MUSIC Bravo! Competition Recital

April

19

Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre

Bravo!, a competition and performance celebrating local youth musicians, returns this month after a seven-year hiatus.

Local youth musicians from all musical disciplines were invited to audition for the program. Winners of those auditions will give a free recital at 7 p.m. April 19 in the Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre in the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall. Winners also receive professional coaching sessions prior to the recital, tickets to The Gilmore, Fontana Chamber Arts and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra performances, and gift cards to local businesses.

Portions of the recital will be recorded for broadcast at a later date on Classical WMUK 89.9 and the Public Media Network.

Bravo! was originally created in 2001 to showcase local youth musicians; the last event was held in 2016.

For information, visit https://www.fontanamusic.org/bravo.

High School Area Show

April 24–May 21

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

Showcasing artwork made by local high school students, the High School Area Show has been a tradition for over 40 years at the KIA. Works by students in Allegan, Berrien, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties will be displayed, with the student artists eligible for more than 45 scholarships and prizes that will be awarded.

The KIA is open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, or $2 for students and free for members. For information, visit kiarts.org.

Edible Book Festival

April 1

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

After being a virtual event last year, the Edible Book Festival returns to being a live event beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave, Suite 103A.

In this popular annual culinary celebration of the book arts, the competitors create food items inspired by their favorite books. The display begins at 2:30, and winners will be announced at 4 p.m., followed by an opportunity for attendees to eat the entries. For information, visit kalbookarts.org.

New Exhibitions

April 7–May 5

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Two artists will be featured this month at the KBAC Gallery.

Prints and other artwork by John McKaig explore escape, sexuality, mortality, passage after life and dealing with trauma.

Works created by Caroline Allen and inspired by the writing of Kia Penso will be featured in Caroline Allen: Paper Collage . Allen’s collages are being used to design multi-colored linocuts for the KBAC letterpress publication The Ghosts, a limitededition book of short stories by Penso.

The opening reception for both exhibitions will be 6–7 p.m. April 22, followed by readings by poet W. Todd Kaneko and author Kia Penso from 7–8:30 p.m.

For information, visit kalbookarts.org.

EcoWisdom

April 29–June 15

Westminster Art Festival

Visual art and poetry representing the complicated and intertwined relationships in and among ecosystems will be the focus of this annual exhibition.

The juried festival, which is held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Ave., will kick off with an opening reception and concert from 5–8 p.m. April 29. Awards for the festival will be presented at 6 p.m. May 13, with the exhibition open from 5–8 that night.

For information, call 344-3966 or visit westminsterartfestival.org.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

YoungArtistsofKalamazooCounty through April 16

Art,MusicandFeminisminthe1950s , through May 7

ExpressionsinPaperandClay , through May 14

LinesThat..., through June 11