Community Calendar

Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Time: 12:30 pm–4:30 pm
Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Location: Glen Arbor Arts Center Classroom
(no oil media, maximum of 12 students)
Skill: Beginner to Intermediate

Celebrate Polish Heritage Month and discover the beauty of Wycinanki, the traditional Polish folk art of hand-cut paper design. In this fun and creative workshop, you’ll have the option to personalize one of the instructor’s samples—no two are ever alike—or design your own original composition. Using layers of colorful paper, scissors, and modern tools, you’ll explore the patterns, symmetry, and storytelling that define this time-honored art form. Along the way, you’ll learn key techniques and design principles, as well as a bit of the fascinating history and cultural significance behind Wycinanki. Whether your inspiration comes from nature, heritage, or imagination, your finished piece will be uniquely yours—ready to mat, frame, and proudly display. This hands-on experience blends tradition with creativity, offering a meaningful connection to Polish folk art and a fresh appreciation for the artistry of paper cutting.

Objective: Skill Development, Creativity Enhancement

Outcome: Creation of Artwork, Inspiration and Creativity

Join us in welcoming our 2026 David Barr Legacy Artist-in-Residence, Hugh DeWitte, with an informal meet and greet near the entrance of the Art Park. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

About Hugh DeWitte:
Hugh earned a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute with a Major in Design and a Minor in Sculpture. He studied graphic design under Victor Papanek one of the twentieth century's most influential pioneers of social and ecological design.

Hugh's work uses line, color, and shape to express the spirit and nature of our environment. Collections explore abstract interpretations of the land we live on.

To learn more about Hugh, visit his website: https://www.hughdewitte.com/

Free, peer-led mental health support groups:

*NAMI Family Support (Mondays at 6pm. Online and in-person at HBA, 3040 Sunset Ln. See website for zoom link.)

*NAMI Connection Group (Mondays at 6pm. Online, see website for zoom link)

The League of Women Voters – Grand Traverse Area will be hosting a candidate forum for the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) board candidates.

This free event is presented to give candidates an opportunity to explain their qualifications for this public office, and how they would deal with the issues facing Traverse City Area Public Schools.

JoAnne Cook, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians, will discuss the history and culture of the Anishinaabek, exploring how indigenous people in the Great Lakes region have been impacted by dramatic social, economic and environmental changes.

Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 10 am–12 pm
Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Location: Glen Arbor Arts Center Classroom
(no oil media, maximum of 12 students)
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

In this workshop, Cheryl Ann Boc-Chidester will guide participants in creating one-of-a-kind cyanotype images using a historic camera-less photography technique invented in 1842. Students will place flat objects on paper coated with an iron salt solution, expose them to UV light, and wash the paper to reveal striking white and Prussian blue images, which can be enhanced with light watercolor washes. During the two-hour class, each student will create at least two images. The instructor will provide a variety of flat objects, including dried flowers, leaves, lace, ribbon, and seashells, but participants are also welcome to bring their own materials to create personalized, unique works of art.

Objective: Conceptual Understanding, Creativity Enhancement

Outcome: Creation of Artwork, Inspiration and Creativity

Created by artist Mary E. Burns, the exhibit features 29 handwoven jacquard portraits celebrating scientists, activists, educators, artists, and Indigenous water protectors from more than 20 countries. Through intricate textile art, the exhibition explores the universal importance of water and the women whose work helps sustain and protect this essential resource.

The exhibition will be on display on the Petoskey District Library's second floor from August 27 through October 15, 2026.

Throughout its run, the library will offer docent-led tours, related programs, book displays, and community conversations that explore themes of water, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge, and women's leadership.

The Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference gathers full-time farmers, home-scale growers, and the farm-curious to explore growing practices, business skills, and community collaboration.

Join us for the 2026 conference in downtown Bellaire, which includes farm tours at Providence Organic Farm and Daybreak Dreamfarm, a screening of Farming While Black, a keynote from Rosebud Bear Schneider, and two days of sessions covering a wide array of topics.

Torch Area Artisans Guild (TAAG) meets every Tuesday from 10am-12pm. We have been creating art and contributing to our community for over 40 years. We are quilters, embroiderers, knitters, weavers, painters, potters, jewelers, and more; all artists welcome!

Newcomers are invited to visit our meetings. Contact us by email at taartisansguild@gmail.com, or view our page at www.facebook.com/TorchAreaArtisansGuild.

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

Preschoolers of all ages and their caretakers are invited to join us for stories, songs and active fun in the library’s lower level Community Room.