonstrations and food tastings. The symposium will culminate in the first-ever outdoor Foodways Festival. Key events for the symposium include: • A virtual keynote presentation by chef Claudia Albertina Ruíz Sántiz at 6 p.m. April 5 that can be viewed online or at a live watch party at Kalamazoo College’s Dalton Theatre.

• A virtual panel discussion on the 2021 documentary film The Kitchenistas at 7 p.m. April 6, with film producer Mary Ann Beyster, chefs Patty Corona and Aureny Aranda, and Dr. Sabrina Falquier Montgrain, followed by a cooking demonstration. The film will be available via online streaming and sent to all registered participants prior to the session.

• A virtual workshop on “Indigenous People and Biodiversity: Imperatives for Food Sovereignty” at 6 p.m. April 7 that looks at the crucial role of indigenous people as guardians of biodiversity and natural resources. The presentation will be followed by a cooking demonstration by members of the Institute for Mesoamerican Permaculture.

• The Outdoor Foodways Festival Celebration from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

April 9 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, featuring booths from local businesses and nonprofits, food trucks, exhibitors, presentations, kids' activities, music, and tours of the FIC’s greenhouse and hydroponic and aquaponics growing systems.

The Foodways Symposium is a collaboration of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the Bronson Healthy Living Campus. For more information or to register, visit kalamazoofoodways.org.

Something Funny

Tom Segura to perform at State Theatre Comedian Tom Segura will bring his candid comedy and uncomfortably honest stories to the State Theatre at 7 p.m. April 13.

Segura has had four Netflix specials, Ball Hog, Disgraceful, Completely Normal and Mostly Stories, and hosts the popular comedy podcasts Your Mom’s House and Two Bears, One Cave. Tickets are $49–$79 and available at kazoostate.com.

Please note: Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, some of these events may be cancelled or changed after press time. Please check with venues and organizations for up-to-date information.

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ENTERPRISE ENCORE

A Woman-Owned Aikido Dojo It’s the first such facility in the region, says owner

BY CHRIS KILLIAN

It’s hard not to feel at peace around Roo

Roo Heins opened the first woman-owned aikado dojo in Southwest Michigan.

12 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Brian Powers

Heins. It’s obvious that the bliss that glows off her is the result of a disciplined adherence to a practice that has no finish line, that’s something she’ll do for the rest of her life.

And she’s brought it to Kalamazoo.

Mitsubachi Dojo, located in the back of a remodeled building in the city’s Edison neighborhood, is where Heins offers instruction in the Japanese martial arts of aikido and iaido, ones that require discipline and, she says, provide a way of acquiring “self-knowledge that ultimately leads to selftransformation and personal freedom.”

Unlike other martial arts, like karate or judo, where the goal is to dominate an opponent with strikes or kicks or pin them to the ground, aikido focuses on using the energy of an opponent’s attack to gain control over them or throw them away from you. It is not a static art, but one where energy flows smoothly, the dynamics of which are a critical component of the study of aikido, Heins says.

“Aggression is left at the door,” she says.

“This is an expansive art.

“Aikido is a way for us to understand ourselves as humans and others as humans. I wanted to use this space to build community and to bring this attitude of working together.”

Due to Covid-19 concerns, Heins is not currently teaching the techniques of aikido, which require participants to touch one another. Instead, she is focusing on other practices that she has been educated in:

ENCORE ENTERPRISE

iaido, or “the way of sword drawing,” and zazen, or “sitting meditation.”

The name of her space is fitting. The Japanese word “mitsubachi” means “honeybee,” and honeybees live in colonies, with a queen at the center. Heins says that her dojo is the only aikido training facility run by a woman in Southwest Michigan.

The dojo opened in September in the Art & Innovation Center, at 509 Mills St., which provides purpose-driven studio space for

female artists and innovators from culturally diverse backgrounds. The dojo provides instruction to both women and men, but in the spirit of the Art & Innovation Center’s goals Heins started a women-only aikado class in mid-February, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Heins, 51, began practicing aikido in 1994 when she was living in New Mexico. After she achieved shodan, or first-degree black belt, in 1999, she moved to California. There,

Roo Heins, right, works with student Paris Thomas on ukemi, the aikido method of falling down and rolling.

she studied with T.K. Chiba Shihan, founder of Birankai North America, an organization that supports the teaching of aikido.

Heins’ commitment to further study prompted her to move to Japan in 2004, after attaining yondan, or fourth-degree black belt rank, and shidoin, or full instructor certification. She lived in Tokyo for seven

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 13

ENTERPRISE ENCORE

“It (practicing aikido and iaido) enables me to embody principles of being in harmony with my surroundings,” DeAgro says. “There is a certain finesse factor, too, a body awareness. It helps me to know myself as a body, a constant rediscovery of its capacity.”

"When I am not practicing (meditation and the martial arts such as aikido), I get depressed, unrooted. This practice holds me together."

— Roo Heins, owner of Mitsubachi Dojo Every movement in aikido and iaido is intentional, down to the angle of one’s back, the straightness of a shin, how to properly rise from the mat into a standing position.

Under Heins’ watchful eye, DeAgro and another iaido participant, Mustafa Al Nimr,

Brian Powers

years, practicing at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo and became fluent in Japanese along the way. A Traverse City native, she returned to the United States in 2011 and moved to Kalamazoo from Grand Rapids in the summer of 2020.

A book editor in the daytime, Heins also practices Zen meditation and the Japanese tea ceremony, which she’s done for several years.

“This has been my life since I was 25,” Heins says. “When I am not practicing, I get depressed, unrooted. This practice holds me together.”

The dojo is open Tuesday through Saturday, with private practice sessions on Sunday.

There is an $80 monthly membership fee, and beginners are welcome.

One of Heins’ students, Michael DeAgro, has been practicing aikido for almost a decade. On an early February evening, he was just one of a few participants at the dojo, braving the frigid conditions to practice iaido.

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Danielle Marschke, left, works on her ukemi skills with instructor Roo Heins.

practice sheathing their katanas, or swords, holding their scabbards tight to their hips.

“Watch your posture,” Heins tells Al Nimr.

To DeAgro, she says, “Don’t rush! Slow!

Slow!”

“I’m worried about cutting my hand,” Al Nimr says.

“Keep going,” she tells him, “but if you feel it cutting, please stop.”

That comment gets some laughs. But this is a serious affair, full of intention.

The trio move across the mats, practicing a slicing motion with their katanas — holding the swords high above their heads, then letting them fall to waist level, the blades making a whooshing sound as they cut through the air and the participants’ bare feet softly scrape on the smooth floor. There is a palpable reverence in their eyes, which are trained forward, as they practice these moves over and over and over again in a kind of mystical, meditative state.

“You put a sword in your hand, and the ego can take over,” Heins says. “You have to control yourself.” w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 15

GOOD WORKS ENCORE

Transforming Teens

Service work, foreign travel help youth develop as leaders

BY MAGGIE DREW

W

ICYFC Executive Director Jeaninne Butler-Sytsema embraces Mercy Brown, a former participant in the ICYFC program.

16 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Brian Powers

Brian Powers

hen teens act out, the usual route is to punish them, but a Kalamazoo organization is taking a different approach: mentor them and grow them as leaders through service, including a trip to Africa.

Inner City Youth for Change is a nonprofit organization that “equips and empowers teens to lead and to serve in their schools, communities and around the world,” according to Director Jeaninne ButlerSytsema.

Inner City Youth for Change was started in 2009 as a program of the Kalamazoo Deacons Conference, a faith-based organization that helps those in need. Butler-Sytsema says the program, originally called Urban Youth for Africa, was founded by then-KDC Executive Director Terri Sieplinga, who wanted to increase the ranks of young volunteers of color doing service work.

In 2017, KDC decided to end Urban Youth for Africa because it was not able to fund the program anymore. Butler-Sytsema, who was serving on the KDC board and had seen firsthand just how much the program had impacted kids' lives, decided to continue the program herself and gave it its new name.

Butler-Sytsema, a Chicago native, says she has always had a heart for working with youth, especially those living in poverty.

“I lived in the ghetto area of the west side of Chicago, so I know what poverty looks like, feels like,” says Butler-Sytsema. “I've always had the heart for young people and wanting

ENCORE GOOD WORKS

they share aexhibit meal together, build Teamwhere creates relationships with each other and plan the to make us all more activities they will be doing.

Mercy Brown, 19, participated in the media savvy

program from 2019–2021 and says the community service her team did pushed her to care more about her community and showed her that she can give back, even if it’s

BY KATIE HOUSTON only in small ways. Brown came up with the idea for her team to do a clothing drive for the homeless in Kalamazoo and says leading the planning and execution of the event was a new and fulfilling experience for her.

“It definitely shaped me into wanting to do more for the community,” Brown says.

“It made me want to really be invested with everything that I do and put forth a hundred

to make a difference in their lives. I think I tend to see them in a different light than they see themselves, or than other people see them. I see who they truly are.”

Youth plan own projects Every two years Butler-Sytsema recruits six to 10 high school juniors from Kalamazoo Public Schools. Many are referred to the program by school faculty, but kids can also apply to join it.

Each new "class" is immediately thrown into planning its own community service projects. Butler-Sytsema says she believes that putting the kids in charge of the projects pushes them in their leadership abilities.

The service projects cover a wide range of activities, including clothing and food drives, a prom for residents of a retirement home, and fun days with the Kalamazoo

Public Safety Department to foster positive relationships between officers and kids in the community.

Inner City Youth for Change has “family dinners” for its members twice a month,

Top left: Jeaninne Butler-Sytsema leads the ICYFC group in one of their "family dinners." Above: The students and mentors of the current ICYFC class are, back row: Butler-Sytsema, Alicia Gipson, Chris Lockett, Jackson Bergan, Pauline Hawkes and Javon Dobbs; front row: Aujinae Nabors, Chanel Wilson, Zire Smith and Rhyan Norman.

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Courtesy

Service trips to Africa Each class's two years together culminates in trip, paid for by private donations, to do service work in Africa. The last three trips have been to the West African country of Sierra Leone. According to Butler-Sytsema, the trips are different every time. The organizations that host the youths set up the opportunities for the group to do numerous service projects as well as have learning experiences.

The teams have painted community centers, cleaned up trash and watched over children.

18 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Butler-Sytsema has countless testimonies about the effects on team members of the trips to Africa. She recalls one member who had a history of behavioral issues at school.

When the boy’s team arrived at the location where it was to do service work, he continually ignored her instructions. Instead of reacting in anger, she pulled him aside to talk.

“I didn't know what I was going to say to him,” says Butler-Sytsema. “I didn't know what I was going to do, but we got away

Above and right: Mercy Brown's pictures from the Africa trip include children she took care of as well as others she befriended.

The most recent Inner City Youth class was composed of Kalamazoo Public Schools students who were eligible to have their college tuition paid for through The Kalamazoo Promise, which spurred the group to band together and raise money to pay the college tuition of a young man they met while in Africa. They held several successful fundraisers, and now the new class wants to continue these efforts, funding a second person's tuition.

Courtesy

percent. I just want to help everyone that I can help.”

‘He is not the same kid’

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from everybody and I just cradled his face.

I said, ‘I'm out of tricks. I don't know what else to do. I don't know how to help. Please help me help you, because I don't know what else to do anymore.’ And he looked at me with these big old brown eyes and apologized, and in that moment he was a completely different person. I think that he was expecting for me to yell at him, to kick him out, because that's what had been happening in his life."

Butler-Sytsema says that when the boy went back to school, the school's assistant principal told her of the great change he had seen in the boy.

“He said to me, ‘What happened? He is not the same kid. He is just not the same,'” she says. “He successfully graduated and wasn't kicked out of school anymore when he got back.”

New perspectives Butler-Sytsema says she believes Inner City Youth changes kids because it gives them a new perspective on their lives.

“Our philosophy is to build on strengths,” she says. “We don't look at what they are bad at. We look at what they can do.

“We also focus on giving, and getting away from looking at ourselves. … They are giving and learning that they have the capacity to do so. I think it has such an impact because they have never experienced giving. Now they can understand and see that they can give as they are. One kid told me, ‘It feels good to give.’”

Brown says her involvement in Inner City Youth has transformed her as well. “I feel like it matured me, and it made me just feel grateful for everything that I do have.”

While in Africa, she says, “we got to see how hard everything was, but how they were so happy and they just cherished everything they had. It made me want to cherish what I had. It taught me to live in the moment and make the best out of everything that comes my way.”

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After a ‘wild ride’ for staff and heartbreak for musicians

The Gilmore Festival

is Back

20 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

BY KATIE HOUSTON

Rewarding top talent While the festival provides performance opportunities for pianists of all ages, it is the career-making $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award,

Brian Powers

W

ith four years of anticipation instead of the usual two, artists, patrons and staff are gearing up for piano music to ring out throughout Southwest Michigan with the return of the Gilmore International Piano Festival this month.

The name of the biennial festival, which began as the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in 1991, was changed last summer when The Gilmore decided to replace the word “Keyboard” with “Piano,” to focus more on the instrument that's at the heart of the festival. And, after having to cancel the 2020 festival due to Covid, Executive and Artistic Director Pierre van der Westhuizen couldn’t be more gratified to talk about once again making Kalamazoo the center of the international piano world for three weeks beginning April 24.

Referring to the last two years of uncertainty and hardship for The Gilmore and other arts organizations and artists, van der Westhuizen says, “Sometimes it feels like four days and some days like 40 years.

It’s been a wild ride. My heart was breaking for all the musicians who lost so much.”

Asked about his favorite artists visiting this year, he likens the query to asking him to choose a favorite child. However, he says he is a longtime fan of classical pianist Emmanuel Ax and is excited to welcome him back to the festival for a performance on April 10 at Chenery Auditorium.

“Apart from being an incredible musician, he’s a wonderful human being,” van der Westhuizen says, recalling past exchanges with the Grammy Award winner. “When my wife Sophie and I were piano students, we played in a master class for him. Years later, we went backstage to say hello after a concert, and he said, ‘Oh, the two tall South Africans!’ I was floored that this man who meets thousands of people remembered us.”

Van der Westhuizen is also looking forward to hearing jazz artist Herbie Hancock at Miller Auditorium on April 24. “(Hancock)’s never been here before, and (with him being) 80 years old, I feel super lucky to have him,” says van der Westhuizen. He also notes that financial support from the John Stites Jazz Artist Organization, named for the late Kalamazoo music engineer, helped the festival secure Hancock.

“It’s a beautiful convergence where donor intent came together so well with the mission of the organization.”

Area venues for this year's festival concerts include Chenery, Miller and Battle Creek’s W.K. Kellogg auditoriums as well as pubs, theaters, church sanctuaries and college chapels. Nearly 100 current and budding international all-stars will be playing an unbeatable repertoire of classical, jazz and contemporary music as soloists and with others, and some of the musicians will be teaching and mentoring as well. Two-thirds of the pianists who were scheduled for the 2020 festival will play this year. In addition, films, toddler-friendly shows and a free interactive art exhibition of music and movement offer wide opportunities of engagement for everyone from the piano aficionado to the general music lover.

As The Gilmore's Director of Operations, Anders Dahlberg, second from left, oversees all the logistics of the making the festival happen with his team, from left: Daniela Peña, Jenna Sherman, and Emily Fackler.

usually given every four years, that garners coverage in The New York Times and other international media. Eight Gilmore Artists have been named since the organization was founded, including piano luminaries Ingrid Fliter, Kirill Gerstein and Igor Levit. But because jurors on The Gilmore's Artistic Advisory Committee, which chooses the Gilmore Artist, haven’t been able to see artists perform in the last two years, there will be no 2022 Gilmore Artist. The prize will return in 2024.

The anonymous Artistic Advisory Committee was, however, able to name Gilmore Young Artists for 2020 and again for this year. Maxim Lando and Misha Galant, the 2020 Young Artists, will play May 15 at Chenery Auditorium at the festival finale, which will also feature 2018 Young Gilmore Artist Wei Luo and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Presented biennially to promising U.S.-based pianists, the Gilmore Young Artist Award comes with a $15,000 stipend and $10,000 toward a commission of a new piano composition for the artist. Since 1990, 38 young pianists have been recognized.

Janice Carissa and Clayton Stephenson got the surprise call from van der Westhuizen telling them they had been named the 2022 Gilmore Young Artists.

“It was so wonderful. Janice just about jumped through the phone screaming,” says van der Westhuizen, who announced the honors in November. “Clayton was just speechless. I had to just say, ‘Send me a headshot, because you’re coming to the festival.’”

In addition to Carissa and Stephenson each giving two solo recitals during the festival, they will perform individually and together on May 5 at Kalamazoo College’s Stetson Chapel.

“The best part of my job is welcoming them to the Gilmore family of artists,” says van der Westhuizen.

That family will be expanding in the future because of the recent $8 million gift by Larry Bell, founder of Bell’s Brewing Co., to establish the Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award for jazz pianists. Bell, a longtime Gilmore supporter, is the current president of the Gilmore International Piano Festival Board of Trustees. The recipient of this

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award in his name will be chosen every four years by an anonymous committee and will receive $300,000 — a $50,000 cash grant to be used at the artist’s discretion and $250,000 to be disbursed over a four-year period for projects and activities aimed at enhancing the artist’s musicianship and career.

“We’re so grateful to Larry and thrilled to have another $300,000 prize to award,” van der Westhuizen says.

The first Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist will be announced in 2026.

In addition, Bell’s gift will be used to establish the Larry J. Bell Young Jazz Artist Awards, which will bestow $25,000 every two years on promising American jazz pianists ages 22 and younger, beginning in 2024.

Bell's support of The Gilmore goes beyond financial contributions and trustee duties. Bell accompanied van der Westhuizen to New York in January to shop for pianos for the festival at the Steinway factory in Queens. They were joined by 2006 Gilmore Young Artist Yuja Wang, who will perform on April 8 in a festival preview event at Chenery Auditorium.

“She helped us select Model B and Model D grand pianos, and she will inaugurate the Steinway Concert Grand Model D at her concert here,” says van der Westhuizen.

This year's festival performers include, from left: Igor Levit, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Janice Carissa and 3 Divas.

clear that staging 55 concerts in two and a half weeks is nothing short of a labor of love.

“I want to create the most idyllic environment for them,” says van der Westhuizen. “If they feel comfortable, loved and cared for, then the audience will have a wonderful experience.”

“Solo pianists are a little like tennis players or golfers who perform at a high level,” says Dahlberg. “We do our best to help them create a great work of art, and ensure patrons can experience that art at its optimal level.”

Dahlberg admits he is rarely able to relax during Gilmore performances because of his responsibility to “have situational awareness of everything that’s going on or could go on around me.”

He recalls a situation in 2018 when Stetson Chapel — set atop a hill on the Kalamazoo College campus — was full of guests waiting to hear the new Gilmore Artist, Igor Levit (who will return to Stetson to perform on May 2).

“It was a beautiful spring day, and I was outside as the last patrons went in. Something caught my eye down at the bottom of the hill.

A lawn tractor was going back and forth, seeding the grass, and I realized if he continued, he would eventually be right next to the Getting it done The festival’s economic impact on the region — expected to reach chapel during the performance. I hustled inside to find one of our $4.3 million this year, a nearly 20 percent increase over the 2018 board members, who hurtled out of his seat and down the hill to stop festival — and its cultural impact are thanks to the work of a staff of the tractor.”

Optimizing livestreaming 27 full- and part-time professionals and instructors.

Weeks before the 2022 festival, Gilmore Director of Operations Lovers of piano music will be able to attend 2022 Gilmore Festival Anders Dahlberg was buried in correspondence, contracts and calendars concerts either in-person or online, and the Gilmore team is working that help him organize the artists, technology, hospitality, staffing and hard to optimize the experience for its online audiences. After the more. He had lined up caterers, found a backstage seamstress, hired Covid pandemic forced the organization to pivot and offer nontemporary staff and was scheduling “hundreds of beloved volunteers, festival-year performances online rather than in person, improving some of whom have been with us from the beginning.” those experiences has become an ongoing goal for the team. For A longtime Kalamazoo resident, Dahlberg remembers when the the past two years, they have mastered audio, visual and streaming Gilmore Festival was brand new. “From the beginning, the Gilmore technology to offer livestreamed and recorded concerts that were concerts were special events that brought the finest, most interesting enjoyed by patrons from 41 countries. and extremely creative concerts to venues throughout the region,” At this year’s festival, 35 concerts will be offered live online on a he says. “pay what you choose” basis, extending the geographic reach of the In part because of their own time as performing musicians, both festival.

Dahlberg and van der Westhuizen understand the importance of “We had talked for years about online programming, but, of course, creating the best concert atmosphere possible for the artists, and it’s the pandemic gave us a big push,” says van der Westhuizen. “We have

22 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Gilmore Must-See Events With 100-plus events, from performances and films to lectures and master classes, the 2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival is awash in opportunity for entertainment. Here are some concerts and events that have caught Encore's eye:

Yuja Wang, 8 p.m. April 8, Chenery Auditorium An international piano star, Wang will officially get audiences in the mood for the festival with her pre-festival solo performance. Tickets are $25–$50.

Herbie Hancock, 7:30 p.m. April 24, Miller Auditorium This is the first-ever appearance at the festival for pianist and composer Hancock, an icon of jazz, funk R&B and rock music. Tickets are $60–$100.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, April 29–May 15, Farmers Alley Theatre

Alexis J. Roston

Farmers Alley Theatre teams up with The Gilmore to present this moving musical about one of jazz singer Billie Holiday's last performances, starring Alexis J. Roston. Tickets are $39–$44.

Oscillators by Intermedio, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. May 1–10, Dalton Center Multimedia Room, WMU Created specifically for the festival, this public art installation allows visitors to set pendulums created from the keys of a deconstructed piano in motion to create music and light effects.

Phenomenal Women, 7:30 p.m. May 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU

Lara Downes

Pianist Lara Downes, soprano Nicole Cabell and guitarist Jiji (Ji Yeon Kim) explore works by women composers, including Margaret Bonds, Billie Holiday, Meredith Monk and more. Tickets are $20–$45.

Daniil Trifonov, 8 p.m. May 7, Chenery Auditorium The winner of several of the world's most prestigious piano competitions, a young Trifonov opened the 2014 Gilmore Festival. Eight years and a Grammy later, he returns. Tickets are $25–$50.

Zoforbit: A Voyage through Space, 7:30 p.m. May 8, Wellspring Theater, Epic Center The piano duet Zofo joins forces with Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers to present a visually striking performance that includes musical selections from Gustav Holst's The Planets. Tickets are $25.

Diana Krall, 8 p.m. May 14, Miller Auditorium Canadian jazz singer Diana Krall, whose previous Gilmore performances have sold out, will return to the festival this year. With a voice described by The New York Times as "cool and sultry [and] wielded with a rhythmic sophistication," Krall is the winner of two Grammy Awards and 10 Juno Awards.

Festival Finale, 4 p.m. May 15, Chenery Auditorium This will be a piano-star-studded sendoff to this year's festival — 2018 Young Gilmore Artist Wei Luo and 2020 Gilmore Young Artists Misha Galant and Maxim Lando will perform with Maxim Lando the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

At one point, all three pianists will perform together on Bach's Concerto for Three Pianos, BWV 1063. Tickets are $35–$65.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 23

essentially learned how to produce a TV show, learning skills which are now invaluable.”

“We learned to light the stage for the camera in a way that was not distracting to the performer and how to place the mics so the quality of the sound is as good as it can be,” says Dahlberg, knowing there are audiophiles with high-end sound systems eager to hear every detail they can. He adds with a smile, “As a child of the '80s, and a performer, it was always my dream to make music videos.”

The quality of the Gilmore livestreams has garnered the attention of the classical music industry. The organization was tapped to partner with the international classical music label Deutsche Grammophon to livestream artists who have recording contracts with the label.

“I am incredibly proud of bringing our virtuosos of technology together to appropriately light, create sound, video, and provide world-class service during the livestreams,” Dahlberg says, noting it is hard for performers to play to an empty house.

“Without an audience, the challenge is to create and sustain the right energy.”

Making music accessible Some of this year's shows in smaller venues have already sold out, but in-person tickets for still-available Gilmore performances are as low as $7 for students and $20 for others.

“What the Kalamazoo area funding community makes possible in terms of reasonable ticket prices cannot be understated,” says van der Westhuizen. "You couldn’t see Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall for less than $100.”

Although it’s not Carnegie Hall, Chenery Auditorium won van der Westhuizen’s heart during his first visit to the area to see Pink Martini perform at the 2012 festival. (Pink Martini returns to the festival this year, performing May 10 at Miller Auditorium.)

“I was blown away by what was essentially a high school auditorium that had the best acoustics anywhere,” he says. “How can you not fall in love? It stacks up against venues in New York or Europe. It’s perfect, acoustically speaking. It’s a rare gem.”

Returning standouts Van der Westhuizen is also effusive about returning artists Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov, with whom he worked during his time at the helm of the Cleveland International Piano Competition. And he is like a proud uncle when discussing 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Elliot Wu, now 22, who will perform with the Jackson Symphony in three concerts April 29–May 1.

“I first met him when he was 14 or so at our international youth competition. I remember him playing Beethoven’s First, and everyone just gasped,” van der Westhuizen recalls.

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Dahlberg relates a similar story about being impressed by a rising star when he saw 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Wei Luo for the first time (she will play this year with the Brass Band of Battle Creek on May 21).

“I first heard her in 2017, performing Ravel’s La Valse, a piece I have performed countless times,” says Dahlberg, who played double bass for more than 25 years with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. “I thought to myself, ‘Let’s see what this kid can do.’ Well, it was an amazing, hair-raising performance.

I’ve played this piece a hundred times, but I’d rarely heard a piano version that opened my eyes like that.”

A festival addition New to the festival this year will be the Gilmore Festival Fellowship Program, which will bring 27 college-age musicians for a five-day intensive experience of daily coaching and master classes and access to all the concerts, interviews, lectures and talks by festival artists and teachers.

“Today’s most successful artists know how to navigate the industry, build their own audiences and cultivate an extensive network of peers, collaborators and teachers,” says van der Westhuizen. “We want to help prepare a new generation of talented pianists for the complexities of managing a successful concert career, which involves the art, the business and the person in the 21st century.”

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TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

THEATER Many venues are requiring attendees to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination and wear masks for entry to performances. For all the shows and events highlighted in this section, please check with the specific venue for its requirements.

Head Over Heels: The Musical April 8–16 Shaw Theatre

Western Michigan University Theatre is staging this musical comedy set to the music of the allfemale 1980s pop band The Go-Gos. Head Over Heels offers an updated take on Philip Sidney’s The Arcadia that follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction.

Audiences will hear such Go-Gos hits as “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Head Over Heels” as well as frontwoman Belinda Carlisle’s solo hits “Mad About You” and “Heaven is a Place on Earth.”

Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 8, 9 and 14–16 and 2 p.m. April 10. Tickets are $6–$20 and available at wmutheatre.ludus.com or by calling 387-6222.

Disney’s Descendants March 11–20 The Civic Theatre

It's a question of whether good will conquer evil in the Civic Youth Theatre's production of Disney's Descendants.

This musical, directed by Nick Dalton, features all of Disney’s beloved heroes and fairy tale royalty, who are living happily ever after in the kingdom of Auradon until the benevolent teenage son of Belle and The Beast offers redemption for the troublemaking offspring of villains Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil and Jafar.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 29 and May 6, 1 and 4 p.m. April 30 and May 7 and 2 p.m. May 1 and 8 at the Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St. Tickets are $12 and available by calling the box office at 343-1313 or visiting kazoocivic.com.

26 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill April 29–May 15 Farmers Alley Theatre

Farmers Alley is partnering with the Gilmore International Piano Festival to bring this moving portrait of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday to its stage.

Lady Day, which will run concurrently with the festival, stars Alexis J. Roston as Holiday in one of the last performances the singer gave before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers, including “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit,” are interlaced with reminiscences about Holiday and her music.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 29 and 30, May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 and 2 p.m. May 1, 8 and 15. Tickets are $44, or $15 for students with a valid school ID, and are available at farmersalleytheatre.com.

Other Theater Performances Leaving Iowa Through April 3 The Civic Theatre The Revolutionists Through April 3 Farmers Alley Theatre

Bound for the Promised Land New Vic Theatre Opens this month

For more information on these and other performing arts events, see the Performing Arts section of our Events of Note, on page 32.

Young Artists of Kalamazoo County & High School Area Show April 9-May 22 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

For 40 years the KIA has held two annual shows highlighting art made by area youth. This year it is holding the two shows, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County and the High School Area Show, simultaneously.

The Weeknd, Ruth Aguilera-Gullegos, 2021 Young Artists of Kalamazoo County features works by kindergarten through eighthgrade students from schools across the county. The High School Area Show is a juried competition that features work by high school students residing in Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. KIA hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, or $2 for students and free for members, children through age 12, school groups and active military personnel. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when visiting the KIA. For more information, call 349-7775 or visit kiarts.org.

Art Hop

VISUAL ARTS

April 1 Downtown Kalamazoo This free event organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo will feature a variety of artists' works in various locations in downtown Kalamazoo as well as live music and the chance to visit downtown businesses. This month's theme celebrates Earth Day. Art Hop runs from 5–8 p.m., and the Arts Council has an app that provides a guide and map of Art Hop sites, information about participating artists, and walking directions. For more information or to access the app, visit kalamazooarts.org.

Edible Book Festival April 1 Facebook Live event

The Edible Book Festival, a culinary celebration of the book arts, will be held virtually this year by the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.

This popular annual competition, in which entrants create food items inspired by their favorite books, will be conducted online. Entrants have until 4 p.m. April 1 to create their edible books and submit pictures of them to the KBAC. The KBAC will post the photos on its Facebook page for the public to vote on during a Facebook live event from 4–7 p.m. April 1, and the winners will be announced after 7 p.m.

For the link to the Facebook event, visit kalbookarts.org.

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TheArts

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:

Westminster Art Festival

April 30–June 15 Westminster Presbyterian Church This year’s Westminster Art Festival focuses on the environment and Earth care with its theme “A Certain Slant of Light,” the title of an Emily Dickinson poem.

This is the 10th year of the festival, which is a juried exhibition of visual arts and poetry held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Ave., Portage. The jurors this year are Mary Brodbeck for visual art and Susan Blackwell Ramsey for poetry. The deadline for submissions is April 10.

For submission information, visit westminsterartfestival.org. For additional information on viewing the exhibition, call 344-3966.

28 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Daphnis et Chloe

VISUAL ARTS

Africa, Imagined: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Art Through May 1 Linling Lu: Musical Meditations Through June 5 Colors! Shapes! Patterns!

Through June 12 Unveiling American Genius Through Dec. 31 Printed Netzorg and Kerr Gallery, WMU Through April 16 Annual Student Exhibition Monroe-Brown Gallery, WMU Through April 16 For more information on these and other visual art exhibitions and events, see the Visual Arts section of our Events of Note, on page 33.

April 1 Miller Auditorium The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will have a little dancing on its mind when it teams up with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival Chorus to perform Maurice Ravel's full ballet score of Daphnis et Chloé.

The concert, conducted by KSO Music Director Julian Kuerti, will open with ballet music from Mozart's opera Idomeneo, followed by the KSO and Bach Festival Chorus’ performance of Daphnis et Chloé. The program will conclude with Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Richard Strauss’ comical poem about the life and death of the trickster of the same name from German folklore.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5–$67 and available at kalamazoosymphony.com.

Kalamazoo Concert Band April 23 Chenery Auditorium

With a spirit of optimism and a hint of the Beach Boys, the Kalamazoo Concert Band will perform its final concert of the season, titled “Sun, Sea and Sand.”

The free concert, which has a beach theme, will feature saxophonist William Kletzka, a sophomore at Dexter High School and the winner of the KCB's Youth Soloist Competition, held in February. For more information on this 7:30 p.m. concert, visit kalamazooconcertband.org.

The Crossing

April 6 Dalton Center Recital Hall

Chanticleer April 5 Dalton Theatre

Three Rivers native Logan Shields will be closer to home when Chanticleer, the 12-man ensemble he's a member of, performs in Kalamazoo.

Chanticleer bills itself as “an orchestra of voices” that blends male voices ranging from countertenor to bass. Chanticleer was formed in 1978 in San Francisco, and the Grammy Award-winning ensemble performs around the globe, singing original interpretations of vocal literature from Renaissance and jazz to gospel and new music.

The show, which will be performed in person as well as livestreamed, begins at 7:30 p.m. in Kalamazoo College’s Dalton Theatre. Tickets are $15–$29 for the in-person performance and $5–$19 for the livestream. For tickets, visit kalamazoobachfestival.org.

MUSIC

The Crossing, a professional chamber choir described by The New York Times as “America's most astonishing choir,” will perform at Western Michigan University as part of the WMU School of Music's Bullock Series.

The choir is conducted by Donald Nally and known for its dedication to new music. Many of its nearly 125 commissioned premieres address social, environmental and political issues. The Crossing has issued 25 releases and earned two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance and seven Grammy nominations.

Its 2014 commission Sound from the Bench, by Ted Hearne, was a 2018 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Tickets for the in-person concert are $5–$15. A livestream of the performance also will be available. To purchase tickets, visit wmich.edu/music/events.

Acoustic Slow Jam & Community Sing April 12 & 19 Kalamazoo Public Library

The public will have two opportunities this month to enjoy and learn roots music, thanks to the Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association (GLAMA).

Players of acoustic stringed instruments can play along with others and learn at GLAMA's Acoustic Slow Jam, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. April 12 in the Van Deusen Room of the downtown Kalamazoo Public Library.

On April 19, GLAMA’s Community Sing welcomes people to sing along as GLAMA members play, with lyric sheets provided. The event runs from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Van Deusen Room.

For more information, visit greatlakesacoustic.org.

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TheArts

Poets in Print April 9 Via Zoom

Stephen Mack Jones April 22 Richland Community Library

This Detroit mystery writer, whose novels include August Snow, Lives Laid Away and Dead of Winter, will be on hand to read from his work from 7–8 p.m. at the Richland Community Library.

Jones is a published poet, an awardwinning playwright, and a recipient of the prestigious Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellowship.

The Richland Community Library will also host a Zoom discussion of Jones’ August Snow at 7 p.m. April 28. Registration is required for that event.

For more information, call the library at 629-9085 or visit richlandlibrary.org.

For other literary events, see the Library and Literary Events section of our Events of Note, on page 34.

TheArts 30 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Poets Lauren K. Alleyne and Mónica Gomery will present virtual readings of their work as part of the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center's Poet in Print series.

Alleyne is the author of two collections of poetry, Difficult Lauren K. Alleyne Mónica Gomery Fruit and Honeyfish, as well as co-editor of Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Ms. Muse, Tin House, and Guernica. She is a professor of English at James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and the assistant director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center.

Gomery is a poet and rabbi whose work explores queerness, diaspora, ancestry, theology and cultivating courageous hearts. She will be reading from her new chapbook, Might Kindred. She is also the author of Here is the Night and the Night on the Road (2018) and the chapbook Of Darkness and Tumbling (2017). Her poetry has won the 2020 Minola Review Poetry Contest.

To access the Zoom link for the 7 p.m. reading or for more information, visit kalbookarts. org/events/april2022.

Kalamazoo Poetry Festival April 22–23 Online

The concept of home is the theme of this year's Kalamazoo Poetry Festival, which is being held online for a second year.

The festival will feature livestreamed workshops, readings and craft talks. It kicks off at 6 p.m. April 22 with a Celebration of Community Poets. Workshops on the craft of poetry will be held via Zoom at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. April 23, and an open mic at 7 p.m.

The festival, being held during National Poetry Month, is free. To register or for more information, visit kalamazoopoetryfestival.com.

is published in partnership and funding provided by

LITERATURE At the Railroad Crossing Black clouds scurry across the full moon blinking off and on like a failing streetlight in the darkness before dawn.

Idling in a car watching the train cars slide by, seeing beautifully painted bubbles of graffiti from God knows where advertising the lack of art in schools.

Moonlit metal moving across the rusty rails of the morning, the distant whistle, clouds on their way to Detroit.

Even now you can see the fog draping the yard lights with a sheer white gown that trails along the grass.

The bog is thicker with it, bandages wound around the trees.

The limbs are holding birds in the closet of the dark before sunrise stammers the first word of the morning as time passes like a freight train the blue shadows that lie in a sliver of moonlight.

— Robert Haight Haight’s most recent collection of poems is Shimmer (Kelsay Books 2021). For many years he taught writing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where he founded the college’s Visiting Writers Series.

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EVENTS ENCORE female rock band The Go-Gos, 7:30 p.m. April 8 & 14– 16, 2 p.m. April 10, Shaw Theatre, WMU, 387-6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — The girl from Boston who went from singing gospel to becoming a disco diva, 7:30 p.m. April 15 & 16, 2 p.m.

April 16, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Please Note: Due to the COVID–19 virus, some of these events may have been cancelled after press time. Please check with the venue and organizations for up–to–date information.

PERFORMING ARTS THEATER Plays

Leaving Iowa — The Civic's Senior Class Reader’s Theatre presents this comedy about a man who embarks on a road trip to find a resting place for his father's ashes, 7:30 p.m. April 1–2, 2 p.m. April 3, Carver Center Studio, 426 South Park St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

The Revolutionists — Four beautiful women lose their heads in an irreverent, woman-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, 7:30 p.m. April 2, 2 p.m. April 3, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, farmersalleytheatre.com.

Musicals

Menopause: The Musical — Four women at a lingerie sale have nothing in common but black lace, memory loss and hot flashes in this show with tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and '80s, 3 p.m. April 3, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Madagascar: The Musical — The characters of the animated movie are on stage in this live performance, 6:30 p.m. April 5, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Baby Shark Live: 2022 Splash Tour — Baby Shark and Pinkfong journey into the sea to sing and dance through some favorite Baby Shark songs, 6 p.m. April 6, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter.com/events.

Head Over Heels: The Musical — WMU Theatre presents this comedy set to the music of 1980s all-

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill — Farmers Alley Theatre partners with the Gilmore International Piano Festival to present this musical about one of the last performances of jazz singer Billie Holiday, 7:30 p.m. April 29–30, May 5–7 and 12–14, 2 p.m. May 1, 8 & 15, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, farmersalleytheatre.com.

Disney’s Descendants — Disney’s beloved heroes and royalty are living happily ever after until someone invites the troublemaking children of the evilest villains to town, 7:30 p.m. April 29 & May 6, 1 & 4 p.m.

April 30 & May 7, 2 p.m. May 1 & 8, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

DANCE Ballet Arts Ensemble Spring Concert — Virtual performances available through April 29, BAETickets. anywhereseat.com.

MUSIC Bands & Solo Artists Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Back Room Concerts — Horseshoes & Handgrenades, April 1; Electric Six w/ Volk, April 9; Andy Frasco & The U.N., April 10; Joshua Davis (seated audience), April 15; Brian Koenigsknecht Album Release with Darcy Wilkin (seated audience), April 22; Deserta with Tambourina (Album Release) and Desert Liminal, April 23; Mike Love with Cas Haley, April 28; The North 41, April 30; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Watchhouse — Roots music duo, 9 p.m. April 2, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

Carly Pearce: The 29 Tour — Classic country music, 8 p.m. April 8, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

Classic Albums Live Performs Led Zeppelin II — A rendition of the album released in 1969, 8 p.m. April 22, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

Stomp — The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments to perform a unique and energetic percussion experience, 7:30 p.m.

April 28, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More

Daphnis et Chloé — Kalamazoo Bach Festival Chorus joins the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra to present the full ballet score about the life and death of the trickster of German folklore of the Middle Ages, 8 p.m.

April 1, Miller Auditorium, kalamazoobachfestival.org.

Birds on a Wire — 3 p.m. April 3, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with livestream available, 3874678, wmich.edu/music/events.

WMU Trombone Choir — 7:30 p.m. April 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/events.

Chanticleer — San Francisco-based all-male ensemble sings works from Renaissance, jazz, gospel and new music, 7:30 p.m. April 5, Dalton Theatre, Kalamazoo College, kalamazoobachfestival.org.

The Crossing — 7:30 p.m. April 6, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. and livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/ events.

Gold Company II (GC II) — 8 p.m. April 7, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/events.

2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival — A festival celebrating diversity of the piano repertoire and featuring world-class musicians, April 8–May 15, various area locations, 342-1166; see thegilmore.org for full schedule.

Choral Showcase — Featuring Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 8 p.m. April 9, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

University Symphonic & Concert Bands — 3 p.m.

April 10, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

University Percussion Ensemble — 7:30 p.m. April 10, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/events.

WHAT’S

NEW

Celebrate

MOTHER Photos by Tony Kaufman

Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo 32 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

FRI APR 01 5-8PM There is no better subject for an artist to paint than the beautiful landscapes of Mother Earth. It seems her beauty is limitless. However, her beauty will not last unless we take steps now to protect her. Come celebrate Earth Day at April’s Art Hop in downtown Kalamazoo.

Maximize your Art Hop Experience at

KalamazooArtHop.org

ENCORE EVENTS Jazz Combo Showcase — 5 p.m. April 11, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/events.

GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — Join the members of the Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association for a jam based on simple chords and varying tempos, with all acoustic stringed instruments welcomed, 5:30–7:30 p.m. April 12, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St. Duo Diorama — Violinist MingHuan Xu and pianist Winston Choi, 2 & 7:30 p.m. April 13, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. and livestream available, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/ events.

Spring Conference for Wind and Percussion Music — With University Wind Symphony, 7:30 p.m.

April 14, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

collection, emphasizing stories that African American, Kalamazoo Art League: Black Ash Basketry, Latino and other artists have told about our cultures, Past and Present — Featuring Kelly Church, an art and history, through December.

Ottawa and Pottawatomi culture bearer whose art reflects a connection between ancient traditions and Events contemporary issues, 10 a.m. April 13, KIA Auditorium.

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists and Book Discussion: Concentric Circles — This book by exhibitions: Kirk Newman Art School Students, Part Yang Lian is aligned in a series of patterns to form a 1, talk by sculpture resident Jose Velarde-Chan and grander mosaic, 2 p.m. April 20, KIA Auditorium. interdisciplinary sewn sculpture artist, performance videographer and photographer Marissa Klee– UnReeled: Wellspring Through the Years — See FILM. Peregon, in-person and virtual, April 5; Kirk Newman Richmond Center for Visual Arts Art School Students, Part 2, talk by ceramics resident Western Michigan University, 387-2436, Brendan Barnes and printmaker resident Rebecca wmich.edu/art West, in-person and virtual, April 26; sessions begin at noon in the KIA Auditorium or via livestream; Printed — A selection of works from the WMU Frostic School of Art’s print collection, curated by current WMU reserve free tickets online.

GLAMA Community Sing — Sing along with members of the Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association, lyric sheets provided, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

April 19, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St. Campus Choir — 7:30 p.m. April 20, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/events.

Sun, Sea and Sand — The Kalamazoo Concert Band gives a performance with a beach theme, 7:30–9:30 p.m. April 23, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., kalamazooconcertband.org Concerto Competition Concert — With University Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m. April 23, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra — Proceeds from the performance will benefit the Temple B'nai Israel. 2 p.m. April 24, First Baptist Church/KNAC Building, 315 W. Michigan Ave., 268-9199.

COMEDY Tom Segura: I’m Coming Everywhere World Tour — Actor, comedian and writer, 7 p.m. April 13, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

A world of cheese, curated wines, and all the accompaniments.

FILM

UnReeled: Wellspring Through the Years — A series of documentary films chronicling Wellspring/ Cori Terry & Dancers’ 40-year history, 6 p.m. April 21, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St. VISUAL ARTS Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org Exhibitions

Young Artists of Kalamazoo County & High School Area Show — Works by youth from Kalamazoo County schools and works by high school students from Southwest Michigan, April 9–May 22.

Africa, Imagined: Reflections on Modern and Contemporary Art — A curated combination of modern and contemporary works exploring escapism, social inquiry and cultural reclamation, through May 1.

Linling Lu: Musical Meditations — Responses to sound and color through circular compositions, through June 5.

Colors! Shapes! Patterns! — Exhibition exploring the building blocks of art, through June 12.

Unveiling American Genius — Abstract and contemporary works from the KIA’s permanent

The Cheese Lady Kalamazoo, 7035 West Q Avenue

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EVENTS ENCORE Moxie Life Organizing — Learn tips and tricks to declutter and help manage your life, 1–2 p.m. April 23; registration required, starting April 4.

print-media students, through April 16, Netzorg and Kerr Gallery.

Annual Student Exhibition — Works by students in the WMU Frostic School of Art, through April 16, Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Adult Book Group — Discussion of The Women of Copper Country, by Mary Doria Russell, 6–7 p.m. April 27 & 10:30 a.m.–noon April 30; registration required.

Other Venues

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Edible Book Festival — Virtual event via Zoom, 4–7 p.m. April 1, kalbookarts.org.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, by Kristen Radtke, 6:30–7:30 p.m. April 4, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

Art Hop — Displays of art at various locations, with April’s theme celebrating Earth Day, 5–8 p.m. April 1, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Westminster Art Festival: A Certain Slant of Light — Annual exhibition combining visual arts and poetry, April 30–June 15, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Ave., Portage, westminsterartfestival.org.

Life in Kalamazoo — A continuing series of facilitated conversations about life in our community, 11 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. April 9, Community Room, Eastwood Library, 1112 Gayle Ave.; registration required.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of Made for Loving You, by Bianca Xaviera, 6–7 p.m. April 9, Barnabee Gallery, Alma Powell Branch Library, 1000 W. Paterson St.; registration required.

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org All events are for Comstock Township Library card holders, although most area residents qualify for a reciprocal library card.

GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — See MUSIC, Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More.

Ask-a-Lawyer — A free program to get legal questions answered, 5–7 p.m. April 5; registration required.

KPL Digital How-To — Learn how to navigate the library’s digital platforms Hoopla, Libby and Freegal, including audiobooks and ebooks, 2–3 p.m. April 14, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

Twice-Loved Toys — Shop for gently used books, school supplies and toys, with all profits supporting the library’s youth department, April 7–9.

Ask a Lawyer Family Law Clinic — Attorneys address common family legal questions for lowerincome persons not able to afford to hire a lawyer, 4–6 p.m. April 14, 10 a.m.–noon April 27, Law Library, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

Book Group for Adults — 1:30–2:20 p.m. April 14.

GLAMA Community Sing — See MUSIC, Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More.

Classics Revisited — Discussion of Selected Poetry by William Butler Yeats, 2:30–4 p.m. April 21, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org A Play in a Day — Writing workshop led by Elizabeth Keiser, 1:30 p.m. April 1 (advance registration required), followed by performance at 4 p.m.

Kalamazoo County Mobile ID Unit – Bring your documents and receive a Kalamazoo County photo identification card, 3-6 p.m. April 5.

Parchment Book Group — Discussion of The Last Days of Night, by Graham Moore, 6 p.m. April 11.

Student Art Show Opening Reception — Art by Parchment School District students, 5–7 p.m. April 12.

Rocks in Your Backyard — Presentation by Bill Mitchell, 6 p.m. April 13.

Mystery Book Club — Discussion of A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters, 4 p.m. April 18.

Portage District Library 329-4544, portagedistrictlibrary.info The library is closed for the month of April as it returns to its newly renovated building.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org Meet Michigan Authors: Stephen Mack Jones — An evening with the Detroit mystery author, 7–8 p.m.

April 22.

Books with Friends Book Club — Zoom discussion of August Snow, by Stephen Mack Jones, 7–8 p.m.

April 28; registration required.

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Other Venues

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Poets in Print: Lauren K. Alleyne and Mónica Gomery — Readings by the two poets via Zoom, 7 p.m. April 9, kalbookarts.org.

Kalamazoo Poetry Festival — Online festival featuring workshops, readings, a celebration of community poets and an open-mic event, April 22 & 23, kalamazoopoetryfestival.com.

MUSEUMS

tivation Mo

Advice

ccess Su

Cars & Characters: A Celebration of Princesses and Superheroes — Meet-and-greet experience with over 20 characters, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. April 2, with VIP access at 9:30 a.m.

Audrey Randall Experienced Franchise Consultant - Exercise & Health Enthusiast Member of the IFA

(International Franchise Association)

Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Financing Options Available

2022 Winter Lecture Series — The Wonderful World of Art Fitzpatrick & Van Kaufman: Masters of the Art of Automobile Advertising, discussion by author Rob Keil, April 3; Miracle on Piquette Avenue, presented by automotive historian Don LaCombe, April 10; Volkswagen: The History of a People’s Car, presented by historian Mark Tomlonson, April 24; all sessions begin at 3 p.m.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

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(269) 377.8181 • audrey@paradigmfranchisegroup.com 34 | ENCORE APRIL 2022

Wonder Media: Ask The Questions! — This interactive exhibition tests visitors' literacy skills and shows how to discern misinformation and disinformation in the media, through 2023.

ENCORE EVENTS Toys: The Inside Story — Explore the inner workings of toys and create your own toy-like combinations, through May 1.

The Forgotten Fights of the Kalamazoo Boxing Academy — Traces the history of the academy while focusing on fighters who recount their personal experiences, through Sept. 18.

NATURE Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org Earth Day Free Admission — With 5K run, Raccoon Run and activities celebrating Earth Day, April 23.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu Poetry on the Trail — Read poems placed along the trails as a celebration of National Poetry Month.

Sustaining the Vision Open House — Visit the sanctuary for free in celebration of the late W.K. Kellogg’s birthday, April 10; trail hours from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; free admission and a self-guided tour of the Kellogg Manor House, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., 2700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners.

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Discussion of the various types of swallows, 10 a.m. April 13; registration required.

Earth Day Free Admission — 9 a.m.–5 p.m. April 22.

Other Venues Geo Mystery Tour: See It to BeLeaf It — A geocaching adventure in the Portage Parks System, April 1–30, with a different mystery revealed every other month; register at mypark.portagemi.gov and click Recreation Activities & Facility Rentals.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting and Speaker — Melissa Trainer presents a talk titled Flights of Exploration on an Exotic Ocean World, 7–9:10 p.m. April 8 via Zoom; register at kasonline.org.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session — Highlighting The Moon & Double Stars of Spring, April 9; Galaxies of the Virgo Cluster, April 23; both sessions 8 p.m.–midnight, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave.; register at kasonline. org; sessions will be canceled if the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast; check the website for updates.

MISCELLANEOUS Kalamazoo Numismatic Club Coin Show — Buy, sell and trade coins, paper money and memorabilia, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. April 2, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 491–0962.

Model Railroad Swap Meet — Buy, sell and trade model railroad items, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. April 2, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 344–0906.

A Walking Tour of Downtown Kalamazoo Breweries — Meet colorful personalities and flavors behind Kalamazoo’s beer culture, noon–4 p.m. April 2, 16 & 30, beginning at Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill, 100 W. Michigan Ave., 350–4598, westmibeertours.com.

Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium: Central America and Mexican Foodways — Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Bronson Healthy Living Campus present symposium events April 5–9 in person and on Zoom, including lectures, workshops, demonstrations, food tastings and an outdoor Foodways Festival at KVCC’s Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, kalamazoofoodways.org. (See details in this issue’s “First Things,” page 11.)

Southwest Michigan Postcard Club Show — Vintage and antique postcards, photographs, ephemera and postal history items, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

April 8, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. April 9, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 517–230–0734.

Spring Craft Show — With more than 100 sellers, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. April 9, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903–5820.

Antique Bottle & Glass Show — Featuring antique bottles of all types, with free appraisals, 10 a.m.–3

p.m. April 9, Room A, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616–581–7005.

2022 Bunny Hop Fun Run — An event for kids that includes an Easter egg hunt, 2–4:15 p.m. April 16, Moorsbridge Elementary School, 7361 Moorsbridge Road; donations of nonperishable food items accepted for Loaves & Fishes food pantry, 388-2830.

Pinball at the Zoo — Games for sale and play, auction, tournaments, parts and more, 2–10 p.m.

April 21, 1–10 p.m. April 22, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. April 23, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, pinballatthezoo.com.

KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show — Stamp show with buying and selling of covers, postcards and supplies, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. April 23, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. April 24, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 375-6188.

Kalamazoo Record & CD Show — Thousands of new and used records and CDs, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. April 24, Room A, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 734604-2540.

Kalamazoo Music Instrument Swap — Buy, sell, network and share, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. April 24, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 517-410-6409.

Kalamazoo Rock & Gem Show — Rocks, gems, jewelry, fossils, beads and more, presentations, Petoskey polishing, gold panning and demonstrations, 4–8 p.m. April 29, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. April 30, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May 1, Main and South rooms, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 665-4300.

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Ranger Hike: Spring Cleaning — Join park staff for a walk on the trails looking at which animals have woken up, come back or never stopped, 2 p.m.

April 10, Eliason Nature Reserve, 1614 W. Osterhout Ave.; registration required at portagemi.gov, click on Registration Activities & Facilities Rental.

Astrophotography: Let the Earth Turn — Eric Schreur discusses how star trails are an easy way to get started with night sky photography, 8–9:30 p.m.

April 15 via Zoom; register at kasonline.org.

Binder Park Zoo Opening Day — May 1, 7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, 979-1351, binderparkzoo.org.

Green–A–Thon 2022 — A community event celebrating Earth Day, with games, a mini-farmers market and education about environmental sustainability, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. May 1, Portage City Hall parking lot and front lawn, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329–4511, portagemi.gov/441/events.

in Partnership with IHT Wealth Management 259 E. Michigan Avenue, Suite 307 Kalamazoo, MI (269) 385-0001 • www. jeffkrossfinancial.com Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IHT Wealth Management, a registered investment advisor.

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ENCORE BACK STORY Lissette Mira-Amaya (continued from page 38) its inception in the 1980s (as the Hispanic American Council) and also providing counseling services through El Concilio.

How did you get where you are today?

In the early '80s I was hired at the Douglass Community Center to work with the Marielitos — Cuban refugees from the Mariel boat lift — who had come here. Many of them were mentally ill, seriously mentally ill. My father was Cuban, so I knew not only Spanish but understood the Cuban culture.

I got my social work license while there and was there for 24 years, becoming a regular therapist and then program manager.

I moved to Kalamazoo Community Mental Health, where I worked on inpatient foster care for mental health patients. I saw a cycle where people would get very ill, go to the state hospital, where they would stay for awhile, and then go to foster care. Then they would be released into an independent living situation and end up back at the state hospital and start the cycle again. We developed a program to teach these patients skills from coping to cooking and everything in between and how to become independent in and live in the community. We would have groups to talk about mental health and substance abuse and how to stay healthy. It was a very successful program, but it was expensive, so the agency cut it.

From there, I went to Family & Children Services, where my position was specifically

to work with Latinos. I worked with children there but also with adults, which I did on my own time. I was there for four or five years and then went out on my own, but I wasn't good at charging people.

Then I got a call from the Van Buren Intermediate School District about working as a therapist for middle and high school students for the school system. Initially I worked for schools in Hartford, where 50 percent of the kids are Latinos, and Bloomingdale, which is 40 percent Latino.

Now I am just in Bloomingdale.

You are an advocate of mental health services within the Latino community.

What are the particular challenges with mental health for Latinos?

There is a special spot in my heart for Latinos because there are hardly any Latino therapists here: me and Roberto Flachier, who hired me at the Douglass Center.

And this is a generalization, but Latino families want to take care of their problems at home, you know? It's not because they think, 'Oh, my God, you know, having mental health problems is terrible.' It's because they really want to show that they care about the members of their family. It's a very strong value.

But it’s changing. The way we get connected to clinicians in my culture is through wordof-mouth. People tell others that they are seeing somebody who speaks the language and who is helping. I have found that if you help one kid, then that family helps the next

Ask ASK MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW

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Q.

What are some of the barriers that Latinos faces when trying to access mental health?

Lack of insurance for one thing. Lots of them don't have health insurance. And not having bilingual and bicultural clinicians is also a barrier. The system tries to do the best that it can, but you can't do therapy through a translator.

A lot of people I see are poor and undocumented. There is a lot of trauma being an immigrant. Even if you come with papers, it is a huge change — you have to learn a whole new language, new culture, and adjustments in every way, from the food to learning public transportation.

You've noted there are few Spanishspeaking therapists in this area. How does that get rectified?

I am mentoring and supervising a number of people training to work in the field. My son asked me the other day, “Mom, when are you gonna retire?” I said, “I don't know. I think I may never retire." There is just a great need for Latino therapists.

— Interview by Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity This story is part of the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative's Mental Wellness Project, a solutions-oriented journalism initiative focused on mental health issues in our communities. For more information visit swmichjournalism.com.

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

LAWYER

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

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family by telling them that they received help and it was good.

A. Trust Protectors – Protect this House! (er, Trust). The use of trust protectors or, in Michigan, a “trust Q. How LAWYER ASK

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?

ASKdirector,” is now a commonplace planning technique, particularly in irrevocable planning. Trust protectors hisPLANNING are Trust torically were third parties who might independently review the trust activities and accountings and be a source LAWYER Q. Protectors of report to a court or other stakeholder. Nowadays, trust protectors are put in place for everything from changWillis Law A. Used in ing the situs or jurisdiction of a trust, to amending the trust for tax objectives, to amending the trustee’s powers Q. 491 West South Street Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. and authority, to even modifying the terms of distribution to a beneficiary. Trust protectors, in conjunction Trust with the use of professional trustees, have become commonplace in the administration of spousal access trusts Kalamazoo, MI 49007 A.Planning? which allows a spouse to fully utilize his or her exclusion amount in the current times ahead of the decreas269.492.1040 Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law

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THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE

Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there Please send your questions to: My husband going into a nursing home.that I’ve told it is is an irrevocable trustisfor persons in your circumstances can been be established withtoyour assetsatotrust the extent they exceed protected possible for me create and protect my the assets from the spend Willis Law amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). down at the nursing home. Is that true?

491 West South Street If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an Kalamazoo, MI 49007J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS MICHAEL annuity LAW income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in 269.492.1040 such Yes. a circumstance the trustwhen will no folks longer talk be considered Most often on trusta countable planning, they are www.willis.law asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid Please send your questions to: referencing a My revocable trust. Ingoing fact, that case probably more intois atheand nursing purposes. This is husband a sophisticatedis planning technique, I highly home. I’ve been told it is thanencourage 99% of you the time. counsel A revocable trust underthisMichigan law generally before implementing or possible toforseekme to create a trust andtechnique protect my assets from the spend is set only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there anyup other Medicaid planning.

Willis Law MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW

Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.

9471992-01

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491 West South is andanCounselors irrevocable for persons Michael J. WillisStreet is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys at Law, is licensed totrust law in Florida and Michigan, in registered ascircumstances public accountant that can be in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, Kalamazoo,signifies MI 49007 established with foryour the Heextent exceed that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized the highestassets levels of skill to and integrity. is listed in thethey Best Lawyers in America. the protected 269.492.1040 amount (whichYes. under Michigan law will cap folks at a little Most often when talkover on$125,000). trust planning, they are www.willis.law If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in than 99% of the time.

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Martindale, has been encourage you to seek beforeofimplementing this technique or rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached thecounsel heights any other Medicaid professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and planning. integrity. He is

ing exclusion amount in 2026 (decreasing from $12,060,000 to approximately $6,000,000). Where a spouse serving as a trustee of a trust for himself or herself will have limitations on their ability to make distributions, a trust protector working in conjunction with a professional trustee, or a professional trustee alone, would have no such limitations and could freely make distributions as may be requested by the trust beneficiaries. It should be noted that under Michigan law a trust protector has the same fiduciary duty and liability in the exercise or non-exercise of a power as a trustee in a like position. That being said, a trust protector may be relieved of their fiduciary duty, but not for actions in bad faith or with reckless indifference.

listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

9471992-01

9471992-01

www.willis.law

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BACK STORY ENCORE

Lissette Mira-Amaya Therapist, LMSW

A

t an age when most people are eyeing their 401(k)s and a hammock in the backyard, Lissette Mira-Amaya, 67, is still listening, caring and helping patients with their mental health, especially those who are immigrants and members of the Latino population.

Born in Nicaragua, Mira-Amaya came to the United States at 19 to attend college, landing at Western Michigan University, where she majored in psychology.

“I knew I wanted to study psychology since I was 12. I thought it was neat stuff, and I loved to learn and liked people,” say Mira-Amaya, who is a licensed master social worker (LMSW). "But after I thought about it, I realized I had an uncle who was schizophrenic or who they said was schizophrenic. I think he was probably bipolar, because he was able to stabilize for long periods of time and then he would have a crisis. I think that's why I was interested."

In addition to working for several local mental health agencies, Mira-Amaya has also been very involved with El Concilio, a nonprofit organization that serves Kalamazoo's Latino community. She has been working with the organization as a board member from

Brian Powers

(continued on page 37)

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