Community Calendar

People of all skill levels, including beginners are invited to play.

Free Event.

Sponsored by Alden District Library and held at Helena Township Community Center, 8751 Helena Rd, Alden, 231-331-4318.

National Alliance on Mental Illness offers support groups for families and individuals living with a mental health challenge. Groups are confidential, free and no registration is required.

Email info@namigt.org or call 231-944-8448 for more information.

Sparking Creativity with instructor Carol Hohle

Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 4, 2026
Location: GAAC Classroom
Skill: All Skill Levels
Cost: $130 member/ $145 nonmember

Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

Back again for 2026! Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

A soul stirring community event - Celebrating the New Year with Illuminous Intention. Soul Stirring Serenity with Sacred Soundscapes

You're invited to an enchanting evening at the beautiful Botanic Garden Historic Barns Park. We will celebrate community and the New Year setting Illuminous Intentions through a tranquil yoga inspired practice cultivating a sense of Soul Stirring Serenity enhanced by Sacred Soundscapes guided by Crystal Woodward-Turner. We'll engage in a healing practice of mindfulness, gentle movement and music created to invigorate the mind and body as we soulfully propel into a New Year of intention, authenticity, clarity and purpose grounded in community, hope, self-love, faith and cultivated inner peace. ALL levels are welcome.

This is a FREE event. Light refreshments will be served. Please bring your mat, water, a towel and wear comfortable clothing. Hope to see you there!

Please additionally register at: karasifitnessandhealingarts.com

Join GTCD and the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network to learn about the importance of native plants and the cold-moist stratification process. Using recycled materials, we will sow seeds in containers to set outside for the remainder of the winter season. Once spring comes, the seeds will germinate at their own rate with very little maintenance - ready to be planted in their new homes soon after!

When: Thursday, January 22nd from 6:00 - 7:30pm

Where: Boardman River Nature Center, 1450 Cass Rd., Traverse City MI 49685

Registration: $10/person. Registration is required. Please visit www.natureiscalling.org/events to register.

Audience: Adults

Sparking Creativity with instructor Carol Hohle

Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 4, 2026
Location: GAAC Classroom
Skill: All Skill Levels
Cost: $130 member/ $145 nonmember

Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

Back again for 2026! Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

Painting with Water and Light—Watercolor
Cheryl Boc-Chidester
Thursday, February 5, and Friday, February 6, 2026
10 am–2 pm
GAAC Classroom
Beginner to Intermediate
$150 member / $165 nonmember

In this class, Cheryl Ann Boc-Chidester will guide students through the beauty and versatility of watercolor with hands-on experimentation. Participants will explore color theory and mixing, and practice fundamental techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry-on-dry. They will also experiment with different papers and texture-making methods to expand their creative possibilities. Most projects are based on enlarged photographs, though students may bring their own references or select from images provided by the instructor. For those less confident in drawing, there is an option to trace or transfer images onto watercolor paper, with guidance on drawing and composition. Geared toward beginning and intermediate students, the class welcomes all who wish to paint, create, and enjoy the artistic process.

Painting with Water and Light—Watercolor
Cheryl Boc-Chidester
Thursday, February 5, and Friday, February 6, 2026
10 am–2 pm
GAAC Classroom
Beginner to Intermediate
$150 member / $165 nonmember

In this class, Cheryl Ann Boc-Chidester will guide students through the beauty and versatility of watercolor with hands-on experimentation. Participants will explore color theory and mixing, and practice fundamental techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry-on-dry. They will also experiment with different papers and texture-making methods to expand their creative possibilities. Most projects are based on enlarged photographs, though students may bring their own references or select from images provided by the instructor. For those less confident in drawing, there is an option to trace or transfer images onto watercolor paper, with guidance on drawing and composition. Geared toward beginning and intermediate students, the class welcomes all who wish to paint, create, and enjoy the artistic process.

Creative Wellness Monthly Gathering
Facilitators: Carol Hohle & Meridith Mulcahy

Time: 1:30 pm–3 pm

Registration Deadline: N/A

Location: Meet at the GAAC front desk, then follow the fun—we may head to locations like Pine Street Studio or Thoreson Farm Studio during the summer. (Reserve Pinestreet Classroom as permanent option)
Skill: All Skill Levels
Cost: $10 member/ $12 nonmember
Min/Max: N/A
Time to Set Up: 15 minutes
Time to Clean Up: 15 minutes

This group will gather once a month to share and learn more about the value of creativity in our daily lives. Over a warm mug of brewed tea/coffee (or ice tea/lemonade in the summer!), come connect with others, share ideas, find inspiration, and practical tips to lead a more creative and whole-hearted approach to life. Each month, in addition to checking in with one another, we will explore different practices (journaling, stitching, collaging, photography) that may pique your creative curiosity.

Each week the group will meet at the front desk of the Glen Arbor Art Center and will move to locations such as Pine Street Studio, the GAAC Classroom, the GAAC grove or Thoreson Farm.

Need a day to play and let go of those February blues? Join local artists Jessica Kovan and Lauren Everett Finn in this fun, collaborative, fast-paced day of art play and camaraderie, inspired by the INteriors exhibition (January 9–March 12, 2026), which explores inner spaces, both real and imagined.

Beyond the comedic routine of these two friends, you'll enjoy hands-on mixed media experiences, cookie eating (chocolate promised!), and a day of artful fun—all designed to beat those February blues. Using the exhibition’s theme as inspiration, we'll explore the “interiors” of our own minds and create playful, expressive artworks that reflect our inner landscapes.

If you joined us before, we have new projects up our paint-covered sleeves this year, so don’t hesitate to sign up! All supplies included.