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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20251016T180000
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UID:10001121-1760637600-1760641200@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Joy Light Lecture in East Asian Art: East Asian Birding in the Galleries
DESCRIPTION:Chinese\, Korean\, and Japanese artists have been painting pictures of birds for more than 1000 years. With an estimated 50 billion birds flying around us all the time\, this comes as little surprise. Birders\, who partake in one of the globe’s fastest-growing\, multi-generational pastimes\, know our feathered friends offer endless variety and incredible beauty. During this Joy Light Lecture in East Asian Art\, Dr. Robert Mintz will guide our exploration of East Asian “bird and flower painting” through the joy of “artistic bird-watching.” \nKalamazoo Art League is delighted to sponsor this year’s Joy Light Lecture in East Asian Art and will provide a reception before the presentation\, starting at 5:30 pm. \nDr. Mintz is the Chief Curatorial Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. A specialist in 18th-century Japanese painting\, he oversees the art research and exhibitions program and guides the growth\, preservation\, and presentation of the museum’s Asian and Asian American art collections.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-joy-light-lecture-in-east-asian-art-east-asian-birding-in-the-galleries/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,Free,In the Museum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/robert-mintz.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20251113T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20251113T190000
DTSTAMP:20250912T134552Z
CREATED:20250911T152315Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T134552Z
UID:10001139-1763056800-1763060400@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: The Ways that Paper Leads to Freedom
DESCRIPTION:During this talk\, Reginald Dwayne Betts will explore Felon: An American Washi Tale\, a solo show that confronts the weight and legitimacy of the word “felon” through poetry\, visual art\, and performance. Drawing from his own story—sent to prison at 16\, discovering poetry behind bars—Betts will offer an immersive meditation on incarceration\, identity\, and the power of art to reshape the narrative of who we are and who we might become. \nReginald Dwayne Betts is a poet\, lawyer\, and the Founder and CEO of Freedom Reads\, an initiative to radically transform access to literature in prisons. The author of a memoir and five collections of poetry\, Betts is a MacArthur Fellow and has been awarded fellowships from Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study\, the National Endowment for the Arts\, Emerson Collective\, and the Guggenheim Foundation. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. Betts founded Freedom Reads in 2020 with a grant from the Mellon Foundation. To date\, the organization has opened more than 500 Freedom Libraries in 50 adult and youth prisons across 13 states. These libraries provide a locus where conversation and community can begin inside and outside of prison walls\, supporting the efforts of incarcerated individuals to imagine new possibilities for their lives. \nThis program is made possible through the generous support of our community partners: Western Michigan University\, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College\, the Department of English at Kalamazoo Valley Community College\, the Kalamazoo Public Library\, the Kalamazoo Defender\, and the Kalamazoo Bar Association. \nFor more information about this event and the suite of programs with Reginald Dwayne Betts\, please visit kiarts.org/betts.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-the-ways-that-paper-leads-to-freedom/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,In the Museum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/RDB-Headshot.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T193000
DTSTAMP:20260129T152239Z
CREATED:20250911T155556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260129T152239Z
UID:10001155-1770919200-1770924600@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:RESCHEDULED: Artful Evening: Expanding the Senses of Design: Using Tactility and 3D Printing
DESCRIPTION:** UPDATE: RESCHEDULED for February 12 during our Explore & Create with Taekyeom Lee event. ** Please refer to that event listing for a description of the evening’s events and to RSVP.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-expanding-the-senses-of-design-using-tactility-and-3d-printing/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,Free,In the Museum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Artful-Evening-Expanding-Senses.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
DTSTAMP:20260219T192046Z
CREATED:20251219T132935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T192046Z
UID:10001224-1771524000-1771527600@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Improvisation as Discovery
DESCRIPTION:Company members from Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers will lead this engaging lecture-demonstration that invites participants to explore improvisational movement and discover the power of following their own physical impulses. Blending guided instruction with creative exploration\, the program will be accessible to movers of all ages and experience levels. \nInspired by Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks\, the session will incorporate a selection of shoes as catalysts for imagination and motion. Guided by Wellspring’s Artistic Director Marisa Bianan\, we will begin with a gentle warm-up to ease into the body. From there\, participants will be led through a creative movement improvisation shaped by prompts based on the exhibition\, such as: If you were wearing this shoe\, how might you put it on? What activity might you do in it? How might your body move differently because of it? Through these playful inquiries\, participants will experiment with gesture\, posture\, and expressive movement. Wellspring’s facilitators will demonstrate core improvisational techniques while encouraging community members to join in at their own comfort levels. By the end of the program\, attendees will leave with a deeper awareness of their own creative instincts—and the joy that comes from letting movement tell a story. \nNo previous dance experience is required\, and participants of all ages are welcome! Guests who are not quite ready to move with us are also warmly invited to enjoy the program by observing. Participants should wear clothing that allows for comfortable movement\, such as sweatpants\, leggings\, or any pants that make it easy to sit on the floor and stand back up again. \nCome ready to explore and imagine together! \nFuture Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum\, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack\, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-improvisation-as-discovery/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,Future Now
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Artful-Evening-Improvisation.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260326T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260326T200000
DTSTAMP:20260311T205107Z
CREATED:20260109T164027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T205107Z
UID:10001253-1774546200-1774555200@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Sneaker Culture Night
DESCRIPTION:Join us for Sneaker Culture Night featuring music\, food\, raffle prizes\, a low-mess hands-on art project\, and an engaging presentation. Wear your favorite sneakers and make your way to the KIA! \nStarting at 5:30pm\, explore the Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks exhibit\, enjoy tunes from DJ No Limit\, and a nacho bar from La Fe Refrescante. Throughout the night\, raffle prizes will be drawn\, featuring prizes from Supreme\, Nike\, and others (guests must be present to win any of the raffle prizes). The grand prize is a pair of Jordan UNC University Home Westbrook One Take 2020 NCAA. This is a rare 2020 player-exclusive basketball shoe designed for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. These non-retail shoes feature UNC branding and were manufactured in limited quantities for the team and provided by Capital BST out of Raleigh\, North Carolina. \n \nAt 6:00pm\, Dr. Delisia Matthews will share her research on Sneaker Culture by highlighting its historical roots\, the unique language and behaviors of consumers\, and the deep ties of the culture to music. Additionally\, this discussion will explore how sneaker collecting connects to fatherhood and legacy\, while inviting the audience to connect through their own sneaker narratives. \nAfter the presentation\, continue to enjoy the exhibit\, music\, and food. Try your hand at a fun\, low-mess shoe-related art project\, talk with representatives from WMU’s Department of Multicultural Affairs\, and learn more about the people featured in Dr. Delisia Matthews presentation with a photograph display. \nDr. Delisia Matthews is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University in the Wilson College of Textiles whose research explores consumer behavior and trends\, sneaker culture and the cultural meanings behind consumer decision-making. With a background in marketing research and retail at companies like Procter & Gamble\, Nordstrom\, and Walmart\, she blends industry insight with scholarship. An award-winning educator\, Dr. Matthews uses qualitative research to center consumers’ voices\, tell their stories\, and advocate for the communities behind the culture.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-sneaker-culture-night/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Artful-Evening-Sneaker-Culture.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260416T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260416T193000
DTSTAMP:20260408T133057Z
CREATED:20251219T142144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T133057Z
UID:10001246-1776362400-1776367800@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Artist's Talk with Wilson W. Smith III
DESCRIPTION:Meet a living legend in the world of shoe design! During this Artful Evening\, Wilson W. Smith III will speak about his prolific career in the athletic footwear industry. The first Black designer for Nike\, Smith has created shoes for Michael Jordan\, Andre Agassi\, Serena Williams\, and many more. After a 41-year career with the company\, Smith retired as the Manager of Design Education with Nike’s Blue-Ribbon Studio in 2025. His work has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards\, including Nike’s inaugural Design Achievement Award in 2019. In 2024\, Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College\, the nation’s only design-focused HBCU\, dedicated the Wilson W. Smith III Footwear Design Studio. Join us to learn more about the passion and artistry that have driven Smith’s remarkable career and his life’s work in design and education. \nFollowing his talk\, Smith will be joined by Dr. D’Wayne Edwards for a discussion and Q&A. With a prominent career in the footwear design industry spanning more than 32 years\, Dr. Edwards has worked with L.A. Gear\, Nike\, and Jordan. He is the founder of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design\, the preeminent footwear design school in the world\, and has taught and lectured at premier schools\, including ArtCenter\, Parsons\, MIT\, and Harvard. \nThis Artful Evening is made possible by generous support from:\n \n \n \nRichmond Institute for Design + Innovation
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-artists-talk-with-wilson-w-smith-iii/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,Free,Future Now
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Wilson-Smith.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260514T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260514T190000
DTSTAMP:20260403T163439Z
CREATED:20260317T142459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260403T163439Z
UID:10001266-1778781600-1778785200@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Future Now
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special Artful Evening with Elizabeth Semmelhack\, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto! Semmelhack is the curator of Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks. During this program\, she will talk about why shoes matter and about how designers today are revolutionizing what we will put on our feet tomorrow. If you’ve enjoyed Future Now\, don’t miss this opportunity to meet the curator behind the exhibition! \nSemmelhack’s work focuses on the intersections of fashion\, culture\, and economics\, with a particular interest in the history of footwear. She is widely quoted in the media from the New York Times to Vogue\, and since starting at the Bata Shoe Museum in 2000\, she has curated over thirty exhibitions and written fourteen books and catalogues and over thirty chapters and articles. Her most recent exhibitions and publications related to sneakers include Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists (2024)\, Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks (Rizzoli:2022)\, Collab: Sneakers x Culture (Rizzoli: 2019)\, and Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture (Rizzoli: 2015). \nFuture Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum\, and curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack\, Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-future-now-2/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening,Future Now
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Artful-Evening-Future-Now.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260625T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260625T190000
DTSTAMP:20260317T161029Z
CREATED:20260317T144908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T161029Z
UID:10001277-1782410400-1782414000@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Botanical Art of Julia Whitney Barnes
DESCRIPTION:During this Artful Evening talk\, artist Julia Whitney Barnes will speak about her Planting Utopia series\, featured in the Hancock Shaker Museum\, the Shaker Heritage Society\, and the Albany International Airport. Barnes will also address her larger body of research and her permanent artwork The Botanist’s Mural. On view in Vassar College’s newly-built Vassar Institute\, the mural is based on the herbarium that dates back to the founding of the college in 1861. \nBorn in Newbury\, VT\, Julia Whitney Barnes spent two decades in Brooklyn and New York City before moving to the Hudson Valley in 2015. She received a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Hunter College. Whitney Barnes works in a variety of media\, including cyanotypes\, watercolor\, combined media works on paper\, oil paintings\, glass\, ceramic sculptures\, murals\, site-specific installations\, and limited-edition prints. She has exhibited widely in the United States and internationally. \nWhitney Barnes will offer a three-day workshop in the Kirk Newman Art School on June 26-28\, entitled Cyanotype: Beyond Blue and White. This workshop is generously supported by the Harold Hope Memorial Fund.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-botanical-art-of-julia-whitney-barnes/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Artful-Evening-Botanical-Art.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260716T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260716T193000
DTSTAMP:20260714T205515Z
CREATED:20260317T145433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T205515Z
UID:10001281-1784224800-1784230200@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Singing Citizenship: The Origins and Role of America’s Anthem
DESCRIPTION:UPDATE: The venue has changed for this event. It will now be held at:\nJudy K. Jolliffe Theatre in the Epic Center\nSecond Floor\n359 S. Kalamazoo Mall\nKalamazoo\, MI 49007 \nParking is available on the street or in the Epic Center Parking Ramp\, 136 E. South Street\, Kalamazoo. \nThe story of the U.S. national anthem—“The Star-Spangled Banner”—is surprising and too little-known. Among the typical misunderstandings is that its author\, Francis Scott Key\, wrote a poem. In fact\, he wrote a lyric to a well-known tune\, creating a song that brought emotion into the drama of America. Key sought both to bring Americans together and to inspire active citizenship. This talk by Dr. Mark Clague will explore the forgotten details of Key’s song\, how it came to be an important symbol in American life\, and what it means for Americans today. Dr. Clague will be accompanied by live musicians performing historical renditions of the anthem. \nMark Clague\, Ph.D. serves as Executive Director of the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan and Professor of Musicology at its School of Music\, Theatre & Dance. His research centers on music’s role in forging community and on topics from musical institutions to American patriotism. His book O Say Can You Hear?: A Cultural Biography of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was selected as an Editor’s Pick by The New York Times. Copies will be available for sale preceding and following the program\, in collaboration with this is a bookstore & Bookbug.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-singing-citizenship-the-origins-and-role-of-americas-anthem/
LOCATION:Jolliffe Theatre\, 359 S Kalamazoo Mall\, Kalamazoo\, 49007\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Artful-Evening-Singing-Citizenship.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260813T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260813T193000
DTSTAMP:20260814T154438Z
CREATED:20260625T142727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T154438Z
UID:10001328-1786644000-1786649400@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: My America: A Performance Lecture by Julio César Morales
DESCRIPTION:Join San Francisco-based artist Julio César Morales for a performance lecture exploring the intersections of music\, migration\, identity\, and cultural resistance. Drawing from his multidisciplinary artistic practice\, Morales will examine the influence of music\, underground subcultures\, and hybrid cultural forms throughout the Americas. Beginning with the histories of Mambo and Cumbia and their impact on popular music in the United States\, he will trace how musical genres\, slogan\, myths\, and collective rituals shape cultural identity across borders. And be sure to wear your dancing shoes! At the conclusion of the lecture\, Morales will DJ a listening party celebrating music as a powerful form of cultural expression and collective resistance. \nThe artistic practice of Julio César Morales employs a range of media and visual strategies to explore issues of migration\, underground economies\, and labor\, on personal and global scales. He works by whatever means necessary\, from watercolors and neon to immersive installations and reenactment. His artwork has been shown at venues internationally and is included in private and public collections across the U.S. and Europe. \nListen to Morales’s Spotify playlist that was played during the event: Kalamazoo Cumbia Mix
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-my-america-a-performance-lecture-by-julio-cesar-morales/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Artful-Evening-My-America.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T190000
DTSTAMP:20260915T190704Z
CREATED:20260625T152720Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T190704Z
UID:10001342-1789668000-1789671600@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: "I\, Too\, Sing America": The Harlem Renaissance in Art\, Music\, and Theatre
DESCRIPTION:“Art is the inner voice of the people.” —Alain Locke \nJoin us for a discussion of one of the most vibrant and significant movements in American art history – the Harlem Renaissance. Three scholars will reflect on the period’s rich legacy in the fields of visual art\, music\, and theatre. Moderated by Bianca Washington\, the panel will include Dr. Amy Mooney (Professor of Art History at Columbia College Chicago)\, Rev. Millard Southern (PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies at WMU)\, and Dr. Quincy Thomas (Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Kalamazoo College). \n\nRegister \n\nDr. Amy Mooney\, Panelist on Visual Art\n			Dr. Amy M. Mooney is a Professor of Art History at Columbia College Chicago. Her publications include a monograph\, Archibald J. Motley\, Jr.\, as well as contributions to anthologies and catalogs including Alma Thomas: Everything is Beautiful\, Beyond Face: New Perspectives in Portraiture\, Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist\, Black Is Black Ain’t\, and Romare Bearden in the Modernist Tradition. She is a recipient of fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies\, the National Portrait Gallery\, the Smithsonian American Art Museum\, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. In collaboration with Dr. Deborah Willis\, she launched a digital humanities project\, “Say It with Pictures” Then and Now that recovers and examines Chicago’s African American studio photographers from the 1890s into the 1930s. This project will be the basis for an exhibition at the Newberry Library in 2027 where she will work with contemporary artists to create a new body of work in response to these important histories. While serving as the 2019-2020 Terra Foundation Visiting Professor of American Art at Oxford University\, she delivered Regarding the Portrait\, a four-part lecture series that draws from her forthcoming book\, Progressive Visions: Portraiture in the United States\, 1890-1950\, which investigates the social function of portraiture. Dr. Mooney earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History at Rutgers University.\n		Show Panelist Bio\n\nRev. Millard Southern\, Panelist on Music\n\n			Rev. Millard Southern III is a third-generation minister\, currently serving as the pastor of the historic Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in Kalamazoo. A native of Chicago\, he received a BA in Economics from Drake University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Rev. Southern is an avid scholar of jazz music and a trumpet player himself. He is now finishing his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Michigan University\, using the music of Wynton Marsalis to investigate the relationship between jazz\, theology\, and democracy. Rev. Southern regularly creates programming opportunities that bring music to youth and adult audiences in Kalamazoo. Recent highlights have included a 2025 Trumpet Summit at WMU and a concert by Wynton Marsalis in 2026\, which was followed by a public one-on-one conversation on jazz and American culture. He has also collaborated with the KIA’s education department on multiple programs\, bringing music and visual art into conversation with one another.\n		Show Panelist Bio\n\nDr. Quincy Thomas\, Panelist on Theatre\n\n			Dr. Quincy Thomas earned a Ph.D. in Theatre and a Performance Studies certification from Bowling Green State University. As an actor\, director\, intimacy coordinator\, and playwright\, their offerings focus on subjects such as counter-storytelling; Black performativity in American media; representations of the marginalized in popular culture; stand-up and solo performance; and performative writing. Dr. Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Kalamazoo College\, where they also serve as department co-chair. They apply their passion for theatre\, performance studies\, and film while speaking to issues surrounding cultural marginalization and misrepresentation in the arts\, specifically of racial and ethnic minorities\, women\, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Their most recent directorial offerings have included: Harlem Duet (Kalamazoo Festival Playhouse and Face Off Theatre)\, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Kalamazoo Festival Playhouse)\, California Suite (Kalamazoo Civic Theatre)\, A New Leaf (Queer Theatre Kalamazoo)\, and Chicken and Biscuits (Farmer’s Alley Theatre). They have most recently appeared onstage as Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard (Kalamazoo Civic Theatre)\, and as a member of the Crawlspace Eviction improv troupe Always Hallways. Other favorite roles have included Blue/Orange (Christopher)\, Clybourne Park (Albert)\, As You Like It (Touchstone)\, Love’s Labours Lost (Lord Longeville)\, Noises Off (Selsdon)\, and White Rabbit; Red Rabbit (Actor). Their original play The Whites Explain It All was selected as the full-length play for the 2023 Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.\n		Show Panelist Bio\n\nBianca Washington\, Panel Moderator\n\n			Bianca Washington received her BA at Western Michigan University and her MFA in Acting and Theatre Education at The Pennsylvania State University. She studied abroad in London\, South Africa\, and Toronto\, performing and engaging in master classes and research. After her training\, she ventured to New York City to gain a fuller understanding of the industry\, serving as an understudy at the Pearl Theatre Company and as a volunteer at the 52nd Street Project. Upon her return to Michigan\, she began adjunct teaching at Western Michigan University\, Lake Michigan College\, and Kalamazoo College. Washington has been teaching at the collegiate level for seven years and has educated young people in the arts for more than ten years. She toured for over a decade with her family’s theatre company\, Washington Productions. It was there where she learned the magic and art of The Griot\, African storytelling\, and she gives credit to her uncle\, Dr. Von Washington\, and aunt\, Fran Washington\, for providing profound professional experience and education in the craft. Washington is one of the proud founding members of Face Off Theatre Company\, which focuses on producing and supporting artists of color and their stories in Kalamazoo and other local communities. Acting credits include: Primary Trust (Corrina and Others)\, POTUS (Jean)\, Been Lovin’ You: August Wilson Collection of Scenes (Tonya and Clarissa)\, At the Table (Lauren)\, Disgraced (Jory)\, Good People (Kate)\, In Search Of Giants (Alice/Malinda)\, RACE (Susan)\, The Colored Museum (Medea/Flight Att.)\, Radio Golf (Mame)\, Oedipus (Jocasta)\, Twelfth Night (Viola) and many more. Directing credits include: Water by the Spoonful\, The Meeting\, Home on the Morning Train\, Brave No World\, Student Body\, Ships\, Shells and Chains\, Theatre for Community Health\, and others. \n		Show Panelist Bio
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-i-too-sing-america-the-harlem-renaissance-in-art-music-and-theatre/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Artful-Evening-I-Too-Sing-America.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261029T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261029T190000
DTSTAMP:20260625T161035Z
CREATED:20260625T161035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T161035Z
UID:10001356-1793296800-1793300400@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Intergenerational Impacts of the Japanese American Wartime Incarceration
DESCRIPTION:In the wake of Pearl Harbor and the United States’ declaration of war on Japan\, the U.S. government ordered the removal of more than 120\,000 men\, women\, and children from their homes based on their Japanese ancestry and imprisoned them in remote incarceration camps. Two-thirds were U.S. citizens. In this talk\, Dr. Donna Nagata will examine how the lasting consequences of this wartime trauma continue to shape experiences of postwar third- and fourth-generation Japanese Americans. \nDonna Nagata\, Ph.D.\, is Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science Area at the University of Michigan\, Ann Arbor. She has studied the psychosocial effects of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans for over three decades\, with a particular focus on postwar multigenerational impacts.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-intergenerational-impacts-of-the-japanese-american-wartime-incarceration/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Artful-Evening-Intergenerational-Impacts.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261119T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261119T190000
DTSTAMP:20260910T141952Z
CREATED:20260910T141952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T141952Z
UID:10001369-1795111200-1795114800@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Joy Light Lecture: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and the Way of Tea
DESCRIPTION:For over a thousand years\, vessels for the preparation and consumption of whisked\, powdered tea have ranked among the world’s most highly prized ceramics. With roots in China\, these objects took on new meanings in Japan through chadō\, the Way of Tea\, shaped significantly by the Zen Buddhist idea that mundane actions can become paths toward self-cultivation. During this lecture\, Dr. Meghen Jones will explore how—through materials\, processes\, and forms—Japan’s leading ceramists carry forward the Way of Tea. \nMeghen Jones is Professor of Art History at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University\, where her research centers on Japanese and global ceramics histories\, modernity\, and cultural production. Recent publications include the edited and co-edited volumes Path of the Teabowl\, Ceramics and Modernity in Japan\, and the forthcoming A Global History of Japanese Ceramics. In 2024 she received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-joy-light-lecture-contemporary-japanese-ceramics-and-the-way-of-tea/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Joy-Light-Lecture.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261217T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261217T193000
DTSTAMP:20260910T171514Z
CREATED:20260910T171514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T171514Z
UID:10001376-1797530400-1797535800@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Tea Blending Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Learn about the art of tea blending with Kama Tai! During this special program\, we will get hands-on experience in crafting tea blends while learning about the widely varying cultural significance of tea that spans the globe and the ages. While you’re here\, be sure to check out Chanoyu: Modern Tea Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection in the Joy Light Gallery. \nKama Tai is a liberatory facilitator\, somatic movement innovator\, and ancestral lineage healing practitioner. She is the founder of Rootead Enrichment Center\, which focuses on healing trauma\, de-stigmatizing mental health\, and transformational justice. She centers BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ experiences and integrates West African culture and traditions into her praxis.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-tea-blending-workshop/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Artful-Evening-Tea-Blending-Workshop.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20270121T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20270121T190000
DTSTAMP:20260910T173016Z
CREATED:20260910T172924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T173016Z
UID:10001384-1800554400-1800558000@www.kiarts.org
SUMMARY:Artful Evening: Movement in the Museum
DESCRIPTION:Movement in the Museum returns as company members from Wellspring offer an interpretive exploration of Statement Pieces! During this program\, dancers will respond to the exhibition with improvisational movement inspired by the ways in which clothing moves and shapes the body\, offering freedom or restriction. \nKalamazoo holds the unique distinction of being home to one of the nation’s longest-standing\, small professional modern dance companies. Since its founding in 1981\, Wellspring has introduced thousands to the art of dance\, has enriched the Kalamazoo arts community through collaborations with professional artists\, and has become a platform for advancing postmodern dance choreography. \nPlease be advised that this program involves standing and walking; gallery stools will be available. Attendance will be limited for this program\, so register early to reserve your spot! \nStatement Pieces is organized in conjunction with Barrett Barrera Projects. Made possible by generous support from Diane & Randy Eberts and Heritage Community of Kalamazoo.
URL:https://www.kiarts.org/event/artful-evening-movement-in-the-museum-2/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
CATEGORIES:Artful Evening
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.kiarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Artful-Evening-Movement.jpg
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