Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Beatrix Potter’s 150th Birthday
January 9 – 22 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
The Muskegon Community College Hendrik Meijer Library is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of world famous English author Beatrix Potter, with a display of her books and a personal collection of 50 miniature Warne animal characters. An iconic author, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist, Potter is best known for her children’s books featuring animals, such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She was a trailblazer for women of her time. This informative exhibit can be viewed now through Sunday, January 22. For more information on the exhibit, contact Darlene DeHudy at (231)-777-0268 or (231) 777-0269 for library hours.
Winds of Ancestry
January 9 – February 23 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
“Winds of Ancestry,” an exhibit of artifacts and videos by artists Rae Goodwin and Casey McGuire, will be on display in the Muskegon Community College Overbrook Art Gallery from January 9 – February 23. In the summer of 2016, McGuire and Goodwin rode their red rocking horses across this grand nation. They followed the Lewis and Clark Trail to Montana and stopped along the way to memorialize their foremothers and to acknowledge the fleeting winds of ancestry.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. Overbrook Gallery hours are 9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday-Friday with special weekend and evening hours during performances and concerts in the adjacent Overbrook Theater. For more information, call (231) 777-0324.
Calvin College January Series
January 9 – 13 @ 12:30 pm
January 9 – 13 at 12:30pm, you’re invited to the Beardsley Theater for the Calvin College January Series! The 30th year of Calvin College’s award-winning lecture series will again be live-streamed into the Beardsley Theater. The lectures are free and no tickets are required. Be sure to bring your lunch!
Monday, January 9 – Reshma Saujani “Closing the Gender Gap in Technology”
Reshma Saujani is the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and prepare young women for jobs of the future. In her groundbreaking book, Women Who Don’t Wait in Line, Saujani advocates for a new model of female leadership focused on embracing risk and failure, promoting mentorship and sponsorship and boldly charting your own course – personally and professionally. Saujani has worked both in the private sector as an attorney and in public service as the deputy public advocate of New York City, most recently running a spirited campaign for public advocate on a platform of creating educational and economic opportunities for women and girls, immigrants and those who have been sidelined in the political process. A true political entrepreneur, Saujani has been fearless in her efforts to disrupt both politics and technology to create positive change. Saujani is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Yale Law School. She was named to CNBC’s Next List; Crain’s 40 Under 40; FORTUNE’s 40 Under 40; Forbes’ Most Powerful Women Changing the World; Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People; and a number of other honors.
Tuesday, January 10 – Abraham Nussbaum “Tinkering in Today’s Healthcare Factories: Pursuing the Renewal of Medicine”
Abraham Nussbaum is a physician and writer. His memoir, The Finest Traditions of My Calling: One Physician’s Search for the Renewal of Medicine, explores how healthcare reform is transforming the practice of medicine, turning physicians into technicians, and hospitals into factories. Dr. Nussbaum practices at Denver Health, an academic safety-net hospital in downtown Denver. He previously directed its adult inpatient psychiatry units, which care for adults throughout Colorado experiencing mental health crises. He currently serves as Chief Education Officer, providing strategic vision, daily direction, and administrative oversight for Denver Health’s clinical education programs. Dr. Nussbaum grew up in Colorado, studied literature and religion at Swarthmore, and completed medical school and psychiatry residency at the University of North Carolina. In his practice, he strives to inhabit the roles described in his book, asking how he and his fellow practitioners can restore patients to health through person-centered care.
Wednesday, January 11 “The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence”
Gary Haugen is CEO and founder of International Justice Mission. Before founding IJM in 1997, Gary was a human rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he focused on crimes of police misconduct. In 1994, he served as the Director of the United Nations’ investigation in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. In this role, he led an international team of lawyers, criminal prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and forensics experts to gather evidence that would eventually be used to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to justice. Gary received a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago. Gary has been recognized by the U.S. State Department as a Trafficking in Persons “Hero” – the highest honor given by the U.S. government for anti-slavery leadership. His work to protect the poor from violence has been featured by Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, the New Yorker, The Times of India, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, the Guardian and National Public Radio, among many other outlets. He is the author of several books, including Good News About Injustice; Just Courage; and, most recently, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence.
Thursday, January 12 – Justin Skeesuck & Patrick Gray “I’ll Push You: A Story of Radical Friendship, Overcoming Challenges and the Power of Community”
In the spring of 2012, Justin Skeesuck asked his best friend of nearly 40 years, Patrick Gray, to tackle the epic 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain called the Camino de Santiago. The challenge? Justin lives life in a wheelchair. When asked, Patrick’s response was simple and direct, he said, “I’ll push you.” Two years later, they started their journey and had absolutely no idea how they would make the 500 miles from France to the Cathedral in Santiago; over several mountain ranges like the Pyrenees, through rivers, and across the vast “desert of Spain” called the Meseta… they just knew they had to get there. Justin and Patrick had to rely on the help and strength of friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers in order to navigate the many challenges they faced on their 34-day journey. Since returning from Spain, they have used their heartfelt storytelling to share the comical details of their journey… the joys, the struggles, the beautiful relationships, and the lessons they learned in faith, hope, love and friendship. Their goal in sharing their story is that others will walk away recognizing that each life is not defined by its limitations, but is defined by what is accomplished in spite of those limitations.
Friday January 13 – Todd Huizinga “The EU and Global Governance”
Todd Huizinga is a senior research fellow at the Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College. As a U.S. diplomat from 1992-2012, Huizinga served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Luxembourg, political counselor at the U.S. mission to the European Union in Brussels, consul for political and economic affairs at the U.S. consulates in Hamburg and Munich, and consul for public affairs at the U.S. consulate in Monterrey, Mexico. He has also served in Dublin, Frankfurt, and Costa Rica, as well as on the European Union Desk at the State Department in Washington, D.C. Todd is the co-founder of the Transatlantic Christian Council, a public policy network dedicated to strengthening the transatlantic alliance. From 2014-2016 he was director of International Outreach for the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. He is the author of The New Totalitarian Temptation: Global Governance and the Crisis of Democracy in Europe. He holds a B.A. in Music and German from Calvin College and an M.A. in German Language and Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He speaks German, Dutch, Spanish and French.
For more information, call 231-727-8001.
Ruth and Max Bloomquist
January 9 @ 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm
Monday, January 9 at 6:00pm, join Max and Ruth, Muskegon’s own folk singers, for an evening of wonderful music at Hackley Public Library. Ruth and Max Bloomquist have been making music together since they met in 1975 and discovered their shared love not only for each other, but for music and songs made with acoustic instruments and featuring lyrics from the heart. Ruth and Max immersed themselves in folk, bluegrass, country, singer songwriters, and other acoustic music to create a sound and style all their own. Learn more at www.ruthbloomquist.com.
Incoming!
Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 7:00 pm – 7:35 pm
“Incoming!” is a NEW SHOW at the Carr-Fles Planetarium, where you can zoom past rocky asteroids and icy comets, all the way to Pluto, and discover how they have changed the course of life on Earth. This free program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00pm, January 10-March 2 and March 14-30 (no shows March 7 & 9 for college spring break). Doors open by 6:45pm and no reservations are needed. The planetarium is in room 135 of Muskegon Community College. 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.
Recital: Dr. David Riemer
January 11 @ 7:00 pm
Come to the Book Nook & Java Shop for a recital with Dr. David Riemer on violin and Hyesook Kim on piano, 7:00pm, Wednesday, January 11.
David Reimer is an associate professor of music at Calvin College, teaching violin and directing the string program. He holds his DMA from the Ohio State University as well as MM and BM degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Bernard Goldschmidt. Professor Reimer has an extensive performing knowledge of orchestral literature acquired during 25 years of professional orchestra experience. He has performed regionally with the Kalamazoo Symphony, Traverse Symphony, West Michigan Symphony and Grand Rapids Symphony. In 2013, he was named the Concertmaster of the Baroque on Beaver Island Festival Orchestra and performed in numerous solo and chamber music capacities. Professor Reimer released his first CD titled Meditatio in 2010. or more information, call (231) 894-5333.
Open Public Tours at the Muskegon Museum of Art
January 12 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Enjoy free docent-led guided tours at the Muskegon Museum of Art on Thursdays, December 1 – February 16 from 5:00-7:00pm! www.muskegonartmuseum.org
The Cranach Portraits
January 12 @ 5:30 pm
On Thursday, January 12, Muskegon Museum of Art Senior Curator Art Martin will reveal newly discovered information about two historical portraits in the MMA’s collection painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a 16th Century German artist in 1537. The paintings are of Martin Luther, a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation, and Katherine von Bora, his wife. The Museum acquired the artworks in 1939.
The paintings were brought to conservator Barry Bauman in 2013 for restoration, who uncovered previously unseen inscriptions in the artworks. The mystery of the meaning of the inscriptions was ultimately solved at a small church in Germany. Art Martin will explain the meaning of the inscriptions in the Cranach portraits, the era during which they were painted, and details about the intertwining lives of the artist and his subjects at the special lecture on January 12. The evening will start with a reception and refreshments at 5:30 pm, which will be followed by the lecture at 7:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
This program complements the exhibition Expressions of Faith, showing now at the MMA. For more information, call 231-720-2570.
Muskegon Risers Home Game
January 13 – January 14
Arena soccer action has returned to the Lakeshore! Get your season tickets for the Muskegon Risers upcoming 2017 Premier Arena Soccer League season. Your package includes the NEW Silver & Black MKG Lakeshore Scarf! Seating is General Admission OR select the Port City Supporters (PCS) Party Deck. The PCS Party Deck is just as it sounds, so be prepared to hang with a more rowdy crowd. There will be 5 home games played at the L.C. Walker Arena January 13 & 14, February 3 and March 3 & 4. This Friday, they play the Detroit Qaza Flo. Saturday, it’s the Youngstown Nighthawks. For more information, visit www.muskegonrisers.com.
Alley Door Club: The Vincent Hayes Project
January 13 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday, January 13, come the Alley Door Club for live blues, funk and soul from The Vincent Hayes Project! Big Lake Brewing is the evening’s craft brew! Doors open at 6:00pm for Happy Hour ($1 off all drinks) and the bands play from 7:00 – 10:00pm. The Alley Door Club is located in The Ballroom at the Frauenthal Center (Hilt Building, 3rd floor). Tickets may be purchased at the Box Office for $8 in advance or purchased at the door, a cash bar is available, 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). There is a limit of 2 4-tops and 2 8-tops reserved for each performance, sold on a first come basis. For more information, call 231-727-8001.
West Michigan Symphony Presents: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
January 13 @ 7:30 pm
Friday, January 13 at 7:30pm, come to the Frauenthal Theater as the West Michigan Symphony Presents “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons” with conductor Scott Speck. Violinist Timothy Fain is featured on a surprising new adaptation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons that has been reworked and reimagined for today’s audiences by composer Max Richter. Considered by many as his greatest symphonic work, Mozart’s Symphony 41 captures the composer’s joy and delight in music.
Single ticket prices are $20-$51. Student tickets are $7. Call Rita at 231-726-3231 x223 for tickets and more information.
2017 Bridal Expo
January 14 @ 12:00 pm
January 14, at 12:00pm, come to the Frauenthal Center for Muskegon Bridal Association’s 2017 Bridal Expo! Whether you are recently engaged or have been in the planning process a while, the Muskegon Bridal Expo is a great way to meet many of the area’s premier wedding service providers. There’ll be over 45 local businesses filling the entire facility to help you plan your wedding. This free expo is from 12:00-3:00pm, immediately followed by the Bridal Fashion Show. For more information, call 231-722-9750.
10th Annual Hot Rod Harley-Davidson Chili Cook Off
January 14 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The 10th Annual Hot Rod Harley-Davidson Chili Cook Off is happening January 14 from 12:00pm -2:00pm! Join The Boars Belly, Hennessy’s Pub, Texas Roadhouse and Canary Inn as they compete for the title of Chili Champion. Get free samples and vote for your favorite (while supplies last.) Get a bowl of your favorite for a donation to Pioneer Trails Camp. Plus, pick your pepper for a sizzling hot deal like 15% – 25% off officially licensed product. Discount will be drawn at time of purchase and applies to regular priced items. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Motorcycles, labor and select special orders are excluded. For more information, call 231-722-0000.
Muskegon Center for the Arts: January Workshops
January 14 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Join talented artists of the MCA for the January Workshops at the Red Lotus Gallery! You will want to register for these classes now as they will fill up quickly.
January 14, 2:00pm-4:00pm – Feathered Earrings
$10 per student, materials included. MCA Members $8, materials included.
This workshop will tach students how to design and create a pair of earrings using real feathers. Students will be able to keep their very own unique creation. Maximum of 10 students. You must be registered 2 days before the scheduled class day. Contact Sabryna at sabrynasnaturalcreations@hotmail.com to register.
January 21, 11:00am – 3:00pm – Beginner’s Stained Glass
$45 per student, materials included. MCA Members $35, materials included.
Each participant will create one sun catcher after a short instruction period. All students must be signed up and paid one week prior to the scheduled class date. Minimum of 2 students and maximum of 6 students. Contact Ruth at fragments1@comcast.net to register.
January 28, 2:00pm – 4:00pm – Beginner’s Chainmaille Workshop
$20 per student, materials included. MCA Members $18, materials included.
This workshop will teach students how to create jewelry using the vintage art of chainmaille. In this session, we will focus on the Celtic Pattern of chainmaille. Each student will make a bracelet from the focus pattern that they will be able to keep. Maximum of 10 students. You must be registered 2 days before the scheduled class day. Contact Sabryna at sabrynasnaturalcreations@hotmail.com to register.
Free Preconcert Talk with Randy Woolf @The Block
January 14 @ 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm
Saturday, January 14, enjoy a free program with special guest, filmmaker Randy Woolf, right before the Tim Fain concert @ The Block. The topic will be the making of the film “Beirut is a House of Many Rooms,” which will be part of the multimedia presentation at the concert. Doors and cash bar open at 5:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door for the 7:30pm concert featuring violinist Tim Fain. www.theblockwestmichigan.org
Performances @The Block: Tim Fain
January 14 @ 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25-$35, $10 Student tickets with ID
With his adventuresome spirit and vase musical gifts, violinist Tim Fain has emerged as a mesmerizing presence on the music scene. After his Friday evening performance with the West Michigan Symphony, Fain presents a concert for a solo violin that includes a special selection of classical works along with the multimedia experience “Beirut is a House of Many Rooms” created by composer Randall Woolf and filmmakers Mary Harron and John C. Walsh, about the musical culture in Beirut, Lebanon. The concert happens Saturday, January 14 at 7:30pm.
Call Rita at 231-726-3231 x223 for tickets and more information. Doors and bar open at 6:45pm, concert begins at 7:30pm.
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day
January 16 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Muskegon Museum of Art will be open for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 16 from 11:00am-5:00pm with free admission for all! www.muskegonartmuseum.org
