Encore November 2022

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From the Editor

While a lot can be accomplished by a group, it's often an individual who makes a big difference within a business or organization. This month we feature a number of individuals whose efforts create good for all.

Remi Harrington, whom we feature in this month's cover story, is fighting for social justice and equity through her multiple nonprofit organizations — Zoo City Food and Farm Network, Urban Folk Art Exploratory, and Tegan's Hopeful Storybook Garden. Writer Jordan Bradley's profile of Harrington reveals her to be not only a fierce woman with endless energy but a nurturing, passionate and determined soul.

Writer Katie Houston writes about two individuals this month who also have deep passion for what they do. Chef Nidal Awad, owner of Shawarma King on Drake, began working at the restaurant as a dishwasher shortly after coming here from Palestine 20 years ago. Not only is his Middle Eastern restaurant a favorite in Kalamazoo, but Awad is generous with his time and success, utilizing his business to, as he says, "take care of my employees, my family and my community."

We also meet Alice Kemerling, who retired this fall as assistant director of the Gilmore International Piano Festival. While many people know her for her work with that organization, they may not realize that her efforts as the director of development at Kalamazoo Valley Community College were pivotal in giving us the Kalamazoo Valley Museum we all enjoy today. Katie's story about Kemerling is a great tribute to someone whose contributions have undoubtedly benefited the community.

Finally, we meet another individual — Brad Wong — who loves this community and chamber music enough that he came out of retirement to run one of the community’s signature arts organizations, Fontana Chamber Arts. In our Back Story interview, we learn what propelled Wong to take on this new role, after a 40-year career in Western Michigan University's School of Music, including his last six years overseeing the internationally known school.

We hope you are as intrigued and inspired as we are by all those we feature in Encore. This month's issue is just another testimony to the remarkable people who live among us in this place we call home.

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

"Talking with Remi was probably one of the most inspiring and honest conversations I have had with someone about poverty, racial inequity and finding solutions to those in our community," Jordan says about her cover story on Remi Harrington in this issue. "She has the energy, determination and skill to make things happen. And taking on the challenge of translating the absolute force of nature that is Remi onto paper has been the highlight of my career." Jordan is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Encore

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Katie has a deep admiration for nonprofit fundraisers and was happy to learn and share a bit about local fundraising legend Alice Kemerling. Katie is also a fan of affordable healthy food, as found at Shawarma King on Drake, and she learned that once you make the acquaintance of the chef there, Nidal Awad, you are a friend for life. Katie is the communications manager for the Gilmore International Piano Festival.

Chris Killian

A frequent traveler, Chris has an appreciation for architecture and was interested in the story of Marika Broere and Tony Hillebrandt. Their labor of love has restored two homes in Galesburg designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. "It takes more than passion to restore one of these homes," says Chris. "They also had to have patience, knowledge and skill, and the result of that shows in these houses." Chris is a frequent contributor to Encore

Katie Houston

Jordan Bradley

FEATURE

Remi Harrington

She's disrupting the systems that perpetuate generational poverty

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

From the Editor

First Things

A round–up of happenings in SW Michigan

Five Faves

Discovering Kalamazoo's 'hidden' buildings

Savor

Chef Nidal Awad — The Shawarma King on Drake's chef gives cuisine and customers his full attention

Enterprise

The Wright Passion — Couple restores two Galesburg houses by famed architect

Back Story

Meet Brad Wong — Why the chance to lead Fontana Chamber Arts lured him from retirement

On the cover: Remi Harrington in the building at 10 Mills St. that will soon become the home for her nonprofit Urban Folk Art Exploratory. Photo by Brian K. Powers

The Key to Success

Alice Kemerling reflects as she steps down from The Gilmore

of Note

First Things

Something Charitable

K’zoo Folklife hosts benefit concert

A number of the area's musicians will be playing for charity in the K’zoo Folklife Organization's Loaves & Fishes Benefit Concert Nov. 19 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave.

This is the 25th year of the benefit concert, with proceeds going to Loaves & Fishes, a Kalamazoo County food pantry. The concert begins at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the Luke Lenhart Band, Dana Scott, the Mall City Harmonizers, Out of Favor Boys, Schlitz Creek bluegrass band and Shirley Kime.

K'zoo Folklife is an organization promoting local acoustic musicians. Admission to the concert is free with a non-perishable food donation.

Something Bluegrass Billy Strings to play at Wings

Grammy Award-winning bluegrass guitarist and Michigan native Billy Strings will perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive.

Strings won a Grammy in 2021 for his album Home and was named the New Artist of the Year in 2019 by the International Bluegrass Music Awards. He is touring to promote his 2021 album, Renewal, and the upcoming release of Me and Dad, which he recorded with his father, Terry Barber. Strings will be performing with bandmates Billy Failing (banjo, vocals, piano), Royal Masat (bass, vocals), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin, vocals, guitar).

Tickets are $39.50–$69.50 and available online at wingseventcenter.com

Something Artistic KIA hosts annual Holiday Art Sale

The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts transforms into an artists' market Nov. 17–19 for the annual Kirk Newman Art School Holiday Art Sale.

This is the 49th year for the sale, which features handmade works by KIA students and faculty in a variety of media, including wood, metal, glass, ceramics, block prints, etchings, paintings, wearable art, jewelry and holiday-inspired items.

The sale begins at 5 p.m. Nov. 17 with KIA-members-only shopping. Public hours run from 5–8 p.m. Nov. 18 and 9 a.m–3 p.m. Nov. 19. For more information, visit kiarts.org.

Out of Favor Boys

Dana Scott

Something Stout Who will win the Kalamazoo Beer Cup?

Bourbon-barrel-aged stouts are on tap in the last tasting event of the annual Kalamazoo Beer Cup competition. The event runs from 6:30–8 p.m. Nov. 18 at Kalamazoo Beer Exchange, 211 E. Water St.

The annual competition, sponsored by West Michigan Beer Tours, has regional breweries present their brews in various categories for a public blind tasting. The winner in each category takes home a Kalamazoo Beer Cup trophy. The competition began in February.

Tickets for the event are $39 and include beer, appetizers and a chance to win prizes as well as history and tasting tips on the beer style. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit westmichiganbeertours.com.

Something Jolly Holiday Parade set for Nov. 19

Getting folks in a merry mood for the upcoming holidays is the aim of the Maple Hill Holiday Parade, which takes place at 11 a.m. Nov. 19 in downtown Kalamazoo.

With marching bands, holiday-themed floats and giant balloons, the parade is the annual kick-off of the holiday season in downtown Kalamazoo. The parade route will start at Lovell and Jasper streets, travel west to Park Street, north on Park Street to Michigan Avenue, east on Michigan Avenue to Pitcher Street and south on Pitcher to Lovell Street.

High school students with decorated cards will be walking the route to gather donations of canned and dry goods and money for the Loaves & Fishes food pantry.

After the parade, there will be activities and games on the Kalamazoo Valley Museum grounds, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at KVCC’s Anna Whitten Hall, 202 N. Rose St., until 2:30 p.m.

For more information, visit kalamazooholidayparade.org.

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Five Faves

Discovering Kalamazoo's 'hidden’ buildings

BY LYNN HOUGHTON

so much of our community's history can be seen in the buildings of downtown Kalamazoo and in our neighborhoods, but many people may not realize that some of these buildings are hiding a part of their own past. Changes, alterations or additions have concealed the original structures but left an original window, cornice or roof still visible. These are a few of my favorite "hidden" buildings in Kalamazoo:

Bassett House Northwest corner of West South Street and the Kalamazoo Mall

Sill Terrace Apartments/ Prange Building Northwest corner of South Rose and West Lovell streets

A small Greek Revival home sat on this corner until its owner, Dr. Joseph Sill, moved it to make way for a different type of structure, a four-story building filled with 12 apartments completed in 1869. It also contained a common dining room, with meals prepared by a cook. Originally named Sill Terrace, this Italianate building later became known as Rose Terrace. Around 1920, optician Henry Prange, who had owned the building for about 11 years, built onto the original structure. Designed by the former local architectural firm Billingham & Cobb, the addition added space for offices and stores. If you look closely, especially on the sides of the building, you can see details of the original structure.

The first hidden building I found is this Italianate house completed in 1860 for John Bassett, who operated a store and owned land in the village. Position yourself facing west on South Street at the Kalamazoo Mall and you can see it. You can even get inside the house by entering 248 S. Kalamazoo Mall, now the location for Taco Bob's, and walk up the stairs. Originally it had a very large lawn surrounding it and provided a home for John, his sister and his young son. After John’s death, the family continued living there, later renting it out for several purposes. Beginning in 1901, Bassett’s daughter-in-law built a series of commercial structures around the house for a variety of professionals and retail establishments.

Harding Elementary School Bronson Hospital campus

A need for more school buildings in the 1920s led to the construction of Harding Elementary, which was completed in 1926 and located on Pine Street (which no longer exists), just to the south of East Lovell Street. An older school next door became the administration building for the district. Harding Elementary, designed by the former local architectural firm Billingham & Cobb, remained a school until 1960, when both buildings were sold to Bronson Methodist Hospital. The administration building came down, but the Harding building remained, housing the hospital's school of nursing, medical library, outpatient clinics and other functions. The building, or what is left of it now, is surrounded by a parking ramp and other hospital structures, but the top of the front façade still can be seen.

House

Woodward Ave.

Over the years, this house in the Stuart Historic District has undergone some noticeable changes, but if you look closely, you can find evidence of the original Italianate structure hidden behind everything added on to it. Julius Caesar Burrows came to Kalamazoo County in 1860, working as a teacher and lawyer and eventually serving in both the U.S. House and Senate. This house, completed in 1872, provided a home for him and his wife, Frances, for more than 40 years. It remained a single-family home until the 1930s, when it became apartments. Eventually it contained eight units, which may be the reason for all the existing additions and windows and the prominent portico with very tall columns at the front entrance.

Carriage Steps for the Brown House

S. Burdick St.

Many people walk by these two sets of carriage steps and fail to notice them, but they served an important purpose — they helped people enter and exit carriages. The set of stairs to the north of the home were installed sometime after the completion of the house in 1867. The home's second owner, Dr. John Bosman, built a small medical office on the house's south side and added the second set of carriage steps, which included his name and the shape of a serpent. One can only hope these will remain for many more years.

About the Author

Lynn Houghton is the regional history curator of the Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collection. She leads the Gazelle Sports Historic Walks, a series of free architectural and historic walks at various locations in Kalamazoo County that happen during summer and fall, and she is the co-author of Kalamazoo Lost and Found, a book on Kalamazoo history and architecture. She also participated in the PBS documentary series 10 That Changed America, about the history of architecture and urban planning. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from WMU and a master’s in library and information science from Wayne State University.

Historic images provided courtesy of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the WMU Archives and Regional History collections.

The Attention of Nidal Awad He gives it to his restaurant and the result is delicious

BY KATIE HOUSTON

It was 20 years ago in September that Chef Nidal Awad, with a 21-year-old’s optimism and faith in the opportunity offered in the U.S., traveled from Palestine, following his brother to Kalamazoo. His first job was as a dishwasher at Shawarma King on Drake, the restaurant he now owns.

The restaurant's staff of 35 represents 15 nationalities, and Awad is proud of the diversity. “I don’t care where you are from, what color you are, where you worship. I care about you being part of this family,” he says, adding his staff includes 10 family members: nieces, nephews, sons and brothers.

“They’re the ones that drive me crazy,” he says, laughing and adding that when many of his family members started working as young teens, they would tell him he was mean.

“You know teenagers — they may not want to smile, they might want to visit in the kitchen or look at their phones. Not here,” he says.

The busy swirl of phone calls, order pickups and dishes heading to the restaurant's small dining room shows Awad's commitment to service and hospitality, an attitude that starts with his relentless smile and personal greeting to every diner at some point during their visit. His love of good food comes from his homeland. Growing up in a large family, he attended high school in Ramallah, continuing his education at St. George’s College in Jerusalem, where he also worked as a dishwasher and prep cook for the school's food service.

“I’d peel the onions, cook the chickens, anything and everything,” he says. The college sponsored him to attend culinary school in Jerusalem, where, he reports, he graduated top in his class. He added further study at Al Quds University in Ramallah and volunteer service at restaurants where he admired the chefs.

“I begged them to let me work and learn. Of course, they abused me relentlessly,” he says, alluding to the rapid-fire training found in busy kitchens. Once in the U.S., though, Awad had to start back at the beginning.

“The first six months were hard,” he recalls.

“I was homesick, wondering ‘What did I do?’

I was having to start over as a dishwasher earning $6 an hour.”

Surviving the pandemic

Like most restaurants offering Middle Eastern cuisine, Shawarma King on Drake, just south of KL Avenue, features seasoned, stacked and roasted chicken or beef, sliced

from a turning spit; shish kabob, skewered chunks of marinated lamb or chicken; falafel, deep-fried balls of seasoned, mashed chickpeas; and savory dips of hummus, made from chickpeas, and baba ghanouj,

made from roasted eggplant. There are nine salads offered in three sizes, burgers, subs, chicken wings, chili-lime fries, steak, shrimp, lamb chops and fresh juices and smoothies. A dozen wraps in pita bread offer various

combinations of the meats, salads, dips and house-made tangy garlic sauce, and another dozen are vegetarian.

The restaurant enjoys an average of five stars from 3,500 reviews on GrubHub, with complaints primarily referring to delivery issues. Awad credits enthusiastic fans on the Facebook Kalamazoo Menu page (37,000 members), launched during the pandemic to support local restaurants, with helping Shawarma King survive when business dropped by 40 percent in 2020.

“That was a near-disaster, but no one was laid off,” he says. “If this was in a different city, I don’t know if that would have happened. Our customers are amazing.”

The feeling seems to be mutual. During our interview, Awad is interrupted by a midafternoon diner wanting to introduce out-of-town friends who, she says, “insisted on coming back here because they loved it so much last time. We shared the King Platter — except for the kibbe, because I don’t share that,” she adds, laughing. “It was so good.”

Long days, love for community

Awad works seven days a week, though sometimes he gets away from the restaurant. In 2021, he was invited to host a “Cooking at Home” class sponsored by Kalamazoo College's Office of Intercultural Student Life. He presented it online from his home kitchen. He has been a guest instructor with Kalamazoo Valley Community College's culinary program and in 2019 shared his background and love of food with patrons of the Oshtemo Branch of the Kalamazoo Public Library. Soon after, Marcellus Township Librarian Christine Nofsinger invited Awad to visit the small rural community southwest of Kalamazoo.

“It was a time when it seemed like we needed to do everything we could to foster relationships between people who look

At left: Chef Nidal Awad and employee Shadi Awad prepare an order. Above: Shawarma King's wrap sandwiches are one of its most popular menu items.

Brian Powers

different from each other and come from different backgrounds,” Nofsinger says, noting there was a big turnout for Awad's presentation. “He was a fantastic guest. He talked about his culture and upbringing and brought food to share.”

Occasionally Awad ventures into new culinary territory, such as serving chicken sandwiches rolled in crushed Hot CheetosTM or spicy TakiTM chips. In 2020, he partnered with Shawarma King's parking-lot neighbor Roma’s Pizza to create a chicken shawarma pizza with pickles and garlic sauce. These days the pizza is just an occasional special, says Roma’s owner, Nick Thiele, who has been friends with Awad since he was a Roma’s delivery driver and Awad was a dishwasher.

“He’s inspiring because he works so hard,” says Thiele of Awad. “I get a lot of ideas from him, and he gets ideas from other people and shares them with me. He’s just a great person, someone I love being around. He encourages me for anything I want to do, saying, ‘You can do it, I’ll help you, let’s go!’ He knows how to treat people. The food is delicious, but the attention he gives to people is why he’s so successful.”

There were certainly times for Awad when success seemed far off and he worried about paying the mortgage on the home he shares with his wife, Nour, and their five children —

the oldest of whom, Nala, just graduated as valedictorian from Kalamazoo Central High School and attends Kalamazoo College.

“I am a tough guy, but there were lots of days I would cry wondering how I would pay my employees,” he recalls.

Even with the stress of running his own business, Awad is grateful for all it has brought him.

“This is not about how smart I am. I come in the morning and feel like this is a dream. I came from a poor family and never expected I could live a good life, surrounded by good

Awad brings soup to customer Mariah Davis at the restaurant.

people and a great community. This life is like this chain,” he says, indicating his necklace. “Everybody needs everybody — giving the best of you will come back to you. Life is not about money.

“Trust me, I want to be sitting here enjoying my lunch and doing whatever I want, but I have to take care of my employees, my family and my community.”

Note: Awad’s restaurant is unrelated to the Shawarma King on South Westnedge Avenue.

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Digging to theRoot of It

Digging to theRoot of It

Brian Powers

Remi Harrington is disrupting the systems that perpetuate poverty

BY JORDAN BRADLEY

Remi Harrington, the 42-year-old co-founder and lead organizer of Zoo City Food and Farm Network, could easily be compared to Mother Nature herself: nurturing, intuitive, practiced and fierce.

These are all qualities Harrington has needed and utilized in creating and sustaining her nonprofit organization The Urban Folk Art Exploratory, in which the Zoo City Food and Farm Network is housed. These organizations have different focuses and approaches, but all work toward the same goal: changing the systems in place that perpetuate generational poverty.

How Harrington came to her work and mission was on a winding and complex road that changed the Hampton, Virginia, native's worldview and culminated in an “act of rebellion,” she says.

Harrington's mother took a position practicing law at the Federal Center in Battle Creek, and in 2002, Harrington, then a college student, transferred from Virginia State University to Western Michigan University and settled in Kalamazoo to continue her education, pursuing a degree in student-integrated curriculum.

“I drove into Kalamazoo in a BMW, so I had a very different perspective on poverty,” Harrington says.

“I come from an area where there were so many Black businesses, so many Black professionals. Coming to Kalamazoo, I did not see that and it was profoundly impactful to me. It felt like the default system was a formula for Black people to experience poverty and that the availability of people’s access in a social capacity was very limited and confined.

“I didn’t have the vocabulary when I first came here to identify it, but I knew there were some things happening in this community that felt very uncomfortable for me,” Harrington says of the racial disparity within Kalamazoo.

That changed in 2004 when Harrington began working at the Boys and Girls Club of Kalamazoo, located in the Edison neighborhood. She left the organization and began to work with Healthy Families America for Kalamazoo County Maternal Infant Health, where over the years she began to see the children of some of her first clients who were participants with the Boys and Girls Club.

“I started to develop the vocabulary about disparity,” she says. “I started to understand and accept my perspectives about justice and develop my own philosophies about what it looked like from a practical, applicable, tactile way.”

It was during that time, Harrington founded the Urban Folk Art Exploratory to provide a voice for the hip-hop community to activate social change through the arts. The nonprofit's programs

include an arts-based curriculum that explores hip-hop as a primary, contemporary social justice movement.

“In addition to developing a vocabulary about racialized inequality and equity, I felt that it was important to take the focus off of that and center ourselves and our resilience as a people. I truly believed that if youth could just have a framework to deconstruct their livedthrough experiences, exploring our collective and cultural survival through the lens of hip-hop, that we could remember who we were, and that things could change,” she says.

First-hand experience

And then things changed for Harrington.

In 2009, Harrington became pregnant with her daughter, Tegan, now 13, and, as a single mother, experienced situational poverty for the first time. She moved into subsidized housing and continued working full time as a case worker in youth advocacy, all the while experiencing systemic racism and witnessing firsthand the cyclical nature of social services that she says doesn't lift people out of poverty but rather fosters its continuation for generation after generation. During this time and through her work, Harrington says she also saw a disconnection between children and the land, between the Black community and the land.

Then came her rebellion.

"I knew that if I didn’t change, that my condition wouldn’t and I would be of no use to anyone. I felt reduced and I rejected it," she says. "Like all of my work, something felt divinely inspired. I knew that I was supposed to return to the land."

In 2012, Harrington began stewarding a parcel of land at 736 Jackson St. in the Edison neighborhood through the Adopt-A-Lot Program of the Kalamazoo County Land Bank and created Tegan’s Hopeful Storybook Garden, an educational community garden named for her daughter and inspired by a story Harrington had written. The vacant lot became an interactive garden with activities supporting children's academic achievement. As children wander through the garden, they can follow the story while engaging in 54 interactive arts-based academic activities that align with Kalamazoo Public Schools’ Strategic Planning Expectations for Community.

Tegan’s Hopeful Storybook Garden was not only a step in Harrington's effort to connect children to the land but also planted the seeds for Zoo City Food and Farm Network.

As a result of Harrington's advocacy and social enterprise work, she was tapped to be the coordinator of the community farms program for the Food Innovation Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community

SAVOR ENCORE

College, through which she was to pair people with parcels of land that they could own and use for urban farming.

But in the two years she held that post, Harrington got an education of her own as she got a more in-depth look at the ways in which infrastructure fails those experiencing a cycle of poverty.

“That became a very interesting experience to navigate,” Harrington says. “I saw how some of the inter-institutional barriers precluded people from being able to access the tools of democracy and to participate in the economy as a citizen.”

With a list of parcels of Kalamazoo Land Bank properties available in the city, Harrington set out to “leverage community farms as a tool to dismantle intergenerational poverty.” But as she moved forward in matching program participants with parcels, structural barriers began to emerge.

“People would be looking through the addresses of available parcels but there would be an encumbrance of some sort. We would hear, ‘Oh, well, you can’t really take that property because we have a grant on it' or 'That one’s not eligible.' That was one of the first things that we encountered, so then it became, ‘Which properties are eligible?’"

“So that, again, is a barrier. People were frustrated. We recruited people into the program for community farming, but land access was a major impediment."

This led Harrington to conduct an exhaustive audit of the eligibility of Land Bank properties, and even when eligible properties were identified, Harrington says, more barriers appeared. Properties were not able to be released to the program without proper zoning, she says, and proper zoning required detailed business plans for the property — business plans that could not be developed without participants first knowing which parcel they were able to receive.

“There are a variety of obvious reasons why it’s important to have access to land before undertaking a farming enterprise. How are you going to farm without land? It’s literally the first thing you need," Harrington says. "If you look at any of the different resources available

for urban growers, from the USDA to the EPA or any other gardening group in America, they say, ‘You gotta start with the land.’”

This experience directly informed Harrington's move away from the community farms program and into forming Zoo City Food and Farm Network, she says.

Disrupting the food system

Zoo City is ambitious in its goals and exacting in its methods. With her personal experience, on-the-job-and-in-theclassroom gardening education and a group of local urban farmers, Harrington outlined the mission and framework for Zoo City.

Harrington harvests peppers and tomatoes from Tegan's Hopeful Storybook Garden.

“I wanted us to do it for ourselves, and I wanted us to be supported in constructing it for ourselves," she says.

“I think that there’s humanity behind the bureaucracy and I don’t want to dismantle systems that are affirming of the people that they were designed to serve, but I certainly don’t want those systems to harm me and my people anymore — or anybody else. If it works for some, that’s great, but I believe pathways of access that are centered around the experiences of those underserved by the existing system are superior to pathways that demonstrate a historic and perpetual failure. I don’t understand why we continue to pretend that those systems work. I think that if we’re unable to navigate white-dominant systems, then that’s forcing assimilation and I find that to be very volatile.”

Zoo City is attacking these systems with a multi-pronged approach: local food policy councils, working groups focused on land stewardship and ownership, disruptive money systems like aggregated branding and neighborhood-centered supply chains for microbusinesses, an organizing coalition that offers members access to individuals with experience in urban farming, advocacy work and general community support. And all these are informed by the experiences of single Black mothers in Kalamazoo.

If you’ve seen Zoo City’s booth at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market, you’ve seen an

important part of Zoo City’s work, specifically the Intuitive Economies and Disruptive Money Systems Working Group.

“Our framework is that we are aggregators and promoters of agricultural commodities, and we sell our products at the farmers market,” Harrington says. “The people that are represented in our network are wide-spanning. They are people that are underrepresented at the market and need to engage in the market in nontraditional ways.”

The cottage food businesses partnering with Zoo City “don’t have the capacity, nor can they afford, to come to the market every single week,” Harrington explains. “They’re small urban growers and most have other jobs. They operate off of homesteads and consigned land in the city. They’re valueadded businesses that are cottage food businesses that operate in their homes.”

For its booth, Zoo City gathers products from micro-food, farm and artisan businesses that partner with the organization to create a weekly box of locally sourced and created products for sale each week at the farmers market. When the boxes return to market in the spring 2023, Harrington says, four box options with different contents will be available for purchase each week: an artisan box, a producer box, a grower box and a retailer box. In the future, Zoo City will offer subscription options.

Grower Chaz Rawls met Harrington during her time at KVCC as he was seeking some land to begin urban farming in Kalamazoo. Rawls owns Rooted Luv Farm, off of Gull Road, an urban farm and business offering loose tea blends and gardening services, and he currently co-chairs Zoo City's Intuitive Economies and Disruptive Money Systems Working Group with Battle Creek-based urban farmer Devon Wilson.

“This kind of work, it’s about community,” Rawls says. “It’s an opportunity to change the landscape of our reality of how we communicate and how we do things with one another. It’s just all about people being intentional and getting involved and choosing to be part of the community. I’m thankful for Remi being able to capture that vision and put it into some bones and skeletons where people can see her vision and then add their own taste.”

While Rawls has made connections within the community through his own work, he credits Harrington and Zoo City with helping him to make additional connections.

“My mind was blown getting into Zoo City,” Rawls says. “There are a lot of people involved in this, so that’s been a great thing. When you meet people and you can bond and create a relationship there is opportunity in that. Being able to go to market was huge. Not only that but getting access to a parcel of land. I’ve been able to work things out

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A. We encounter this transaction frequently in practice, where a successful bus ness is being transferred to a second, third or even a greater generation. Typically the seller has spent their entire life building the business and sometimes the buying child does not have significant experience in the business. In order to best preserve your position in the business and what you have built, it would be wise to establish a security agreement against the assets of the company (in which case we would need to also make the company an obligor under the note) and then we would also encourage a pledge agreement whereby the stock that you are giving your daughter is held by a third-party (often your lawyer) until you are paid the full obligation that your daughter will owe at closing. These steps will significantly protect you in the future if for some reason the business goes sour after the transfer. Congratulations!

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.

Willis

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for myself, but I’m also able to expand my business a little bit by being able to utilize a spot or two extra through Zoo City.”

Zoo City also owns and has developed three agriculture sites in the Edison neighborhood; An urban orchard, Tegan’s Hopeful Storybook Garden and a workerowned cooperative garden with 12 shares of growing space.

Future gazing

With metaphorical arms outstretched equally to the past and future, Zoo City’s feet are planted in — and moving through — the present. With Tegan’s Hopeful Storybook Garden as an educational space, Zoo City works with the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYDNet) to offer hopeful and empowering land stewardship education for area youth.

“From a youth development perspective, it's an opportunity for young people to really understand what a food system is, how to disrupt that system to make it more equitable, with the focus on Black women in particular and Black farmers,” says KYDNet Director Meg Blinkiewicz. “And so we are moving toward what we call critical youth development. The approach of Zoo City — Remi’s leading the way with this.”

Blinkiewicz met Harrington through the latter’s involvement in the Freedom School Program, and the relationship has continued,. KYDNet is an intermediary organization that currently works with about 60 organizations — including Zoo City — to offer social-emotional learning, family engagement, youth leadership, and inclusion and equity education and training to Kalamazoo County and Calhoun County youth.

“Only 1.4 percent of growers are Black in America,” Harrington says, referring to the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census.

“We talk a lot about identity, belonging and agency when we focus on social-emotional learning — those are the three broad skills — so participating in a program like Zoo City helps you understand your racialized identity and creates belonging within this program. Then that helps develop that sense of agency,” Blinkiewicz explains. “The fact that you can have an influence — in this case, on your food system: grow your own food, eat your own food — that's huge for young

Readers can learnmore about

Zoo City Food and Farm Network at zoocityfood.org or at the Zoo City booth at each Kalamazoo Farmers Market.

Urban Folk Art Exploratory at exploreurbanfolkart.org

Tegan's Hopeful Storybook Garden at teganshopefulgarden.com

people. There's so much despair and fatalism in the world. This helps bring hope and joy. And in addition to the skills, they're learning that optimistic thinking.”

In a very different approach, Zoo City’s Food Policy Review Council is part of the Michigan State University Extension Program, which connects people and organizations to MSU’s extensive agricultural knowledge and network. The Food Policy Review arm of Zoo City leverages that information to establish a firmer grip on the legislative future when it comes to local policy on food, water, air and soil while also keeping in mind the impact of climate change on communities at large.

“I wanted to establish Zoo City as an entity that could access legislators so that we could do what we needed to do in order to advocate on behalf of communities and neighborhoods that were at the highest risk of food insecurity, which are the neighborhoods and communities where my people live,” Harrington explains.

The council is membership-driven, Harrington says, and addresses issues involving interpretation and implementation of laws focused on food, water, air and soil.

When Covid-19 hit, Zoo City's Food Policy Review Council noticed that the ways cottage food laws were being interpreted was disproportionately impacting Zoo City food box participants. The cottage food laws in place require that goods be sold by the producer and not by a third party, so in order for Zoo City Food and Farm Network participants to sell at the farmers market, they all needed to be present at the Zoo City stand each week, which was not always possible, creating barriers and limiting access. Through its Food Policy Review Council, Zoo City was able to speak on a call with local legislators about those barriers in hopes of getting the

law changed or developing a work-around so the group's needs are met.

“We’re in a position now to be an intermediary for people that are experiencing those barriers,” Harrington says, “to be able to communicate directly to legislators and have an organizing body where we can look through those things in a way that we can have the support that we need so that if there are shifts that need to happen, then those things can happen and we can do it with immediacy,” Harrington says.

Freedom & liberation

With a strong understanding of the law, the practice of land stewardship, community development and the niche experience of Black women navigating urban growing, Harrington and Zoo City continue to dig to the root of systemic disparities with dogged integrity.

Land access continues to be a major issue, and in March, Harrington will speak before the U.S. Congress on behalf of the One Million Acres campaign asking Congress to invest in equitable land access in the 2023 farm bill. Harrington was selected to participate by the National Young Farmers Coalition Fellowship for BIPOC growers.

Meanwhile, the work of connecting children to the land and promoting academic achievement continues to bloom in Tegan's Hopeful Storybook Garden, and Harrington's efforts with the Urban Folk Art Exploratory continue to build. In 2021, Harrington worked with the Kalamazoo County Land Bank to secure a former warehouse at 10 Mills St. to become the official home for the Urban Folk Art Exploratory, which she envisions being a space that is an art gallery, studio and a creative co-working makerspace.

But, as has been true from the start, the north star for all these initiatives — as disparate as they may seem — is Harrington's core belief: “Whatever moral choices people have made to land them wherever they are, they have a right to housing. They have a right to access to quality, whole foods. They have a right to health care and our core fundamental values of what citizenship is supposed to mean in this country, which I do buy into — the concept of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That's true freedom and liberation. I’m for that.”

Commercial fence services since 1981

The Wright Passion

Couple restores two houses designed by famed architect

BY CHRIS KILLIAN

Tucked in the woods outside Galesburg is a collection of hidden gems created by one of America’s most innovative architectural minds. And the couple who brought two of those back from disrepair want you to know about it.

Originally from the Netherlands, Marika Broere and Tony Hillebrandt, both 64, have lived in Canada for the past 17 years, the last nine in Cambridge, Ontario, about an hour west of Toronto. Broere has worked as a journalist, shipping agent and translator and in other occupations. Hillebrandt had his own company and was a marketing specialist. Both have home restoration experience and are ardent admirers of architecture.

They often found themselves traveling the United States, admiring the nation’s diverse architectural landscape, including architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright’s cutting-edge work, from the Guggenheim Museum in New York City to perhaps his most well-known project, Fallingwater, a 1935 home in southeastern Pennsylvania that features, among other things, a creek running under its cantilevered porch.

In 2016, while surfing the internet, Broere and Hillebrandt found a Frank Lloyd Wright house for sale in Southwest Michigan. They immediately drove to The Acres development in Charleston Township, which includes five Frank Lloyd Wright houses, four designed by the legend himself and one by architect Will Willsey, one of Wright's students.

The 82 acres of land were originally purchased in 1947 by a group of Upjohn scientists who approached Wright to design a small subdivision of “Usonian” homes, a term Wright used to describe simple, stylish homes

of modest cost designed especially for the middle class. Wright’s homes are known for their minimalist designs, large windows that bathe the interior space with natural light, and harmonious relationship with the land they sit on.

The Acres, which was first slated for a 21-home development, has five homes and is the only place in the world where there is such a saturation of Wright homes, Broere says. In The Acres, each home is named with the original owner’s surname.

“These homes are meant to be lived in," Broere says. “Most Frank Lloyd Wright homeowners are very passionate about their homes.”

Broere and Hillebrandt certainly are. 'Almost everything' was wrong

On their first visit, they bought the threebedroom, two-bath Eppstein House, named after Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein. They could afford to buy the home because it was in significant disrepair, having been neglected for 16 years, says Broere.

Such a fate is an unfortunate theme for many of Wright’s homes and buildings, she says. Of the more than 1,000 structures Wright designed, only about 400 remain.

“We have always been passionate about architecture,” Broere says. “There’s lots of interesting architecture in the United States, and little by little we came across more of his work on our travels. We never thought we could buy one, though.”

The seller had initially not wanted to spend the capital to refurbish the home, but his real estate agent, Fred Taber, who himself is passionate about Wright homes, encouraged him to repair some of the concrete blocks

Tony Hillebrandt, left, and Marika Broere relax in the restored Eppstein House in Galesburg.

Brian Powers

and replace the wood facia. Still, a lot needed doing when Broere and Hillebrandt took over.

“To say it was a fixer-upper is an understatement,” Broere says. “What was wrong with it? Almost everything.”

The massive restoration project started in the fall of 2016 and was completed in December 2017. The couple sank their entire retirement nest egg into the project, hiring highly specialized local craftsmen to perform the detailed, intricate work of revitalizing the home.

Everything from the window framing and door moldings to the doorknobs and handles had to be custom-made. Mahogany — the wood Wright used very often — was utilized throughout. Electrical and plumbing systems were rebuilt. Now the home is registered with both the National Register of Historic Places and the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy.

Generating interest

The work on the Eppstein House has gotten a lot of buzz.

Journalists have come from across the United States and as far away as Mexico and Japan to ogle the home, Broere says, with more than 150 articles being written about it, including in the New York Times. Architects and photographers from across the globe, including from Brazil and Chile, have also traveled to the home to take in its splendor.

“You need people who respect (Wright’s) legacy,” Hillebrandt says. “You can’t just tear things down and use drywall. You have to bring back these homes to their original splendor.”

A flat roof — a central element of Frank Lloyd Wright homes that makes them stand out — is also one of their weak points. At the time the homes were built, the materials didn’t exist to make the roofs 100 percent leak-proof. The Eppstein children told the couple that they had been trained by their parents to grab pots and pans and place them around the home when it rained, Broere says.

But thanks to modern restoration materials, the house now has a roof that's as tight as a snare drum.

Different shots of the exterior and interior of the Eppstein House, the first of two Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes Broere and Hillebrandt have restored in The Acres in Galesburg.

Not long after the renovation was completed the couple offered it up for rent on Airbnb. They didn’t anticipate it at the beginning, but demand for the Eppstein House surged, especially after the website marketed the home as a “Must Stay.” By paying at least $500 a night, groups of five or fewer with kids no younger than 14 could experience a fully restored Wright home, complete with all the mid-century accoutrements, from the furniture to the artwork, that make it a special experience. Although the home is not currently available for rent, the couple hope to repost it on Airbnb again soon.

The income Broere and Hillebrandt earned from renting the Eppstein House had a bonus benefit — it allowed them to purchase the house next door, the Pratt House, named for Eric and Pat Pratt. It is another threebedroom, two-bath Wright house that had been vacant for more than a decade.

Brian Powers

Brian Powers

The seller, a criminal defense attorney from Detroit, is equally passionate about architecture but just didn't have the time to tackle a full restoration, Broere says, so he asked her and Hillebrandt to buy and restore the home. When they said they didn't have the money, he agreed to sell the home to them on a land contract with zero interest, Broere says.

The restoration of the Pratt House, which was in much better shape than the Eppstein House, has been less extensive but has necessitated a new roof and utility upgrades, repair of the concrete block, and restoration of the woodwork, among other things. When the project is complete, the couple plan to live in the home part of the year as well as offer it as a teaching tool for area kids and give tours to Wright enthusiasts.

“There are amazing homes, but the Frank Lloyd Wright homes, even when they seem to look drab, they put you under a spell,” Hillebrandt says. “He was a magician. We are surprised to see how it impacts people. People come in and look around and their jaws drop.

“We will probably never get our money out of these houses, but that’s not the point. We want to pass on this legacy to the future generations to appreciate.”

The Pratt House exterior, top right, and rooms from inside the restored house.

Brian Powers

TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

Key to Success

Alice Kemerling reflects as she steps down from The Gilmore

BY KATIE HOUSTON

When Alice Kemerling gained a second title 10 years ago as assistant director of the Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival (also known as The Gilmore), she had already served for a dozen years as the organization's director of development. And now, as she steps down from her leadership positions this fall, Kemerling says that the key to her success is relationships.

“I have always just naturally enjoyed getting to know people and learning about what they’re interested in, their families, their connection to their community. It’s all about listening and understanding what they care about," Kemerling says. "In my case, humor is a big part of my personality, and I think it’s an approach that people appreciate. I imagine there are times people are asked to give and it’s not that much fun.”

Like most arts organizations, The Gilmore, known for its biennial piano festival, is supported by a range of funding streams, from grant makers, corporations, family-owned businesses and philanthropists to monthly donors of modest amounts. Kemerling is leaving after a noteworthy year. In the spring the organization staged its first festival since 2018 — having to curtail the 2020 festival because of the Covid-19 pandemic — and was a beneficiary of support from the former head of a local brewing company, Larry Bell, who provided funds to endow a Larry J. Bell Jazz Award, adding to The Gilmore's roster of awards, commissions and presentations of jazz and classical music.

Kemerling grew up in Melbourne Beach, Florida, and attended Stetson University, in DeLand, Florida, where she studied speech and theater, and she went to work for Stetson’s admissions office after graduation. When her department head moved to Kalamazoo College, he recruited Kemerling to join him. It was work she says she loved, but she eventually set it aside for about 10 years to raise her three children.

“Traveling seven months out of the year didn’t work for a newlywed or a new mom,” she notes.

She married her husband, Mike, four months after meeting him on a blind date 43 years ago. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. When she returned to full-time work, it was as director of development for Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where her half dozen years of service began with helping raise funds to build the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

“I had done a little fundraising through the Junior League as a volunteer, but since Mike grew up here, I had a lot of relationships built up over the years, and that’s what fundraising is about," she says. "The community college was on the brink of starting a $20 million campaign to build the new museum (which opened in 1996), and I was serving on the KVCC Foundation board at the time. The KVCC director of development left, and they needed someone quickly. I was really excited about the museum project, and I just lucked out when they hired me. That was my first real job in fundraising. My feet were truly in the frying pan, but we had a lot of people working very hard.

“Marilyn Schlack (former KVCC president) was so capable and connected, and she raised several million (dollars) with the campaign chairs, who were area CEOs. They did the bulk of the heavy lifting, primarily from foundations and big corporations. Then we had mid-

Brian Powers

level corporations and a whole bunch of individuals and families.”

Among the latter group were hundreds, if not thousands, of public-school students. Fueled by the most popular exhibit at the museum, Kemerling and the project’s community engagement committee launched the “Move the Mummy” campaign.

“When we only had less than $100,000 left to go, we did this enormous community campaign to have as many people as possible understand that this was their museum,” Kemerling says. “Patty Huiskamp had collected a garage full of tennis ball cans, and we got one of those in every elementary school classroom in KRESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency) for kids to share their spare change. We had costumed characters of a mummy, a dinosaur, and a scientist who would visit schools and pitch the cause. We had a lot of fun.”

Education is still important to Kemerling, and she is very proud of The Gilmore's programs that offer lessons to students, adults and residents of the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Detention Center. In addition, mentoring and supporting young artists on their career ascent is part of the organization's work.

“Our Rising Stars series features young artists who have a pretty good career going, but they’re not extremely well known,” Kemerling says. “We are catching them on

their way up. Many times no one has heard of them yet. Lang Lang was on our calendar way back when most people were unaware of him. He was so young — just a boy — and on his way to an 80-city tour right after being here. You had a feeling he was going to do well."

Another way The Gilmore fosters young artists is through its Young Artists program, which singles out the most promising U.S.based pianists age 22 and younger.

“Our Gilmore Young Artists are all based in the U.S. and are still in school, so they don’t have a lot of opportunity to perform. They come for the festival and become part of The Gilmore family. It’s not management so much as nurturing. We have that in our mission statement … We nurture these young artists, we nurture the Gilmore Artists, even though they’re beyond that early stage.

“That’s an enormous part of our mission, to nurture and celebrate a passion for piano music, and the nurturing is not just artists — it’s kids and families and even adults who take our piano lessons. It’s getting people to develop an interest and getting them inspired by music and involved in it.”

The concept of nurturing also has meaning when it comes to donors, says Kemerling.

“Nurturing donors just means making friends with patrons who might someday be interested in financially supporting us,” she says. "There are so many aspects of our

programs that might appeal. It might be a certain artist or type of music or where the artist is from or an education program. We can generally find a good match, but it’s not the same for every person. It’s very individual.

"It’s building the relationship and listening and figuring out together with someone what would make them happy and excited. We have a pair of new sponsors, a couple who I got to know over the years and then asked if they would like to co-sponsor a concert. When I saw them during the festival, they said, ‘This sponsoring concerts is really fun!’ That’s what you want to see, the joy that people experience when they are supporting something they care about.”

Kemerling’s next chapter will include volunteering and travel and consulting on special projects with The Gilmore. Her many volunteer connections include service with the Bronson Health Foundation Board, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Junior League of Kalamazoo, the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo and, most recently, Farmers Alley Theatre and Ministry with Community.

“I have enjoyed helping to steer the ship,” she says. “That’s been one of my favorite things to do, which I’ve had the privilege of doing for the last 10 years. I’m going to miss that. I love Kalamazoo, and that’s an overriding feature of why I’ve enjoyed my work so much. I love this community and being able to help out in different ways.”

TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

Othello Nov. 3–6

Festival Playhouse

With themes that are still topical and relevant, this William Shakespeare play of passion, jealousy and race will be staged at Kalamazoo College’s Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St.

Othello tells the story of a heroic black general who is brought to ruin by his trusted advisor Iago. The Festival Playhouse production is directed by Kalamazoo College Professor Ren Pruis, a founding member of Queen’s Company, an all-female company in New York City devoted to producing classical texts.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3–5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 6, and tickets are $15–$25. For tickets or more information, visit festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu.

Puffs,orSevenIncreasingly EventfulYearsataCertainSchool ofMagicandMagic

Nov. 11–20

Civic Youth Theatre

If you know the story of Harry Potter, then you'll want to meet the other orphan who attended a certain school of magic — Wayne from New Mexico — in this funny and inventive takeoff on that popular wizarding series.

Seven years are summed up in this fast-paced play told from the perspective of three "Puffs" (Landen Birchmier as Wayne, Etta Bradford Poer as Megan, and Isaac DeLuca as Oliver) who are just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 and 18, 1 p.m. Nov. 12 and 19, 4 p.m. Nov. 12 and 19, and 2 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20 at the Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St. Tickets are $15 and available by calling the Civic box office at 343-1313 or by visiting kazoocivic.com.

Pippin

Nov. 11–20

WMU Theatre

This circus-inspired version of the story of a prince who learns the true meaning of glory, love and war will be staged at Western Michigan University’s Shaw Theatre, in the Gilmore Theatre Complex .

Center Stage Theatre

You can find Elsa, Anna, Olaf and all the characters of the magical land of Arendelle in this production based on the 2018 Broadway musical Frozen, which will be staged at the Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St.

This show about the bonds of sisterhood, directed by Jenny Trout and Jeremy Riddle, features a large ensemble cast.

Show times are 7 p.m. Nov. 4 and 5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5 and 6. Tickets are $10, or $7 for students and seniors, $5 for children and $35 for families. They are available online at kzoocst.com.

The guest director and choreographer team of Robert Clater and Lesia Kaye are overseeing the production, which features a score by Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz. WMU musical theater senior Adam Nyhoff will star in the title role.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11, 12, 17 and 19 and 2 p.m. Nov. 13 and 20. Tickets are $24 and available by calling 387-6222 or visiting wmich. edu/theatre.

Other Theater Events

PrideandPrejudice through Nov. 6 The Civic

TheThanksgivingPlay Nov. 3–6 WMU Theatre

THEATER

OurVoicesProject

Nov. 11–13

Face Off Theatre Company

Plays written by students and brought to life by professional actors will be presented in a collaboration between the local Face Off Theatre Company and the Detroit-based Black and Brown Theatre at Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St.

Developed by award-winning playwright and educator Emilio Rodriguez, Our Voices empowers students to tell the stories of their neighborhoods and aspirations and the issues important to their lives. The plays will be presented in Kalamazoo and Detroit.

Show times are 7:30 Nov. 11 and 12 and 2 p.m. Nov. 13. Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can basis and available online at faceofftheatre.com.

AChristmasCarol Nov. 11–Dec. 22 New Vic Theatre

You know it’s holiday time in Kalamazoo when the New Vic gives its annual presentations of the Charles Dickens classic.

The classic tale, adapted for the stage by the late New Vic co-founder Ted Kistler, will be staged at 8 p.m. Nov. 18, 19 and 25, Dec. 2, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 21 and 22 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 4, 11 and 18. The theater is located at 134 E. Vine St. For tickets or more information, call 381-3328 or visit thenewvictheatre.org.

ASwingingChristmas

Nov. 18–Dec. 11

Farmers Alley Theatre

The holiday music of Tony Bennett, the crooner best known for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and more recently for his collaborations with Lady Gaga, will be in the spotlight at Farmers Alley.

The local theater is premiering this new show, created and directed by David Grapes. It will feature holiday tunes performed in Bennett's style by a cast of four singers and dancers.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17–19, 25 and 26 and Dec. 1–3 and 8–10 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20 and 27 and Dec. 4 and 11. Tickets are $45 and available by calling 343–2727 or visiting farmersalleytheatre.com.

DANCE

Fall Concert of Dance

Nov. 18–20

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers

Kalamazoo's modern dance company kicks off its season, "Little Worlds," by featuring a new work by Cori Terry.

This fall dance concert will also feature works by troupe member and choreographer Marisa Bianan as well as selected works from the Wellspring repertoire.

The performances are at 8 p.m. in the Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall.

Tickets are available online at wellspringdance.org, in person at the Community Box Office in the Epic Center, or by calling 250-6984.

Dinner Party Nov. 19

Ballet Arts Ensemble

The ensemble will kick off its 40th season with this fall dance concert at Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave. Ballet Arts Ensemble is Kalamazoo's largest youth ballet company, with dancers 12 years of age and older. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will accompany the dancers.

The performances are set for 2 and 7 p.m. For ticket prices or more information, visit balletartsensemble.org

Other Dance Events Winter Concert

Nov. 18 WMU Department of Dance

TheArts

Various Performances Throughout the month WMU School of Music

November is a busy month at WMU's School of Music, with a full slate of concerts and guest recitals on the schedule. Unless noted, performances will be in the Dalton Center Recital Hall and are free. The performers scheduled are:

• Western Winds, conducted by Scott Boerma, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1.

• Keith Hall Jazz Trio, featuring Robert Hurst III on bass, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2, with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.; tickets are $5–$15.

• Cory Mixdorf, on trombone, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

• Tony Romano, on guitar, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

• Gold Company Sneak Preview, featuring the student vocal jazz groups Gold Company and Gold Company II, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4; tickets are $5–$10.

• Susanna’s Secret and Doctor Miracle , presented by WMU Opera, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11–12; tickets are $5–$15.

• University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bruce Uchimura, 3 p.m. Nov. 13.

• David Zerkel, on tuba, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13.

• Annual Big Band Swing Concert, performed by the University Jazz Orchestra and University Jazz Lab Band, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18; tickets are $5–$10.

• University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, 3 p.m. Nov. 20, Miller Auditorium.

• Brian KM, on horn and electronics, 6 p.m. Nov. 21.

• Peter Steiner, on trombone, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

• University Percussion Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22.

• Meridian Arts Ensemble, a brass ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.; tickets are $5–$15.

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

Connecting Chords Music Festival

Three concerts Various venues

The Connecting Chords Music Festival wraps up its current festival this month with three concerts:

• Tapestry, a vocal ensemble featuring medieval and traditional music, will perform at 4 p.m. Nov. 13 at Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 7028 Oakland Drive. The group's program, “Web of Lace” for voices, piano and viola, celebrates extraordinary women composers, including Modesta Bor, Lili Boulanger, Rebecca Clarke, Florence Price and Germaine Tailleferre.

• American Patchwork Quartet, a group of four U.S. citizens, each with a unique cultural background, will present a repertoire of centuries-old American folk songs that highlight America’s immigrant roots at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at Kalamazoo College’s Stetson Chapel

• Alla Boara, a six-person ensemble, will perform modern arrangements of traditional Italian folk music at 4 p.m. Nov. 20 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1747 W. Milham Ave.

Tickets for each concert are $20, or $15 for seniors and $5 for ages 25 and under, and are available online at mfsm.us.

Jason Max Ferdinand Singers Nov. 19 First Congregational Church

The Kalamazoo Bach Festival presents this 28-member vocal ensemble, led by the award-winning Jason Max Ferdinand, at 7:30 p.m.

The Cincinnati-based group comprises vocalists from across the nation. Ferdinand, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is director of choral activities at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is also the former director of choral activities at Oakwood University, in Huntsville, Alabama, where he conducted the Aeolians, recipients of multiple national and international choir awards.

First Congregational is at 345 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets for the concert are $5–$39 for the in-person event and $19 to view it virtually. They are available online at kalamazoobachfestival.org.

Tapestry

American Patchwork Quartet

Alla Boara

Danae Dorken Nov. 13

Wellspring Theater

MUSIC

This 31-year-old German-Greek pianist, described as a “piano poet" by the German newspaper Die Welt, will perform at 4 p.m. as part of the Gilmore Rising Stars Series.

Dörken's performance, titled Odyssey, will include works by Debussy, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann. She began her piano training at age 5 at the music school Subito in Düsseldorf, Germany, and has won numerous prizes at national and international piano competitions.

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.

Angeline Kiang with KJSO Nov. 13

Chenery Auditorium

Cellist Angeline Kiang, the bronze medalist in the 2022 Stulberg International String Competition, will return to Kalamazoo to perform with the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra at 4 p.m. at Chenery, 714 S. Westnedge Ave.

Kiang, who began study at the Juilliard School this fall, is also the winner of the 2022 National YoungArts Competition and the Colburn Music Academy’s 2022 Concerto Competition. She will perform Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto. The program, led by guest conductor Daniel Brier, will also include pieces by Brahms and Florence Price. Tickets are $5–$15 and available online at kjso.org.

Bruckner:AnEpicSymphony Nov. 12

Miller Auditorium

With a promise on its website that "there's no symphony like a Bruckner Symphony," the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will perform Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, "Romantic."

The 7:30 p.m. concert will begin with Florence Price’s Ethiopia's Shadow in America

Tickets are $6–$68 and available online at kalamazoosymphony.com.

MessiahSing Nov. 27

First Congregational Church

Whether you want to just listen or sing along, you can take in the annual Messiah Sing, a collaboration of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, First Congregational United Church of Christ and the Kalamazoo Bach Festival.

This event will feature a chamber orchestra of local musicians and soloists who will perform Handel’s Messiah at 4 p.m. at the church, located at 345 W. Michigan Ave.

The free event is also available for virtual viewing. For more information, visit kalamazoobachfestival.org.

celebrate the unifying power of the world’s music

PRESENTED BY

Upcoming Festival Events

Tapestry: “Web of Lace”

Sun, November 13 at 4:00 PM

Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church

Vocal, chamber and solo works from women composers throughout history

American Patchwork Quartet Wed, November 16 at 7:00 PM Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College

An ensemble of acclaimed musicians reimagine classic American folk songs.

Alla Boara Sun, November 20 at 4:00 PM

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Modern arrangements of Italy’s diverse history of regional folk music

Messiah Sing Sun, November 27 at 4:00 PM

First Congregational United Church of Christ FREE – Sing-along of Handel’s Messiah

Full lineup & tickets available at www.ccmusicfest.com

TheArts VISUAL ARTSArt Hop

Nov. 4

Downtown Kalamazoo

The Next Generation of Artistic Talent will be the theme of the November Art 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.

PaulRobbert

Nov. 11–23

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

An opportunity to take home a work by trailblazing handmade papermaker and artist Paul Robbert is part of an exhibit and fundraising event at the KBAC.

Robbert served on the faculty of Western Michigan University for more than 40 years, setting up the university's printmaking program and establishing a papermaking curriculum. A cofounder of the KBAC, Robbert was known for creating new processes to form paper sheets. He died in 2008.

The exhibit will highlight Robbert's work and art, while a reception from 5:30–7 p.m. Nov. 11 will be a fundraiser for the KBAC. Those who make a donation to the center can take home one of Robbert's works.

For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

Currentexhibitions:

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:

CaptiveBeauties:DepictionsofWomeninLateImperial China Through Jan. 15

UnmaskingMasculinityforthe21stCentury Through Dec.

UnveilingAmericanGenius

Through December

WhatIsGoingoninThisPicture?

Through

We'veOnlyJustBegun:CelebratingaCenturyofCollecting ArtatWesternMichiganUniversity

Through Nov.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts

BenBlount:PresentPerfect

Through Nov.

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

Lauren Camp and Su Cho Nov. 12 Online

Poets Lauren Camp and Su Cho will read from their works at 7 p.m. in this online presentation of the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center’s Poets in Print series.

Camp is the author of five books, most recently Took House (Tupelo Press). Her poems have been published in many journals and anthologies and translated into Mandarin, Turkish, Spanish and Arabic. Her work has won the Dorset Prize and finalist citations for the Arab American Book Award and New Mexico-Arizona Book Award.

Cho is a poet and essayist born in South Korea and raised in Indiana. She has an M.F.A. in poetry from Indiana University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her work has been featured in Poetry, New England Review, Gulf Coast, Orion, the 2021 Best American Poetry and Best New Poets anthologies, and elsewhere. She has been a finalist for the 2020 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Poetry Fellowship, recipient of a National Society of Arts and Letters Award, and a twotime Pushcart Prize nominee. She is an assistant professor at Clemson University.

To view the readings or for more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

Author Talks

Three events

Various venues

Whether you’re interested in poetry, fictional thrillers or World War II, there are several opportunities to hear talks by Michigan authors this month.

Poet Nancy Eimers will give a craft talk at 10 a.m. and do a reading at 2:15 p.m. in the Student Commons Theatre at Kalamazoo Valley Community College as part of the college's Visiting Writers series. Eimers, whose new chapbook, Human Figures, was released in March, is the author of four previous poetry collections: Oz, A Grammar to Waking, No Moon, and Destroying Angel

Poets Elizabeth Kerlikowske and Jennifer Clark will jointly give a presentation on "Memoir: Poetry & Prose" at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Richland Community Library, 8951 Park St.

Kerlikowske, whose chapbook The Vaudeville Horse was just released, has been publishing poetry and fiction for more than 50 years and is the author of two full-length books, five chapbooks and a children's book. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize six times.

Clark is the author of three full-length poetry collections: A Beginner’s Guide to Heaven, Necessary Clearings, and Johnny Appleseed: The Slice & Times of John Chapman. She is also the author of the children’s book What Do You See in Room 21C? and co-editor of the anthology

Lauren Camp Su Cho

Elizabeth Kerlikowske

Jennifer Clark

LITERATURE

45th Annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar

Nov. 4

Online

Activism, advocacy and history through youth literature is the focus of this daylong online seminar presented by the Kalamazoo Public Library. It runs from 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

Historical fiction author Ruta Sepetys will give the morning keynote address at 9 a.m.; Kyle Lukoff, author of When Aidan Became a Brother and Call Me Max, will give the midday address at 11:15 p.m.; and poet Ruth Forman (Young Cornrows Calling Out the Moon) will give the closing keynote address at 1:45 p.m. Breakout sessions cover topics such as early learning, diversity, trauma, and LGBTQ history.

The event is free, but registration is required. To register or for more information, visit kpl.gov.

Immigration & Justice for Our Neighbors. Her newest collection, Kissing the World Goodbye (March 2022), ventures into the world of memoir, braiding family tales with recipes.

Ryan Steck, author of the Matthew Redd thriller series, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive. Steck is a freelance editor and author and the founder and editorin-chief of The Real Book Spy, a website dedicated to news and reviews of the thriller genre of literature.

George D. Jepson, author of Crash Boat: Rescue and Peril in the Pacific During World War II, will talk at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane. Jepson, editorial director for McBooks Press and a resident of Kalamazoo, worked with Earl A. McCandlish, commander of the 63foot crash boat P-399, to detail the boat's rescue operations during World War II.

An organized pantry and kitchen makes for a happy cook!

OneinThree Nov. 4 & 5 Dormouse Theatre Troupe

Themes of reproductive and women’s rights will be viewed through a sketchcomedy lens by the Dormouse Theatre Troupe at the Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road.

The show begins at 7 p.m. both days, and tickets are $20. For tickets or more information, visit dormousetheatre.com.

Kalamazoo Improv Festival Nov. 10–12 Crawlspace Theatre

Improvisational comedy at its best will be featured as 10 teams from across the Midwest compete in two days of comedy at the Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave.

This annual competition began in 2008 and had to take an unfortunate hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.

For more information, visit crawlspacecomedy.com.

published in partnership with

with funding provided by

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

TheThanksgivingPlay — A satire about teaching artists who scramble to create a pageant to celebrate both Thanksgiving Day and Native American Heritage Month, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 3–5, 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387–6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

Othello — William Shakespeare’s play about passion, jealousy and race, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3–5, 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Festival Playhouse, Light Fine Arts Building, Kalamazoo College, festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu.

Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic — A new perspective on a familiar adventure of three potential heroes trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be dangerous for children, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 & 18, 1 p.m. Nov. 12 & 19, 4 p.m. Nov. 12 & 19, 2 p.m. Nov. 13 & 20, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.

Our Voices — A theater program with high school students in collaboration with Black and Brown Theatre in Detroit, Nov. 11–13, Face Off Theatre Company, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., faceofftheatre.com.

Musicals

Disney’s Frozen Jr. — Musical expanding upon the emotional journey between Anna and Elsa, 7 p.m. Nov. 4–5, 2 p.m. Nov. 5–6, Center Stage Theatre, Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., kzoocst.com.

Hairspray— The Broadway comedy about Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore setting out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 & 5, 2 p.m. Nov. 5, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.

Pippin — A prince learns the true meaning of glory, love and war in a journey to be extraordinary, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11–12 & 17–19, 2 p.m. Nov. 13 & 20, Shaw Theatre, WMU, 387-6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

A Swinging Christmas — The holiday music of Tony Bennett is featured in this show created and directed by David Grapes, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17–19, 25, 26, Dec. 1–3 & 8–10 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20, 27, Dec. 4 & 11, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.

AChristmasCarol:BeingAGhostStoryofChristmas

— An adaptation by Ted Kistler of the classic Dickens' story, 8 p.m. Nov. 18–19, 25, Dec. 2, 9–10, 15–17, 21–22, 2 p.m. Nov. 26, Dec. 3–4, 11 & 18, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., 381-3328, thenewvictheatre.org.

Other

Susanna’s Secret and Doctor Miracle — Presented by WMU Opera, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 & 12, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

DANCE

Wellspring Fall Concert of Dance — Presented by Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, 8–10 p.m. Nov.

18–20, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, wellspringdance.org.

Winter Concert — Presented by Western Michigan University Department of Dance, noon, Nov. 18, Dalton Center, Multimedia Room, WMU, wmich.edu/dance/ events.

Ballet Arts Ensemble Fall Concert & Dinner — Accompanied by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, 2 & 7 p.m. Nov. 19, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., BAETickets.org.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Joanne Shaw Taylor — Singer-songwriter playing the blues, 8 p.m. Nov. 2, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Black Joe Lewis & Cedric Burnside, Nov. 2; Zoso, Nov. 3; That Arena Rock Show, Nov. 12; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

Billy Strings —The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass guitarist performs, 8 p.m. Nov. 3, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/events.

Cheap Trick — The 1970s rock band with Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.

Kait Rose — Americana music, 2–3 p.m. Nov. 13, Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org.

Loaves & Fishes Benefit Concert — Sponsored by K’zoo Folklife Organization, with performances by The Luke Lenhard Band, Dana Scott, Mall City Harmonizers, Out of Favor Boys, Schlitz Creek and Shirley Kime, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19, Trinity Lutheran Church, 504 S. Westnedge Ave.

An Unusual Evening with Aaron James Wright — The singer-songwriter performs original songs, from pop to rock to country, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23, Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Greensky Bluegrass — Kalamazoo's nationally recognized bluegrass band returns, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 25 & 26, State Theatre, kazoostate.com. Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More

Western Winds — Woodwind instrumental group, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, 387–2300.

Keith Hall Jazz Trio — Release of Hall’s album Made in Kalamazoo, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., wmich.edu/music/ events.

Cory Mixdorf — Trombonist performs a guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich. edu/music/events.

Tony Romano — Guitarist performs a guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Dalton Center Lecture Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/ music/events.

Gold Company Sneak Preview — WMU’s vocal jazz ensembles Gold Company and Gold Company II perform, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Saturdays with Stulberg — Online weekly recitals: 2020 Silver Medalist Yeyeong Jin, Nov. 5; 2016 Gold Medalist Daniel Hass, Nov. 12; 2013 Silver Medalist Ariel Horowitz, Nov. 19; all shows begin at 10:30 a.m., stulberg.org.

Bruckner: An Epic Symphony — The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra performs Florence Price’s Ethiopia's Shadow in America and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12, Miller Auditorium, WMU, kalamazoosymphony.com.

University Symphony Orchestra — Conducted by Bruce Uchimura, 3 p.m. Nov. 13, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Danae Dörken — German-Greek pianist performs as part of the Gilmore Rising Stars Series, 4 p.m. Nov. 13, Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, with virtual and in-person tickets available, 342–1166, thegilmore.org.

Angeline Kiang — The 2022 Stulberg Bronze Medalist performs with the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, 4 p.m. Nov. 13, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., 349–7557, stulberg.org.

Tapestry — Vocal ensemble featuring medieval and traditional music presented by the Connecting Chords Music Festival, 4 p.m. Nov. 13, Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 7028 Oakland Drive, www.mfsm.us.

American Patchwork Quartet — Performing American folk songs highlighting America's immigrant roots, presented by the Connecting Chords Music Festival, 7 p.m. Nov. 16, Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, mfsm.us.

Jazz in the Crawlspace — International musician Dana Hall performs with a quartet of sax, piano and bass, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17, Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Annual Big Band Swing Concert — University Jazz Orchestra and University Jazz Lab Band, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Jason Max Ferdinand Singers — A 28-member vocal ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, First Congregational Church, 345 W. Michigan Ave., kalamazoobachfestival.org.

University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band — 3 p.m. Nov. 20, Miller Auditorium, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Alla Boara — Ensemble performing Italian folk music presented by the Connecting Chords Music Festival, 4 p.m. Nov. 20, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1747 W. Milham Ave., mfsm.us.

Brian KM — A guest recital featuring horn and electronics, 6 p.m. Nov. 21, Dalton Center Lecture Hall, WMU, wmich. edu/music/events.

Peter Steiner — Trombonist performs a guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/ music/events.

University Percussion Ensemble — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/ events.

Messiah Sing — The annual collaboration of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, First Congregational Church and the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, featuring a chamber orchestra of musicians and soloists and a chance to sing along or just listen, 4 p.m. Nov. 27, First Congregational Church, online viewing available, kalamazoobachfestival.org.

Jazz Combo Student Showcase — 5 p.m. Nov. 28, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.

Student Recital — Featuring student composers, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich. edu/music/events.

Meridian Arts Ensemble — A brass ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with preconcert talk at 7 p.m., wmich.edu/music/events.

COMEDY

OneinThree— Through a sketch-comedy lens, Dormouse Theatre Troupe explores themes of reproductive and women’s rights, 7–9 p.m. Nov. 4 & 5, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, dormousetheatre.com.

www.encorekalamazoo.com

Kalamazoo Improv Festival — Ten comedy teams from the Midwest compete, Nov. 10–12, Crawlspace Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

Whose Live Anyway? — An improv comedy team from the show Whose Line is It Anyway?, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., 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 December.

Captive Beauties: Depictions of Women in Late ImperialChina— How artists have depicted the lives and duties of these women, Oct. 25–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

Kirk Newman Art School Holiday Art Sale — Featuring works by students and faculty, 5–8 p.m. Nov. 17, members only; 5–8 p.m. Nov. 18, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 19, open to the public.

Kalamazoo Art League Lecture Series — Tuliza Fleming, interim chief curator of visual arts at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will speak, 10 a.m. Nov. 19.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436, wmich.edu/art

We've Only Just Begun: Celebrating a Century of Collecting Art at Western Michigan University — More than 80 works from the WMU Art Collection, through Nov. 19.

Other Venues

Art Hop — This month’s Art Hop theme is The Next Generation of Artistic Talent, 5–8 p.m. Nov. 4, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.

Paul Robbert — Works on display by the late printmaker and co-founder of the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, Nov. 11–23, with reception from 5:30–7 p.m. Nov. 11, kalbookarts.org.

BenBlount:PresentPerfect— A display of his work and passion for print and design, through Nov. 23, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave, Suite 103A, 373–4938, kalbookarts.org.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

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

Scrabble Tournament — A tournament with prizes, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 5; registration required.

Tea 101 — Polly Kragt from Chocolatea will speak about all things tea, 6–7:30 p.m. Nov. 9; registration required.

Adult Book Club — 1:30–2:30 p.m. Nov. 10.

Holiday Portrait Session — Families can register for a 15-minute time slot with a professional photographer,

4–5:45 p.m. Nov. 18 & 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 19; registration required.

Family Game Cafe — Learn and play role-playing and board games, 6–7:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

Adult Book Club — Discussion of Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram, 5:30–7 p.m. Nov. 30; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

NaNoWriMo Writing Kits — A writing workshop for all ages using prompts, , 4–5 p.m. Nov. 1, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St., with additional meetings through the month of November.

KPL Mobile Library: Family Literacy Day — Harvest Fest, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Nov. 2, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.

45th Annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar — Online event featuring authors Kyle Lukoff, Ruth Forman and Ruta Sepetys, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 4; registration required.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Fuzz, by Mary Roach, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Oshtemo Branch; registration required.

Reading Race Group — Discussion of Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

20th Annual Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee — Teams compete to raise funds for Ready to Read, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Nov. 9, WMU’s Fetzer Center, 2251 Business Court; sign up in advance on the library’s website to compete or be a sponsor.

KPL Mobile Library — 10–11:30 a.m. Nov. 11 and 3–4:30 p.m. Nov. 22, Texas Township Hall, 7110 West Q Ave.

Music and Memories — Music therapist Caitlyn Bodine plays songs and discusses the social and emotional wellness of older adults, especially those experiencing dementia and memory loss, 11 a.m.–noon Nov. 14, Oshtemo Branch.

A History of the Oshtemo Branch Library — Learn about the nearly 60-year history of the first of the library branches in Kalamazoo, 6–7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, Oshtemo Branch.

Classics Revisited — Discussion of Democracy in America, Volume 1, by Alexis de Tocqueville, 2:30 p.m. Nov. 17, Central Library and online via Zoom.

Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of Jilted, by Niko Michelle, 6 p.m. Nov. 29, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St.

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

Parchment Book Group — Discussion of Jacob T. Marley, by R. William Bennett, 6 p.m. Nov. 14.

Ryan Steck – Talk by the author of the Matthew Redd thriller series, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

Book Sale — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 19, with early-bird admission at 8 a.m., $2.

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

Muffins and the Market — Librarian Warren Fritz discusses recent market trends, 9 a.m. Nov. 3 & 17.

StarWarsand the Decline of Democracy — A discussion comparing the Star Wars movie series to current events and history, 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

International Mystery Book Discussion — Discussion of The Missing American, by Kwei Quartey, 7 p.m. Nov. 10.

Documentary and Donuts — Viewing of the film Young Lakota, 10 a.m.–noon Nov. 11.

Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium members play instruments for relaxation and a well-being experience, 10 a.m. Nov. 12; registration required.

Plots and Pages: A Local Writers Group — Author Mark Love discusses the craft of writing, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14.

Open for Discussion — Discussion of The Maid, by Nita Prose, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 15.

Cookies and Conversation: Heartwarming Reads Book Club — Discussion of The Guncle, by Steven Rowley, 2 p.m. Nov. 16.

Michigan Author Talk — George D. Jepson, author of Crash Boat, will speak, 7 p.m. Nov. 16.

Get Real Nonfiction Book Discussion — Discussion of American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey Through the Artisan Cheese World, by Joe Berkowitz, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 21.

Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society — Open to anyone interested in genealogy, 5 p.m. Nov. 21.

Book Tasting — Bring your lunch and sip tea or coffee while exploring audiobooks, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 23.

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

Bridge Club — Noon–3 p.m. Tuesdays.

Books and Crafts — Floral garland inspired by the Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2; registration required.

Memoir: Poetry & Prose — Talk by writers Elizabeth Kerlikowske and Jennifer Clark, 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

Classics Film Club — Discussion of To Kill a Mockingbird, 7 p.m. Nov. 9.

Richland Area Writers' Group — Open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon Nov. 12 & 26, in person and via Zoom.

Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group, 10 a.m.–noon Nov. 17, in person and via Zoom.

Books with Friends Book Club — Discussion of The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles, 7 p.m. Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 18.

Other Venues

Poets in Print — Lauren Camp and Su Cho read from their works, Nov. 12, online via Zoom, 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

MUSEUMS

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.

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.

NATURE

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

Conservation Education Series — Discussion on how to create a bird-friendly home, 11 a.m. Nov. 5; registration required.

Behind the Scenes of Animal Care — How the KNC keeps its animal ambassadors healthy and content, 10–11:30 a.m. Nov. 19; registration required.

Returning and Reskilling Series — Learn how to use a variety of natural materials to build shelters to provide protection through the night, 2–3 p.m. Nov. 19, DeLano Greenhouse, 555 West E Ave.; registration required.

Coffee, Donuts and Conservation Talks with Rufous — Learn about problems birds face day-to-day and get to know the KNC’s Eastern screech owl, Rufous, 10–11 a.m. Nov. 26; registration required.

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

Fall Migration Celebration — Celebrate the fall waterfowl migration, with experts on hand to ask questions and identify waterfowl, live birds of prey presentation, crafts, games and more, 1–4 p.m. Nov. 6.

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Grab your morning beverage and learn about swans, 10 a.m. Nov. 9; registration required.

Guided Bird Hike — Join sanctuary staff for a guided morning birding hike on the grounds, 9–10:30 a.m. Nov. 19.

Other Venues

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting and Speaker — Larry Molnar will speak on The Backstory of Contact Binary Stars, 7–9:10 p.m. Nov. 4, Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., Room 400; register for in-person or online viewing at kasonline.org.

Slithering with Snakes — Meet and greet ambassador snakes and discuss the importance of amphibians in the ecosystem, 10 a.m. Nov. 5, Schrier Park, portagemi.gov.

Ranger Hike: Fall Colors — Take in the autumn colors of trees and learn how trees prepare for winter, 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Portage Creek Bicentennial Park, portagemi.gov.

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. Nov. 19, cloud date Nov. 26; register online at kasonline.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — Featuring over 100 businesses weekly, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays, through Nov. 19, 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Harvest Market — Over 100 booths with unique vendors from across Michigan, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 5, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 903–5820.

Kalamazoo Numismatic Club Annual Fall Coin Show — Buy, sell and trade coins, paper money and memorabilia, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 5, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, North Room, 491-0962.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Buy, sell or trade a variety of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and other exotic pets, plus supplies & food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 5, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

West Michigan Harvest Cluster Dog Show — More than 140 AKC recognized breeds compete in this event, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Nov. 10, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov. 11–14, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616–600–1578.

Australia’s Thunder from Down Under — Male dancers perform, 8 p.m. Nov. 11, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

Kalamazoo Beer Cup: Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Stouts — A craft-style beer competition for Kalamazoo-area breweries, with blind tasting by the public, 6:30–8 p.m. Nov. 17, Kalamazoo Beer Exchange, 211 E. Water St.., westmichiganbeertours.com/tour.

WMU Turkey Trot 5K — 5K run and walk, 8:30–11:30 a.m. Nov. 19, beginning at Student Recreation Center, WMU, trisignup.com; virtual option available.

Fine Arts Sale and Holiday Bazaar — Featuring local artists and vendors and baked goods, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 19, People's Church, 1758 N. 10th St., peopleschurch.net.

Holiday Craft Show — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 19, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 20, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 903–5820.

Kalamazoo Holiday Parade — Marching bands, holidaythemed floats and giant balloons, 11 a.m. Nov. 19, downtown Kalamazoo, kalamazooholidayparade.org.

Tree Lighting Ceremony — Festivities planned for 5–7 p.m., with lighting at approximately 6 p.m. Nov. 25, Bronson Park, kzooparks.org.

Holiday Walk and Market — Handcrafted gifts sold by local artists and artisans, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Nov. 25, 26, Dec. 3, 10 & 17, Kellogg Manor House, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, 269–671–2160.

Kalamazoo Antique Toy Show — Antique, vintage and collectible toys, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Nov. 26, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 366–1314.

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Brad Wong (continued from page 42)

if you wanted to then try a band instrument, you could do that. My brother was a year older, and he was playing saxophone. I remember going to a school assembly and seeing him in the band playing "Jingle Bells," which I thought was the greatest thing I ever heard. I didn't find out until later that they weren't even playing an arrangement. They were all just playing the melody. But, to me, part of it was my brother, and part of it was hearing live instruments.

When it became my turn to select an instrument, of course I wanted to do saxophone, because that's what he did. And he said, “No, we already have a saxophone at home. Why don't you do clarinet?”

When I said I wanted the clarinet, they screened me to make sure my mouth and hands and everything would work for that. And it just turns out that it fit. It just was natural to me. The teacher would send notes home to my parents saying, “Brad is doing great. He should take private lessons.”

I played my first solo in sixth grade for a community meeting, and I was hooked. I knew that music was what I wanted to do. Even though we didn’t have a strong music program in our schools, they did sponsor students to go to Interlochen Center for the Arts for various summer camps. I went to the two-week program, which led to me going to the eight-week program. That led me to doing my last two years of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and that led me to the University of Michigan as a clarinet major. How did you end up in Kalamazoo?

I finished my bachelor’s degree and was looking for a graduate program. One of U of M’s two clarinet teachers had passed away, and they hired David Shifrin to replace her. I remember his audition. He started playing a baroque transcription because there are not original baroque pieces for the clarinet. His total approach to the clarinet was

so different than 99 percent of the people out there. It was gorgeous, so I stayed to work with him and finished in a year.

I moved to Detroit and was playing in an orchestra that acted as the resident orchestra for the Michigan Opera Theater. I joined a wind quintet, and we went on a tour of Italy and did a year residency in the Dominican Republic. In 1983, I got a job as a professor of music at WMU, which felt like the next step for me. Coming to Kalamazoo, I had no idea how long I would stay. It didn’t take long for me to discover that it was the perfect school of music for me to be affiliated with. It just had the right feel. What plans do you have for Fontana?

David (Baldwin) had so many international connections that he could bring in world-class artists, which was amazing for Kalamazoo. I don’t have those connections, but what I felt like I could bring was to engage more in the community.

Beyond just presenting world-class chamber music, what can we do to enrich the community beyond that?

It's been my mission to get back to Fontana's roots of presenting local performers more in the community. I don't want to diminish the level of concerts that Fontana is currently presenting, but I am looking for opportunities to hire local musicians to get them to play for Art Hop or in senior facilities and schools and things like that.

There's also a group of arts organizations that want to bring back the Bravo competition, where local students play for jurors and can then be selected to play in a concert. The competition ended because of the pandemic, and my hope is that it could be a good outreach initiative that can live at Fontana, so stay tuned.

— Interview by Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity

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Brad Wong Director

Fontana Chamber Arts

When Brad Wong retired from overseeing the School of Music at Western Michigan University in 2020, he didn't plan to wade back into those administrative waters.

"I was happy being very relaxed," Wong, 67, admits with a laugh. But after David Baldwin, former director of Fontana Chamber Arts, became ill and could no longer run the music series, Wong, who was serving on Fontana's board of directors, was approached about taking the role.

“It wasn’t on my radar,” Wong says. “Even when we started talking about needing someone to replace David, I never thought, ‘Oh, I can do that’ or ‘I want to do that.’ I just thought, ‘OK, who can I recommend?’ So, they did have to convince me a little bit.”

Wong became Fontana's director in May but had been involved as part of Fontana for more than 40 years. His late wife, Betsy, was the artistic administrator for the organization until she died in 2017.

"Accepting the position was really a labor of love — from my love of chamber music as a medium, my love for Fontana as an organization, my wife's connection to it, and my love for the Kalamazoo community," Wong says.

How did you get your start in music?

In our school's band program (Wong grew up in Roseville, north of Detroit), everybody started learning to play song flute in fourth grade. At midyear,

on page 41)

Brian Powers