Southwest Michigan’s Magazine The 'Chaotic Forager'Arts & Eats Pizza Katerina's Melodie Holman Norman Carver, Jr. homes A New Chapter Kalamazoo Public Library isn't going by the book October 2022
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2 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
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Like bees in the fall, frenetically buzzing from flower to flower before there aren't any more, humans get busy in October. Just a quick glance at this issue and you’ll see it’s packed with events, art shows and activities that are all happening this month.
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Katie also writes about the Arts & Eats tour, a self-guided driving tour of galleries, restaurants and other venues in Barry, Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties. This two-day event is a great reason to get out and enjoy autumn while taking in some great art and food.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 3
Speaking of art, The Arts section in this issue is full to the brim. Whether you're seeking dance performances, author talks, theater productions or concerts, you don't have to look far.
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And just in case you get hungry from all that activity, Donna McClurkan introduces us to Melodie Holman, who, with her husband, Jimmy, has taken over ownership of Pizza Katerina, in Oshtemo Township. The story shows why this small pizza shop has developed a very devoted following.
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And speaking of devoted followings, thank you to all our readers and advertisers who help keep Encore the go-to magazine for what to do and who to know in Southwest Michigan!
ENCORE EDITOR'S NOTE
Left to right: Michael D. Holmes, William B. Millard, Hannah M. Recknagel, Charles S. Ofstein & Tyler J. Stewart
From the Editor
Our cover story, for instance, is about the Kalamazoo Public Library's 150th anniversary and its celebration. Writer Katie Houston looks at how the library has morphed over its century and a half of existence to become as much a library of doing and making as one of reading.
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.
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4 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022 Publisher encore publications, inc Editor marie lee Designer alexis stubelt Photographer brian k powers
Distribution kelly burcroff Office Coordinator kelly burcroff Proofreader hope smith Southwest Michigan’s Magazine The 'Chaotic Forager'Arts & Eats Pizza Katerina's Melodie Holman Norman Carver, Jr. homes A New Chapter Kalamazoo Public
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Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com
Contributing hills, katie houston, jessi phillips, susan
donna mcclurkan,
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the book October 2022
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A devoted reader from a young age, Katie has her 12-digit library card memorized for easy access. She learned much about the Kalamazoo Public Library’s 150-year history while writing this month’s cover story. She’s also a longtime fan of the Arts and Eats fall art studio tour, which she writes about in this month’s The Arts section. The tour, Katie says, usually involves getting just a little lost on a country road. Katie is communications manager for The Gilmore. 269-381-5412
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 5
activist.Likemany
others during the pandemic, Jessi found herself spending more time outdoors, with an increased interest in foraging for edible plants. “Like many Michiganders, I grew up hunting morel mushrooms in the spring, but there is so much more out there,” she says. For her profile of “Chaotic Forager” Gabrielle Cerberville, Jessi accompanied Cerberville on a foraging expedition in Kalamazoo's Kleinstuck Preserve. “Her depth of knowledge is super impressive,” Jessi says. “It goes to show how much more you can see if you slow down and really look." Jessi is a writer, educator, and musician.
Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs
Katie Houston Donna McClurkan
Kalamazoo, MI •
CONTRIBUTORS ENCORE
Donna had her first taste of Pizza Katerina during the early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, shortly after the restaurant opened. “I learned some of the ingredients were sourced from nearby farms — local food is a manyyears-long passion of mine — and I vowed to connect with the owner,” Donna says. “A year went by and then another. Recent social media posts by the owner caught my attention for their storytelling, transparency, unrelenting passion for customer service and mama-bear-like advocacy for her staff. I had to find out if Melodie Holman is as fiercely authentic in person as she is on social media. She is.” Donna is a Kalamazoo-based freelance writer and climate
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Note
October 2022
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25 Theater 26 Music 28 Visual Arts 29 Dance 30 Literature 31 Poetry
Kalamazoo Public Library Director Ryan
Arts & Eats color tour showcases rural artisans, agriculture & food
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 7
Meet Melodie Holman — Pizza Katerina's new owners carry on its quality and popularity Food and Farming
23 Art,
DEPARTMENTS3FromtheEditor5Contributors8FirstThings
Lifting ‘the Green Veil' — The Chaotic Forager cultivates a TikTok following, makes music with mushrooms
38 Back Story
12
A round–up of happenings in SW Michigan Five Faves
"The New Room by Lamplight" by Susan Blackwell Ramsey of
Distinctive houses designed by the late Norman Carver, Jr. Enterprise
32 Events
FEATURE 16A New Chapter
After 150 years, the Kalamazoo Public Library's offerings have gone way beyond books
On the Cover: Wieber of the many things library has to check out. by Brian K. Powers.
with some
for patrons
Photo
the
CONTENTS
TheArts
The free event will also feature several special guests:
Show time is 8 p.m., and tickets are $16 and available online at bellsbeer.com.
8 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
All those things we associate with geekiness — robotics, comic books, technology, cosplay and more — will be celebrated at Geek Fest, set for 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center.
What would Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” sound like as the title song of a ’60s-themed musical? Find out when Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Life in the Past Lane concert tour comes to Miller Auditorium at 7 p.m. Oct.
• The Jedi Council of America, a fan-driven cosplay charity organization.
• Sew Excited Cosplay, which has won multiple awards for its cosplay design.
Ticket are $48–$68 and available online at millerauditorium.com or at the auditorium's box office.
If you like songs about dancing, sex and fried chicken, then you will want to be at Bell's Eccentric Cafe Oct. 10 to see the roots-rock band Southern Culture on the Skids.The band, which formed in 1983, has released 17 albums. The band's guitarist and singer, Rick Miller, describes their music as "Americana from the wrong side of the tracks." It has been featured in movies and on TV and has been used to sell everything from diamonds to pork sausage.
Something Musical Southern Culture on the Skids to play Bell's
• And Gretchen McNeil, author of the young adult horror/suspense novels Possess, 3:59, Relic, Get Even, Get Dirty and Ten
Postmodern Jukebox to play Miller Auditorium
• Paul Sizer, a graphic designer, artist and author of the Little White Mouse graphic novel series and the American Library Association award-winning graphic novel Moped Army
Something Geeky Event celebrates geek culture
Postmodern12.
For more information or to get tickets, visit facebook.com/SWMGeekFest.
First SomethingThingsUnique
FIRST THINGS ENCORE
Jukebox’s vocalists, instrumentalists and tap dancers take today's hit songs and perform them in other musical genres of the 20th century. The group, formed in 2011, has played more than a thousand shows on six continents , including acclaimed venues like Radio City Music Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Tickets are $40–$59 and available through kazoostate.com.
Something Funny Enjoy the wit of David Sedaris
Something Historic Drama, exhibition celebrate Henrietta Lacks
Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice as well as collections of personal essays, including Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls. Sedaris’ pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in The Best American Essays.
The contributions of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells led to major medical breakthroughs like the polio and Covid-19 vaccines and who was the focus of the 2010 book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, are explored in a play and exhibition at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.
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.
When can I retire?
In A HeLa Story: Mother of Modern Medicine, Lacks' story is told through the lens of her greatnephew, Kalamazoo resident Jermaine Jackson, who has amassed a collection of related items, including artwork of Henrietta Lacks by Southwest Michigan artists, family photos, a timeline, articles, memorabilia, and photos of Lacks’ cells. The exhibition will be on display through Feb. 27.
David Sedaris, who’s been described as a champion storyteller by the Los Angeles Times, brings his sardonic wit and incisive social critique to the State Theatre at 8 p.m. Oct. 29.
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The play, written by local playwright Buddy Hannah, gives a glimpse into Lacks’ personal life, including the unauthorized removal of her cells, as well as Jackson’s journey from initial boyhood skepticism to his adulthood awe of his aunt’s cells. Jackson’s grandmother, Bessie Lacks, of Kalamazoo, and Henrietta Lacks married brothers. Lacks, an African-American mother of five, died on Oct. 4, 1951, at age 31, from cervical
cancer.The play will be staged in the museum's Mary Jane Stryker Theater at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 and 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 1. Seating for the play will be limited and on a first-come first-served basis. Admission to the exhibit and play is free.
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Distinctive houses designed by the late Norman Carver, Jr.
Five Faves
The Greaver House (1968) 6917 Willson Drive
The Rogers House (1959) 2905 Memory Lane
The Thorne House (1983) 4210 Old Field Trail
The Kalamazoo area is home to an impressive collection of residential architecture designed by world-famous names and local designers alike. The late Norman Carver, Jr. is one such local architect. First influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and later by the traditional architecture of Japan, Carver had more than 120 of his designs built and was frequently recognized for his work during his 65-year career. Three of his early designs won consecutive Architectural Record House of the Year awards, from 1960 1962. Here are my five favorite Kalamazoo buildings designed by Carver:
BY TIM HILLS
This pinwheel-plan home is a favorite because it is one of the main reasons my wife, Vanessa, and I moved to Kalamazoo from Florida in 2016. After we bought the house, I met Carver at his gallery and we struck up a fast friendship. He was very pleased we restored the house's flat roof and opened up the clerestory windows (small windows near the top of a wall, usually at or near the roof line) shown in the photo. It’s one of three similar homes at the end of a cul-de-sac designed for WMU faculty in 1959. Three other Carver homes were built on the street four years later, giving it a distinctive Japanese village feel. We are lucky to live in a very friendly neighborhood of Carver enthusiasts.
This sprawling and impressive home was built for James and Mary Thorne, key figures in the development of the Parkview Hills community, off of Parkview Avenue. The house utilizes an interesting structural system Carver devised for spanning greater distances. The home was featured in a 1987 issue of Fine Homebuilding and photographed by Norm’s close friend and world-class photographer Balthazar Korab.
A collaboration between Norm and his wife, Joan Carver, the Greaver House was the first of 20 Carver homes built in the Twelve Oaks subdivision off N Avenue, just west of Ninth Street. Designed for then Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Director Harry Greaver and his wife, Hanne, this house has an almost Cubist expression in its form.
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The Lirot House, in Parkwyn Village, is Carver’s only threestory house and has some of the most beautiful landscaping in the area. It fits right in with the neighboring Frank Lloyd Wright homes and will often stop passersby in their tracks. This house is the second incarnation of the original Carver house, built in 1958. In 2004, the house burned down, leaving only a portion of the garage standing. Carver watched the fire being extinguished, with the owners, and agreed then and there to help them redesign something even better. By 2010, Kit and Linda Lirot had completely rebuilt the home, doing most of the work themselves, and the result is phenomenal.
.
The Lirot House (2010)
Longtime Kalamazoo residents may remember the Probasco family, who ran Probasco's Quality Fabrics store on the downtown mall. The 1960 Probasco House, in Kalamazoo’s Winchell neighborhood, was the first house Carver designed for the family. It is a beautiful post-and-beam structure that stands on incredibly thin stilts and has a distinctive wood grille across the entire front of the house, providing privacy and creating an air of mystery. The grille is evocative of the streets of Kyoto, Japan, where Carver spent several years studying and photographing architecture for his first book, Form and Space of Japanese Architecture (1953). The house was selected as a 1962 Architectural Record House of the Year — Carver's third consecutive such prize. Carver later designed a winter beach house for the Probascos on Anna Maria Island, Florida.
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1959 Rogers House with his wife, Vanessa, and their three cats. Hills worked closely with Carver in the last years of Carver’s life to preserve and organize his work, now housed at the Zhang Legacy Collections Center. Hills is the author of a book on Carver’s architectural works titled Norman Carver, Jr: Architect of Form and Space, featuring 121 of Carver’s projects over 300 pages, with sketches, plans, vintage photos and interviews with the architect and his clients. It is available through the website trystcraft.com.
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BY JESSI PHILLIPS
"Plant blindness” and “the green veil” are both terms that describe the way many people mostly ignore the botany in their own yards and neighborhoods and on public lands.But it's clear when walking with Gabrielle Cerberville through Kalamazoo’s Kleinstuck Preserve that her experience of the forest is very different, that years of observation and study allow her to notice things most others don’t.
A lifelong forager and naturalist, Cerberville is also a composer, multimedia
Clockwise from above: Gabrielle Cerberville cradles a giant puffball mushroom, forages spicebush berries and holds and describes a Cortinarius species of mushroom.
ENTERPRISE ENCORE
like chokeberries, mayapples, lilac flowers, ramps and a variety of mushrooms. She does so as the “Chaotic Forager” on the TikTok social platform, where hers is one of the most popular accounts on foraging.
Lifting 'the Green Veil' Forager cultivates following, makes music with mushrooms
“It’s just a sea of green to some people, but I see blackberries, black raspberries and motherwort, burdock and English ivy and all of these other things,” says Cerberville. “Anybody can learn to notice those things, but it does take a while.”
For the past two years, the 30-year-old woman has been helping others “learn to notice” the landscape around them with irreverent and lively videos that demonstrate how to locate, identify and cook wild plants
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 13 ENCORE ENTERPRISE
Cerberville moved to Kalamazoo from Indianapolis in the summer of 2020 to enter the master’s degree program in music composition at Western Michigan University. With the world still mostly under lockdown then and some extra time on her hands, she began searching for local foraging spots and decided to share some of her findings on social media.
by riverbeds and wild blackberries behind big-box stores. After about a dozen videos, though, Cerberville's personality starts to emerge — high-energy, humorous and extremely enthusiastic about edible wild plants, especially mushrooms.
Her presence in the first few videos is straightforward and subdued as she shares her adventures searching for wild ginger
“When I started finding mushrooms, people got really into it, and mushrooms had always been my favorite,” she says.
artist and self-described “creative alchemist.” Her musical creations are often inspired by botany and mycology (the study of fungi), sometimes incorporating “found sounds” from the natural world.
It was a video about finding and cooking the giant puffball, a common Michigan mushroom, that boosted her TikTok following. She now has more than 900,000 followers on TikTok, and the puffball video has more than a million likes.
Cerberville observed a definite uptick in foraging interest during the pandemic, when walking outside became one of the safest activities available. More time staring at the plants in their yards or neighborhoods led many people to want to break through
“I didn’t really have anything to do before school started so I decided to try make a video blog,” says Cerberville. “I didn’t expect anybody to want to watch it.”
“the green veil” and figure out whether those berries growing at the edge of that nearby forest might be edible.
“I’m pretty sure I owe the Indianapolis Library a lot of money for books I borrowed and didn’t return,” she says with a laugh.
“I’m still learning so much from other people all the time. It’s a long assemblage of information.”Asshewalks through Kleinstuck with a basket and foraging knife, she often stops mid-sentence to bend down and describe a plant or mushroom — bolete mushrooms, nettles, a bright orange chicken-of-thewoods, greenbriers, black raspberries. A few passersby stop to watch her harvest, something she says happens often to the “weirdo with a basket kneeling down in the dirt.”“Most of the time, if I’m picking something that they can try right away, I’ll let them do it, and people are surprised that it tastes good 100 percent of the time,” she says. “It’s so baffling to me. It’s fresh, it’s organic. They’ll often tell me, ‘Oh, I think I have that growing
“The Fungal Chapel” utilizes one of Cerberville's main creative tools — biosonification, which she describes as “taking data from things that are alive and turning that into music.” Electrodes connected to mushrooms sense the fungi's vibrations, which are then assigned musical notes to
“I got really obsessed,” she says. “I would take my notebook and go out and mark the dates the flowers came out and the date the berries came out and the date they turned blue and would make maps of all the good trees and bushes.”
While mushrooms are her passion, Cerberville's interest in foraging began with berries. When she was 5, her family moved to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and a neighbor pointed out a patch of wild blueberries growing near her house.
This experience led to a lifetime of observing and learning, thousands of hours spent walking through the woods, slowly gaining confidence and expertise. She doesn’t consider herself “self-taught” necessarily, since she gained much of her knowledge from books and videos made by older generations of foragers.
behind my house. I just never thought to find out what it was.’”
At the same time that Cerberville has been developing her online forager following, her art has also continued to develop and evolve. In March of this year, she debuted her master’s thesis project, “The Fungal Chapel,” an interactive sculpture and sound installation, at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Cerberville finds the edible Amanita caesarea (Caesar’s amanita) mushroom, above, and uses a hori hori, a Japanese tool for digging roots, at right.
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Cerberville’s videos make it clear that you don’t need to be an expert homesteader to cook with wild plants. She does most of her work in her small studio apartment in Kalamazoo. In one video, she uses a sock as a potholder, and most of the time she employs just a few inexpensive kitchen tools.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 15
soon.“The whole process of taking something from the forest and cooking it, trying to find different ways to process the food, and even the romantic nature of finding a spot and taking care of it over time feels very simpatico with writing music and the amount of time you spend with a piece of art,” she says.
Cerberville graduated from Western Michigan University’s music composition program in May and isn’t sure what’s next in her life, but she says that the program and Michigan’s wild spaces have both had a profound impact on her art and her foraging.
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create a composition. Visitors are encouraged to use parts of the sculpture to create musical sounds, “communicating” with and through the“Imushrooms.amreallyfascinated by how mushrooms communicate with each other and how they allow other organisms and plants to communicate,” she says. “A lot of my work centers around the concept of communication, so it seemed like a natural thing to spend some time on.”
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“There was a time I convinced myself that making the art I wanted was a little selfindulgent, but the things I’m making now are serious to me,” she says. “I think my time in Kalamazoo has made me a much more honest artist and imparted my work with a lot more joy.”
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To find the outfit she is looking for without digging
She’s also experimenting with “sound dinners,” which involve collecting both edible plants and sounds from a specific natural location and then using the sounds to compose a musical piece for each dish she creates. She hopes to host one in Kalamazoo
16 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022 After 150 years, the Kalamazoo Public Library isn't going just by the book A ChapterNew
BY KATIE HOUSTON
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 17
The library system, which has four branches in addition to the Central Library, is no longer just a
From its beginnings as a school library that was open just one hour a week to a showplace deemed "Library of the Year" in 2002 by Library Journal, the Kalamazoo Public Library has evolved in its 150 years in ways most people might not expect .
“We’re proud of the resources we have that our community can’t find anywhere else,” Howe says, adding that most of the KPL branches will add similar maker spaces in the future. “We are committed to keeping up with the technology that patrons want.”
As KPL Marketing and Communications Manager Farrell Howe provides a tour of the Idea Lab, she rattles off an impressive roster of capabilities there, including equipment and software for graphic design, video and audio recording and editing, podcasting, scrapbooking, music making and more.
At the Central Library, KPL patrons today can borrow a rug shampooer or a karaoke machine from its Library of Things, convert VHS tapes to DVDs or cassette tapes to CDs through Local History Room digitization stations, and design and print a 3-D sculpture in the Idea Lab.
Where it all began
The origins of KPL date back to 1860, when the local school district was given 123 volumes and opened a tiny library for an hour each week for students. The library moved into a single room in Corporation Hall on South Burdick Street in 1868, sharing the building with Kalamazoo village offices, the fire department and the Ladies’ Library Association.
The "new library building," which opened in 1959, served as the framework for the library of today, the interior of which is seen on the previous pages.
home for books. It has become a "marketplaces of ideas, the community’s living room,” like many libraries across the globe, as reported in a July episode of CBS Sunday Morning. That episode featured libraries across the country that have added features like cafés, sewing rooms, podcasting booths and augmented reality equipment, and KPL is in right in step with the changing face of public libraries.
And even as the library embarks on its sesquicentennial celebrations this fall with an array of birthday events that will include lots of history to explore with digital kiosks, life-sized displays and excited staff, it does so with its eyes firmly focused on its future — a future it will ask the community to weigh in on.
Weiber — the most recent of just 10 directors in the library’s 150year history, two of whom served at the helm more than 30 years —
18 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
Growing during the Civil War years to 2,800 volumes, the school library became a public library in October 1872, and in 1885 moved its 12,000 volumes to rooms above what was then Wortley’s Jewelry Store, at 121 W. Main St. (now Michigan Avenue). The downtown library expanded and relocated several times, beginning its current residency at the southeast corner of Rose and South streets with its first new building in 1893. After a favorable millage vote in 1955, the library’s second new building was constructed at 315 S. Rose St. to replace the first. During construction, staff and books were temporarily moved to the former Grace Corset Co. building at the corner of Eleanor and Church streets until the new library was completed in Thirty-seven1959.years later, in 1996, the Central Library again moved to temporary quarters (at 121 W. South St.) to make way for a major renovation. Today’s dramatic building, with its four-story circular atrium, opened in 1998 after a comprehensive upgrade expanded the building to 98,000 square feet, providing 75 percent more space, including a new third floor.
Starting in 1910 with facilities on Portage Street and East Avenue, KPL has also served Kalamazoo neighborhoods with branch libraries.
“We believe there will always be a need for public libraries, but what they become depends on what the community needs and wants,” says KPL Director Ryan Wieber. “We will ask our patrons how they use the library now and what they’d like to see — even the kids. We want to know, 'What does a library — your library — look like in 10, 20, 30 or 150 more years?'”
has led the institution since 2017 and says the library will be holding listening sessions throughout the community to inform its planning for the future. The library will then engage architecture and planning professionals to develop a space-needs study that includes that input.
“Taking Turns”
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Kalamazoo Public Library (Downtown)
FREE – Organists Steve Flick and Autumn
Sun, Nov 13 at 4:00 PM
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• 1893: The basement was originally a smoking room for men but was soon turned into one of the first library children’s rooms in the nation.
• 2009: ONEplace, a resource center for nonprofit organizations, opened.
Sweetbriar Sisters
“WebTapestry:ofLace”
Children's room, 1900
Thurs, Oct 27 at 7:00 PM
• 1938: "Automation" came to KPL through its implementation of a Gaylord Electric Automatic Book Charger. Patrons were given library cards that included a raised metal plate with a number on it. The book card and the library card were placed in the charging machine, where the patron's card number and the due date were stamped onto the book card. This system was replaced in 1964 with the Regiscope-Rapidex microfilm circulation control system, which recorded borrowings on microfilm.
• 2020: The library stopped charging fines for overdue materials.
FREE – All-female ukulele trio at the October Art Hop
• 1957: KPL hired its first African-American librarian, Mary Mace Spradling, who oversaw the Young Adult Department.
Did You Know? few
• 1991: The multi-drawer card catalog was replaced with a computerized version.
While there’s no evidence, according to Kalamazoo Public Library staff, rumor has it that in 1902 the 100 trout that resided in Bronson Park’s fountain somehow “wintered” in the library’s basement.
Thornetta Davis
• 1929: KPL was among the first libraries in the U.S. to collect and circulate moving pictures, purchasing two reels on birds and two on Michigan mammals.
However, here are some interesting, confirmed facts about KPL by year:
Wayfaring
• 1998: The Central Library became home to the Kalamazoo County Law Library, now named the Raymond W. Fox Law Library, one of only two public law libraries in Michigan.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 19
Bell’s Eccentric Café
Portage Chapel Hill
Bell’s Eccentric Café
Gaylord Charger
• 2020: The Library of Things lending program was established.
“Detroit’s Queen of the Blues” has wowed audiences for over 30 years.
Sun, Oct 23 at 4:00 PM
Bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst and Jamesmulti-instrumentalistFalzone
A
highlights of KPL history
Full lineup & tickets available at www.ccmusicfest.com
• 1955: Voters passed the first millage to fund a new library building. During construction, staff and books were moved to the former Grace Corset Co., at the corner of Eleanor and Church streets.
Mary Mace Spradling
• 1962: The library lent out its millionth book.
• 2002: KPL was named National Library of the Year by Library Journal.
• 1959: The new library building opened, serving as the framework for the current Central Library building, at 315 S. Rose St.
• 2002: The library's catalog became available online.
Fri, Oct 7 from 5–6 PM
Tues, Oct 4 at 7:00 PM
• 1956: KPL acquired its first bookmobile, which had a capacity for 4,000 books.
United Methodist Church Vocal, chamber and solo works from women composers throughout history
A. This is a question requiring review of your specific family facts and your intentions in your estate plan. That being said, after implementation of the SECURE Act on January 1, 2020, planning with Trusts and IRA assets became much easier. Under the current paradigm, whether you make your IRA payable directly to your children, or to a revocable trust established for your children, the assets must, generally, be drawn down from the IRA over a 10-year period after you have passed away. The prior laws were much more complex and often left planners and financial professionals alike frequently working through contingency scenarios. Of note, if the assets pay to a Trust for your children, and you intend that Trust to last for longer than 10 years after you die, have no fear. The SECURE Act will only require the assets be taxed within 10 years of your death, and it is your Trust that will determine timing of distribution of the IRA assets to your children. He is listed Lawyers
in America.
• Find out something you need to know at the Law Library.
Q. Should I list my children as beneficiaries of my IRA, or my revocable trust?
• Borrow lots of things from the Library of Things, which has more than125 items, including karaoke machines, power tools, board games, a steel drum, an air fryer and an air pollution monitor.
• Scan old photos and slides, clean them up in Photoshop and save them in a digital format in the Local History Room.
• Make things happen in the Idea Lab using:
• Find help for you or a friend through the library's Peer Navigation program.
All the things you can do in 2022 at the Kalamazoo Public Library
Today it serves a district of 124,000 residents from its Eastwood, Powell, Oshtemo and Washington Square branches and the Central Library.
Nationwide, library visits declined 21 percent between 2009 and 2019, but borrowing increased by more than 50 percent — much of it moving online as libraries expanded their collections of digital material. Although book lending is still KPL’s top activity, the library has become a place to access much more than books. It’s a meeting place, a making place, a place for technology and, often, a place to get assistance with life’s challenges, says Wieber. A pillar of KPL’s strategic plan is to advance equity and inclusion in its service to Kalamazoo’s diverse community, so KPL is one of the first libraries in the region to offer a peer navigator, who works 30 hours a week to help to connect those in need with social assistance.
Above: Items available for patrons to check out through the Library of Things. Right: David DeVries is KPL's longest-serving employee, having served for 43 years.
– Snapmaker 3-1 (laser engraver, 3D printer and CNC mill)
– A 3-D printer with FormLabs software
– The Video Lab with Final Cut Pro, Camtasia screen recorder and video editor, and Animaker: DIY animation software
• Play the latest video games in the library (games and consoles cannot be checked out).
– Graphic design software Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Premiere, and more), and Wacom drawing tablets
in the Best
• Get funding to study library science through the library's Amanda Green Scholarship.
Please send your questions to: Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Michaelwww.willis.law269.492.1040J.WillisistheManaging 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.
20 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
– The Audio Lab with Arturia music keyboards, Gretsch electric guitar and bass, Yeti microphones, and GarageBand and Logic Pro software
KPL employs more than 180 full- and part-time staff and has an annual budget of just over $13.6 million that is supported by two millages, which cost property owners $388 for every $100,000 of their home's assessed value.
– Cricut scrapbooking
LAWYERAskTHEBUSINESSANDESTATEPLANNING
“We so appreciate the community’s appreciation for the library, not just today but historically, always approving our millage votes," says Wieber. "It’s clear that people are proud of their library system here.” A space for everyone
• Sharpen your leadership skills at the ONEPlace nonprofit resource center.
• Reformat your old VHS and audio cassettes onto DVD and CD in the Digitization Lab.
David DeVries, KPL’s reference and local history librarian, has seen decades of change inside and outside of the Kalamazoo Public Library. He is KPL’s longest-serving employee, at 43 years. He began at the library with an after-school job at 16. During his career at the library, he also studied at Western Michigan University, acquiring two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree.
In 2008, KPL was named a Family Place Library by the Family Place Libraries Initiative. The designation acknowledged the library’s intentionally designed environments for children to play, learn and grow. Core components in winning the designation include the library's collections that offer early literacy kits, toys, music and multimedia materials for babies and toddlers; outreach to new and underserved families; and partnerships with public service agencies to connect parents and resources. The accolade was not a surprise, given that KPL was among the first libraries in the country to both establish a children’s reading room (which it did in 1894) and formally hire a trained children’s librarian (the first one came on board in 1910). Some days the children’s spaces are the busiest in the building, says Howe.“It’s very cool to watch families engage with different play stations and help them learn how their child’s brain develops at different stages and ages,” she says. “The benefits of reading, talking and playing with your child all positively affect their brain growth.”
and high-schoolers use their school student IDs, while elementary students receive a KPL library card, most when they enter first grade. Looking back and ahead
“It was so interesting at that time to engage with staff who had been here since the 1920s or ’30s,” says DeVries, who began working at KPL in 1979. “I didn’t expect to stay, but I loved it so much. I’ve loved working with the public.”
Another aspect of the library's commitment to children and families is its OneCard partnership with Kalamazoo Public Schools, which gives access to public library services to KPS faculty, staff and students, including the more than 700 KPS students experiencing housing instability. Middle-
For This MomentExact
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 21
Enhanced Psychiatric Urgent Care for Adults.
Howe recalls that in the first year of the Peer Navigator program, a patron came in with a motorized wheelchair that had quit working.“Hecouldn’t do anything without that chair. Our peer navigator got on the phone and found him a new chair the same day, at no cost,” she says.
Adds Howe, “We are known as a place people can find services if they are unhoused, have issues with addiction or need other kinds of help. They feel safe when they walk in these doors — and that’s something to be proud of.”
“We are a welcoming place, and we take seriously providing services in an equitable way,” Wieber says.
pinerest.org/urgent • 616.455.9200
When asked how he’s felt about the everchanging technology landscape, DeVries is honest.“Theadvent of technology was threatening at first,” he says. “We wondered if we’d still have jobs, but it has been our friend in the circulation department and in reference — the web has changed everything,” He notes that he still owns an electric typewriter on which he types envelopes and such. “A young coworker was surprised I had one. I said, ‘At least it isn’t a manual,’ and he said, ‘What’s that?'”DeVries himself is one of the library's best resources, says Wieber. “Whether it
A library for families
When life is overwhelming, same-day assessments are available at our Psychiatric Urgent Care Center. Call 616.455.9200 for more info and virtual appointments.
22 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022 Kalamazoo, MI • 269.381.0596 • www.fngfenceandgarden.com Commercial fence services since 1981 Get your tickets today! KalamazooSymphony.com | 269.250.6984 $25 STARTTICKETSAT Inspiringperformances.Captivatingartists.Andyou. Flora, Fauns & Beethoven 6 BEETHOVEN, MENDELSSOHN, & DEBUSSY SAT | OCT 22, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. Take a walk on the wild side in a program inspired by the outdoors. Daniel Bae, Violin 2022 Stulberg International String Competition Gold Medalist
Step Back in History Open House
Note: The library will close at 4 p.m. to prepare for the event, reopening at 5 p.m October Library Celebrations
When: 5–7 p.m. Oct. 7, during Art Hop
Where: Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.
What: Enjoy refreshments, including sparkling punch, Pop City popcorn and birthday cake pops from Layla’s Cool Pops, while viewing life-size photo enlargements of past KPL buildings and interiors, interactive history kiosks, a video compilation of KPL history and a digitized copy of the original handwritten library catalog and listening to music by the Sweetbriar Sisters ukulele trio and the Mall City Harmonizers barbershop chorus. A birthday toast with the director and staff is set for 6 p.m.
Oct. 25: Our Shared History, an ArtBreak presentation by KPL audiovisual librarian and historian Ryan Gage and Kalamazoo Institute of Arts staff, noon, KIA, 314 S. Park St.
came naturally or through years of work and learning, David has a near-photographic memory of subjects, events, people, addresses, homes. He is an excellent resource for us and the community. Just engaging in a conversation with David will lead to some story or fact from years ago that you didn’t know.”Like
Oct. 20: Building a Public Library in Kalamazoo 1893, talk by Digital Preservation Specialist Keith Howard, 6–7:30 p.m., Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St.
DeVries concludes, “What makes a great library system is not the collections or the buildings; it’s the people who work here, who love what they do.”
DeVries, Wieber says the library is just brimming with history and stories and he is full of anticipation for the 150th anniversary celebration and the years to come.
“We are so excited to share our story,” he says. “For 150 years we have stood out in terms of providing innovative ideas, great collections, and we are glad to have the chance to brag a little about what we’ve done and what we’re doing to deliver awesome library service in the future.”
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 23
of visitors from more than 65 zip codes. The event was canceled in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic but was back on a limited basis in Ceramist2021.
“Arts and Eats was designed to raise awareness and appreciation of our region’s human and natural resources,” says Megan Lavell, executive director of the Thornapple Arts Council of Barry County, which leads the event from its headquarters in Hastings. “The tour supports Michigan artists and restaurants and contributes to local economies.”Lavellhas held her post for 13 years, although it became a full-time job only this year. She says the tour requires participation from the artists themselves. “Everyone at the table determines the direction and is responsible for helping to market the event throughout the year, sharing maps and social media posts,” she says. “It’s up to the participants to get excited about it, to invite (people) and promote and talk about (it) and feel ownership in it.”
The annual event is a free self-guided driving tour of rural art studios, galleries, farms and eateries that winds through Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 15 and 16. No tickets or RSVPs are needed, just a map that's available at all participating sites, online at artsandeats.org and via the Arts and Eats app.
When it began in 2011, Arts and Eats happened only in Barry and Allegan counties. Since then, the event has grown to encompass sites in five counties. In 2019, more than 50 stops welcomed hundreds
BY KATIE HOUSTON
TheArts
Megan Lavell, executive director of the Thornapple Arts Council of Barry County, organizes the Arts & Eats tour.
Applications to participate in the tour are open for two months, closing in March each year. Soon after, 10,000 event guides are printed — the tour’s largest expense – allowing for nearly six months of promotion. All artwork featured on the tour must be original and handcrafted. If artists don’t have a studio or gallery space, they may join another artist or show their work at a community hub.
This weekend of art, food and agriculture offers a back-roads experience best undertaken with a friend or two so that someone can navigate and someone can drive. The dozens of tour stops include local artists and artisans in their studios, group exhibitions, restaurants, and working farms featuring animals and specialty crops.
All you need is a map or an app to enjoy the sights — from art and farms to fall foliage — on the Arts and Eats tour this month.
Heidi Fahrenbacher of Bella Joy Pottery, 11933 Doster Road in Plainwell, has been a part of the tour for 10 years. “The tour is great because I love having customers come to the studio and see
Art, Food and Farming Arts and Eats color tour showcases rural artisans
“It’s a huge, nebulous program with many moving parts,” Lavell says. “As the most unpredictable of everything we do, we have learned to operate in the spirit of making the art and just do our best to roll with whatever happens.” Over the years, she says, the event’s goals have changed a bit. “For a while we wanted large numbers, but now we’re more concerned with having higher quality, even if that means fewer participants.”
Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community
24 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
Tour visitors can meet ceramist Heidi Fahrenbacher, top, at her Bella Joy Pottery Studio, bottom.
me in my happy place,” she says. “I get to visit with people I haven't seen in a while and meet new people who like art.”
being part of the tour,” says RACC Executive Director Jilisa Grooters Williams, noting that the center has been involved since 2014. The center will host seven artists as part of the tour and is expected to have 300 to 400 visitors to its site.
She says her studio attracts 200 to 250 visitors on the tour, which provides a “nice sales boost during a slower time of the year.” Fahrenbacher also sells her work online at bellajoypottery.com and in galleries and gift shops
“I just like that we have that in the fall,” she says. “It was designed to be a color tour, and all my favorite parts of Michigan are best in fall: small shops, going out to eat, and stopping to pet animals and pick up a pumpkin.”
Even though “98 percent of the work is done” before the weekend of the tour, Lavell stays on call during tour weekend, delivering last-minute signage or answering the phone to help lost patrons. She notes that her favorite feature of Arts & Eats is the season.
who has “fallen in love with the unique beauty of the rural back roads in West Michigan.”Another first-time tour participant, Red Rock Farm, at 50 10th St. in Plainwell, will have cows, calves and horses on view, which will “give people a taste of what farming was in the 1970s and ’80s,” says owner Matt Elzinga. He and his wife, Melanie, both grew up on farms and retired from their careers (in law enforcement and accounting, respectively) to raise Hereford cattle and sell beef from their farm's shop.
“One of our goals is to build a vibrant, inclusive community with a focus on arts and culture,” Williams says. “Partnering with Arts and Eats allows us to help increase artists’ exposure and bring people in from all over the state. It's just a big win for everyone, and a lovely way to spend a weekend.”
"It totally depends on what route people take and what stops they make and how many times they get lost and have to turn around," she says. "It can definitely not be driven in one day. You need two days if you want to spend any amount of quality time at theThisstops."year’s tour will feature 27 individual artists, four cafes, two family farms and two central venues — the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and the Richland Area Community Center (RACC).“Welove
Although there are plenty of restaurants to be found throughout the tour area, official restaurant participants include the Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro, at 105 E. State St. in Hastings (open Saturday only); Seasonal Grille, at 150 W. State St. in Hastings; Barbed Wire Café, at 140 S. Main St. in Plainwell; and Root Coffeehouse and Café, at 120 E. Main St. in Fennville, all of which will offer dishes using locally grown ingredients.
First-time participant Twin Flame Lavender Farm, at 3849 Monroe Road in Allegan, offers aromatic treats, including eye pillows, bath and body products and essential oils. Owners Paul and Renee Donohue started the farm in 2019 after moving to Michigan from Las Vegas.“We will have demonstrations on growing lavender hydroponically, by seed, and free lavender-infused lip balms will be given out to the first 100 visitors each day,” says Renee,
Whilenationwide.thetotal mileage of the tour can vary from one driver to another, it's best for tourists to give themselves two days to see it all, Lavell says.
TheLightningThief: ThePercyJacksonMusical
Through Oct. 9 Farmers Alley Theatre
The show will also feature Robert Davidson as the vaguely handsome, mildly amusing and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy, who may or may not win the marriage-resistant Lizzy's attentions.
In a display of his considerable talents, Jeremy Koch will play all eight of the doomed heirs who meet their ends in creative ways in thisThecomedy.playfeatures Koch as the doomed D'Ysquith family members as well as a cast that includes Broadway actress Becca Andrews and local actors Lori Moore, Michael Morrison and WMU graduate ElliottShowLitherland.timesare 7 p.m. Sept. 29, 30, Oct. 1, 6, 7 and 8 and 2 p.m. Oct. 2 and 9 at Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley. Tickets are $45, or $15 for students, and can be purchased online at farmersalleytheatre.com or by calling 343–2727.
Through Oct. 8 York Theatre, WMU
Local radio personality Stefani Bishop takes on the role of the bold Lizzy Bennet in the Civic's performance of Jane Austen's classic tale of latent love.
Oct. 28–Nov. 6
Disney's Newsies Through Oct. 2 Kalamazoo Civic
SideBySidebySondheim
Just in time to stir up a little dinner-table conversation, Western Michigan University Theatre presents Larissa FastHorse’s wickedly funny satire of a troupe of terminally “woke” teaching artists who are scrambling to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Thanksgiving Day and Native American Heritage Month.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 25 THEATER
TheArts
PrideandPrejudice
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, 29, Nov. 3, 4 and 5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 6 in WMU’s Williams Theatre. Tickets are $6–$21. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 387–6222 or visit wmich.edu/theatre.
TheTempest Through Oct. 9 Williams Theatre, WMU
Sondheim wrote music and lyrics for some of the best-known musicals, including West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Little Night Music and Into the Woods. The Senior Class Reader's Theatre is a program for adult performers 50 and older.
Spotlighting greater Kalamazoo's arts community
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. Oct. 9 and 16. Tickets are $17–28 and available online at kazoocivic.com or by calling the box office at 343-1313.
Oct. Kalamazoo7–16 Civic TheatreThisrevue
AGentleman’sGuidetoLoveandMurder
TheThanksgivingPlay
Oct. Kalamazoo21–30 Civic Theatre
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29 and 2 p.m. Oct. 23 and 30 at the Carver Center Studio Theatre, 426 S. Park St. Tickets are $15–$21.50 and can be purchased online at kazoocivic. com or by calling the box office at 343–1313.
WMU Theatre
of songs by musical genius Stephen Sondheim will be presented by the Civic's Senior Class Reader's Theatre in the Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St.
This 20-year-old Russian pianist, who gained worldwide recognition after winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in 2014 at age 13, will perform works by Beethoven, Medtner and Rachmaninoff at 4 p.m. in the Wellspring Theater, 359 S. KalamazooMalofeevMall.also won the Grand Prix at the International Grand Piano Competition for young pianists in Moscow in 2016 and was named the Young Musical Talent of the
The free concert is set for 7:30–9 p.m. at Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave.
Alexander Malofeev Oct. Gilmore9
Rising Stars Series
Jazz pianist Victor Gould, whose debut album, Clockwork, was voted the top Debut Jazz Album in NPR Music's 2016 Jazz Critics Poll, will showcase his inventive, expressive talents at 4 p.m. in the Wellspring Theater.Gould has been playing piano since age 4 and was one of the first recipients of the Herbie Hancock Presidential Scholarship at Berklee College of Music. Joining him will be bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer E.J. Strickland.
Year at the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo, Italy, in 2017. That year he also became the first Young Yamaha
LegendsoftheWest Oct. Kalamazoo15
Concert Band
In its first performance of a season titled “Tales, Tunes and Treks,” the Kalamazoo Concert Band will bring forth visions of cowboys and life on the Western frontier.
TheArts
Artist.Tickets are $25 for the in-person performance and are on a nameyour-price basis for virtual viewing. For tickets or more information, visit the thegilmore.org.
Rising Stars Series
Victor Gould Trio Oct. Gilmore23
Tickets are $25 for the in-person performance and are on a nameyour-price basis for virtual viewing. For tickets or more information, visit the thegilmore.org.
Deirdre "D.S. Sense" Smith
Various dates & venues
Johnaye Kendrick Oct. 27 Jazz in atKendrickjazzCrawlspacetheGrammy-nominatedvocalistJohnayewillperform7:30p.m.intheCrawlspace
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave. Tickets are $5–$67 and available at
Flora,Fauns&Beethoven6 Oct. Kalamazoo22 Symphony Orchestra
Center Recital Hall
Oct. Dalton26
The program will include Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, followed by Bae performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. The program will conclude with Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, "Pastoral."
Thornetta SweetbriarDavisSisters
Taking Turns Organ Program Wayfaring
Connecting Chords Music Festival
Tickets for the Thornetta Davis and Wayfaring concerts are $5–20. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit mfsm.us.
Smith is an artist, activist, public speaker and entrepreneur with an extensive recording and performance resume. Her music is a blend of genres, utilizing unique styles and rhythms. As an activist, she works to promote women’s and LGBT rights. She will give a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5–$15 and available online at wmich.edu/music/events.
This Detroit hip-hop artist will perform at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Western Michigan University School of Music's Bullock Series.
kalamazoosymphony.com.MUSIC
Kendrick will perform with pianist Matthew Fries, bassist Carlo De Rosa and drummer Keith Hall.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 27
Guest violinist Daniel Bae, the 2022 Stulberg International String Competition gold medalist, will join the KSO to perform this program inspired by the outdoors.
Comedy Theatre as part of the Jazz in the Crawlspace concert series.
The Crawlspace venue is in the KNAC (Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition) Building, at 315 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets for the concert are $5–$12 in advance or $10–$15 at the door. For more information, visit kzoojazz.com.
Thornetta Davis, seen at left, an international singer and songwriter crowned Detroit’s "Queen of the Blues” in 2015 by the Detroit Blues Society, brings her strong, melodic command and smooth delivery to Bell's Eccentric Cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., at 7 p.m. Oct. 4.
“Taking Turns” Organ Program, at 4 p.m. Oct. 23 in the KNAC Building/ First Baptist Church, will feature organists Steve Flick and Autumn playing works by Bach, Liszt, Mendelssohn and others on the church’s Létourneau organ. Admission is free.
Wayfaring, a duo of bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst and multiinstrumentalist James Falzone, will perform jazz, hymns, folk songs and original compositions at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Bell's Eccentric Café.
A ukulele trio, a blues queen and a duo playing a historic organ are all part of the lineup for the Connecting Chords Music Festival this month. Here are the details on the scheduled performances:
Sweetbriar Sisters, an all-female ukulele trio, will perform vintage songs from 1900 to 1950 from 5–6 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St. This free performance is part of the library's 150th anniversary celebration.The
A graduate of WMU's music program, Kendrick also has a master's degree in music from Loyola University and an artist diploma from the Thelonious Monk Institute. In 2020, Kendrick’s vocal ensemble, säje, was nominated for a Grammy for its original composition "Desert Song."
Through Dec. 29
BalancingtheCosmos:WorksbyLiHongwei
UnveilingAmericanGenius Through December UnmaskingMasculinityfor the21stCentury
Month will be the theme of the October Art Hop, running from 5–8 p.m. in downtown Kalamazoo.Thisfree 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.
Through Oct. 2
CaptiveBeauties: DepictionsofWomenin LateImperialChina
The KIA is open from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday and noon–4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, or $2 for students and free for members. For more information, visit kiarts.org.
Picture?
Through April 1
Women in that era, which ran from the 13th to the early 20th century, were often depicted in terms of their highly circumscribed lives and total dependence, engaged in duties according to their socioeconomic status. But some artists have hinted at these women's suppressed urges and emotions, reflecting a growing interest in the inner lives of their female subjects.
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Richmond Center for Visual Arts,MoreWMUthan80
Court Ladies at Play, Xu Zhuang, 1683, ink and color on silk
CenturyofCollectingArtatWesternMichiganUniversity
TheArts
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:
Oct. KalamazooDowntown7HispanicHeritage
28 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
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.
WhatIsGoingoninThis
Oct. 25–Jan. 15
We'veOnlyJustBegun:Celebratinga
works by artists from around the world, including wellknown American artists Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, are featured in this 100th anniversary exhibition The exhibition, which is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the WMU College of Fine Arts and is drawn from the more than 3,500 works in the university collection, brings together a range of media from diverse geographic areas, time periods and styles. It includes examples of American Impressionism, European Neoclassicism and Romanticism, Japanese and Chinese ceramics, art of Asian and African origins, 20th-century Modernism, Pop art, and Postmodern painting and printmaking.Thisfreeexhibition is in the Monroe-Brown Gallery, which is open from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. For more information, visit wmich.edu/art.
Art Hop
How women during the era of imperial China were viewed through art is examined in this exhibition organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Oct. 25–Nov. 19
ExhibitionsOngoing
Extend summer and enjoy the outdoors more comfortably. An elegant and functional addition to your home. Shipshewana,
TO THE FULLEST! EnjoyOutdoorsthe
WMU College of Fine Arts’ 50th CelebrationAnniversary
Oct. Dalton14
All SunroomsSeason
A reception for the artist will be held at the KBAC from 5–8 p.m. Oct. 7, during Kalamazoo’s monthly Art Hop. Blount will also hold a letterpress workshop at the KBAC from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 15; registration is required. The KBAC is at 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave.
Kalamazoo Book Arts CenterThis
Center Recital Hall
For more information, visit
The celebration is set for 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit wmich. edu/dance/events.
www.RaberPatios.com 655 S Van Buren St,
show features works by a Detroitborn artist, designer and letterpress printer whose art often explores questions of race and identity and the stories we tell ourselves about living in America.
Blount's books and prints are included in numerous collections, including the Chicago Field Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
BenBlount:PresentPerfect
Oct. 7–Nov. 23
VISUALkalbookarts.org. ARTS DANCE
Students from Western Michigan University's Department of Dance will perform at this event celebrating the College of Fine Arts’ 50th anniversary.Members of the Western Dance Project, the program's touring dance company, and Ebony Vision Dance Ensemble, a multicultural performing arts ensemble, will be part of the program, which will also recognize the 100th anniversary of the University Art Collection, the 100th season of the Bronco Marching Band, the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Dalton Center and the 15th anniversary of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts.
IN FREE ESTIMATES 260-768-7100 www.encorekalamazoo.com | 29
Oct. Zhang4 Legacy Collections
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Learn what houses think of Christmas bows and what umbrellas worry about when poet Elizabeth Kerlikowske reads from her new chapbook, The Vaudeville Horse, at 7 pm. at the center, 1650 OaklandKerlikowskeDrive. 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 poems and short fiction appear in many journals, including Barking Sycamores, Slab, Poesia, Poemeleon, New Verse News and Peacock Journal and her work has been nominated for six Pushcart Awards. Kerlikowske is also pastpresident of Friends of Poetry, a Kalamazoo nonprofit dedicated to bringing people and poetryBookstogether.areavailable at the reading or local bookstores.
is published in partnership and funding provided by
Melvin Starr Oct. LibraryCommunityParchment6Historical mystery author Melvin Starr, who has published 15 books in his Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon series, will read from his work and talk about the craft of writing at 6:30 p.m. at the library, 401 S. Riverview Drive.
Greg Seiler, CFP® Vice President/Investments
Rena
Kent Ray Senior Vice President/Investments
TheArts
Jeff Siefert, President/Investments
Elizabeth Kerlikowske
TheArts
For more information, visit parchmentlibrary.org.
CFP® Vice
Starr, who was born and raised in Kalamazoo, has been writing full time after being a history teacher for 39 years. He published his first book in the series, The Unquiet Bones, in 2008. His most recent, Master Wycliffe's Summons, was published in 2021.
Fields Registered Client Service Associate Sue Brenner Registered Client Service Associate
So far nothing has been allowed to enter that is not either beautiful or plain.
Anne Dueweke Richland11
Oct.
The New Room by Lamplight for Mike Plosick and Steve Barrett
Now this. First time this fall, the furnace whispers and through pristine vents the warm air pours across the floor to my corner, its breath on my feet a big dog at peace, asleep, and dreaming of fields.
There remains room for softness — a small sofa, an armchair, some bad habits, dust. But first they stripped it down to shiplap and bead-board ceiling, to dangerous squirrel-frayed wires, ants, rust and rot. They learned all our secrets, like priests, like doctors, like God. We let shame go and they still loved us.
richlandlibrary.org.LITERATURE
Community Library
The author of a book that examines the role American colonialism, racial history and attitudes toward race have played in the history of Kalamazoo College will speak at 6 p.m. at the library, 8951 Park St. Dueweke's 2022 book, Reckoning: Kalamazoo College Uncovers Its Racial and Colonial Past, looks at the college's history through a socialjustice lens. Its subject matter ranges from the Native American displacement and the founding of the college by Baptist missionaries to the racial climate at the college during its struggles and progress toward equity.
Registration is required to attend. To register or for more information, visit
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 31
ENCORE POETRY
— Susan Blackwell Ramsey
When they built it back, each layer was better than they had promised — ingenious wiring, plump insulation tucked into every gap. Brilliant windows that actually open, generous frames. It was like growing young or becoming good. Nothing to hide. They built us absolution.
Ramsey is a Kalamazoo poet whose collection A Mind Like This (2012) won the University of Nebraska’s Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry. The men to whom she dedicated this poem are area residents who do home repairs and construction and are particularly fond of writers. They like to call themselves the Barrett Brothers, since they are brothers-in-law.
— When Zeus’ master lightning bolt is stolen, Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of a Greek god, is the prime suspect, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29–30, Oct. 1 & 7–8, 2 p.m. Oct. 2, York Theatre, WMU, 387–6222, wmich.edu/theatre.
BandsMUSIC& Solo Artists
Joe Satriani — Solo guitar performer with six gold and platinum discs, 8 p.m. Oct. 14, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.
Legends of the West — The Kalamazoo Concert Band, 7:30–9 p.m. Oct. 15, Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave., kalamazooconcertband.org.
Disney’s Newsies — The Broadway musical inspired by the real-life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30–Oct. 1, 2 p.m. Oct. 2, Civic Theatre, 329 S. Park St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.
ThePlaysTHEATERTempest
Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra 7 p.m. Oct. 5, The Dock at Bayview, 12504 East D Ave., Richland; call 731-4911 for reservations.
University Jazz Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/ music/events.
32 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
College of Fine Arts’ 50th Anniversary Celebration — Featuring Western Dance Project and Ebony Vision dancers, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/dance/ events.
KSO Craft Music— The KSO performs while patrons enjoy a pint of brew, 7 p.m. Oct. 12, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, 382–2332, kalamazoosymphony.org.
Choral Showcase — Featuring Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 3 p.m. Oct. 30, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/ events.
Clarinetist Conor Sprunger — Alumni recital, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.
Live Electronics Concert — Faculty and guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.
University Jazz Lab Band — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/ music/events.
Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Mustard Plug, with Rodeo Boys & Loser Candy, Oct. 7; Southern Culture on the Skids, Oct. 10; Proxima Parada, Oct. 19; May Erlewine & Anthony da Costa, Oct. 22; Kurt Vile and The Violators, with Julia Shapiro of Chastity Belt, Oct. 23; Tropidelic, with Mike Pinto and highdeas, Oct. 26; Lucero, with L.A. Edwards, Oct. 28; The California Honeydrop, with Cris Jacobs, Oct. 31; all shows begin at 8 p.m., 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382–2332, bellsbeer.com.
Ani DiFranco — Singer-songwriter playing a punk, funk, jazz and soul sound, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.
Slander: The Thrive Tour — American DJ/ producer duo known for their bass and dance music sound, 8 p.m. Oct. 15, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/events.
PERFORMING ARTS
Noon Dance Showing — Noon Oct. 7, Dalton Center Multimedia Room, WMU, wmich.edu/dance/events.
Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years — 8 p.m. Oct. 21, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter. com/events.
In-Site/Outside Specific Performances — Featuring first-year dance students, 3 p.m. Oct. 16, beginning at Miller Fountain Plaza, WMU, wmich. edu/dance/events.
Alexander Malofeev — Russian pianist performs as part of the Gilmore Rising Stars Series, 4 p.m. Oct. 9, Wellspring Theater, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, with virtual and in-person tickets available, 342–1166, thegilmore.org.
WMU Master Class & Guest Artist Recital — Trombonist Greg Spiridopoulos conducts a master class at 1 p.m. Oct. 10, Room 1116, Dalton Center, and a recital at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.
University Bands Showcase — University Wind Symphony, University Symphonic Band and University Concert Band, 7 p.m. Oct. 17, Miller Auditorium, WMU, wmich.edu/music/events.
Victor Gould Trio — A trio of piano, bass and drums performs as part of the Gilmore Rising Stars Series, 4 p.m. Oct. 23, Wellspring Theater, Epic Center, with virtual and in-person tickets available, 342–1166, thegilmore.org.
KSO Afternoon of Jazz — A jazz combo and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra play Charlie “Bird” Parker’s songs, 3 p.m. Oct. 2, Dalton Recital Hall, WMU, kalamazoosymphony.org.
Wait,COMEDYWait
Stand-Up Tour — Stand-up comedy featuring panelists from the weekly public radio show Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me, 7 p.m. Oct. 22, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com.
EVENTS ENCORE
Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More
Hazeltree – Traditional songs and tunes from the British Isles, Ireland and America, 2 p.m. Oct. 9, Parchment Community Library, 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747.
Guide to Love and Murder — A musical comedy with one actor playing all eight of the doomed heirs who meet their ends in creative ways, 7 p.m. Sept. 29–Oct. 1 & 6–8, 2 p.m. Oct. 2 & 9, Farmers Alley Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, 343–2727, farmersalleytheatre.com.
TheLightningThief:ThePercyJacksonMusical
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. Oct. 28–29, Nov. 3–5, 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387–6222, wmich.edu/theatre.
We the Kingdom — Christian music and worship, 7 p.m. Oct. 30, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter.com/events.
My Name is NOT Mom — Stand-up comedy, stories and videos about motherhood by Tiffany Jenkins, Meredith Masony and Dena Blizzard, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.
University Symphony Orchestra — 2022 Stulberg Silver Medalist Jacques Forestier performs with the orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Miller Auditorium, WMU, stulberg.org.
Deirdre D.S. Sense — Hip-hop artist performs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., wmich.edu/music/ events.
SideBySidebySondheim— A revue of some of the composer’s best-known songs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7–8 & 14–15, 2 p.m. Oct. 9 & 16, Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.
Please Note: Due to the COVID–19 virus, some of these events may have been cancelled after press time. Please check with the venue and organizations for up–to–date information.
AMusicalsGentleman’s
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Life in the Past Lane — Concert tour in which vocalists and dancers take today’s hits and perform them in other musical genres of the 20thcentury, 7 p.m. Oct. 12, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.
— Shakespeare’s play about a crew of men shipwrecked on a magical island and tormented by a man and his slaves, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Oct. 1, & 6–8, 2 p.m. Oct. 2 & 9, Williams Theatre, WMU, 387–6222, wmich.edu/theatre.
Anastasia — A young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 2 & 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.
PrideandPrejudice— Lizzy Bennet is determined to never marry despite mounting pressure from society and that pesky Mr. Darcy, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21–22, 28–29, 2 p.m. Oct. 23 & 30, Carver Center Studio Theatre, 426 S. Park St., 343–1313, kazoocivic.com.
Great Works Residency: Decidedly Jazz Danceworks — Open rehearsal, 5 p.m. Oct. 11, Dalton Center Multimedia Room, WMU, wmich. edu/dance/events.
Flora, Fauns & Beethoven 6 — Violinist Daniel Bae leads the KSO in this nature-inspired program, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Chenery Auditorium, kalamazoosymphony.org.
Johnaye Kendrick — Grammy-nominated vocalist performs in a jazz-club style, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition (KNAC) Building, 315 W. Michigan Ave., kzoojazz.com.
WMUDANCEStudent
Hocus Pocus — Screening of the 1993 comedy/ horror film about a curious kid who awakens a trio of 17th-century witches, 8 p.m. Oct. 28, State Theatre; SPCA will be on-site with adoptable kitties; kazoostate.com.
We'veOnlyJustBegun:CelebratingaCenturyofCollectingArtatWesternMichiganUniversity
VISUAL KalamazooARTSInstitute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org
Buck a Bag Book Sale — Bring a bag or use one of the library’s and fill it with books for $1, Oct. 10–22.
Family Game Cafe — Learn and play role-playing and board games, 6–7:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org
Urban Fiction Book Club — Discussion of Fanatic, by Jade Jones, 6 p.m. Oct. 25, Alma Powell Branch.
Works from this year’s winning Portage artist whose work best represents the theme A Natural Place to Move, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, through Oct. 28, Portage City Hall Atrium, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar.
Aziz Gazipura — An online talk with the author of Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent & Feeling Guilty, 4–5 p.m. Oct. 13, kpl.gov/live; registration required.
www.encorekalamazoo.com | 33 ENCORE EVENTS
Ben Blount: Present Perfect — A display of his work and passion for print and design, Oct. 7–Nov. 23, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, with an artist’s reception 5–8 p.m. Oct. 7 during Art Hop, 373–4938, kalbookarts.org.
Richmond Center for Visual Arts Western Michigan University, 387-2436, wmich.edu/art
LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS
Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Hell of a Book, by Jason Mott, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Oct. 3, outside of the Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St., or on Zoom if weather is inclement; registration required.
Cult Movie Matinees — Goonies, Oct. 8; Labyrinth, Oct. 15; Young Frankenstein, Oct. 22; Hocus Pocus, Oct. 29; all shows 1–3 p.m., Oshtemo Branch, with snacks provided.
Drop-In Tours — Balancing the Cosmos: Works by Li Hongwei, Oct. 2; Unmasking Masculinity for the 21st Century, Oct. 9; Unveiling American Genius, Oct. 16; Captive Beauties: Depictions of Women in Late Imperial China, Oct. 30; all sessions 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Art Hop — This month’s Art Hop celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, 5–8 p.m. Oct. 7, downtown Kalamazoo, 342–5059, kalamazooarts.org.
Adult Book Club — Discussion of We Can Never Leave This Place, by Eric LaRocca, 6–7:30 p.m. Oct. 27; registration required.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show — Screening of the movie, with a live shadow cast of WMU musical theater students and audience participation, 9 p.m. Oct. 15; pre-party with the cast for VIP ticket holders, 6:15 p.m.; State Theatre, kazoostate.com.
An Evening with David Sedaris —The humorist and satirical writer, 8 p.m. Oct. 29, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.
The Mask You Live In — A film that follows boys and men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity, 1–3 p.m. Oct. 29.
Step Back in History: KPL at 150 — A special celebration with life-size historic photos, KPL staff in historic costumes and musical entertainment, 5–7 p.m. Oct. 7, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.
Adult Murder Mystery Game — A costumed evening of crime solving, 6:15–8 p.m. Oct. 21; registration required.
KPL 150th Anniversary Coloring and Donuts — Stop by any KPL location for doughnuts and receive a commemorative coloring book of local artists’ designs, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Oct. 8.
Dungeons and Dragons Game Night — Play a live game with other adults, from beginner to experienced levels, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 27, Central Library; registration required.
Kate Quinn — An online talk with the author of The Diamond Eye, 7–8 p.m. Oct. 25, kpl.gov/live; registration required.
ARTbreak — Program about art, artists and exhibitions: Colleen Woolpert — Double Take, Oct. 4; Intersectionality 101 with OutFront Kalamazoo, Oct. 11; The Gendering of Colors with Megan Maas, Oct. 18; Kalamazoo Public Library at 150, Oct. 25; all sessions begin at noon in the KIA Auditorium. Men and Their Environments — Artist Richard Lou, sculptor Brent Harris and moderator Michael Stone-Richards examine the role the land plays in their work, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 6.
Lunch & Learn: The Aging Roadmap — Bring your own lunch and learn how to plan for your aging years, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct 5, 12 & 19; registration required.
GuoPei:CoutureFantasy— Lecture on a Chinese fashion designer who uses exquisite craftsmanship, lavish embroidery and unconventional dressmaking techniques to create a sartorial fantasy, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 20.
Kalamazoo Art League: Membership Celebration and Lecture — Artist David Frederick Riley speaks on his work and process in creating art, 7–8 p.m. Oct. 12.
Coffee Talk — Short talk and discussion about big ideas, 10:30–11:30 a.m. Oct. 11, Oshtemo Branch.
Captive Beauties: Depictions of Women in Late Imperial China — How artists have depicted the lives and duties of these women, Oct. 25–Jan. 15.
Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org
Live Salon with Faisal Abdu’Allah — This artist and barber invites audience members to have their hair cut during a discussion of key issues of his work, 1–3 p.m. Oct. 16.
BalancingExhibitionsthe
Pretty Boys — Discussion of the book by David Yi, 2 p.m. Oct. 19.
— More than 80 works from the WMU Art Collection, including works by Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, through Nov. 19.
Other Venues
Don’t Be Afraid of the Library — Online videos of librarians reading ghost stories, 4 p.m. Oct. 31, kpl.gov/live.
What Is Going on in This Picture? — Explores Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to analyze artworks, stories, billboards, and more, through April 1.
Melvin Starr — Talk by the author of the mystery series The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, 6:30 p.m. Oct 6.
Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov
SundayEvents
TheFILM
Portage Community Art Award Exhibition —
First Saturday of the Month — Visit with community organizations, create crafts, fun activities and more, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Oct. 1, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St.
KPL Mobile Library: Family Literacy Day — Focusing on fire safety, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.
KPL Mobile Library — 1:30–3 p.m. Oct. 14 and 10–11:30 a.m. Oct. 25, Texas Township Hall, 7110 West Q Ave; 4–5:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Northside Association for Community Development, 612 N. Park St.
Cosmos: Works by Li Hongwei — Traditional Chinese ceramic forms and contemporary glaze and sculpture, through Oct. 2. 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.
Rocky Horror Picture Show: 47th Anniversary Spectacular Tour — Join Barry Bostwick (who played Brad Majors in the movie) for a screening of the 1975 movie, with a live shadow cast and audience participation, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.
Fall Fest — Come dressed in your Halloween costume for games, crafts, fall snacks and spooky fun, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 29.
Books with Friends Book Club — Discussion of All the Little Hopes, by Leah Weiss, 7 p.m. Oct. 20.
Behind the Scenes of Animal Care — How the KNC keeps its animal ambassadors healthy and content, 10–11:30 a.m. Oct. 15; registration required.
Muffins and the Market — Librarian Warren Fritz discusses recent market trends, 9 a.m. Oct. 6 & 20.
Open for Discussion — Discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, by Mary Roach, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18.
Anne Dueweke — Talk by the author of Reckoning: Kalamazoo College Uncovers Its Racial and Colonial Past, 6 p.m. Oct. 11; registration required.
Kalamazoo Plant It Forward Swap — A plant swap social event, 10 a.m.–noon, Oct. 15; registration required
International Mystery Book Club — Discussion of Murder in Mykonos, by Jeffrey Siger, 7 p.m. Oct. 13.
Science Fiction/Fantasy Discussion: Now You See Him, Now You Don’t — Discussion of the characters Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and the Invisible Man and comparing their portrayals in the original books and the 1930s films, 7 p.m. Oct. 11.
Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., kalamazoomuseum.org373-7990,
Grand Opening of Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve — A new public preserve with a parking lot and improved trails with signage, Oct. 15, eastern end of Thomas Street, Allegan, swmlc. org.
Nature Printing Class — Learn how to make prints from fall foliage using water-soluble inks, 6:30–8 p.m. Oct. 20; registration required.
KalamazooNATURE Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org
An exhibit and theatrical play telling the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose unique cells led to medical breakthroughs; exhibit runs through Feb. 27;
Michigan Cultural Membership Exchange — Visit six Southwest Michigan community institutions (the Air Zoo, Binder Park Zoo, Gilmore Car Museum, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo Nature Center, W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and Kellogg Manor House) for one price and enjoy shared membership benefits for the month of October, swmimemberexchange.com.
Watercolor Painting Class — Led by artist Gina Stevens, with supplies provided, 7–8:30 p.m. Oct. 4; registration required.
Cracking Cold Cases: How WMU Students Solved a Murder — A presentation about the Cold Case Program at WMU, 7 p.m. Oct. 26.
Classic Movie Screening — Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, 2–4 p.m. Oct. 22.
Get Real Nonfiction Book Discussion — Discussion of The Disappearing Spoon, by Sam Kean, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17.
Documentary and Donuts — Viewing of the film Hunting Bigfoot, 10 a.m.–noon Oct. 14.
Themed Trivia: Sports & Games — Register your team to test your knowledge, 7 p.m. Oct. 27; registration required.
EVENTS ENCORE
Plots and Pages: A Local Writers Group — Author Mark Love discusses the craft of writing, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10.
Family History Month Digitization Class — Learn how to preserve and share family memories using the library’s digitization equipment, 2 p.m. Oct. 20.
Classics Film Club — Discussion of Some Like It Hot, 7 p.m. Oct. 12.
Books and Crafts — Embroidery projects inspired by Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry, 10:30 a.m. Oct. 5; registration required.
Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 1.
Adam Ferrara — The “Car Guy” comedian performs, 7:30–8:30 p.m. Oct. 6.
Fall Painting Event — Paint a fall scene with Coleen Austin, 6 p.m. Oct 13 or Oct .20; registration required.
Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fabrics — Chemistry Day presentation on chemical dyes, synthetic fibers and new experiments exploring the use of chemistry in fabrics, noon–4 p.m. Oct. 15.
Congress of Motorcars and Family Day — Vehicles produced in 1942 and earlier, with demos on steam cars and crank starting, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 1.
34 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022
Coffee, Donuts and Conservation Talks with Rufous — Learn about problems birds face day-today with KNC’s Eastern screech owl, Rufous, 10–11 a.m. Oct. 15; registration required.
River Guardians — Join KNC staff to sample macroinvertebrates at four sites within the Kalamazoo River watershed and identify the samples under microscopes, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 1, beginning at Merrill Park, 5845 Comstock Ave.; registration required.
Book Tasting — Bring your lunch and sip tea or coffee while exploring fall cookbooks, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 26.
Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org Bridge Club — Noon–3 p.m. Tuesdays.
Bog Walk — Dive into the world of decomposition and learn how spooky bogs can be, 2 p.m. Oct. 2, Schrier Park, 850 W. Osterhout Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar; registration required.
Can Insects Take the Heat? — Evolutionary ecologist Alisha Shah discusses thermal tolerance of insects and their vulnerability to climate change, 7 p.m. Oct. 18; registration required.
Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Sessions — “Galaxies of Autumn,” Oct. 15; “Jupiter, Saturn & A Young Moon,” Oct. 29; both sessions 7–11 p.m., Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave.; sessions will be canceled if the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast; check kasonline. org starting at 6 p.m. the day of the event.
Parchment Book Group — Discussion of Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne, 6 p.m. Oct 10.
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.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu
Heartwarming Reads Book Club — Discussion of The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams, 2 p.m. Oct. 19.
Other SpookyVenuesSecrets
Portage District Library 300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info
Saturday Sound Immersion — Wind Willow Consortium members play instruments for relaxation and a well-being experience, 10 a.m. Oct. 8; registration required.
theatrical production, 7 p.m. Sept. 30, 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 1.
SouthwestMUSEUMS
Richland Area Writers' Group — Open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon Oct. 8 & 22, in person and via Zoom.
Astrophotography Night — Learn about photographing the night sky, 7–9:10 p.m. Oct. 7, Kalamazoo Math and Science Center, 600 W. Vine St., kasonline.org.
Richland Genealogy Group — Roundtable discussion group, 10 a.m.–noon Oct. 20, in person and via Zoom.
Eclipse Talk – Kalamazoo Astronomical Society President Richard Bell talks about eclipses and how to view them, 6 p.m. Oct 24.
Birds and Coffee Chat Online — Discussion of blackbirds, 10 a.m. Oct. 12; registration required.
Retirement 101: Secure Your Financial Foundation — Information for those in early retirement or about to retire, 6–8 p.m. Oct. 6; registration required.
DeutscheMarques Oktoberfest and Color Tour — A gathering of German cars, owners and enthusiasts, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 15; cars will depart on a color tour at 10 a.m.
A HeLa Story: Mother of Modern Medicine —
Yoga and Journaling — Susan Corak leads a journaling and slow-flow yoga class with writing prompts, 1:30–3 p.m. Oct. 12; registration required.
KRVT Monday Morning Cruisers — A casual bike ride of up to 20 miles, 9 a.m. Mondays, starting at Commerce Lane in Parchment, 760-4711, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.
Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society — Meeting open to anyone interested in genealogy, 5 p.m. Oct. 17.
Gilmore Car Museum 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org
Portage Farmers Market — With vendors and music, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, through October, outside Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., 329–4522.
Kalamazoo Record & CD Show — Thousands of new and used records and CDs, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 2, Room A, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 734-604-2540.
Downtown Skeletour — 65-plus skeletons in wild and wacky poses throughout downtown Kalamazoo, Oct. 1–31, downtownkalamazoo.org.
Walking Tour of Mountain Home Cemetery — Exploring the 170-year-old cemetery, 2–3:20 p.m. Oct. 2, starting at Sexton’s Lodge, just inside the entrance, 1402 W. Main St., kpl.gov/events.
Sounds of the Zoo — A new festival with free music classes and concerts, Sept. 26–Oct. 2, at indoor and outdoor sites across Kalamazoo, including Bronson Park, discoverkalamazoo.com.
Geek Fest — Robotics, games, art, comic books and cosplay, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 15, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 553-7911.
Breaking the Stigma: African American Mental Health Symposium — A live and virtual event with the theme “Evolving … Silent No More,” 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Oct. 14, Synergy Health Center, 625 Harrison St., 323-1954, synergykzoo.org; registration required.
Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) — Cultural event honoring deceased loved ones
Just Move 10th Birthday Bash: Zombie Disco Party — Dance party benefitting OutFront Kalamazoo and celebrating 10th anniversary of Just Move fitness center, 6:30–9:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, outfrontkzoo.org.
ENCORE EVENTS
through music, food and construction of altars, 5–8 p.m. Oct. 29, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 246-2335.
Monster Mash — Trick-or-treating, inflatables, hayrides, pumpkin-carving demonstrations and the movie Monsters Inc. shown drive-in style, 3–7 p.m. Oct. 22, Ramona Park, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, with parking for the movie starting at 5:30 p.m., portagemi.gov/calendar.
Fall Stamp & Cover Show — Stamp show with buying and selling of covers, postcards and supplies, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 29, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 30, North Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 375-6188.
Olde Tyme Harvest Festival — Hayrides, pumpkin patch, corn shucks, husker shredder and more, Oct. 1–2, Scotts Mill County Park, 8451 S. 35th St., Scotts, 579-4627, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.
Arts & Eats Tour — A self-guided driving tour of art studios, galleries, farms and eateries in Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 15 & 16, artsandeats. org; maps available online.
KalamazooMISCELLANEOUSFarmers
Halloween Beer and Bus Tour — Featuring beer and haunts, 5–11 p.m. Oct. 29, beginning at Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill, 100 W. Michigan Ave; costumes are encouraged, westmichiganbeertours.com.
Southwest Michigan Train Show & Sale — Presented by the Kalamazoo Model Railroad Historical Society, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 30, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, kmrhs.org.
The Price is Right Live — A non-televised, onstage version of the show where eligible individuals hear their names called to “Come on down” and win prizes, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, Miller Auditorium, WMU, millerauditorium.com.
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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. Oct. 22, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.
Market — Featuring over 100 businesses weekly, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays, 2–6 p.m. Thursdays, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturdays, 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.
Fall Craft Show —150 booths with decor, clothing, jewelry and handmade crafts, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Oct. 1, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., 903–5820, kalcounty.com/newsandevents.
36 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022 WhatEvidence-based.wealthmanagementshould be. 259 East Michigan Avenue, Suite 105 • Kalamazoo 269.381.1700 • www.clearridgewm.com Setting a clear path Simple.Fee-only.forward. Lori Hannemann, Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners Arborist Services of Kalamazoo 5 Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo 26 Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes 4 The Cheese Lady 37 Clear Ridge Wealth Management 36 Connecting Chords Music Festival 19 Dave’s Glass 24 DeMent and Marquardt, PLC 3 Fence & Garden 22 First National Bank 5 Gerald R Ford International Airport 2 Greenleaf Trust 6 Halls Closets & More 15 Kalamazoo Bach Festival 31 Kalamazoo Community Foundation 40 Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra 22 Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation 4 Lewis Reed & Allen, PC 2 LVM Capital Management 9 Milestone Senior Services 39 Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services 21 Portage Printing 36 Public Media Network 14 Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture 29 RAI Jets 11 Ray Financial Group 30 Southern Michigan Bank & Trust 15 Trust Shield Insurance Group 4 Vandenberg Furniture 35 Willis Law 20 WMUK 39 YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo 35 1116 W Centre Avenue ☎ PortagePrinting.com323-9333 Print Shopof Terro r all through October while supplies last Hallowe’enFREEMasks! SCARY! funny! die cut! elasticgenuineband! holes!realeye we dare you to visit the spooky! Spookyservice!fastfrighteninglylowprices!wespecialize in impossible dead lines! Board!coatedclay4-color!process A special Thank You to our advertisers!
It might be hard for some people to imagine what it’s like to do something that you are sort of an idiot about. When we opened in February 2021, I knew nothing about running a business. I didn’t even know how to manage a cash drawer. We figured it out, though, together. After just two years, we are on the verge of profitability. That’s very rare for a business that pays top wage (staffers earn $13 an hour plus tips).
Paul and Kathleen Harris started this business in 2019 and named it in her honor — Katerina is Kathleen in Italian.
I still struggle with how to handle customers that take their frustrations out on my staff. They write mean things on our Facebook page: One didn’t like the ambience, another didn't like where we store napkins, and worse. When people criticize this place and the people that work here, they are criticizing my home and people I love. It’s a small number, but their behavior has a huge impact. It’s hard.
me with memories. After that, I made all my chiropractic appointments to coincide with the restaurant's bread days.”
Because we have the best specialty pizzas you won't find anywhere else. The level of creativity and inspiration and our goal of hitting all the notes are truly incredible. We are a small family business and we support other local businesses by using in-season ingredients from Husted’s Farm Market (on West Main Street), Russell Farm (on North Riverview Drive), Flourish Farms (in Plainwell), and Two Scotts Barbecue in Grand Rapids. What’s next for Pizza Katerina?
Interview by Donna McClurkan, edited for length and clarity
I need to share how we were able to acquire the business because it shows the kind of man Paul is. Even in deep grief, Paul figured out a way for us to buy the business. We did not have the means to do so. Paul set us up with a payment plan that we could manage. He only asked that we retain the name Pizza Katerina in honor of his wife (Kathleen died in May 2021). I cannot overstate what a generous gift this has been.
The Harrises’ restaurant quickly developed a loyal fan base, and when they put it up for sale in 2020, Holman was once again in the right place at the right time, finding out about it through a friend. She and her husband, Jimmy, bought the restaurant in January 2021. What is the significance of the name Pizza Katerina?
Andopenness.Iwould
A world of cheese, curated wines, Theaccompaniments.andCheeseLadyKalamazoo, 7035 West Q Avenue (269) 353 3050 Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. ENCORE BACK STORY
Melodie Holman (continued from page 38)
worst things that could happen to us, outside of health-related catastrophes, did. What have you learned in nearly two years of operation?
How did you come to own the business?
My family, staff and the community we’ve created around the best pizza. I love watching the team grow in confidence as they learn new skills at each of the workstations. I love watching them teach each other.
What drives you?
We’ve built a community here and I want to expand in a few different ways. We had a table this season at the newly renovated Kalamazoo Farmers Market offering par-baked pizzas (baked partially and then frozen) to finish at home in 5 to 7 minutes. We’re expanding our offerings into some local stores. We plan to start a crowdsourcing campaign in the near future to buy a bigger oven. We’re going to grow with courage and honesty and integrity and
Why do you think Pizza Katerina has become so popular?
How did you prepare for owning a restaurant?
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We have great customers, and I love sharing stories about some of our regulars. One has her doctor appointment at West Side Medical Center, shops at Walmart and then comes in here for a mini pizza. And there’s a
surgeon. It seems like every time he comes in, someone — often me —drops his pizza. Or we burn it. It’s like his order is jinxed. He’ll hang around and chat and laugh while we remake his pizza.
I became a regular and got to know the Harrises. Six months after the store opened, Kathleen learned her breast cancer, which had been in remission, tragically returned. Paul closed the business that day — February 21, 2020 — just before the pandemic hit. He continued to pay rent and their bills until finally in late summer he decided to put Pizza Katerina up for sale. A friend texted, “PK is up for sale and you should buy it.” Jimmy, my husband, and I were at home washing dishes. I looked up from my phone and asked, “Do you want to buy a pizzeria?”
My mindset was “I might fail.” Seriously. It’s justCoincidentally,pizza. we had been experimenting at home perfecting recipes for dough and sauce for about 10 years, so that helped. And as I think back on it, the willingness to take on this huge risk probably comes from the loss of our house in the financial crash of 2008. We lost everything. Our entire net worth. The
I learned I had a home here that I didn’t know I was missing.
love to “pay it forward” like Paul did for me. Someone with backbone, drive, desire and passion … Let’s start another Pizza Katerina!
“After my appointment, I bought a slice of pizza and a loaf of bread,” Holman recalls. When Holman was growing up, her mom made everything from scratch, she says, “so when I ate that bread … oh my … it tasted like hers and it flooded
(continued on page 37)
The day Paul and Kathleen Harris opened the restaurant at 635 N. Ninth St. in 2019, Holman was at a chiropractic appointment in a neighboring suite at the Sunset Plaza shopping center.
38 | ENCORE OCTOBER 2022 BACK STORY ENCORE
Melodie Holman
If it weren't for a trip to the chiropractor and a loaf of bread, Melodie Holman would not be the happy owner of Pizza Katerina, in Oshtemo Township.
Owner, Pizza Katerina
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