Muskegon County Calendar of Events 02/08/16-02/14/16

 Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau

02/08/2016 – 02/12/16 2016 Global Awareness Festival
‎Muskegon Community College’s 17th Annual Global Awareness Festival on February 8-12 will focus on Latin America, a region located in the western hemisphere between the southern boundary of the U.S. in the north and Antarctica in the south.

Each year, the Global Awareness Festival highlights a different geographic area of the world. The College hosts a series of activities, lectures and other events to bring awareness to that region’s population, culture, cuisine and political issues. All Global Awareness Festival events are free. For more information, contact Papa N’jai at (231) 777-0693 or by e-mail at papa.njai@muskegoncc.edu

02/09/2016 – Sewing Clinic: Quilts
As part of their Black History Month Celebration, Hackley Public Library invites you to a quilt sewing clinic with local seamstress Ozetta Aaron.  She will present an introduction to quilting.  Participants should have a basic knowledge of sewing.  Class size is limited, so call 231-722-7226 to sign up or for more information. Sewing machines will be provided.

02/09/2016 – A Tale of Two Submarines
Tuesday, February 9 at 6:30pm, come to Walker Memorial Library for “USS Silversides:  A Tale of Two Submarines!”  Frank P. Marczak, Director of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, will give a presentation about the many successes of the USS Silversides as well as the loss of the USS Flier.  In words, video, and pictures, he will tell the story of Ensign Alvin Jacobson, a Grand Haven native and one of eight men who survived the sinking of the USS Flier in 1944.  For more information, call 231-744-6080.

02/04/2016 – 02/18.16 Postcard Salon Exhibition, Reception & Sale
February 4 – 18, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the Postcard Salon Exhibition, Reception & Sale! The MMA’s popular Postcard Salon returns in 2016 with the opportunity to view hundreds of small-scale artworks by artists throughout the region. The short exhibition ends with a free Postcard Salon reception and sale on February 18. The reception starts at 5:30pm with complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. Starting at 7:00pm that night, guests can buy the artworks for $30 each. The Postcard Salon is sponsored by G&L Greek Chili Dogs and WGVU Public Media.  For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

02/11/2016 – Brown Bag Film: All of Me – The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert
‎February 11 at 12:15pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the Brown Bag Film, “All of Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert.”  (78 mins.) In this documentary, Winfred Rembert reflects on his life in the segregated south and how his life and art unfolded together. He works through memories and records them by tooling images on leather and then painting them with dye. The work is moving not only in emotion, but in rhythm, line, and movement. Brown Bag Films are free and sponsored by the Alcoa Foundation/Whitehall Operations.  For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

02/11/2016 – Ladies Pink Night Out!
‎Watch Us Go PINK! is your chance to embrace fun throughout Muskegon County while you support a worthy cause. For the entire month of February 2016, you’ll find packages at select Muskegon County hotels, as well as specials at local retailers and restaurants, in an effort to raise funds to support Susan G. Komen® efforts in West Michigan and specifically, Muskegon County. From 5:00 – 9:00pm each Thursday, come to The Lake House Waterfront Grille for “Ladies Pink Night Out!”  Bring your sister, mother, grandma, and lady friends and come have a night out while celebrating survivors, fighters and just having fun with your ladies! Happy Hour Food and Drink Specials will be available! Wear Pink!  Call 231-722-4461 for more information.

02/11/2016 – Girl’s Night Out: Wine and Chocolate with Chef Char Morse
‎Enjoy wine, chocolate and your best friends at Kitchen 242, Thursday, February 11 from 6:00-8:00pm! “Girl’s Night Out: Wine and Chocolate with Chef Char Morse” will be a fun night working with simple, decadent dessert recipes paired with outstanding local wines.  Learn the basics of tempering chocolate, how to make homemade caramel and see exactly what goes into making a triple chocolate truffle.  Enjoy the desserts paired with samples of wine while learning new things in the kitchen, located within the Muskegon Farmers’ Market.  This is an adult’s only class with limited seating, so reserve your spot asap.

02/11/2016 – An Evening with Winfred Rembert
February 11 at 6:00pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for “An Evening with Winfred Rembert.” Enjoy a special evening with Winfred Rembert, one of the newest artists in the collection of the Muskegon Museum of Art with Chain Gang Picking Cotton #2, and Vivian Ducat, the creator of the film, All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert. Rembert, a dynamic artist with a true talent and passion for his work, will talk about his life and art. He will be joined by Vivian Ducat, who worked with him initially to create a short eight-minute film that ultimately became a feature-length documentary of Rembert’s family, his trials, and his artwork. Rembert and Ducat will discuss the film with the audience after the film. This event is free and is part of the MMA’s Finding Common Ground program series, made possible by the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Arts.  For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

02/12/2016 – 02/14/2016 West MI Youth Wintersportsfest
The West Michigan Youth Wintersportsfest is comprised of thirteen events from February 12-14 at various sites within the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex.  You can snowshoe, figure skate, ice speedskate, inline speedskate, luge, cross country ski, do gymnastics, competitive cheer, biathlon, hockey, bowling, archery, rifle marksmanship and more!  For more information, call Mark Jastrzembski at 231-828-4627.

02/12/2016 – Alley Door Club
The Alley Door has a new twist for its 11th year; “Sip, Savor & Shimmy!” tasting events!  Each Alley Door show is paired up with a local Brewery, Winery or Mill, so come out and enjoy a great night in downtown Muskegon!  February 12, it’s live music from the West Side Soul Surfers! The brewery this week is Pigeon Hill. Tickets are $7 in advance or at the door.  A cash bar available with valid I.D. required.   Tables may be reserved for $55.00 for a 4-top (includes 4 admission tickets) / $80.00 for an 8-top (includes 8 admission tickets).  Limit of 2 4-tops and 2 8-tops reserved for each performance, sold on a first come basis.  For more information, visit frauenthal.org.

02/12/2016 – 02/13/16 Bling Thing
Friday, February 12 from 5:00-8:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am-2:00pm, come to the Century Club for the “Bling Thing”, a fundraising event for Friends of Hackley Public Library.  This 4th annual sale will offer jewelry, purses, scarves, hats, belts, clothing, sparkly home decor items and things with “bling.” Friday is the Early Sale Party with wine, chocolate and first dibs on the goodies with an entry fee of $10. Saturday, entry is free, and the Creative Fringe will be offering a variety of DIY jewelry projects during the Saturday sale. You will be able to make bracelets, necklaces or earrings using a variety of glass beads and metal charms.  No experience is necessary because they will do all the finishing for you!  Prices start at just $6.99.  Bigby Coffee will provide free coffee and hot chocolate!

02/13/2016 – PEAK Training Academy Camp
PEAK Training Academy is excited to bring Leea Murphy and Kendall Fletcher to Muskegon on February 13 for a Co-Ed U 11- U13 clinic in the morning and a Girls High School clinic in the afternoon at the L.C. Walker Arena.  Leea Murphy played at a forward and helped the University of North Carolina to a 2003 National Title and Kendall Fletcher another Tar Heel and currently a center back with the Seattle Reign will bring their experience to Muskegon for this 1 day camp.

The clinic will be held at the LC Walker Area and that night the Muskegon Risers will play their second indoor match. Online registration is available at http://www.trainatpeak.com/. Questions call Jeff Lohman, PEAK Training Academy at (231) 327-7954 or e-mail at jeff.peakacademy@gmail.com

02/13/2016 – Beginners Baking for Kids: Mini Cheesecakes With Chef Char
‎Saturday, February 13 from 9:00am-11:00am, it’s Beginning Baking for Kids – Mini Cheesecakes with Chef Char at Kitchen 242 inside the Muskegon Farmers’ Market!  This class will focus on how to construct and bake a successful cheesecake with emphasis on variety and creativity in flavors, including a New York style cheesecake with fruit topping, a triple chocolate cheesecake, a pecan turtle cheesecake and a pumpkin marble cheesecake.  You will make a full size cheesecake in class to share and enjoy during class.  Then you come up with your own unique combinations of flavors and garnish for mini cheesecakes to take home to share with your family.  The cost is $25 for ages 7-13. Register soon, class size is limited to 20.

02/13/2016 – Walk for Warmth
February 13 from 9:00am-11:00am, come to the Lakes Mall for the “Walk for Warmth!”  100% of all proceeds benefit our friends and neighbors in Muskegon and Oceana Counties who are facing heating emergencies and utility shut-off. Walk for Warmth funds Emergency Utility Assistance through MOCAP, a Community Action Agency. Funds are used throughout the year, but many people associate utility emergencies with the cold winter months.

The event is non-competitive and includes entertainment along the walk course, is family friendly, and includes free gifts.  Registration will be Saturday, February 13 from 8:30am – 9:00am the day of the walk. Registration forms will be available on-site as well as being available on the MOCAP Facebook page. For more information please contact Todd Rasmussen or Jamie Wasilchenko at 231-725-9499.

02/13/2016 – Art on Canvas
‎Saturday, February 13 at 10:00am, come to the Walker Memorial Library for “Art on Canvas!”  Join local artist Lori McElrath-Eslick for a fun and relaxing time painting together!  Create your very own work of art to give to someone as a gift or hang on your wall!  All ability levels welcome.  Class size is limited and registration is required.  Please call the library at 231-744-6080 to register.

02/13/2016 – Mini Masterpieces Super Saturday
‎February 13 from 11:00am – 3:00pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for a “Mini Masterpieces Super Saturday!”  See how tiny artworks pack a punch in the Postcard Salon and the MMA’s permanent collection during this free family fun day.

10:00 am & 1:00 pm
Film: The Borrowers (75 mins.) – A miniature family takes up residency in the walls of a house to save it from demolition.

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Make & Take – Make your own mini masterpiece.

11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Guided Tours – Explore the works in the Postcard Salon with an MMA docent.

For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

02/14/2016 – Howl n Blues
‎Howl n Blues is a winter concert, blues party series held the second Sunday of each month through April 2016 at Watermark 920. The Watermark 920 features seating for over 250, large and small tables, side sofas, a huge dance floor, stage and stage lighting, craft and domestic beer, wine, a full bar and excellent food. Doors open at 1:00pm with music from 2:00 to 5:00pm.  The cost is $15 and includes two raffle tickets. Proceeds benefit the Pound Buddies Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. February 14 it’s Bryan Fischer. 

Ongoing Events:

Pennants on Display
Pennants from the collection of Peggy Tully are now on display in the Collectors Corner at the Lakeshore Museum Center. Her collection showcases pennants collected in the late 1940s and early 1950s from all over the United States and Canada. Starting with the collector’s hometown of Marshall, Michigan all the way to the Grand Canyon and beyond. This collection will be on display through the end of February 2016.  The museum is open weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00pm.  For more information, call 231-722-0278 or visit lakeshoremuseum.org.

The Holocaust: A Ripple in Time
‎When you have survived one of the greatest tragedies imaginable, where do you go from there? Walk through an exhibit that explains life before, during and after the Holocaust. Cost is $5.00 per person or free with your USS Silversides Submarine Museum membership. The exhibit will run through February 22, 2016. For more information, call 231-755-1230.

Storytelling through the Mail: Tall Tale Postcards
‎The Lakeshore Museum Center invites you to explore the exhibit “Storytelling through the Mail: Tall Tale Postcards.”  Imagine a land where corn grows to the size of tree trunks; where the lakes are so cold the trout have fur coats; where deer have become the hunters and men are their prey. These assorted oddities come vividly to life in this exhibit at the Lakeshore Museum Center. Tall tales are humorous stories of exaggeration that often involve ludicrous or absurd imagery.  The exhibit features over 80 tall tale postcards demonstrating this unique form of popular humor.  The exhibit is on loan from the Michigan State University Museum. The Lakeshore Museum Center is located at 430 W. Clay Ave. Hours are weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00pm. Admission is free. For more information, visit lakeshoremuseum.org.

A Bridge Between: Whitehall and Montague.
The Lakeshore Museum Center invites you to view the exhibit, “A Bridge Between: Whitehall and Montague.” Artifacts and photographs tell the story of the early days of Montague and Whitehall when the cities got their start during the lumbering industry.  Lumber mills attracted workers who needed housing, food, and supplies so stores and hotels were built. Businesses like tanneries and shingle mills which made use of the excess bark and wood from lumbering also moved into the community.  Hours are weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00pm. Admission is free.  For more information, visit lakeshoremuseum.org

Marsh Field: 1916 – 2016
The history of Marcs Field is explored in a small display at the Lakeshore Museum Center.  Photographs and text recount 100 years of baseball played at this Muskegon park. Marsh Field has hosted everything from community events to Major League affiliate baseball teams. Baseball Hall of Fame Players, like Satchel Paige, have played there as well as hometown heroes like Earl Morrall. Learn more about the history of Marsh Field now through June of 2016. The Lakeshore Museum Center is located at 430 W. Clay Ave. Hours are weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00pm. Admission is free. For more information visit lakeshoremuseum.org.

88th Regional Exhibition Artwork Entry Registration
‎Through March 19, 2016, the 88th Regional Exhibition Artwork Entry Registration is open.  The Muskegon Museum of Art has established a digital artwork entry process for its 88th Regional Exhibition, for the first time in the competitive Regional’s long history. Online entry is available through the callforentry.org (CaFÉ) website. Search keyword “Muskegon” to find the show. Free CaFÉ registration is required for entry. The 88th Regional will run from May 12 through August 3, 2016. The deadline for entry is March 19, 2016. Hand delivery days for accepted artwork will be April 21, 22, and 23.

Reading by Any Means Necessary
You’re invited to the James Jackson Museum of African American History for the “Reading…by any means necessary” program, every Monday through Saturday from 2:00-5:30pm.  The museum is located at 7 E. Center St. in Muskegon Heights.  Call 231-739-9500 for more information.

Solar Superstorms
‎A fury is building on the surface of the sun, with high-velocity jets, a fiery tsunami wave that reaches 100,000 kilometers high, and rising loops of electrified gas. What’s driving these strange phenomena? How will they affect planet Earth? Find the answers as we venture into the seething interior of our star with “Solar Superstorms,” which takes viewers into dramatic flares, violent solar tornadoes, and the largest eruptions in the solar system: coronal mass ejections. This NEW 30-minute program at Muskegon Community College (room 135, 221 S. Quarterline Rd, Muskegon) will be at 7:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 12 – March 31 (except: closed Mar 1 & 3 for spring break), and will be followed by a brief constellation demonstration projected on the planetarium dome. As always, the show is free, and no reservations are needed. Doors open for seating at 6:45pm. For more information, or to schedule a private show for groups of 15-44, please call (231) 777-0289 or email tamera.owens@muskegoncc.edu.

 

 

COMMON GROUND: African American Art
‎December 10, 2015 through March 20, 2016, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the exhibition, “COMMON GROUND: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art”!  Common Ground is collaboration between three Michigan art museums showcasing the best of each institution’s renowned collections of African American artwork combined in one exhibition, including some of the most important African American artists from the nineteenth century to present day. Common Ground is divided into five thematic areas that will give a broad overview of the history of African American art, showing its diversity as well as its commonality. The exhibition includes more than 60 top-rated works in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Common Ground is underwritten by DTE Foundation with additional support from Fifth Third Bank and the Nancy A. Waters and Mark Waters Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. MLive/Muskegon Chronicle is the Common Ground media sponsor.  For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

I, TOO, AM AMERICA: The Art of Bryan Collier
‎January 18-April 17, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the exhibition, “I, too, am America:  The Art of Bryan Collier.”  This exhibition features 15 large scale original artworks created by Bryan Collier for his picture book, I, Too, Am America, which illustrates the seminal poem, I, Too by Langston Hughes. Collier graduated from the Pratt Institute and was a former Program Director at the Harlem Horizon Institute. His accolades include the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Caldecott Medal, and Jane Addam’s Children’s Book Award. He was also a nominee for an NAACP image award for Outstanding Children’s Literary Work. Underwritten by the Folkert Family Foundation.  For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

Art Talk: Regional Ekphrastic Poetry Competition
‎All adult/college area writers residing within the state of Michigan are invited to create original ekphrastic poems based on one of 10 artworks selected from the permanent collection and the Common Ground exhibition. Cash prizes, Muskegon Museum of Art memberships, and gift certificates will be awarded to the winning poets. Guidelines, images of selected works, and entry forms are available at the MMA gift store or may be downloaded from the MMA website at muskegonartmuseum.org. Entries must arrive at the MMA by March 24. Award winners will read their poems and be recognized at a ceremony on April 21. Questions? Call the MMA Education Department at 231-720-2587 or email: cmott@mpsk12.net.

After School Movie Madness!
Kids are invited to Walker Public Library at 3:15pm every Thursday (except for when there is a half-day or no school) for “After School Movie Madness!”  Age appropriate movies are shown and popcorn is provided while supplies last!  Call 231-744-6080 or visit the library to find out what movie is playing each week!

Art & a Glass: Thursday Happy Hour at the MMA
Every Thursday from 4:00-8:00pm, you’re invited to the Muskegon Museum of Art for “Art & a Glass!”  Bring your friends to a museum-style happy hour! Take a break and enjoy the art with a glass of wine or a great craft brew. General admission is free Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, so take advantage of the opportunity to discover your Museum at no cost. There will be a cash bar. You must be 21 or older to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.  For more information, call 231-720-2570.

Taco Saturday at Mona Lake Boating Club
‎The public is invited to the Mona Lake Boating Club every Saturday September 5 – May 28 from 11:30am-2:00pm for their famous homemade tacos, taco salads and nachos!  Call 231-798-4011 for more information.