Encore Magazine May 2022

Historian's favorite artifacts

Serial entrepreneurs Ron & Bette Hall

May 2022

Bill Lesterhouse Clients, friends say longtime antique dealer is priceless

Tools that are a work of art

Meet Kim Phillips

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

ENCORE EDITOR'S NOTE

From the Editor W

ith so much of today’s emphasis on what's new, better, faster and cooler, we can easily overlook the classic, steady and long-lasting. But those latter qualities are apparent in several of our stories in this issue.

Our cover story is on Bill Lesterhouse, who has been the go-to man for people in the greater Kalamazoo area who own, love or are just curious about antiques. Lesterhouse, 86, has had his own antique business since he was a teen and has sold the rare, priceless and beautiful from his shop in Mattawan, William Lesterhouse Antiques, for more than 50 years.

But he says he feels like there isn't a place for old, rare and beautiful heirlooms in today's disposable culture. Writer Chris Killian found, however, that Lesterhouse's many clients and friends heartily disagree.

Kim Phillips, director of senior citizen services for the city of Portage, has been fighting against misguided notions about senior citizens in her work to build the new Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center, which opens May 20. Phillips says the word “senior” often conjures up images of people who are old and feeble, but the population this center is designed for is anything but. “They are vibrant and physically active and engaged,” Phillips says, and the new center reflects that with fitness centers, classrooms, community areas and pickleball courts. Finally, something to make the under-50 crowd jealous!

When it comes to things from the past, Lynn Houghton, our go-to gal for all things historic, is a fervent believer that old is not only beautiful but informative. In our Five Faves feature this month, Houghton shows readers her favorite artifacts from the vast Zhang Legacy Collections Center, on Western Michigan University’s East Campus.

Finally, we profile Ron and Bette Hall, serial entrepreneurs who have gone from selling vinyl LPs and waterbeds to offering home renovation services, specializing in closet and organization systems. While their ventures have ridden the waves of periodic trends, their Halls Closets & More business has lasting power because as people get more and more new, better, faster and cooler stuff, they need somewhere to put it.

Have a wonderful May and thank you for reading Encore.

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Historian's favorite artifacts

Serial entrepreneurs Ron & Bette Hall

Tools that are a work of art

May 2022

Meet Kim Phillips

Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

Bill Lesterhouse Clients, friends say longtime antique dealer is priceless

Publisher

encore publications, inc.

Editor

marie lee

Designer

alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k. powers

Contributing Writers

maggie drew, lynn houghton, katie houston, chris killian, marie lee, gail martin

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales

janis clark, janet gover, krieg lee

Distribution

gregory macleery

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2022, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383–4433 Fax: (269) 383–9767 Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

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The staff at Encore welcomes written comment from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print–ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications.

CONTENTS

M a y 2022

FEATURE Bill Lesterhouse Is Priceless

Clients and friends of the longtime Mattawan antique dealer and collector say he's the rarity

16

DEPARTMENTS 3 From the Editor 6 Contributors 7 First Things

A round–up of happenings in SW Michigan 10

13 38

Five Faves

Historian Lynn Houghton's favorite Zhang Legacy Collection artifacts

Enterprise

From LPs to Closets — Serial entrepreneurs Ron and Bette Hall make the most of space

Back Story

Meet Kim Phillips — She wants the new Portage Community Senior Center to be the "gold standard"

T heArts 24

The Tool as Art

27 28 28 30 31

Music Dance Theater Visual Arts Literature

Ceramist Troy Bungart turns his talents to making tools and brushes for artists

31 Poetry

"While Packing" by Gail Martin

On the Cover: Bill Lesterhouse amid antiques he has collected over a lifetime. Photo by Brian K. Powers

32 Events of Note

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CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE

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Long ago and not far away, Katie "threw” pots on a ceramic wheel and also enjoyed browsing record stores. Both of those subjects came up in her interviews for this month’s Encore. She interviewed Ron and Bette Hall of Halls Closets and More and found out they met at Kalamazoo’s Boogie Records in the 1970s. She also interviewed artist Troy Bungart, who hand forms, throws and fires ceramics and creates glazing brushes at his St. Joseph County home. Katie is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer and marketing consultant.

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Every community has its hidden gems, and often the most beautiful ones are tucked away in plain sight, as Chris found when he wrote about William Lesterhouse. For nearly five decades, Lesterhouse has been the curator and protector of some of the region’s most prized and valuable antiques through his shop in downtown Mattawan. “As much as I was enamored by his prized historical possessions,” Chris says, “it became clear to me that the most awe-inspiring treasure in the shop was Lesterhouse himself, a humble man who has devoted his life to saving the past. He freely acknowledges he is in the final chapter of his own story, and I knew it was as important, if not more important, to tell his story as to describe the items he has spent a lifetime collecting.” Chris is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Encore.

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When Marie talked to Kim Phillips, director of the new Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center, she learned that Phillips sees the center as redefining what senior centers are supposed to be. “Every square inch of that facility has been planned to make it a vibrant, active place for older adults,” says Marie, the editor of Encore. "It is all about being a place to thrive.” The center opens May 20.

ENCORE FIRST THINGS

First Things Something Familiar

Unsafe at Any Speed to play at Bell's

Something Jazzy Wesley Stace performs May 3

Wesley Stace, the English singer

and songwriter who had critical and popular success as John Wesley Harding in the 1990s, will perform from 6–7:30 p.m. May 3 in the Van Deusen Room of the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St. Stace released 17 albums under the Harding name before switching back to his birth name for more recent recordings, including 2021’s Late Style, which he has called “a jazzier album.” He has recorded duets with, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and Rosanne Cash.

Stace has also published four novels, including the international bestseller Misfortune. He is the creator of Cabinet of Wonders, a monthly variety show at New York City’s City Winery, and has taught at Princeton, Swarthmore and FairleighDickinson universities.

To register for the event or for more information, visit kpl.gov.

The band Unsafe at Any Speed, a side project of Greensky Bluegrass founding member and guitarist Dave Bruzza, will play in the Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Back Room at 7 p.m.

May 14.

Bruzza is a multiinstrumentalist and songwriter from Michigan who has toured the country with Greensky Bluegrass for more than 20 years. He formed Unsafe at Any Speed in 2018 for a short run of shows in the Midwest, and the band has become a regular project for him in Greensky Bluegrass’s downtime. The other members of Unsafe at Any Speed are keyboardist Jimmy Matt Rowland, drummer Michael Shimmin, guitarist Justin Mazer and bassist Jeremy Darrow.

Tickets are $22 in advance or $25 day of show and are available at Etix.com and Bell’s General Store, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. For more information, visit bellsbeer.com/event.

Something Wheeled

TrailBlazer ride kicks off Bike Week Have you got the mettle to pedal to South Haven? Then you can join other biking enthusiasts for the TrailBlazer ride May 7.

The event kicks off Kalamazoo Bike Week May 7–13 and offers participants the option of riding the 34-mile Kal-Haven Trail, which links Kalamazoo to South Haven, in one day or in stages throughout the week. There are also adjacent road routes of 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles for those wishing to ride on paved roads. (The trail is compacted limestone.)

Hosted by Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and Friends of the Kal-Haven Trail, the ride is an annual fundraiser to support the expansion and maintenance of the trails. The fee to participate is $30 for individuals or $45 for families.

For those choosing to ride one way, shuttle rides are available for an additional fee. To register or for more information, visit kalcounty.com/parks/krvt.

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

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 7

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Something Fresh

Outdoor farmers markets return Those harbingers of summer — outdoor

farmers markets — return to Kalamazoo, Portage and Texas Township this month.

The first market to open for the season will be the Portage Farmers Market, on May 1. This every-Sunday market is open from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. by Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave. The market features farmers, vendors and music and runs until Oct. 16. For more information, visit portagemi.gov.

Opening day of the Kalamazoo Farmers Market is May 7 and heralds the market's return to its refurbished location at 1204 Bank St. The $4.2 million renovation project, which began in April 2021, has added new vendor space, restrooms and an office building as well as a performance stage and paved parking. The market is open every Saturday from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. through October; Tuesday and Thursday hours will

begin in June. For more information, visit pfcmarkets.com.

May 7 is also the opening day for the Texas Township Farmers Market, at 7110 West Q Ave. The market is open from 8 a.m.– noon every Saturday through Oct. 15 and will also be open from 4–7 p.m. Tuesdays from June 7 to Aug. 30. For more information, visit texastownship.org.

Something Good

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In an effort to enhance the news landscape and promote diversity and inclusion of voices among journalists and news sources in Southwest Michigan, a group of 12 news media outlets and organizations have formed the Southwest Michigan Journalism Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative Collaborative (SWMJC).

The media and community partners of the SWMJC include: Community Voices, Encore, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette, New/Nueva Opinion, NowKalamazoo, Public Media Network, Southwest Michigan Second Wave, Watershed Voice, Western Michigan University School of Communication, WMU Student Media Group and WMUK Public Radio 101.3 FM. The collaborative began in 2019 and in September 2021 received a $100,000 grant from the Solutions Journalism Network to launch the Mental Wellness Project, which examines the limited access to mental health services due to societal stigma, shortage of mental health professionals and the availability and affordability of high-quality services to meet the gap in access. The collaborative also was awarded $27,500 from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to support the work.

Stories and reporting produced for the project can be found at swmichjournalism.com

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 9

FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Five Faves

Artifacts from the WMU's Zhang Legacy Collections Center

BY LYNN HOUGHTON

I

am fortunate to serve as the regional history curator at Western Michigan University's Zhang Legacy Collections Center, on Oakland Drive. Although I was new to the position in 2009, I was not new to the collections, as I had used them as a history graduate student at WMU and had continued my relationship with the materials and staff over the years. Along with the Regional History Collection, the center also houses WMU's University Archives and Rare Books and Special Collections.

I have many favorite items in the collections, so narrowing it down to just five was very challenging, but here's my best shot:

Kalamazoo Columbian Home Register "G

oing to the fair” took on a whole new meaning in 1893 for Kalamazoo residents who traveled to Chicago to take in the sights and the sounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition, a five-month extravaganza held from May to October.

The Kalamazoo Columbian Home Co., formed in 1892, raised money to build a hotel for local residents to stay in while visiting the fair.

The hotel, located two miles south of the fair site, contained 60 bedrooms initially priced at $1 to $1.50 per night, although these rates dropped later in the year. Meals involved a separate charge and were provided by Portage Township resident Charles Smith, who managed the hotel's dining room. It was Smith who brought the register back to Kalamazoo once the fair ended.

10 | ENCORE MAY 2022

West Michigan Graphic Design Archives T

his collection is the brainchild of Linda Powell and Barbara Loveland, who met in Western Michigan University's graphic design program and had successful careers at the Herman Miller furniture company and Ferris State University, where they taught. Having accumulated a large trove of materials, they created the West Michigan Graphic Design Archives to highlight the rich graphic design history that exists in this area. The collection numbers more than 700 pieces from a variety of companies, organizations and institutions and continues to grow. It includes annual reports, brochures, promotional materials, announcements, catalogs and posters, like this one created in 1977 for Herman Miller’s annual picnics, which can be found at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

ENCORE FIVE FAVES

Ward Morgan Photographic Collection Photographs

contain much information about life in a community, including what people wore, what they did and how they traveled. The collection of Kalamazoo photographer Ward Morgan, who operated his studio for more than 50 years, is one of the largest collections of images in the Regional History Collection. It contains more than 27,000 negatives depicting a variety of subjects and events, from weddings and dances to meetings, and a wide variety of products made in the area. The photograph at left, taken at Otto Kihm Tire Co. on West Kalamazoo Avenue in July 1954, shows many happy children getting a free inner tube for floating in a lake or pool.

Pfizer-Upjohn Collection I

n 2007, the center's largest collection of business records arrived from a company that began in 1886 as The Upjohn Co. and eventually became Pfizer Inc. The PfizerUpjohn Collection takes up 166 cubic feet and contains a wide variety of material, including manufacturing records, annual reports, financial information, production records, account ledgers, publications, advertising and marketing materials, promotional and educational films, oral histories and photographs. Individuals from all over the globe have utilized this collection for a variety of reasons and to answer a variety of questions. At the same time as WMU received this collection, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum received artifacts associated with the company, guaranteeing that generations of researchers will be able to learn about the contributions The Upjohn Co. made to the lives of many people.

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FIVE FAVES ENCORE

Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department Mug Shots I

n 1962, the State Archives of Michigan designated the WMU Archives and Regional History Collection a regional depository for government records from 12 counties, the vast majority relating to legal matters. From the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department came a collection of material that included five large volumes of mug shots of those arrested for crimes from 1899 to 1934. Along with photographs of those arrested, there is a wide variety of information about each person, including age, height and weight, eye and hair color, occupation, marital status and length of sentence given and location at which the sentence would be served. The offenses ranged from larceny and embezzlement to perjury, forgery and murder and included unusual crimes not occurring much today such as thefts of horses and chickens.

About the Author: Lynn Houghton is the regional history curator of the Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections. She leads the Gazelle Sports Historic Walks, a series of free architectural and historic walks at various locations in Kalamazoo County that happen during the 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

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ENCORE ENTERPRISE

From LPs and Waterbeds to Closets

Serial entrepreneurs Ron and Bette Hall make the most of space

BY KATIE HOUSTON

“We lived in an older home, and in trying to create more organized, useful closets, we looked around and found there was no one locally who did that,” says Bette. “We tackled it ourselves. Then we helped a family member

building a large house in Traverse City, and we found ourselves with a new career.”

It wasn’t their first venture, however. The pair met in 1976 when Ron was working at the Portage store of Boogie Records, the venerable music store that closed in 1995 after 23 years. Longtime Kalamazoo residents may remember the store’s downtown location, at the triangular corner of Academy Street and West Michigan Avenue.

“A friend got me in at the record store, and it was so fun,” says Ron. “I loved the music, loved the customers, loved putting on a new album for people to hear. There was a lot of action, but it was a really relaxed atmosphere. People even brought their dogs in.” He admits there were plenty of girls to meet too, and one of them was Bette.

“Ron had a nice smile, and I actually brought my older sister in to meet him, but there were no sparks,” Bette says, laughing.

A foray into furniture

Brian Powers

N

ow in their 20th year at the helm of Halls Closets & More in Portage, Ron and Bette Hall started their venture because they wanted closet updates themselves and couldn’t find anyone to help.

As Boogie Records expanded to include sales of clothing, posters, accessories (ahem) and waterbeds, Ron found his role with the business growing, in spite of his longing to be an architectural draftsman (“That would have required more college than I was interested in,” he says).

When Ron and Bette realized that the store could sell more waterbeds if it had more space, they joined forces with Boogie Records owner Rick Rodbard and his wife, Cheryl, to open Northwoods Furniture in 1979, with Bette putting her design skills to work.

Bette and Ron Hall in the Portage showroom of their business Halls Closets & More.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 13

ENTERPRISE ENCORE

Brian Powers

“I had studied gemology, because my original love was jewelry, but it wasn’t a lucrative idea,” she says. “I’d been home with our first child for a little bit but was convinced to come work at the waterbed store. I’ve always worked retail and love working with people, so it was a good fit for me.”

The two couples decided to dissolve Northwoods Furniture in 2001 and Ron and Bette found another up-and-coming business opportunity: custom closets and organization.

While music on vinyl is having a renaissance, and one can still find waterbeds for sale, it is home renovation that’s a good fit for the couple now as they operate their Halls Closets & More business. Since many

people have been working and learning from home for two years because of the pandemic and because home renovation shows are popular on television, clients are seeking to make the most of their storage and workspaces more than ever.

Bette remembers thinking at the start, 20 years ago, “I have a design background, and Ron’s always been handy — this might be something small we could do together.”

It didn’t take long before the business turned

14 | ENCORE MAY 2022

into full-time work for both of them, with growth coming via word-of-mouth, repeat clients and referrals.

“Closet upgrades were kind of a new idea in the Midwest at the time,” she says.

“Our main goal was helping people living in homes with small spaces.”

Get organized Today, a good portion of the Halls' work can be found in garages, pantries, home offices, study nooks and craft rooms, and

they’ve expanded into organizing and upgrading small commercial office spaces as well.

“There’s a plethora of different areas that we can organize in homes and businesses,” says Ron, adding they have updated spaces at the Portage Police Department headquarters on Shaver Road, at a local dentist’s office and at their own church, Portage United Church of Christ.

“We knew from the beginning we could do more than closets,” says Bette.

Because clients are more aware now of storage options from social media and television, the Halls have to be ready to help with new trends, Bette says, noting that wall beds are enjoying a revival.

“It’s awesome when someone has ideas to show me. It helps me get a feel for what they want,” she says. “When they bring out their phone and show me their Pinterest ideas, I can tell them what works and what might not. I love when they research before and have an idea of what they’re looking for.”

Ron says the company serves about three to four clients per week. “That might mean

Clockwise from bottom left: From left, Rick Rodbard, Ron and Bette Hall in the showroom at Northwoods Furniture, which the Halls opened with Rick and Cheryl Rodbard; Ron Hall at Northwoods Furniture in the 1980s; and Ron and Bette today in one of the custom closets they design and sell.

several closets in a home under construction or a single client with a single closet,” he says, adding that most of their 500 annual projects (some clients have multiple projects) are installed in less than a day, though the firm’s timeline from consultation to installation has stretched to eight to 10 weeks because of supply problems. “Before the pandemic took hold, we could install within two weeks of design approval,” Ron says.

The Halls credit their longtime installers, Alan Mabie and Carter Howland, as valuable members of their team.

“We get so many compliments from clients on their service and the quality of their work,” says Bette. “It’s really nice to hear people say they love what we’ve done, that it’s so much better than the way it was. That makes me feel good, to really help people enjoy their space.”

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'They'll Never Make This Again' That's how Bill Lesterhouse feels about antiques and how his friends and customers feel about him

BY CHRIS KILLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN K. POWERS

There’s an African proverb that says, “When an old man dies, a library burns.” And as much as books contain stories or chronicles of times long past, objects crafted by human hands do too, carrying tales that grow more interesting as the items are handed off from one person to another.

For 86-year-old Bill Lesterhouse, whose humble antique shop in Mattawan has been operating for more than 50 years and contains a treasure trove of items from all over the world, preserving these stories has been his overriding motivation to keep his shop doors open. In preserving creations manifested by minds long gone, he helps customers, in a very real, tactile way, feel the past. His own mind, though, is still very much here, a rich catalog of the stories wedded to the chairs and paintings and so many other items in his care.

“Things like this will never be made again,” he says.

Sometimes his shop, William Lesterhouse Antiques, is open, sometimes not. Its hours are arbitrary. And that’s OK by Lesterhouse, because these days he’s not seeking to make a buck the way he once did. This is not a thrift shop. Crossing the threshold feels like entering a sanctuary.

While sitting amid antiques from the 18th century and earlier, Bill Lesterhouse, left, and friend Anne Rather admire the view inside and outside. w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 17

18 | ENCORE MAY 2022

Brian Powers

Lesterhouse, a Kalamazoo native, got his first brush with the antique world when he was a young boy. His uncle Charles Marston was an antique show promoter in the 1950s for Hobbies magazine at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago. Marston imparted Lesterhouse with his knowledge about several fine antiques, ushering his nephew into a world he would live in for the rest of his life, becoming one of this region’s quintessential antique dealers and appraisers.

“I saw all of these beautiful things. I just had to start collecting,” he says.

In 1953, the year Lesterhouse graduated from high school and with various antiques beginning to clog his family's home, his father was growing impatient with what began as his son's hobby and morphed into an obsession.

a Masonic Lodge. “It (the shop) was the first new thing to come here in a long time,” he recalls. "Mattawan was such a sleepy little town back then.”

Age and nostalgia

Lesterhouse's shop in Mattawan houses the rare, beautiful and priceless antiques he has acquired since he began selling antiques as a teenager.

“He told me, ‘Bill, you gotta start selling some of this junk,’” Lesterhouse recalls.

So the younger Lesterhouse set up his first shop in his parents’ garage, selling to whoever would come take a look at his wares. He made enough money that summer to build an addition onto the garage, before moving into the house next door that his family owned and where his shop called Ye Old House Antiques operated for years to come.

In 1969, he purchased a building at 24020 Front St. in Mattawan for his shop. The ground floor was a general store, the upstairs

Step inside the shop and you’ll step back in time. Maybe to the turn of the last century, but probably much further back than that.

The soft, warm, sparkly light of a crystal chandelier fills a room still filled with the aroma of a recently extinguished wood fire.

In this gentle illumination, one can make out some cobwebs here, a few dust-frosted glasses there. Classical music plays from a vintage radio near the front door. The serious faces of a lawyer and his wife stare out from mid-1700s paintings. And the air is filled with that impossible-to-replicate smell of age and nostalgia.

About all that is missing here is a cat dozing on a windowsill or on the wellworn couch where Lesterhouse does a little napping himself.

Many of the items in Lesterhouse’s shop were procured at antique shows, estate sales, flea markets and other outlets as far away as the East Coast or as close as a few miles down Red Arrow Highway. There was no eBay, no online registry of antiques to peruse, bid on and buy when he was doing the lion’s share of his acquiring. He had to hustle.

“I had to know what the hell I was doing,” he says. “It’s amazing how things come your way when you do this.”

The shop's upper level, which is offlimits to customers, is Lesterhouse's humble residence, where a simple recliner, no-nonsense fold-out chairs and a table, and bowls full of fake lemons placed here and there look out of place amid all the pricelessness.

Never married and with no children, Lesterhouse is thinking about where all of his items will go after he dies. Storing them is out of the question, he says, because “that’s a great way to get them damaged. I have to try to sell.”

Chicago representatives from Sotheby’s, the well-known auction house, are soon

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 19

to set foot in Lesterhouse’s shop, to admire and assess the value of his items. He smiles and huffs a little when asked if he knows the cumulative value of the hundreds upon hundreds of items in his possession.

“I’m interested to see what they come up with,” he says a bit sheepishly, “because the

value of a lot my items is impossible to define.”

The least expensive item in the whole shop by far is the half-empty gallon bottle of 5 O’Clock Vodka sitting by the microwave.

“Or maybe the most valuable,” quips his friend Anne Rather, who was visiting on a recent afternoon.

Top: A feature of Lesterhouse's store is his handcrafted bar where he mixed up Rum Shrubs for his Friday night "shrub" parties for friends. Right, top: A craftsman as well, Lesterhouse built several shelves in his home and store that look like antiquities. Right, bottom: Lesterhouse has an affinity for antiques from the 1700s, like many of the items pictured here.

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“I like a little nip right before bed, you know?” Lesterhouse says.

It is perhaps no surprise that Lesterhouse ran around with or at least was personable with many of Kalamazoo’s most prominent residents.

Irving Gilmore knew him and “said he was my friend. That was an honor,” Lesterhouse says. The Upjohns, the Strykers, the Austins. He was acquainted with members of all of those families. He is also not shy about the fact he’s got dirt on some folks that would turn heads, but he is too classy to spill the beans.

“Let’s just say I could write a book,” he says.

Kalamazoo resident Susan Brown is one of those who counts herself among Lesterhouse's circle of friends. She met him shortly after she and her husband, Bob, moved to the area in 1968. A trip to see the antiques in his shop turned into a friendship lasting more than half a century.

“He used to have Friday night “shrub” parties — that was his drink, the Rum Shrub,” she recalls. “I met so many other people that way. He was a fabulous host, loved talking to people, and he knew so much about antiques. Every one of my friends have something in their houses that came from Bill Lesterhouse’s shop.”

When the Browns built a new house in the early 2000s, Susan Brown consulted with Lesterhouse on everything from trim carpentry and paint choices to the stone used on the house's exterior.

“I love antiques, and I wanted a new house that looked like an old house,” she explains. “Bill got very involved and very interested.

For example, I wanted fireplaces in every room, and I wanted old fireplaces, so Bill said, ‘Well, then you need this type of fireplace, and here's where to look at them.’ He just had tremendous patience. He came over and he helped me the whole time and would never charge me or let me give him money for his time. He loved doing it.”

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LAWYER

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

LAWYER

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

Please send your questions to: Please send your questions to:

Q.

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

Q. ASK How are A. Given the uncertainty of who may pass away first between a married couple, both of whom LAWYER THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

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

have together created together a so-called A-B plan for estate tax minimization purposes, a general PLANNING powers ASK of power of appointment given to each, over all non-retirement assets of the other, will allow a decedent LAWYER Q. appointment to pull in all non-retirement assets of his or her spouse for the purpose of maximizing the exclusionWillis Law A. used in estate ary amount and fully funding the so-called family trust. Also note there is no foul in overfunding Q. 491 West South Street Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. when “the overflow” assets continue in a marital trust for the surviving spouse, which assets are planning? protected from the surviving spouse’s creditors. In addition, general powers of appointments are used Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law

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

A.

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE

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

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

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

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

A.

in joint trust planning in order to receive a full step-up on assets held jointly at the death of the first spouse to pass away. Due to the fact, under IRC 2041, all of the joint asset will be included in the estate of the first decedent to pass, the joint asset “steps up” under IRC 1014 on the first death to the full fair market value. As an example, a brokerage account with a basis of $300,000 and a fair market value of $1,000,000 held jointly on the first spouse’s death will generally have an adjusted basis in the hands of the survivor of only $650,000, with a step-up on only half of the asset. With a general power of appointment over his or her spouse’s assets held by the decedent, the asset instead will have an adjusted basis of $1,000,000 on the death of the first to die.

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

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Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors Law, istrust licensed toispractice law in Florida andand Michigan,the and isassets registered asare a certified public accountant established in an Ifatthe irrevocable effectively in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognizedincome for the highest stream levels of skill and integrity.to He isyou listed inper the Bestthe Lawyersterms in America. annuity back Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is li- of the trust, then in such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable censed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant asset, but instead an incomeby stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney Martindalepurposes. is a sophisticated technique, and I highly Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been ratingThis lawyers for over aplanning century, encourage you to seek before implementing signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence andcounsel is recognized for this technique or anyLawyers other Medicaid planning. the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best in America.

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In today's world full of disposable goods, many of the items Lesterhouse has spent a lifetime gathering either won’t be made again or were made to last long enough to become historical. Chances are slim that your Ikea futon is going to be sitting in an antique shop 100 years from now.

If all antique shops really are museums, then Lesterhouse, who has an affinity for 18th-century items, is less of an owner and more of a curator, more of a historian than a collector, the keeper of the backstories that arrived with the physical items themselves.

The attention to detail on many of his pieces is objectively stunning, from a box of custommade rectangular bottles from the 1770s that fit perfectly into their spaces to a mahogany cutlery box with a slanted lid sitting perfectly flush on its base to handmade, intricately sculpted sterling silver candelabras from Italy.

“Everything in here has a story,” he says.

“It’s all top-notch.”

The market for the kind of goods Lesterhouse deals in is significantly down, he says. These days, if people are looking for something “old,” they are usually searching for something midcentury or post-modern, he says. A couch, perhaps, or a coffee table, things that he says “were junk in the first place.”

Lesterhouse’s mind is sharp, his wit wry. It’s his body that’s giving out.

He is an old man and freely admits it. To climb up stairs, he grabs the railing as one might a rope, hand over hand, playing tugof-war with gravity, willing himself to the top. Once there, he reaches for the backs of antique chairs to steady himself as he walks over waves of worn carpet, the floor beneath him creaking, to find his walker or an old chair

Brian Powers

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The Cheese Lady Kalamazoo, 7035 West Q Avenue

Lesterhouse sits in his dining room in front of a mural painted by his friend, artist Leon Buckhout. In front of him are a rare Chinese porcelain bowl and intricate, sterling silver candlesticks from Italy.

or a plump antique couch to sit on. There he holds court, regaling and entertaining visitors with stories of an amazing life well-lived, but one he knows has an ending.

About that, he is matter-of-fact.

“I’m ready to die,” he says. “I can’t get around. I can’t drive. It’s like I’m in a prison, a really nice-looking prison.”

Antiques are inanimate objects. A bowl is a bowl. But how about one made in China that’s so rare Lesterhouse doesn’t know which dynasty it is from? A desk is a desk. But what about a desk that was used by Robert Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence? Lesterhouse has both.

Like so much in our world, whether it’s a commodity or a few coins of cryptocurrency or a thousand other things tangible or not, we place a certain value on things based on hundreds of factors. But the primary one is scarcity — how rare something is. And Lesterhouse himself is rare and, in that way, invaluable.

His friends say he is too humble. They recognize his eye for quality and authenticity, facets of himself that developed slowly over time, invaluable qualities that Lesterhouse doesn’t openly admit to. He doesn’t have to. The proof of his abilities surrounds him every day. When he does die, his proverbial library will not burn but will continue on in the hands of others.

“There is so much historical value here, but over there is the most valuable item,” his friend Anne Rather says, pointing to Lesterhouse. “And that’s Bill.”

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TheArts

Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community

The Tool as Art

Ceramist turns talents to making tools and brushes for artists

BY KATIE HOUSTON

24 | ENCORE MAY 2022

Brian Powers

“If you came up the driveway, you would see a mess, with a sawmill right there, piles of lumber, a woodshop in the pole barn that was supposed to be a garage,” Bungart says. “Down the hill is the original garage, which is now where my pottery studio is, which has a gas kiln and four electric kilns.”

Many of his ceramic designs include wildlife — fish, ducks, pigs, turtles, crab, even an opossum — but lean rabbits in motion seem to be the most prevalent. Some of the titles reveal his sense of humor, like “Bird Speaking Privately with Worm” and “Fish Joy Riding with Rabbit.”

“I’m most happy exploring different avenues,” Bungart says, explaining his foray into making tools. His tools are made from various colorful woods, including osage, lacewood, purple heart, padauk and pink ivory. His brushes feature bristles from squirrel, coyote, fox, deer, skunk and possum, each of which provides a different feel and performance and is sustainably sourced from local hunters.

“I don’t like the idea of killing something just to use it just for the hair,” he says. One of the places his tools and brushes can be found is on Etsy, where many satisfied customers suggest they are works of art themselves.

Bungart teaches brush and tool-making throughout the U.S. and occasionally abroad (as far away as Indonesia).

Like

many creative people, ceramicist Troy Bungart’s artistic path has not been linear. He was studying photography at Northern Kentucky University in the 1980s when an elective ceramics class captured his delight and cemented his direction.

“I was awful at it, but it didn’t matter — all that mattered was how much I enjoyed it. I didn’t think that clay would become a career path.

I was just doing what I loved,” says the 59-year-old, adding that “if you live and do something 24 hours a day, you are bound to get good results, just from the fact of your persistence.”

Before long, Bungart sidelined his camera and ended up with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in ceramic arts. He later added woodworking to his passions — “a little furniture, a little framemaking, some boxes” — which eventually led to his making tools and brushes for working with clay. Laid off from his job in the roofing industry four years ago, he is now a full-time artist.

“I don’t know whether I would have made the uncomfortable leap myself without that push,” he admits. For a couple of years, Bungart complemented that career change by working part time doing marketing and promotion for the Schaller Gallery in Baroda, in Berrien County, which carries his artwork. He spoke by phone from his home in St. Joseph County, west of Three Rivers, a compound of creativity set on 26 acres.

Left: Troy Bungart with his handcrafted ceramic mugs featuring a handle styled as a rabbit. Top: Handcrafted artists' brushes made and sold by Bungart include animal fur he has obtained sustainably. Bottom: Bungart at work creating pottery.

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Brian Powers

“I like teaching workshops,” Bungart says.

“You get to go in and be the special person for a day or two and you’re the superhero.

Everybody loves you, they’re excited to be there, you get to do fun stuff, meet fun people, and then go home.”

He taught in January in Kalamazoo, where ceramist Julie Devers enjoyed his one-day workshop. “We spent the day hearing about his background, making brushes and smelling a lot of glue,” she says, laughing.

“I've known Troy for many years, since the fraternity of potters all have just few degrees of separation. Plus, he's a fellow pyromaniac and likes to wood-fire,” she says, referring to the large outdoor kilns that take up to a full week to heat up, fire the contents and cool down enough to remove the work.

“Tools made by an artist who also works in the medium are always thoughtfully crafted. The brushes tend to be a little more personal. The craftsmanship is a bonus, because they last longer. The mark a brush makes is the personal part. He is very artistic in his approach to brushes, especially when it comes to the handles.”

After a pandemic lull, Bungart’s travels are picking up. He was in Wooster, Ohio, in April as co-sponsor of the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Functional Ceramics Workshop,

Where to Find His Work Troy Bungart’s work can be found on his website, on etsy.com at burlchaser, at the Schaller Gallery in Baroda, and at Detroit’s renowned Pewabic Pottery.

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and this month he's at the North Carolina Wood Fire Conference. He will be on the Michiana Pottery Tour Sept. 24–25 and will teach a weekend class at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina in October.

He plans to launch online brush-making workshops and explore more art fairs.

Also firing him up is his new equipment — a CNC (computer numerical control) router and laser engraver that he uses to carve stamps and designs to press into clay — and his plans to build a new raku kiln this year.

“Raku is a much more immediate process,” he says. “It’s gas-fired, and you put a few pieces in, fire it, lift the lid, take the pieces out at full temperature. There’s a lot more heat and danger and immediacy to it, which makes it fun, and it’s a completely different look.”

When we spoke with him, Bungart had just loaded a kiln with some test glazes, put handles on mugs and talked with a colleague about a collaboration during a day that began at 5 a.m., which he says is a later start than he used to get.

“Sometimes I work for a couple hours and come back and sleep, but sleep can be elusive,” he says, adding that his days sometimes go 12 hours or more, given that he’s doing what he loves.

2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival Through May 15 Various Locations

It began April 24, but the bulk of the Gilmore Festival's performances take place in the first two weeks of this month.

Before the festival concludes May 15 with a finale featuring three Gilmore Young Artists — Wei Luo (2018), Misha Galant (2020) and Maxim Lando (2020) — performing with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, there will be plenty of opportunities to see established and rising stars of the piano world. Among those still to perform are 2018 Gilmore Artist Igor Levit (May 2 at Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College), Daniil Trifonov (May 8 at Chenery Auditorium) and past festival favorites Pink Martini (May 10 at Miller Auditorium) and Diana Krall (May 14 at Miller Auditorium).

See the complete schedule and ticket prices at thegilmore.org.

Of Stage and Screen May 8 Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra

The Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra will feature songs from stage and screen in this performance at Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave. Among the selections to be performed include the suite from Zoltán Kodály's Hungarian folk opera Háry János and songs from the movies The Sea Hawk, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Batman Begins and E.T. the Extraterrestrial.

The concert begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5–$15 and available at kjso.org.

MUSIC Stulberg International String Competition May 20 & 21 K-College and WMU

Audiences will have two chances to see talented young string musicians competing at the Stulberg International String Competition.

On May 20, all 12 Stulberg semifinalists will perform their solo Bach selections in a competition for the festival's Bach Prize Award, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Kalamazoo College’s Stetson Chapel. The award is given by the Kalamazoo Bach Festival to the best performance of a solo Bach work and comes with a cash prize of $1,000.

The following evening, at 7:30 p.m. at Western Michigan University’s Dalton Center Recital Hall, the six finalists will perform for a panel of judges to determine this year’s three medalists.

Tickets are $5-$15 for the Bach Prize Award event and $5–$25 for the competition finals, or $35 to attend both events. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit stulberg.org.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 27

TheArts

DANCE

Carnival of the Animals May 21 Tye Chua Dance Company

A perfect piece to introduce young ones to the world of ballet but also fun for adults, Carnival of the Animals will be performed at 2:30 and 5 p.m. May 21 in the KNAC/First Baptist Church building, at 315 W. Michigan Ave. This ballet is set to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns, who composed it in 1886, and it includes depictions of kicking kangaroos, clucking chickens, flipping fish and more.

Tickets are $10, or $5 for children 10 and younger, and are available at tyechuadance.com and at the door.

Unbound: Spring Concert of Dance

May 20–22 Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers Kalamazoo's modern dance company will feature a variety of their previous works in their spring concert at the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Audiences will have another chance to see the sold-out performance Wellspring is doing in collaboration with the Gilmore International Piano Festival, but without the live music by the duet ZOFO. In addition, the dance concert will feature revivals of Infolding, a duet to be danced by Alexis Harris and Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers that Terry originally choreographed in 1992, and Only in Passing, which has been described as “a pivotal piece in the Wellspring repertory” and an audience favorite.

Show times are 8 p.m. May 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. May 22. Tickets are $10–$25 and are available at the Epic Center box office or online at www.kalamazooarts.org/box-office.

28 | ENCORE MAY 2022

Bound for the Promised Land April 29–May 21 The New Vic Theatre

This New Vic musical, subtitled Women on the Westward Journey, explores the trials, tribulations, expectations and joys experienced by women on the Oregon and California trails.

It was conceived by Jennifer Furney, the New Vic's managing director and resident actor, and focuses on the stories of six women who kept a written account of their time on the westward journey.

The theater is at 134 E. Vine St. Show times are 8 p.m. April 29, 30, May 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21. Tickets are $29 and available at thenewvictheatre.org.

THEATER Xanadu

May 6–22 Civic Theatre Roller disco and actors on roller skates are just part of the fun planned in The Civic Theatre's production of Xanadu.

The musical includes songs made famous by Olivia Newton-John, who starred in the 1980 movie that the play is based on. It follows the journey of Greek muse Kira (played by Amanda Lapekas), who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California, in 1980 to inspire struggling artist Sonny (August Gallagher) to create the first roller disco. Audiences can find themselves singing along with a score that boasts pop hits like "Magic," "Have You Never Been Mellow?" and "Suddenly."

Show times are 7:30 p.m. May 6, 7, 13,14, 20 and 21 and 2 p.m.

May 8, 15 and 22 at the Civic Theatre, 329 S. Park St. Tickets are $17–$28 and available online at kazoocivic.com.

Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet May 12–15 K-College Festival Playhouse

A coming-of-age story about a young gay man in Louisiana is at the heart of this production, directed by Anthony Hamilton.

The play tells the story of Marcus, who is 16 and “sweet.” Days before Hurricane Katrina strikes the projects of Louisiana, the currents of his life converge, launching his search for sexual and personal identity in a cultural landscape infused with mysterious family creeds. Marcus is the conclusion of The Brother/Sister Plays, a triptych of dramas written by Tarell Alvin McCraney.

The show will be staged in Kalamazoo College’s Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St. Show times are 7:30 p.m. May 12– 14 and 2 p.m. May 15. Tickets are $5–$15 and available online at festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu or by calling 337-7333.

Other Theater Performances Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill Through May 15 Farmers Alley Theatre

Disney’s Descendants Through May 8 Parish Theatre

Dirt, Ash, Dead Tree May 13–15 Face Off Theatre & Queer Theatre Kalamazoo

Two local theater companies are teaming up to present this new work of magical realism by award-winning playwright Jarrett McCreary at the Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St. Dirt, Ash, Dead Tree tells the story of a young Black boy who, after losing everything, drifts into a fantasy world of memories and monsters. He wonders and wanders in search of his home, his will to live, and the answers to his many questions surrounding what it truly looks like when one considers taking their own life.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. May 13 and 14 and 2 p.m. May 14 and15.

Tickets are being sold on a name-your-price basis and are available at faceofftheatre.com or by calling the box office at 359-0908.

Witch

May 20–29 WMU Theatre A little mischief and maybe some magic are on tap in the Western Michigan University Theatre production of Witch.

The Jen Silverman play is a modern take on the classic Jacobean drama of the same name that follows what happens when the emotionally conflicted son of a local lord and an ambitious newcomer come into conflict and make a deal with the Devil to accomplish their own questionable ends. The Devil, however, finds that local outcast Elizabeth, who is labeled a witch, isn't so willing to bargain for her soul.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. May 20–21 and May 27–28 and 2 p.m.

May 29 at the Williams Theatre in WMU’s Gilmore Theatre Complex.

Tickets are $6–$20 and available at wmich.edu/theatre or by calling the box office at 387-6222.

For more information on these and other theater events, see the Theater section of our Events of Note, on page 32.

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TheArts

Art Hop

VISUAL ARTS

May 6 Downtown Kalamazoo

Portrait of an Alcoholic Family, 2018, oil on linen.

This free event, organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, will feature a variety of artists' works in various locations in downtown Kalamazoo as well as live music and the chance to visit downtown businesses. This month's theme celebrates the Gilmore International Piano Festival.

Art Hop runs from 5–8 p.m., and the Arts Council has an app that provides a guide and map of Art Hop sites, information about participating artists, and walking directions. For more information or to access the app, visit kalamazooarts.org.

Mary Proenza: Memoir

West Michigan Area Show

Works from two book art projects by painter, printmaker, writer and book artist Mary Proenza are featured in this exhibition.

The first project features four linoleumcut prints Proenza created to illustrate "Truth Comes Slowly," a short story by Jervey Tervalon, and printed as a letterpress edition at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.

The second project is Proenza’s memoir in progress, told through a combination of literary and visual art, including paintings and works on paper related to the memoir as well as excerpts from the written story.

The KBAC is located at 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.

The talents of the region's visual artists will be showcased in this annual juried exhibition and competition.

Since the 1960s, the Area Show has featured artists 18 years or older from a 14-county region of southwestern and western Michigan. Each year the competition draws hundreds of entries in media from paintings, prints and photography to mosaics, ceramics, jewelry and sculpture to compete for cash awards and prizes. Ed Fraga, a Detroit-area artist, is the 2022 juror who will choose the entries for this year's show.

The opening reception and awards ceremony are scheduled for 6–8 p.m. May 20 at the KIA. KIA hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, or $2 for students and free for members, children through age 12, school groups and active military personnel. For more information, call 349-7775 or visit kiarts.org.

May 20–Sept. 4 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

Through May 27 Kalamazoo Book Arts Center

ONGOING Linling Lu: Musical EXHIBITIONS Meditations

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Through June 5

TheArts 30 | ENCORE MAY 2022

Colors! Shapes!

Patterns!

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Through June 12

is published in partnership with and with funding provided by

A Certain Slant of Light Unveiling American Westminster Art Festival Genius Through June 15 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Through Dec. 31

LITERATURE John Wemlinger

May 10 Parchment Community Library John Wemlinger is the author of five novels, including The Cut, which was chosen as a 2022 Michigan Notable Book by the Library of Michigan. His May 10 talk is scheduled for 6–7:30 p.m.

The other four books by Wemlinger, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, are classified as military romances. Those novels are The Widow and the Warrior, Before the Snow Flies, Winter's Bloom and Operation Light Switch.

Wemlinger, branched out into Michigan history for The Cut, which features a young couple's relationship struggles amid feuding farmers and the powerful lumber industry in the 1870s in Manistee.

Parchment Community Library is at 401 S. Riverview Drive.

For more information, call the library at 343-7747 or visit parchmentlibrary.org.

POETRY WHILE PACKING The rains will have made the desert heavy with wildflowers by the time we touch down.

Poppies, lupines, owl clover. How lucky you have been to see the desert in bloom, my mother said. How lucky to travel so much, to have strong legs. Of course she was right.

She taught me how to pack: what to fold, what to roll, sleeves and pant legs, crisscrossed and layered, latticed like an elaborate pie crust.

Nothing ever wrinkled. I’m thinking about mornings on the cottage porch, sun heating our backs, magazine pages flipping, our talk so inconsequential I barely noticed it, or maybe begrudged it, the way it sometimes seemed to go on forever.

— Gail Martin Martin is a Kalamazoo poet and psychotherapist. Her most recent book, Disappearing Queen (2021), won the Wilder Poetry Prize from Two Sylvias Press. Her website is gailmartinpoetry.com.

For other literary events, see the Library and Literary Events section of our Events of Note, on page 33.

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EVENTS ENCORE

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

Other

THEATER

Blue Man Group — Signature drumming, colorful moments of creativity and comedy, with some audience participation, 7:30 p.m.

May 5–7, 2 p.m. May 7 Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Plays

Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet — A tale of a 16-year-old boy’s search for sexual and personal identity, May 12–15, Kalamazoo College’s Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St., kzoo.edu/festivalplayhouse.

Dirt, Ash, Dead Tree — Face Off Theatre Company and Queer Theatre Kalamazoo present a story of a young Black boy who drifts into a fantasy world of memories and monsters in search of his home and a will to live, 7:30 p.m.

May 13 & 14, 2 p.m. May 14 & 15, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., faceofftheatre.com.

Witch — The devil comes to a quiet village to bargain for people’s souls in exchange for their darkest wishes but finds the local outcast labeled a “witch” isn’t very willing, 7:30 p.m.

May 20–21 & 27–28, 2 p.m. May 29, Williams Theatre, Gilmore Theatre Complex, WMU, 387-6222, wmich.edu/theatre.

Musicals

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

Disney’s Descendants — Disney’s beloved heroes and royalty are living happily ever after until someone invites the troublemaking children of the evilest villains to town, 7:30 p.m. May 6, 1 & 4 p.m. May 7, 2 p.m. May 1 & 8, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

Xanadu — Magical and beautiful Greek muse Kira descends from the heavens to Venice Beach, California, in 1980 to create roller disco, 7:30 p.m. May 6–7, May 13–14, May 20–21, 2 p.m. May 8, 15 & 22, Civic Theatre, 329 S. Park St., 343-1313, kazoocivic.com.

32 | ENCORE MAY 2022

DANCE

Unbound: Spring Concert of Dance — Presented by Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, May 20–22, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, wellspringdance.org, 342-4354.

Carnival of the Animals — Tye Chua Dance presents this ballet set to the music of Camille Saint-Saens, 2:30 and 5 p.m. May 21, KNAC Building, 315 W. Michigan Ave., tyechuadance.com.

MUSIC Bands & Solo Artists Wesley Stace Live in Concert — English singer/songwriter and author, 6–7:30 p.m. May 3, Van Deusen Room, Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.; registration required.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Back Room Concerts — Over the Rhine, 7 p.m. May 5; Dave Bruzza’s Unsafe at Any Speed, 7 p.m. May 14; Built to Spill w/Sunbathe, Distant Family, 7 p.m.

May 22, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.

through May 15, various area locations, 3421166; see thegilmore.org for full schedule.

Of Stage and Screen — Performance by the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, 4 p.m.

May 8, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., 349–7557, kjso.org.

GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — Jam with Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association members using simple chords and varying tempos, 5:30– 7:30 p.m. May 10, Van Deusen Room, Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.; all acoustic stringed instruments welcomed.

GLAMA Community Sing — Sing along with Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association members, with lyric sheets provided, 5:30–7:30 p.m. May 17, Van Deusen Room, Kalamazoo Public Library.

2022 Bach Prize Award Night — Featuring all 12 Stulberg semifinalists and their solo Bach performances, a collaborative event of the Kalamazoo Bach Festival and Stulberg International String Competition, 7:30 p.m.

May 20, Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, stulberg.org.

Stulberg International String Competition Finals — Six finalists perform for a panel of judges to determine this year’s three medalists, 7:30 p.m. May 21, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, stulberg.org.

COMEDY

Letterkenny — The stars of the Canadian sitcom present a 90-minute comedy experience, 8 p.m.

May 2, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

Gordon Lightfoot — Folk rock singer/ songwriter, 7:30 p.m. May 18, Miller Auditorium, millerauditorium.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives — Grammy Award-winning country singer with his band, 8 p.m. May 20, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.

Exhibitions

Gun Lake Live Summer Series Kickoff — Lakefront concerts on Wednesday nights: Brena, 5–10 p.m. May 25, Lakefront Pavilion, Bay Pointe Inn, 11456 Marsh Road, Shelbyville, 888-486-5253.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More 2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival — A festival celebrating diversity of the piano repertoire and featuring world-class musicians,

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

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

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

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

ENCORE EVENTS

West Michigan Area Show — Juried exhibition of works by West Michigan visual artists, May 21–Sept. 4.

Unveiling American Genius — Works from the KIA’s permanent collection emphasizing stories that African American, Latino and other artists have told about our cultures, art and history, through December.

Events The Long Road Home: A Pianist’s American Journey — Lara Downes speaks on her professional trajectory as a classical American pianist, 5:30 p.m. May 2, KIA Auditorium or via livestream; reserve free tickets on KIA website.

Adult Book Group — 1:30–2:20 p.m. May 12.

Community Shred Day — Comstock residents may bring up to five banker-style boxes of materials to be shredded, with all shredding done in the parking lot, 9 a.m.–noon May 14.

Adult Book Club — Discussion of Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, 6–7:30 p.m. May 31; registration required.

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Art League Lecture: Art Deco Architecture — Dr. Robert Bruegmann, a historian of architecture, will discuss general and regional Art Deco architectural characteristics, 7 p.m.

May 11, KIA Auditorium.

Other Venues

Mama’s Family: Finding Your Female Ancestors — A workshop exploring common roadblocks and resources for locating female ancestors, 6:30–7:30 p.m. May 2, Community Room, Eastwood Branch, 1112 Gayle Ave.; registration recommended.

A Step to Greatness

S

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists and exhibitions: Kirk Newman Art School Students, Part 3, talk by painting resident Alex Menzor and painting and printmaking resident Ellen Vandermyde, in-person and virtual, noon, May 10, KIA Auditorium or via livestream; reserve free tickets on KIA website.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Memoir — Exhibition of two book-art projects

by Mary Proenza: Truth Comes Slowly and her memoir in progress, through May 27, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 373-4938, kalbookarts.org.

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

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Art Hop — Displays of art at various locations, with a May theme of Celebrating with the Gilmore Piano Festival, 5–8 p.m.

May 6, downtown Kalamazoo, 342-5059, kalamazooarts.org.

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EVENTS ENCORE

Wesley Stace Live in Concert — See MUSIC, Bands & Solo Artists.

Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America,

by Marcia Chatelain, 6:30–7:30 p.m. May 7, kpl. gov/live; registration required.

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

Reading Race Group — Zoom discussion of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee, 6:30 p.m. May 10; registration required.

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

Classics Revisited — Discussion of Time and Again, by Jack Finney, 2:30–4 p.m. May 19, kpl. gov/live; registration required.

Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of Mad Woman: Love Drove Her Crazy, by Lady Lissa, 6–7 p.m. May 31, Barnabee Gallery, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St.; registration required.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org Parchment Book Group — Discussion of The Impossible Mile, by Johnny & Becki Agar, 6 p.m.

May 9.

Michigan Notable Author John Wemlinger — Author of The Cut, a novel about two people who fall in love in Manistee in 1870, 6–7:30 p.m.

May 10.

Mystery Book Club — Discussion of The Widows of Malabar Hill, by Sujata Massey, 4 p.m.

May 16.

Michigan Notable Author Ellen Airgood — Author of Tin Camp Road, a novel about a single mother and her 10-year-old daughter facing poverty in the Upper Peninsula, 7 p.m. May 5, via Facebook Live.

NATURE

Books with Friends Book Club — Zoom discussion of The Art Forger, by B.A. Shapiro, 7–8 p.m. May 19; registration required.

Mother’s Day — Moms get in free, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

May 8.

MUSEUMS Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org Wednesday Night Cruise–Ins — Collector cars, oldies music and food, 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays on good-weather nights, through September.

David J. Beeke Memorial Ford & Mustang Show — With a portion of the proceeds to benefit the West Michigan Cancer Center, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. May 7; tickets available online.

Boats at the Barns — Antique and classic boats and engines, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. May 14; tickets available online.

Vintage Travel Trailer Rally — Display and camp overnight in your vintage (25 years old or older) travel trailer or RV on the main show fields or camp overnight in a modern trailer or RV in a separate area on the museum grounds; trailers available for spectator viewing 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

May 14; registration required for participants and tickets for spectators.

Outdoor Corks and Craft Wine and Beer Tasting Event — Featuring wine and beer sampling, food and live music, noon–5 p.m. May 14, during Vintage Travel Trailer Rally.

Portage District Library 329-4544, portagedistrictlibrary.info

All-GM Super Show — A showcase for all things General Motors, with vehicles from all years welcome, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. May 21; tickets available online.

The library anticipates reopening this month after renovations and expansion; check the library’s website for a reopening date.

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

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

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.

Annual Art & Writing Contest Display & Voting — Voting through May. The Art Heist Escape Game — Register your team of up to five people for one of two time slots, 6 & 7 p.m. May 4; registration required.

34 | ENCORE MAY 2022

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

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

Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Grab your morning beverage and learn about warblers, 10 a.m. May 11.

Guided Bird Hike — Staff will lead a morning hike looking for nesting birds and late spring migrants, 9–10:30 a.m. May 21.

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

Green-A-Thon 2022 — A community event celebrating Earth Day, with games, a small farmers market and education about environmental sustainability, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

May 1, Portage City Hall parking lot and front lawn, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329-4511, portagemi.gov/441/events.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting and Speaker — Alex Filippenko presents a talk titled “A New Surprise in the Accelerating Universe,” 7–9:15 p.m. May 6 via Zoom; register at kasonline.org.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Sessions — “The Moon & Star Clusters of Spring,” 9 p.m.–1 a.m. May 7; “Total Lunar Eclipse Watch,” 8 p.m.–3 a.m. May 15; “Galaxies of the Great Bear,” 9 p.m.–1 a.m.

May 21, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave.; register at kasonline.org; sessions will be canceled if the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast; check the website for updates.

MISCELLANEOUS Portage Farmers Market — With farmers, vendors and music, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, May through October, Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329-4522.

Kalamazoo Rock & Gem Show — Over 50 booths of rocks, gems, jewelry, fossils, beads and more, with presentations and Petoskey stone polishing, gold panning and demonstrations, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May 1, Main and South rooms, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 665-4300.

Wolf Lake Art Market — Nature-inspired art for show and sale by local invited artists, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. May 4, Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center, 34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, friendsofwolflake.com, 668-2876.

Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Camp — A training program for beginners and those desiring to get back into the sport, for ages 12 and up, May 5–21, Portage Senior Center, 320 Library Lane; register at kalamazoobicycleclub.org/events/ bike-camp.

2022 TrailBlazer — A spring bike ride on the Kal-Haven Trail, 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. May 7, with starting points at the trailheads on North 10th Street, in Bloomingdale and in South Haven, 760-4711; register at kalcounty.com/parks/krvt.

Kalamazoo Farmers Market — The market is moving back to 1204 Bank St. this year, with hours from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays and opening day on May 7, pfcmarkets.com.

(Tuesday and Thursday hours start in June.)

Kalamazoo Antique Toy Show — Sale of antique and collectible toys, 4–8 p.m. May 20, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. May 21, Main and North rooms, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 366-1314.

West Michigan Apple Blossom Cluster Dog Show — AKC dog show featuring all-breed shows, obedience trials and rally trials, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. May 26–30, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 616-600-1578.

Friday at the Flats — Local food trucks, live music and vendors, fourth Friday of each month through September, 4:30–8:30 p.m. May 27, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, discoverkalamazoo.com.

Encore is Seeking Poetry Are you a Southwest Michigan poet or a poet with Southwest Michigan connections?

Please consider submitting a poem or two for possible publication in Encore. We particularly like to see poems with regional or seasonal themes that can be appreciated by a broad audience. You can submit your poems by email to editor@encorekalamazoo. com or by mail to Encore, 117 W. Cedar St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007, Attention: Poetry Editor Margaret DeRitter.

w w w.encorekalamazoo.com | 35

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ENCORE BACK STORY Kim Phillips (continued from page 38) Did you know you’d be building a new center when you were hired?

No, that (conceptual process) started about a year and a half after I came aboard. There had been past attempts to either expand the current facility or build a new one; there was even a millage on the ballot years ago that didn't pass. There's always been talk of someday, maybe. I finally asked the administration if it's going to happen, what's the first thing that needs to be done? We can talk about “someday” and “maybe” all day long. What's the first step? I was told it would be a feasibility study, so we contracted with Byce & Associates, who met with members representing different factions of the center, asking them what they liked and what they would change. That process morphed into a proposal for a new free-standing facility because our current facility was landlocked and an expansion would still have been very limiting.

The city administration and the mayor (Patricia Randall) really latched onto this as an opportunity to serve older adults in the community. It couldn't be fully city-funded, though, and so we approached it as the first public-private partnership that the city had attempted, where we did a capital campaign to finance part of it. Charles and Lynn Zhang (owners of Zhang Financial investment services company) came forward with a $2 million lead gift, and it moved on from there. We ended up raising $5.5 million.

Building during the pandemic must have been ... interesting.

Oh, I've learned everything about construction that I never wanted to know (she laughs). When we were shutting down because of the pandemic was the time we were really starting to wade knee-deep into the final design of the facility. We had to look at and approve everything virtually — we were picking out countertops and paint colors virtually, which isn't easy. It really had to be a team effort, you know, because nobody could do this operating in a silo. The support of Portage's city

Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center Opening ceremony: 11 a.m., May 20 Where: 203 W. Centre Ave. Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday Who can be a member: Adults ages 50 and older Memberships: $30 per year for Portage residents, $40 for non-residents, $20 for a virtual-only membership and $300 for a lifetime membership. Access to fitness center and pickleball courts involves an additional fee. administration, the city manager, the director of parks and recreation, along with representatives from the architect firm Byce & Associates and the construction firm AVB, has been a great collaboration.

In a way, though, the pandemic was almost a gift for me. While the Senior Center was still operating and providing programs virtually and the staff was still here, not having that day-to-day work of people in and out of the building let me focus on getting deep into the development and making those decisions.

We hoped to open in late 2021, but with supply-chain issues and Covid-related delays, it really got pushed back. Then we thought it would be February but had a reality check and realized we had to push it forward to May. What keeps you up at night?

I wake up at 2 o'clock in the morning thinking about packing boxes and how the transition’s going to be, and that's not just physically moving but transitioning our ongoing programs too. We don't want to stop services, so we've beefed up our virtual offerings for the month of May so that while we are closed for face-to-face programming, people can still have the opportunity to connect if they want it.

— Interview by Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity

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BACK STORY ENCORE

Kim Phillips

Director of Senior Citizen Services Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center W

How did you get where you are today?

I had worked for another agency in the county that worked with older adults, and when that ended, I was looking for employment and saw this position posted. I had experience working with older adults, but one of the requirements for this job was a gerontology degree, which I don't have. My degree is in communications, and I have a sales background, but during the interview I told them, "You don't want a gerontologist for this. This is a center for active, independently functioning older adults. This is not a nursing home. It’s not a skilled-care facility.” However I made the case, it must have worked, because they ended up hiring me. I just celebrated my eight-year anniversary with the City of Portage on April 1. (continued on page 37)

Brian Powers

hen the new Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center, at 203 W. Centre Ave., opens its doors May 20, its director, Kim Phillips, will have just turned old enough to use the facility.

But Phillips, who turned 50 last July, says that the new facility won’t be your grandmother's senior center. “Today's seniors are really an active, vibrant population and want to do fun things, and our new center reflects that,” she says.

With 36,000 square feet, the $12 million, threelevel building houses new fitness facilities, two large community rooms, a commercial kitchen, a coffee cafe, classrooms and pickleball courts. It's quite a step up from the 7,000-square-foot facility on Library Lane that housed the Portage Senior Center since 1982. And that is by design, says Phillips, who has managed the previous building since 2014 and has been overseeing the construction and development of the new center for the past two years.

“We really want to establish ourselves as the gold standard for serving older adults in western Michigan. The boomers coming up are looking for a whole different menu of options. And when it comes to what we can offer them, the sky is the limit really."

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