December 2022

Meet Luis Peña

Beer Guru Mike Babb Community Arts Award Winners

From the Editor

As a writer, journalist and editor, I can't help but feel just a smidge of sadness whenever someone tells me how beautiful an issue of Encore is. I am very proud of the quality of our publication, especially the stories that are written by a cadre of talented local freelancers, but those stories don't always get a lot of expressions of reader love. It’s the images and design that people ooh and aah over.

In the eight years that photographer Brian K. Powers has been working with us at Encore, he has elevated the imagery in our magazine to new heights. In this issue, our annual Revealed issue, we give people plenty of his beautiful images — photos that Brian took that we couldn't print with the accompanying stories due to space considerations. The issue is a celebration of his amazing work and vision.

But we also offer an informative, well-crafted story by of one of our talented freelance writers, Chris Killian. Chris introduces our readers to Mike Babb, who has influenced the craft beer industry in Kalamazoo and beyond. And in our Back Story, you’ll meet Luis Peña, who has taken on the role of historic preservation coordinator for the city of Kalamazoo.

This issue also features our annual gift guide, which highlights great local retailers and businesses to patronize as you do your holiday shopping.

And if you are looking for a gift for the unorganized people in your life — and I’m sure you know a few — The Organizer Man, a.k.a. Dan Cunningham, a Portage-based organizing consultant and influencer who has more than 100,000 followers of his TikTok videos, tells us what his favorites organizational items are to put under the tree this year.

Have a bright, beautiful holiday season, which we hope includes enjoying the eye candy in this Encore issue!

Left to right: Tyler J. Stewart, Charles S. Ofstein, William B. Millard & Hannah M. Recknagel

December

FEATURE

Revealed 17

SPECIAL SECTION

A beautiful collection of unseen images from Encore stories and archives by photographer Brian K. Powers Gift Guide 2022 7 Great ideas to help you give local this holiday season

On the Cover: The gorgeous rainbow effect inside the Kalamazoo Public Library. Photo by Brian K. Powers

First

Things A round–up of happenings in SW Michigan

Five Faves The Organizer Man dishes on holiday gifts for those who need a little organization

Beer Guru — When it comes to making beer, Mike Babb knows what's brewing

Meet Luis Peña — He's helping preserve Kalamazoo's historic buildings and homes

And the Award Goes to... Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo celebrates those whose contributions bolster the region's arts community

Business

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Commercial Property

General Liability

CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE

Brian Powers

Brian grew up in Kalamazoo but says he's realized it’s not as small a town as some would paint it. “I am always meeting new people through my work, and it amazes me just how many people I don't know even though I've lived here for most of my life," he says. “I learn something new about this community every day.” In addition to taking photos for Encore, Brian shoots for clients that include Hour Media, Bronson Healthcare and the University of Michigan. To see more of Brian’s work, visit briankpowers.com.

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• Umbrella Liability

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452 N. Grand Schoolcraft (269) 679-4918 trustshieldinsurance.com 301 N. Richardson St. Vicksburg (269) 649-1914

Not one to turn down “a lawnmower beer,” Chris says he enjoyed interviewing Mike Babb for his story about the beer guru. “Mike is incredibly down-to-earth in an industry that's become synonymous with cool and hipster," says Chris, noting it was Babb who coined the term “lawnmower beer” in reference to the non-craft variety of the beverage. "I could have spent all day talking beer with him over a cheap cold one.” Chris is a frequent contributor to Encore

Marie Lee

Kalamazoo, MI • 269.381.0596 • www.fngfenceandgarden.com Commercial fence services since 1981

Advancing Lives, LLC

269.779.2900

AdvancingLives.myasealive.com Jacque@AdvancingLives.biz

Healthy Cells. Healthy Life. How are your cells doing?

Let’s talk Redox.

Gift Guide 2022

Kazoo Books

2413 Parkview Ave. 269.553.6506 • kazoobooks.com

Put us on your list for that special gift this year. Check out our extensive collection of new and used titles. Gift cards. Book orders. Entrance and parking behind the store off Book Alley. See you soon.

Genesis Fitness and Wellness

205.433.9377 • genesisfitwell.com

Health and fitness is the best gift you can give to those most important to you. Have our certified personal trainers come virtually or in person to the safest environment — your home!

Tulips Little Pop Up Shop

2036 Parkview Ave. • 269.459.6481 tulipslittlepopup.com

Tulips is here for all of your gift-giving needs this Holiday Season! Whether it's gifts, apparel or accessories, we have something for everyone's stocking!

The Pantry on Tap

7634 S. Westnedge Ave., Portage 269.978.6641 • thepantryontap.com

Add some flavor to your life! The Pantry on Tap is a gourmet store featuring olive oils, balsamic vinegars, dips, spices and unique gifts to bring out your inner chef. To pre-order your holiday or corporate gifts, call 269.978.6641.

Kalamazoo Nature Center

7000 N. Westnedge Ave. 269.381.1574 • naturecenter.org

Give Gifts of Nature this holiday season from KNC's online gift catalog, or visit Trailhead Gifts & Books in KNC's Visitor Center. Don't miss the Buy Local Art & Gift Fair, Saturday, December 3 with free admission! Details at NatureCenter.org.

Gift Guide2022

Binder Park Zoo

7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek 269.979.1351 • binderparkzoo.org

PAWS-itively the wildest gift to give or get, an annual zoo membership is a year of unlimited zoo visits, restaurant and gift shop discounts, reciprocal benefits and more. Wrap your holiday gifts in animal print this season to let them Go Wild, Go Often!

Air Zoo – Aerospace & Science Center

6151 Portage Road, Portage 269.350.2842 • airzoo.org

A membership to the Air Zoo offers unlimited access to exhibits, rides simulators, shows and member-only events, all year! Members enjoy presales on programs, discounts in the gift shop and reciprocal membership opportunities. Explore options at airzoo.org/ membership.

Burtrum Furs & Leathers

5568 Beckley Road, Suite 8 &10 Battle Creek • 269.979.4101 burtrumfursandleathers.com

SW Michigan’s largest full service outerwear store, with over 800 coats for men and women up to 4X, specializing in fur and leather. Cash meres, rainwear, vests, ponchos, wraps, 100s of accessories; hats, headbands, earmuffs, scarves, gloves, slippers, belts, wallets and more!

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

314 S. Park Street 269.349.7775 • kiarts.org

This year, give the gift of art in KIA memberships, gift certificates, classes, and one-of-a-kind works of art from the Gallery Shop.

The Park Club

219 W. South St. 269.381.0876 • parkclub.net

Elina Organics

4205 S. Westnedge Ave. 269.384.9080 • elinaorganics.com

National award-winning, handmade, organic, clinical skin care products and ser vices made in Kalamazoo. Voted best facial of Chicago by Chicago Magazine and Best Facial for Glowing Skin by CS Magazine

Gift a membership of superior cuisine, attentive personalized service, and a loyalty to comfortable elegance.

Resident Membership $150 (initiation $500), Patron of the Arts Membership $65 (initiation $200), Associate Resident Membership $65 (initiation $200), Intermediate Resident Membership $90 (initiation $200).

Restrictions Apply

Downtown Kalamazoo

Lana's Boutique

124 S. Kalamazoo Mall 269.345.3302 • lanasboutique.com

Lana's has you covered for all your gift-giving needs this season! Unique, exclusive gifts and clothing for yourself or anyone on your list. Locally owned for 18 years, Lana's offers an unparalleled shopping experience. Enjoy complimentary gift wrapping and free shipping this holiday season!

Pop City Popcorn

Cherri's Chocol'art

101 S. Kalamazoo Mall • 269.998.7339

Be 1 of 3 lucky winners to win the Golden Ticket inside Kalamazoo's Winnie Wink Bar at participating downtown shops. Each candy bar sold benefits Loaves & Fishes. Grand Prizes include dinner, movie, chocolate for a year and $100 in Downtown Dollars!!

346 S. Kalamazoo Mall 269.382.5770 • popcitypopcorn.com

Delicious, gourmet popcorn flavors are a perfect gift!

Family owned Pop City Popcorn offers several options for customized gift baskets and tins for tantalizing holiday gift giving. Include one of our many Michigan-produced items in your custom gift.

Earthly Delights at Amy Zane

132 S. Kalamazoo Mall 269.459.1409 • amyzane.com

We are a casual, eclectic gallery celebrating the work of artists, makers, and small-batch apparel designers. Experience the variety of wonders (for every budget) in-person, or on our vast and shoppable site, www.amyzane.com!

Framemaker

434 S. Burdick St. • 269.345.6566

Custom picture framing and design at its best. A special gift that will last a lifetime and more!

V&A Bootery

Downtown Kalamazoo – 269.345.0107 Southland Mall, Portage – 269.323.9888

V&A Bootery has a huge selection of boots for men and women this fall, including Blundstone. These uni-sex Chelsea boots are timelessly good-looking and tough enough for Michigan winters. Shop online or in-store with free local delivery or curbside pick-up.

Gift Guide 2021

Masonry Heater Design House

269.598.5831 • mhdh@tds.net MasonryHeaterDesignHouse.com

With 20 years of experience, Masonry Heater Design House provides installation, design and consulting services for anyone considering a masonry heater. Licensed and insured in the state of Michigan.

Fly Buy Gift Shop

Air Zoo — 6151 Portage Road, Portage 269.350.2828 • airzoostore.org

Gifting made easy — from games and books to clothing, toys, decor and models, we have thoughtful and unique gifts for everyone on your list. Shop local — explore in-store 7 days a week till 5 pm or 24/7 at airzoostore.org

Brian K. Powers

Encore Magazine

117 W. Cedar St. • 269.383.4433 encorekalmazoo.com

Nothing stuffs a stocking like a subscription to Encore! The magazine for those who love Kalamazoo, each issue celebrates the people, places and things of our community. Subscribe online at encorekalamazoo.com/subscribe.

Photography

Studio 301, Park Trades Building 269.720.7649 • briankpowers.com

Whether they are just starting out or ready for an updated image, a studio headshot session is the perfect gift for the young or seasoned professional in your life. For $175, give someone the gift that shows your love, support and admiration.

First Things

Something Green Garden Council holds holiday sale

Get your holiday swag — in terms of evergreens and other plants — at the Kalamazoo Garden Council’s Greens Sale, set for 9 a.m–4 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Portage Zhang Senior Center, 203 E. Centre Ave.

This is the 69th year of this annual sale, which features locally made seasonal gifts and decor of evergreen door swags, holiday floral arrangements, custom bows and raffle prizes. The proceeds support the Garden Council's local beautification projects, environmental initiatives and community-based garden initiatives.

For more information, visit kalamazoogardencouncil.org.

Something Musical Clint Black & family perform

On their cheekily named Mostly Hits & The Mrs. Tour, country music icon Clint Black and his wife, Lisa Hartman Black, will perform at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at the State Theatre. They will be joined on stage by their 21-year-old daughter, Lily Pearl Black.

Since his debut in 1989 with the album Killin’ Time, Clint Black has had 22 No. 1 singles on the country charts and has earned a Grammy Award and numerous Country Music Association and American Music Association awards. His wife began her career as an actress, notably starring on the TV show Knots Landing as well as in numerous TV movies. The couple married in 1991, and in 1999 they released their Grammy-nominated duet, “When I Said I Do,” which won an ACM Award.

Tickets to the local show are $45–$234, with VIP packages available. For tickets or more information, visit kazoostate.com.

Something Historical Photos capture life in Kalamazoo County

A photography exhibit documenting Kalamazoo County over the past several decades is running at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum until June.

In 1984, on the 100th anniversary of Kalamazoo becoming a city, a group of photographers spent several months on a project to document life in the city. Since then, the project has expanded into a year-long process of documenting Kalamazoo County during each decade. Most recently, the project involved photographs taken in 2020.

The exhibition, Moments in Time: The Kalamazoo County Photo Documentary Project, which opened in October and runs through June 4, features images by 20 photographers. A public celebration of completion of the 2020 photo survey will be held at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at the museum.

The museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit kalamazoomuseum.org.

Something Seasonal

Candlelight

Walk highlights historical homes

A Candlelight Walk to see historical homes decorated for Christmas happens again this year in Marshall after a two-year hiatus.

What had been an annual event held by the Marshall Historical Society was canceled the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year it’s set for Dec. 10 and 11 and will feature five homes.

Only 500 tickets will be sold for the tours, which begin at 4:30 and 6:45 p.m. both days at the First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Mansion St. Groups of 25 will be taken to the homes by a tour leader.

Tickets are $25, and reservations can be made at marshallhistoricalsociety.org or by calling 269-781-2544. Participants are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled tour, wear comfortable footwear for walking and be prepared for winter weather.

Something Americana Eccentric Cafe hosts bluegrass band

The Wisconsin bluegrass quintet Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, which has graced stages alongside Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles, Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart, will come to Bell's Eccentric Cafe Dec. 17.

The band, which was formed in 2013 when the members were students at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, has recorded six albums in the past 12 years. They are touring to promote their latest album, Miles in Blue, which features 18 tracks celebrating more than a decade of singing, playing and recording together.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $20 in advance and $22 at the door and are available at Bell's General Store, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., and online at bellsbeer.com.

Five Faves

Great gifts for those who need a little organization

by Dan Cunningham

I’ve never known a time when I wasn’t separating items and grouping similar ones together or tidying things. When I was growing up in a family with four boys under the age of 6, home life was chaotic. But all my little clothes hung neatly in my closet, organized by color and type. My toys were always in some sort of lineup. No matter what craziness was going on around me, I could always go to my tidy room and feel calm.

At a very young age, I identified one of the most important organizing concepts: Our physical surroundings have a major impact on how we think and feel. So, what could be a better gift than something that gives people that calming magic? Here are five of my favorite organizing products that I am giving this year.

Pot, Pan & Platter Storage Rack

Rattling pots, pans and lids around makes such a racket! It also requires the person clattering through a cupboard, drawer or box searching for a pan to have to yell loudly, “I’m OK, everybody! I’m OK!”

Standing up as a tower, this versatile storage rack holds pots and pans so that they slide in and out effortlessly and silently, never making contact with each other. Placed on its side, it files serving platters and baking sheets side by side, all in a row. It sets up effortlessly in about a minute, with zero hardware.

Its solid, steel design is strong enough to hold my large Lodge cast-iron skillet with ease. Give this as a gift and you’ll lovingly spring to mind whenever someone is grabbing a pan, especially if they are sneaking a midnight snack in a sleeping household.

Find it at amzn.to/3NCLDiK

Food Storage Wrap Dispenser and Bag Organizer

I really think Food Wrap Anxiety Disorder is a thing. Reaching into a drawer of crushed, ripped and mangled boxes of food storage bags and wraps while trying not to cut my hands on that sharp jagged thingamajig that rips the plastic wrap off the roll used to give me anxiety. So, discovering these space-saving containers to keep storage bags and wraps in their clearly labeled compartments was better than therapy.

These organizers come in all shapes and sizes, and I especially like the ones made of sustainable bamboo. They are the perfect gift for

anyone who has foil, plastic wrap or plastic bags, which is pretty much anyone with a kitchen. Whoever receives this gift will be singing your praises every time they need to wrap some food or grab a baggie. They might also charge straight at you and tackle you for a huge hug, so I’d prepare yourself.

Food Storage Wrap Dispenser: Find it at amzn.to/3Dxybbf

Food Storage Bag Organizer Box: Find it at amzn.to/3Uqmqdg

Brian Powers

Red the Crab Spoon Rest

Meet Red, the little crab that's a non-slip silicone spoon rest and steam releaser. Position this little crustacean on the edge of your pots and pans and use him to hold spoons or put him on the edge of a pot lid to let out the steam. Every time Red’s on duty at our house while I’m cooking for guests, one of his fellow silicone crustaceans ends up on a flight from Amazon. He's the perfect small gift for a stocking stuffer. And besides, who doesn't like crab?

Find it at amzn.to/3zIZxd9

Drill Brushes

For me, organizing and cleaning go hand in hand, and these drill brush attachments will spin their way right into your cleaning supplies. They might spin your head around too when you see how easy and fun they make de-griming sinks, tubs, counters, floors and corners. There are three different-size brushes and an extender that fit nearly all power drills. This gift is perfect for the those we love who have a thing for power tools. Have them try using their precious drill for cleaning and watch them go. Then walk slowly away, grab a refreshing beverage and a copy of Encore, and kick back while someone else has all the "fun" of cleaning!

Find it at amzn.to/3DZnaAJ

Souper Cubes

Souper Cubes are time- and money-saving giants. Fill, cover, freeze. Heat, eat, repeat. Fill them with leftovers or cook in bulk and freeze portions of your favorite meals, soups, sauces, pasta, potatoes, veggies, or basically anything.

Clearly marked portion-amount lines allow for easy recipe measurements and portion control. The lids fit tightly, and frozen food portions pop out with ease to be stored in freezer containers or bags for those hungry nights when time is tight and you need a meal ready in minutes.

Find it at amzn.to/3hbY88w

About the Author

After 30 years in the field of organization, sharing tips and tricks with clients as The Organizer Man, Dan Cunningham of Portage makes videos about organizational products for Amazon as one of its primary organizing influencers and has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. You can find all these products and more on his page at Amazon. com/shop/theorganizerman.

Classical M u sic

Kalamazoo’s only dedicated classical music station. Tune in online at WMUK.org or on the dial at 89.9 FM in Kalamazoo.

News

Information, analysis, and conversations from around the globe and right here in West Michigan on 102.1 FM. Check out the details at wmuk.org/schedule

Have you heard the sounds of WMUK?

Revealed Revealed

Uncovering unseen Encore photos

The memorable year that has been 2022 has been reflected in the pages of Encore every month by photographer Brian K. Powers, who artfully captures our community and its people. But sometimes — actually, a lot of the time — Brian takes more beautiful images than we can possibly print in each issue. So, for the sixth year in a row, Encore presents its annual Revealed issue, where we share images that Encore staffers loved but that didn't make it into print until now. Think of it as Encore's holiday gift to you.

A still life of lines and decor found in the Pratt House in The Acres, taken for our November 2022 issue.

photography by BRIAN K. POWERS

Clockwise from top left: Portage's Sugarloaf Lake at sunset; artist Jacqueline Tafoya sits with her rock portrait of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg among other art she has created; different woods used by Troy Bun gart in creating his artists' tools and brushes; and the bar area of William Lesterhouse's Mattawan antique shop where the proprietor mixes up his famous Rum Shrubs.

Clockwise from above: A collection of LEGO minifigures stand ready to find new homes at Adam Weiner's Bricks and Minifigs store, which opened in June; Dormouse Theatre founder Stephen DuPuie oversees more than just the venue's schedule; Jack, a mixed breed, watches a fisherman on a south west Michigan lake; the exterior of the Pratt House; and Sensei Roo Heins in her Mitsubachi Dojo.

Clockwise from top left: A sign that says it all outside Lucky Girl Brewing in Paw Paw; Lauren Burns, owner of Tending Tilth, is adored by one of the sheep she rents out to clear land; fall in Portage's Gourdneck State Game Area; an iconic star-shaped light fixture in Kalamazoo's Civic Auditorium; and a giant bubble across a summer sky.

Want that photo for yourself?

If you are interested in purchasing a larger print of any of the photos in this issue, send a request to editor@ encorekalamazoo.com for more information and pricing.

Beer Guru

Mike Babb knows what's brewing

by Chris Killian

Mike Babb has beer in his blood, so it makes sense that he calls a beer city like Kalamazoo home, a place he’s helped solidify not just as a center for beer innovation but as the cradle for the development of the next generation of cutting-edge brewers.

A Colorado native raised in the shadow and culture of the Coors Brewing Co., Babb comes from a long line of beer enthusiasts. His grandfather worked in marketing at the behemoth of beer manufacturing, and his dad worked on the brewing and business side of the brewery. His sister worked there too.

“Some families talk about politics or what everyone’s day was like when they gather around the dinner table,” Babb says. “Our family talked about beer — all the time.”

So it made sense that Babb, 70, would enter the beer world himself, eventually making his way to the craft beer haven of Kalamazoo. Process of chemical reactions

After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines in 1976 with a degree in chemical engineering, Babb walked through the doors at Coors in what would wind up being a 20year stint with the brewer, working in process and research development, operations management, and eventually as head international brewer.

Babb came to Kalamazoo in 2003 to work for Kalsec, a local spice extraction company, as the product line director of the company’s hop extraction business, which catered to the hop-heavy burgeoning craft beer movement.

The company — and by default Babb — was approached by Kalamazoo Valley Community College in 2014 to help in the development of a KVCC certificate program in sustainable brewing. He still teaches in the program and keeps in touch with graduates who have been pushing out new flavors of beer at breweries across the nation.

Brewing, Babb says, is a multifaceted process of chemical reactions. Where you might see a golden-colored brew with a fluffy head, Babb sees the entire process, from start to bottle.

“I like the differences in beer — in manufacturing, process, type. It’s a complex thing, really,” he says. “There’s the interaction of yeast, hops and water. But what types of hops? What kind of water? They all make a difference. Brewing is a combination of microbiology and physics and know-how. I find those aspects fascinating. I love to reverse-engineer a beer when I try something new.”

Despite his deep, complex expertise in brewing, Babb doesn’t take himself too seriously, doesn’t let himself get too exclusive in an industry that has become synonymous with cool. To put it succinctly, he doesn’t mind kicking back and cracking open a cheap cold one, what he calls “a lawnmower beer.” There is something to be said for every beer, he says.

In the late 1980s, Babb studied brewing technology at the Technical University of Munich–Weihenstephan, and he has a master’s degree in education and curriculum development from Colorado Christian University, where his dissertation was on

Mike Babb in front of the brewing system at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's sustainable brewing program where he teaches courses.

how

“In some ways, beer is healthier than spirits,” he says. “It’s a fermented product and has inherent health benefits, just like wine.”

More beer options

Before former President Jimmy Carter signed the law in 1978 allowing people to brew their own beer, which sparked many of the brands we know today, like Bell’s,

Founders and dozens more, Americans had very limited beer options, Babb says.

“There were four mega-breweries, and not much variety,” he says. “It was like having four different kinds of white bread.”

That’s all changed, of course.

Michigan ranks sixth in the United States in number of craft breweries, with 398 of them operating in the state, more than double the number here a decade ago, according to the Brewers Association, a

trade group that promotes craft breweries nationwide. All told, Michigan breweries have an almost $2.6 billion annual impact on the state’s economy.

Babb sees that impact locally too. Smaller Kalamazoo-area breweries like One Well, Final Gravity and Latitude 42 have all done what Babb says is necessary to survive in today’s

competitive craft brewery scene — carve out a niche, make a name and work hard to drive people to your pints. Nearly two-thirds of the cost of beer is distribution, Babb says, so it makes sense to keep things local.

While he was in Germany, Babb was impressed by the number of smaller breweries and pubs scattered across the country. People liked the idea of being able to saunter down to their local watering hole where they knew the brewer and where the process of manufacturing what they were drinking was shared. Babb says there was an openness about it that he really liked, and he’s happy to see it now taking place in Kalamazoo and across the United States.

“People want a destination for social interaction, not just being immersed in social media and texting. The craft brew pub became that,” he says.

Craft breweries did quite well during the worst parts of the pandemic, tilting their business plans to offer curbside food and growler service in lieu of folks cozying up to the bar, Babb says. Still, the market for craft beer locally is getting a bit saturated, he says.

“Craft brewers have explored the front lines,” Babb says. “I don’t really know what’s left.”

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas for growth. The emerging markets for nonalcoholic and gluten-free beer mean that those brewers who think outside the box have opportunities to succeed, he says. Sometimes it’s not about catching a beer buzz.

“Some people in the younger generations don’t really want the alcohol — or (want) a little alcohol — but they want the flavor,” he says. “Think of the seltzers we’re seeing, or various cannabis-infused products.”

Not surprisingly, Babb does some brewing himself, crafting small batches for himself and his wife, Linda — who also serves as his official taste-tester — as well as for those who live near his westside Kalamazoo home.

“You could say I’m pretty popular in the neighborhood,” he says.

Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs

TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

Rewarding Artistic Endeavors

Community Arts Awards recognize artists and arts supporters

by the arts staff

From Motown, folk and blues music to comedy and the creation of a physical space for artisans to work in, the recipients of the 2022 Community Arts Awards from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo represent a wide range of artistic efforts and endeavors.

The awards, to be presented during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Gull Lake Center for Fine Arts, are an annual recognition of artists and arts organizations and supporters in the Kalamazoo area whose efforts enhance the arts.

Three recipients in the world of music will receive the Community Medal of Arts, a lifetime achievement award recognizing individuals for decades of contributions and leadership in the arts.

Bertha Barbee-McNeal and Caldin "Cal" Gill-Street founded the “girl group” the Velvelettes when they were students at Western Michigan University in 1962. The group was picked up by Berry Gordy’s legendary record label Motown and had success on the charts with the songs “Needle in a Haystack” and “He Was Really Saying Something” in 1964. Barbee-McNeal and Gill-Street left the group in 1967 to raise their families, but their careers during the years in the Velvelettes and afterwards influenced the Kalamazoo community and beyond.

Barbee-McNeal spent 27 years as a choir director with Kalamazoo Public Schools, influencing hundreds of students. She is currently the artistic director and piano teacher at the Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center, housed at the Douglass Community Association.

Gill-Street, whose career included working for the Upjohn Co./ Pharmacia (now Pfizer) and WMU, has been involved with the NAACP for 30 years.

Both Barbee-McNeal and Gill-Street served for 12 years as cochairs of the NAACP ACT-SO Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) Competition for high school students. Area students work with volunteers for a year to develop their skills and prepare for the competition for scholarships and other awards. The duo worked in local high schools to recruit student participants and helped them prepare for the events. The two women both continue to visit K-12 schools and colleges to share their Motown experience.

John Speeter is receiving the Community Medal of Arts award for promoting and playing traditional folk and blues music. Speeter is a founding member of the Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association (GLAMA) as well as a longtime member of the K’zoo Folklife Organization (KFO), where he served as president for many years. In addition, he has performed as a member of the Schlitz Creek Bluegrass Band, the Somewhere in Time Band, and the Sleepy Hollow String Band and as Mudslide the Bluesman. His love for the music led him to create many musical events over the years, such as Portage’s Celery Flats Music Festival, the Folklife Music Festival and K’zoo Folklife's annual Loaves & Fishes benefit concert, where he has been involved as a performer, emcee, sound technician and stage manager.

Speeter is also an accomplished cartoonist and illustrator, coauthoring with Diane Hodges a series of motivational books titled Looking Forward to Monday Morning. His most recent book is How to Fish and Do It Well

Jerico, the creative collective housed in a 100-year-old former industrial complex in Kalamazoo's Edison neighborhood, has earned this year’s Business Arts Award because of its success as a business/ arts partnership. Owners Krystal and Jeb Gast envisioned the creative collective when they first purchased the building, in 2014. The building itself has a 100-year history of makers within its walls, including Charles Ford from Ford Motors and Star Brass Works. The three-building complex now houses nearly 30 studios for a diverse range of artists and entrepreneurs.

Other recipients of the 2022 Community Awards and the awards they will receive are:

• Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, which will receive the Epic Award, given to a nonprofit organization that enhances community life through the arts. Crawlspace, founded in 2003 and now located on the ground level of the KNAC/First Baptist Church building, at 315 W. Michigan, is the only professional improvisational theater company in Southwest Michigan. In addition to offering weekend improvisational comedy shows, Crawlspace has served hundreds of adults and youth through classes and camps, performance teams and collaborations with other artists. Crawlspace also makes its space available as a venue for other performing artists. Its Jazz in the Crawlpace series

Bertha Barbee-McNeal

John Speeter

Caldin Gill-Street

hosts nationally renowned jazz musicians, and Dormouse Theatre Troupe, Queer Theatre Kalamazoo and Bare Backstage Productions have produced shows on Crawlspace’s stage.

• Kim Shaw, Bridget Fox and Gerald Case-Blanch will receive the Gayle Hoogstraten Arts Leadership Award for Educators

Shaw teaches art at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is a teaching artist in visual art, dance and theater with Education for the Arts/KRESA. She also offers private individual art lessons and community group workshops. Those nominating Shaw for the award noted that she instills therapeutic creative safety into all her classes and workshops, "looking beyond the skills of her students to see the experience they bring and meet them where they are without fear, intimidation or self-consciousness."

Fox is a full-time art instructor at MRC Artworks, which provides art programs for individuals living with disabilities. According to nominators, she customizes the art projects she teaches to fit individual artists’ abilities, with the aim of helping each artist find their artistic voice, enhancing the students’ self-esteem and sense of self-worth. She also organizes field trips for her students to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Lunchtime Live, and area artists’ studios.

Case-Blanchard directs three choirs in the greater Battle Creek community — the Branch County Community Chorus, the Concentus Vocal Ensemble and the Kellogg Singers — and coordinates the Kellogg Community College concert and jazz bands and teaches dozens of individual and group music and choir classes. His choirs have collaborated with the Battle Creek Symphony, the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music and the Monroe Community Chorale and Symphony Orchestra, and the Kellogg Singers have opened for Grammy Awardwinning music groups, including Take 6 and Sweet Honey in the Rock. In addition, the choirs have toured nationally and internationally, performing concerts across the U.S. and in Europe. Case-Blanchard also works with large area high school groups to prepare them for upcoming concerts, such as the annual Prado Benefit Concert held each fall in Battle Creek.

2022 Community Arts Awards Ceremony

5:30–7 p.m. Dec. 7

Gull Lake Center for Fine Arts, 7753 N. 34th St., Richland

• Stephanie Hinman, executive director of the Kalamazoo State Theatre since 2014, will receive the Gayle Hoogstraten Arts Leadership Award for Arts Administration. Under Hinman's leadership, the historical State Theatre, which was built in 1927, has undergone renovations, upgrades and a complete overhaul of its programming. With a background in business, construction and nonprofit management, Hinman has emphasized bringing diverse national acts to the venue as well as providing opportunities for local artists to be showcased. During the Covid-19 restrictions, the theater’s State on the Street events provided an outdoor place for patrons to gather to see local musicians perform. In 2021, the theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its significance in the history of Kalamazoo.

• Sydney Bastos, who has been pivotal in building an arts community in Vicksburg, will receive the Theodore C. Cooper Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service. Bastos, the current acting executive director and board president of the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center (VCAC), helped develop that organization from being a program of Vicksburg’s Downtown Development Authority into an independent nonprofit with a full-time director. Among the arts programs she has initiated in the community are a coffeehouse concert series, an “Arts in the Burg” art camp for children, cultural arts exploration programs for teens, a “Wednesday Winners” club for adults with disabilities, and community art projects at the Harvest Festival and Christmas in the Village. She has also helped to enhance participation in the Schoolcraft Community Library’s Tournament of Writers.

TheArts

Various Performances

Throughout the month WMU School of Music

WMU's School of Music will offer holiday music and more in its slate of concerts during December. Unless noted, performances will be in the university’s Dalton Center Recital Hall and are free. The performances scheduled are:

• Chris Potter, a renowned saxophonist, composer and bandleader, performing with WMU's Advanced Jazz Ensemble, the Western Jazz Collective and The University Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1. Tickets are $5–$10.

• A Choral Christmas, featuring WMU's Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St. Tickets are $5–$15.

• Bronco Marching Band Miller Show, directed by Trey Harris, 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $8–$12.

• University Concert Band, conducted by Mary Land, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Miller Auditorium.

• Birds on a Wire, WMU's new-music ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6.

• Campus Choir, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7.

• 40th Annual Brass for the Holidays concert, featuring the Western Brass Quintet, 3 p.m. Dec. 11 at Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $5–$15.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit wmich.edu/music/events.

Holiday Choral Performances

Throughout the month Various venues

Choirs and holidays just seem to go together, and there are several choral concerts this month that feature Christmas themes:

• The Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus teams up with the Kalamazoo Concert Band to perform Yuletide Carols at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at Miller Auditorium. The concert is free, but a ticket is required. For tickets or more information, visit kalamazooconcertband.org.

• Holidays with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival will feature the festival's chorus singing holiday music from around the world at 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in Kalamazoo College’s Stetson Chapel. Tickets are $5–$29, and virtual and in-person viewing of the concert will be available. For tickets or more information visit kalamazoobachfestival.org.

• The Kalamazoo Male Chorus and Kalamazoo Ringers Handbell Choir will join forces for a free concert titled 2022 Christmas in Kalamazoo at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Centerpoint Church, 2345 N. 10th St. For more information, visit kalamazooringers.org.

• The Kalamazoo Community Chorale will present a free concert titled Christmas Time is Here at 3 p.m. Dec. 10 at First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park St. For more information, visit kalamazoocommunitychorale.com.

Isidore String Quartet Dec. 2 Fontana Chamber Arts

Fontana will present this young and upcoming classical quartet, which won first place in the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in Western Michigan University’s Dalton Center Recital Hall.

The New-York based quartet will perform works by Haydn, Beethoven and Billy Childs. Their performance is a substitution for the St. Lawrence String Quartet, which was originally scheduled for this date but whose performance was cancelled due to the death of one of its members.

Tickets are $15–$30 and can be purchased online at fontanamusic.org or by calling the Community Box Office at 250-6984. Existing tickets for the St. Lawrence String Quartet will be honored for this performance or can be exchanged by calling the Community Box Office.

WMU Marching Band

KSO Holiday Pops

Dec 3 & 4

Chenery Auditorium

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra brings a holly, jolly spirit to two performances this month.

The orchestra, conducted by John Devlin, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at Chenery, 714 S. Westnedge Ave. Special vocal guests will be soprano Erica Gabriel and baritone Marcus Jordan.

Tickets are $5–$67 and available online at kalamazoosymphony.com

Joel Frahm Dec. 15

Jazz in the Crawlspace

Tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, who performed in New York City for 30 years with artists such as Betty Carter, Kenny Barron, Freddy Cole, Dianne Schuur, Kurt Elling and Cyrille Aimee, will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, in the KNAC/First Baptist Church building, at 315 W. Michigan Ave.

Frahm, who now lives in Nashville, has played as a leader or sideman on more than 100 recordings and has appeared at jazz festivals in the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada and South America. He will be joined in his Kalamazoo performance by Carlo De Rosa on bass and Keith Hall on drums.

Tickets are $5–$12 in advance at crawlspacecomedy.com and $5–$15 the day of show at the venue.

Connie Han Trio Dec. 11 Wellspring Theater

Connie Han, the American jazz pianist described by Downbeat magazine as “a crazygood player, arranger and improviser,” will bring her fiery style to Kalamazoo for a performance at 4 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Wellspring Theater.

Han will be performing with Ryan Berg on bass and Bill Wysaske on drums as part of the Gilmore's Rising Stars Series. Han is touring to support the September release of her new album, Secrets of Inanna

Tickets are $25 for the in-person concert and on a name-your-price basis for virtual viewing. For tickets or more information, visit thegilmore.org.

Hark!TheHeraldAngelsRing Dec. 18

Kalamazoo Ringers

The Kalamazoo Ringers handbell choir will present a concert of Christmas music from 4–5:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Grace Harbor Church, 811 Gorham Lane.

The performance by the 15-member group, one of the oldest continuously operating community handbell choirs in the U.S., is free. They will be collecting donations of winter hats, gloves, scarves and mittens for those in need before the concert, from 1–3 p.m., and at the concert. For more information, visit kalamazooringers.org.

TheArts

MeetMeinSt.Louis

Dec. 2–18

The Civic Theatre

The Civic kicks off the holiday season with the nostalgic, feel-good family musical Meet Me in St. Louis

The show follows a year in the life of the Smith family, through romance, opportunity and heartbreaks, as they anticipate the upcoming 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The show is directed by Civic Artistic Director Tony Humrichouser and includes musical numbers such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" and "Whenever I'm with You."

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Tickets are $17–$30 and available online at kazoocivic.com or by calling 343–1313.

NextStop,Broadway

Dec. 1–3

WMU Theatre

You might catch a rising star at this annual cabaret featuring Western Michigan University Department of Theater seniors and special guest Faith Prince.

Prince, at left, an award-winning stage and television actress, recently starred on Broadway in Disaster! The Musical and as the scheming Miss Hannigan in the Broadway revival of Annie. She has a recurring role as Lorraine Dunphy on the ABC series Modern Family and also has appeared in recurring roles on Melissa & Joey, Drop Dead Diva and Spin City

The shows start at 7:30 p.m. in the Williams Theatre at WMU. Tickets are $6–$24 and available by calling 387-6222 or online at wmich.edu/theatre.

Other performances

ASwinging Christmas

Through Dec. 11 Farmers Alley Theatre

AChristmas Carol

Through Dec. 22 New Vic Theatre

TheNutcrackerKalamazoo!

Dec. 3 & 4

Comstock Community Auditorium

Guest dancers will join the youth company of Ballet Kalamazoo to present two performances of the holiday classic The Nutcracker.

Among the guest artists are Matthew Rusk of the St. Louis (Missouri) Ballet as The Nutcracker Prince and Joseph Van Harn of Festival Ballet Providence (Rhode Island) as The Cavalier.

Show times are 6 p.m. Dec. 3 and 1 p.m. Dec. 4. Tickets are $10–$20 and available online at balletkalamazoo.com.

Decennium Dec. 4

Wellspring Theater

The gifted members of the Young Dancers Initiative will present their annual contemporary and modern dance concert from 6–8 p.m. Dec. 4.

The performance will include dancers from the YDI's Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor companies, Jodie Randolph Dance, Western Michigan University's Western Dance Project, and the Youth Performing Ensemble of the Wellspring Dance Academy.

The Young Dancers Initiative provides professional training, performance opportunities, mentorships and educational workshops for middle- and high-school-age dancers. Founded in Ann Arbor in 2013 by Jodie Randolph, YDI expanded to a second location, in Kalamazoo, in 2020.

The Wellspring Theater is located in the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at youngdancersinitiative.org.

ChristmasCabaret

Dec. 9–22

Barn Theatre

Offering favorite carols and holiday songs, the Barn Theatre's Christmas Cabaret promises to make audiences feel merry and bright.

The show will be staged in the Barn's Rehearsal Shed and feature family-friendly holiday fare as well as complimentary dessert, coffee and hot chocolate. The bar will be open for purchase of cocktails and other beverages.

The Barn is located at 13351 W. M-96 in Augusta. Show times are 7 p.m. Dec. 9–11, 16–18 and 19–22 and 2 p.m. Dec. 10–11 and 17–18. Tickets are $37 and available by calling 731–4121 or going online to barntheatreschool.org.

DANCE

Art Hop

Dec. 2

Downtown Kalamazoo

There will be ample opportunities to embrace this month's Art Hop theme, Give the Gift of Art, if you come to the Hop, running from 5–8 p.m.

This free event organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo features a variety of artists’ works as well as live music and the chance to visit downtown businesses.

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.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:

Through Dec. 29

Through Dec. 31

LeeAnnFrame: TheArt ofRelationship

Dec. 2–Jan. 20

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Works by Michigan printmaker Lee Ann Frame will be featured at the KBAC Gallery.

Frame creates her nature-inspired works using hand-pulled multiprint media techniques, etching, and woodblock printing.

The exhibition's opening reception is set for 5–8 p.m. Dec. 2. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

Thankfulness comes in various weights

Thanks to the patron saint of klutzery for all the times lids slipped from my hands and landed sloppy side up.

Gratitude when the vase, carving and bottle I brushed to the floor, turning too suddenly and too close to the shelf, didn’t shatter.

Grateful, too, for my ring finger, that it remained attached when I caught my wedding band on a metal snag jumping down into a boat decades ago, and to the patron saint of purses

who has guarded my bags on restaurant chairs, in shopping carts, in a bird blind at a Texas sanctuary, and in countless restrooms until I returned.

To the guardian spirit who protected me near London when I looked the wrong way and, stepping into oncoming traffic, froze,

and bless whichever goddess it was who kept the surgeons’ hands steady and looked after my husband’s good heart as the team entered

and made their repairs, who sent him home to break glasses and drop buttery knives with me and irk and distract and be here.

— Lynn Pattison

Pattison is a Kalamazoo writer whose work has appeared in Ruminate, The Notre Dame Review, Brilliant Corners, Smartish Pace, and Moon City Review, among other literary journals. She is the author of the book Light That Sounds Like Breaking (Mayapple Press) and three chapbooks: tesla's daughter (March St. Press), Walking Back the Cat (Bright Hill Press) and, most recently, Matryoshka Houses (Kelsay Press). Her poems have also found their way into numerous anthologies.

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

Musicals

A Swinging Christmas — The holiday music of Tony Bennett is featured in this show created and directed by David Grapes, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1–3 & 8–10, 2 p.m. Dec. 4 & 11, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

Meet Me in St. Louis — Seasonal vignettes follow the Smith family in St. Louis leading up to the World’s Fair in the spring of 1904, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2–3, 9–10, 16–17, 2 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 & 18, Civic Theatre, 329 S. Park St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.

Other Next Stop, Broadway — Featuring WMU Department of Theatre seniors and special guest Faith Prince, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1–3, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387–6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

Christmas Cabaret — Favorite carols and holiday songs with complimentary dessert, coffee and hot chocolate, 7 p.m. Dec. 9–11, 16–18, 19–22, 2 p.m. Dec. 10–11, 17–18, Barn Theatre, 13351 W. M-96, Augusta, 731–4121, barntheatreschool.org.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze— Music and dance with holiday storybook characters, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 & 21, Miller Auditorium, kalamazooarts.org.

DANCE

In the Works — Western Dance Project performs during Art Hop, 6 p.m. Dec. 2, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, wmich.edu/dance/events.

The Nutcracker Kalamazoo! — Presented by Ballet Kalamazoo with guest artists, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 3, 1–3 p.m. Dec. 4, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., balletkalamazoo.com.

Decennium — A contemporary dance concert presented by Young Dancers Initiative and Wellspring Dance Academy of Kalamazoo, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 4, Wellspring Theatre, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 204, kalamazooarts.org.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Croce Plays Croce — A.J. Croce plays classics by his late father, Jim Croce, and some of his own tunes, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Bronco Marching Band — 3 p.m. Dec. 4, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Cursive: Celebrating 20 Years of Domestica, Dec. 1; Desmond Jones, Dec. 9; Dixon's Violin w/Dylan Tolbert, Dec. 10; Horseshoe & Hand Grenades, Dec. 17; The North 41 w/Mighty Big Rig, Dec. 23; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Jim Brickman: A Very Merry Christmas — The Grammy and Dove Award winner celebrates music, love and family with father-daughter duo Mat & Savannah Shaw, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

Clint Black with Lisa Hartman Black — The Grammy-winning country singer tours with his wife, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 16, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

Home Free: Family Christmas — A capella group performs Nashville pop and country harmonies, 8 p.m. Dec. 21, State Theatre, kazoostate.com. Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More

Chris Potter — The saxophonist performs as part of the WMU Jazz Masters Series, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/ music/events.

Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra — Performing holiday music during Art Hop, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 2, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, kalmando.com.

Isidore String Quartet — New-York based quartet, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, fontanamusic.org.

Yuletide Carols Holiday Concert — The Kalamazoo Concert Band performs a free concert with the Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus, 8–10 p.m. Dec. 2, Miller Auditorium, kalamazooconcertband.org.

AChoralChristmas— Featuring WMU's Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 4 & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3, First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St., wmich. edu/music/events.

KSO Holiday Pops — Holiday music with guest vocalists, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 & 3 p.m. Dec. 4, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., kalamazoosymphony.com.

Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Prep Ensemble — 3:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Kasdorf Auditorium, Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore, 349–7557, kjso.org.

Holidays with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival —

Featuring holiday music from around the world, 4 p.m. Dec. 4, Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, 337-7407, kalamazoobachfestival.org.

2022 Christmas in Kalamazoo — Holiday music performed by the Kalamazoo Men’s Chorus and Kalamazoo Ringers Handbell Choir, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Centerpoint Church, 2345 N. 10th St., kalamazooringers.org.

University Concert Band — 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

Birds on a Wire — WMU’s new-music ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Campus Choir — 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387-4678, wmich.edu/music/ events.

ChristmasTimeisHere— Kalamazoo Community Chorale performs sounds of the season, 3 p.m. Dec. 10, First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park St., kalamazoocommunitychorale.com.

Allegan Brass Collective – Performing holiday music, 2 p.m. Dec 11, as part of Parchment Community Library’s 2nd Sundays Live! series, 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org.

40th Annual Brass for the Holidays — Featuring Western Brass Quintet, 3 p.m. Dec. 11, Miller Auditorium, wmich.edu/music/events.

Connie Han Trio — Pianist, composer and Steinway Artist performs, 4 p.m. Dec. 11, Wellspring Theater, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, with virtual and in-person tickets available, 342–1166, thegilmore.org.

Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra — Performing holiday music, 7 p.m. Dec. 14, The Dock at Bayview, 12504 E. D Ave., Richland, 731-4911.

Jazz in the Crawlspace — Tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm performs with bass and drums, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15, Crawlspace Theatre, KNAC/ First Baptist Church, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Hark! The Herald Angels Ring — A Christmas concert by the Kalamazoo Ringers, 4–5:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Grace Harbor Church, 811 Gorham Lane, kalamazooringers.org.

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas — Singers representing Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley come together to celebrate the holidays, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

FILM

TheNightmareBeforeChristmas — A screening of the 1993 film, with a pre-show ornament craft project, costume contest and trivia, 8 p.m. Dec. 10, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — A screening of the 1989 film, with costume contest, trivia and photo opportunities with the Griswold family station wagon, 8 p.m. Dec. 17, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org

Exhibitions

Unmasking Masculinity for the 21st Century — How artists use tradition, contemporary practice and performance to explore the construction of masculinity in North America, through Dec. 29.

Unveiling American Genius — Abstract and contemporary works from the KIA’s permanent collection, emphasizing stories that African American, Latino and other artists have told, through Dec. 31.

Captive Beauties: Depictions of Women in LateImperialChina — How artists have depicted the lives and duties of these women, through Jan. 15.

What Is Going on in This Picture? — Explores Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to analyze artworks, stories, billboards, and more, through April 1.

Events

Art, Activism, and AIDS — Jordan Eagles talks about his art that uses animal and human blood to raise awareness, noon–1:30 p.m. & 3:30–5 p.m. Dec. 1; ticket required.

Panel Discussion: Art, Activism, and AIDS — A panel discusses artists who explore the impact of HIV and AIDS, 6–7 p.m. Dec. 1, KIA Auditorium; ticket required.

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists and exhibitions: Unmasking Masculinity catalog launch, online celebration, Dec. 6; Live Salon, featuring local stylists, KIA Auditorium, Dec. 13; sessions begin at noon.

A Healing Circle — Third and final community conversation regarding Unmasking Masculinity for the 21st Century, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 8, KIA Auditorium; ticket required.

1,000YearsofJoysandSorrows:AMemoirby

Al Weiwei — A discussion of Weiwei’s sculptures and installations, including the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing and his secret detention without charge in 2011, 2–3 p.m. Dec. 14, KIA Auditorium; reservations required.

Other Venues

Art Hop — With a theme of Give the Gift of Art, 5–8 p.m. Dec. 2, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Lee Ann Frame: The Art of Relationship Exhibition — Prints inspired by nature using hand-pulled multi-print media techniques, opening 5–8 p.m. Dec. 2 during Art Hop and on display through Jan. 20, KBAC, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., #103A, 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org

Holiday Open House — Meet Santa, enjoy crafts and decorate sugar cookies, with live music and refreshments, 1–3 p.m. Dec. 3.

Adult Book Club — 1:30–2:30 p.m. Dec. 8.

Adult Book Club — Discussion of Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, by Clare Pooley, 5:30–7 p.m. Dec. 20; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Kalamazoo in the 1870s — A discussion hosted by local historian Lynn Houghton, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Van Deusen Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Bewilderment, by Richard Powers, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St; registration required.

Author Talk: Geraldine Brooks — An online talk by the author of Horse, 7–8 p.m. Dec. 6, kpl.gov/ live; registration required.

Mobile Library — 10–11:30 a.m. Dec. 8 & 1:30–3 p.m. Dec. 21, Texas Township Hall, 7110 West Q Ave.; 4–5:30 p.m. Dec. 20, Park Street Market, 512 N. Park St.

Tiny Art Show — Pick up art kits at any KPL location, starting Dec. 10, to create a tiny canvas by Dec. 30 for a Jan. 3–15 exhibition.

Rose Street Poetry Club — A new monthly adult program to share in the reading and writing of poetry and learning of new poetry forms, 10–11 a.m. Dec. 10 and second Saturday of each month, Study Room, Central Library.

Author Talk: Nicole Eustace — An online talk by the author of Covered with Night: A Story of

Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America, noon Dec. 14, kpl.gov/live; registration required.

Classics Revisited — Discussion of Maus, by Art Spiegelman, 2:30–4:30 p.m. Dec. 15; register to participate on Zoom.

Koekje, Cooky, or Cookie? A History of American Christmas Cookies — An illustrated virtual presentation by food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson, 6:45–8 p.m. Dec. 20, Community Room, Oshtemo Branch.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Holiday Craft Workshop — Adults are invited to relax in front of a video fireplace and make simple holiday decorations, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1; limited seating, registration required.

Holiday Chocolate & Parchment Wassailing — Free hot chocolate and cookies from the Parchment Garden Club at this annual event that also features music and a holiday basket raffle to benefit the Friends of the Parchment Library, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 7.

Parchment Book Group — Discussion of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson, 6 p.m. Dec. 12.

Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Art Exhibit: Pastels by Bruce Wiegand — Featuring about 60 pastel pieces, through Dec. 23, the library’s Atrium Gallery.

Art Exhibit: Morgan Fletter — Portage Central High School student and pet artist who owns Canine Canvas, through Dec. 23, the library’s Café Gallery.

Muffins and the Market — Librarian Warren Fritz discusses recent stock market trends, 9 a.m. Dec. 1 & 15.

Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 3.

Stop the Clock

International Mystery Book Club — Discussion of An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, by Helene Thurston, 7 p.m. Dec. 8.

Documentary and Donuts — Viewing of the film The Automat, 10 a.m.–noon Dec. 9.

Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium members play instruments for relaxation and a well-being experience, 10 a.m. Dec. 10; registration required.

Plots and Pages: A Local Writers Group — Author Mark Love discusses the craft of writing, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12.

7th Annual Trivia Contest — A night of Jeopardystyle trivia, 7 p.m. Dec. 13; register as a team or an individual.

Yoga and Journaling — Instructor Susan Corak combines slow-flow yoga with journaling for selfexploration, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Meeting about using and providing help with Macintosh programs and accessories, 9 a.m.–noon Dec. 17.

Get Real: Nonfiction Book Discussion — Discussion of The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power, by Deirdre Mask, 10:30 a.m. Dec. 19.

Open for Discussion — Discussion of American Baby: A Mother, A Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption, by Gabrielle Glaser, 10:30 a.m. Dec. 20.

Cookies and Conversation: Heartwarming Reads Book Club — Discussion of One Day in December, by Josie Silver, 2 p.m. Dec. 21.

Book Tasting — Bring your lunch and sip tea or coffee while exploring self-help books this month, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Dec. 28.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

Richland’s Annual Wassailing Celebration — Carols, crafts, treats, live music by Allegan Brass

Collective, and Mrs. Claus on hand to help children write letters to Santa, 5:30–8 p.m. Dec. 1.

Bridge Club — Noon–3 p.m. Tuesdays.

Artist Reception: J. Mark Rainey — 5–7 p.m. Dec. 9, with exhibition up through Jan. 27.

Richland Area Writer’s Group — Open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon Dec. 10, in person and via Zoom.

Classics Film Club — Discussion of The African Queen, 7 p.m. Dec. 14.

Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group, 10 a.m.–noon Dec. 15, in person and via Zoom.

Books with Friends Book Club — Discussion of the Midnight Library, by Matt Haig, 7 p.m. Dec. 15 & 10:30 a.m. Dec. 16.

Themed Trivia: Michigan History — Teams of two to five people test their knowledge, 7 p.m. Dec. 22; registration required.

MUSEUMS

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

Winter Wonderland: A Holiday Lights Spectacular — An outdoor driving experience through lights, music and decorations, 5–9 p.m. Thursday–Sunday, Nov. 25–Dec. 31, and on Dec. 13, 19, 20 & 21.

Cars & Characters: Once Upon a Christmastime — Meet-and-greet experience with a provided meal and mingling in the ballroom, 4:30–6 p.m. & 6:30–8 p.m. Dec. 10; ticket holders also receive admission to that evening’s Winter Wonderland: A Holiday Lights Spectacular

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

A HeLa Story: Mother of Modern Medicine — An exhibit telling the story of Henrietta Lacks,

whose unique cells led to medical breakthroughs, through Feb. 27.

Moments in Time: The Kalamazoo County

PhotoDocumentaryProject — Documenting life in Kalamazoo since 1984, through June 4.

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.

Let It Snow! — A festive, full-dome video experience choreographed to classic Christmas music by Frank Sinatra, Chuck Berry and the TransSiberian Orchestra, 11 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 17, & Dec. 30, KVM Planetarium.

CAPCOM Go! The Apollo Story — The legacy of the Apollo missions to the moon is explored, 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 17, KVM Planetarium.

Space Discovery Days — Discover how NASA explores space, with free educational family activities, 10 a.m. Dec. 10, 17 & 27–29.

NATURE

Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org

Buy Local: Art & Gift Fair — Wares by local artists and artisans and free admission to the trails, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 3.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Grab your morning beverage and learn about Michigan’s rare birds, 10 a.m. Dec. 14; registration required.

Other Venues

Holiday Card and Tree Walk at Celery Flats — Walk through giant holiday cards and decorated trees depicting the winter season, through Jan.

For This Exact Moment

Enhanced Psychiatric Urgent Care for Adults. When life is overwhelming, same-day assessments are available at our Psychiatric Urgent Care Center. Call 616.455.9200 for more info and virtual appointments. pinerest.org/urgent • 616.455.9200

9, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Meeting —

Pete Mumbowers speaks on astrophotography, 8–9:45 p.m. Dec. 16, Room 1110, WMU’s Rood Hall, 2101 Wilbur Ave.; register for in-person or online viewing at kasonline.org.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Online

Viewing — Enjoy the wonder of the universe through the “eyes” of the KAS Remote Telescope, located in southeastern Arizona, 8:30–10:30 p.m. Dec. 17, cloud date Dec. 18; register online at kasonline.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

Shalom Christmas Bazaar — Unique handmade items benefiting the participants at Shalom (SelfHelp Alternative Living Opportunities of Michigan), 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Dec. 1, 3191 Van Buren St., Cooper Township, shalomkazoo.org.

Richland’s Annual Wassailing — See Richland Community Library listings.

Bethlehem Journey: A Living Nativity — With songs, refreshments and a small petting zoo, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 1, 6–8:30 p.m. Dec. 2 & 5:30–9 p.m. Dec. 3, First Reformed Church of Portage, 7905 S. Westnedge Ave., frcportage.org.

Holiday Greens Sale — Shop for locally made seasonal gifts, including evergreen door swags and holiday floral arrangements, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 2, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 3, Portage Zhang Senior Center, 203 E. Centre Ave., kalamazoogardencouncil.org.

Bell’s 31st Eccentric Day — A day to dress up as your alter ego and enjoy an Eccentric Ale and live music by Andrew Rathbun Jazz Band, Jenuine and Kalamazoo DJ (no free food this year but there will be an abridged menu), noon–11 p.m. Dec. 2, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Pre-Kwanzaa Bazaar — Featuring food, vendors, music, live performances and activities,

5–9 p.m. Dec. 2, Black Arts & Cultural Center, Suite 202, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, blackartskalamazoo.org.

Kalamazoo Boat Show — Marine dealers and experts with displays and products, 2–8 p.m. Dec. 2, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Dec. 3 & 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 4, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 575–8502.

Christmas at Wings Arts & Crafts Show — Explore items at 340 booths, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 3 & 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 4, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/Events.

Portage Holiday Market — Portage Farmers Market vendors, artisans and crafters, baked goods and hand-crafted items, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Dec. 3, Zhang Portage Senior Community Center, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Holiday Walk and Market — Stroll through the decorated rooms of the Kellogg Manor House and shop for artwork and wares by local artists and vendors, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 3, 10 & 17 and 6:30–8:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, 671-2160.

Traditional Holiday & Tree Lighting Celebration — Caroling and tree-lighting ceremony with Santa and Mrs. Claus, ice sculpture demonstrations and live music, 6 p.m. Dec. 3, Celery Flats, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Underwear Party Week — Donate warm winter clothing and underwear to Ministry with Community to help keep those in need warm and safe this winter (donations can be brought to Ministry’s back door), 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 5–9, 500 N. Edwards St.; for Ministry’s donation wish list, go to ministrywithcommunity.org.

2022 Community Arts Awards Ceremony — Recognizing exceptional artists, arts organizations and arts supporters in the Kalamazoo area, 5:30–7 p.m. Dec. 7, Gull Lake Center for Fine Arts, 7753 N. 34th St., Richland, kalamazooarts.org.

Christmas Craft Show — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 10, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, 903–5820.

Kalamazoo Record & CD Show — New and used records and CDs, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 11, Room A, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, Rerunrecords.com.

Kalamazoo House Christmas Tour 2022 — Take a tour of the historic 1878 Victorian Italianate mansion decorated for Christmas, 6–8 p.m. Dec. 13, Kalamazoo House Bed & Breakfast, 447 W. South St., thekalamazoohouse.com.

December to Remember — Free event full of holiday cheer, treats and activities, 5–7 p.m. Dec. 15, Bronson Park, kzooparks.org.

Neon & Nylon: An ’80s and ’90s Music Celebration — A dance party featuring Fool House, 8 p.m. Dec. 16, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter.com/Events.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and other exotic pets, plus supplies and food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 17, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

Kalamazoo Indoor Garage Sale Expo — 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 17, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 443–9000.

Holiday Ice Revue — Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association members skate to holiday classics and music from Frank Sinatra and Disney, 2:30 & 7 p.m. Dec. 17, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter. com/Events.

New Year’s Fest — An all-ages showcase in downtown Kalamazoo with numerous performances rotating throughout the night at outdoor, indoor and tented venues to say goodbye to 2022 and welcome in the new year, 6 p.m.–midnight Dec. 31, downtown Kalamazoo, newyearsfest.com.

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Luis Peña (continued from page 42) with the planning department of the city and met Sharon Ferraro (the former historic preservation coordinator, who retired earlier this year).

Planning really interested me because I never knew how a city worked. I was also starting to get into history at that point, especially genealogy, because both sides of my mom's family came here in the 1830s and 1840s, and they held land in the county. It was Sharon who talked to me about getting a historic preservation degree because it is something that I could to that involved history and that's applicable in planning. I went to Eastern Michigan University — the same place Sharon got her degree — and got a graduate assistantship working in the archives there. When Sharon decided to retire, one of my professors told me about the posting for the job and I applied and was hired at the end of 2021. What kind of work do you do in this position?

A lot of interfacing with citizens — that takes up a good portion of the time. People have questions like "I live in a historic house or X, Y or Z neighborhood that's a historic district; can I make this change to my house?" I talk them through what they can and can't do. I'll make site visits with them to look and tell

them, "Doing this might be easier than you think" or "I would do this because it's going to be easier than doing this."

I'm the city liaison for two commissions: the Historic District Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission. The Historic District Commission provides regulatory oversight of the properties in historic districts. I review and rule on the applications for that work that come in for those properties. Some have to go to the Historic District Commission, however — bigger projects like additions or changing windows or demolition. And I work with the Historic Preservation Commission, which is the educational outreach end of the job.

How does historic preservation fit into city planning?

My role usually interfaces a lot with the building-department side of things. There are between 2,500 and 2,700 properties locally that are designated historic. When permits get pulled on one of those houses, I have to sign off on it before the permit gets issued. But for bigger developments or properties like those downtown that people want to change, then that requires planning to consider how to give these structures contemporary and efficient uses now but still retain the character that makes them historic, which I think is very important.

You must have to know a lot about how historic structures are built.

I'm the first to admit that I'm still learning. There are a lot of great people that I can reach out to if I get in over my head. For my first two months on the job, I worked in tandem with Sharon, and it was a great time to not only learn more things, but also learn the ways that you handle these things, because bringing people into it is a whole other dimension. You know, a house doesn't talk, but people do. I always try to tell people I'm not an architect, I'm not an engineer, I'm not a mason, but I know those people and I can certainly reach out to them.

And a part of the beauty of old things is that they were just built to work. They're almost inherently simple. What do you like about your job?

I obviously love old houses, and they're all different. They have their own unique things and different flairs. One of my favorite parts of the job is being invited into people's houses. Being from Kalamazoo, you drive by a lot of houses and think, "Man, I wish I could just get inside that house just once," and then eventually you get to do it (he laughs). It's really cool to be able to do that.

— Interview by Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity

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Luis Pena Historic Preservation Coordinator

City of Kalamazoo

Luis Peña says his love for the character and quirks of old buildings can be traced back to his childhood.

"My mom says the house we lived in was 100 years old," he says of the first home he remembers living in. "Secret little things in houses always appealed to me. Like, we had a laundry chute in our house that was always fascinating to me, and my grandma had a milk door at her house, which I thought was very cool."

Now, as the city of Kalamazoo's historic preservation coordinator, Peña, 26, sees lots of "cool things" as he works to help keep Kalamazoo's historic districts and buildings from disappearing. His job requires overseeing changes or improvements to historic buildings and helping owners and builders in their efforts to retrofit these buildings for modern uses without sacrificing their historic character.

"An existing, standing building is the greenest building, so it makes the most sense to me to keep one that's already

up as opposed to putting up a new one," Peña says. "I'm not anti-development or anti-modern things, but I think if you have a building that still is in rather sound shape or is a complete gem, we should strive to keep those. They are unique to Kalamazoo. It sounds kind of cheesy, but these buildings don't exist in other places."

How did you get where you are today?

I was a music major for the first three years I attended Western Michigan University, but at one point I was like, "I want to be able to do school things, not just music things" so I switched to an English major. One of my English professors, Dr. (Brian) Gogan, introduced me to a lot of stuff like grant writing and civic engagement. I got an internship

(continued on page 41)

Brian Powers

Lewis Reed & Allen P.C. attorneys

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