Community Calendar

HEART OF A TREE, SOUL OF A STORM
OPENING RECEPTION: September 25 from 5-7pm

Creative works rooted in a fallen tree and shaped by the 2025 ice storm that changed the landscape.

​​​In the early morning hours of March 29–30, 2025, a beloved 150+year-old, 70-foot-tall Basswood tree fell during a devastating ice storm. Located at Bier Art Gallery and Pottery Studio, just south of Charlevoix in Norwood Township, the tree was a natural landmark—towering, graceful, and deeply rooted in the community.

Charlevoix Circle of Arts invited artists to honor this fallen icon and the ice storm that changed the landscape through works of art. This juried show will feature artwork created directly from the Basswood tree itself, as well as works inspired by the March 2025 ice storm.

​Recognition will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place works as part of the exhibit.

Exhibit will be open during regular business hours:
Monday - Friday 11am to 4pm
Saturdays 11am to 3pm

Date: Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–3:30 pm
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Location: Glen Arbor Arts Center Classroom
Skill: Beginner to Intermediate

If you’ve ever picked up a maple leaf in awe of October color, you belong here. This workshop offers classical botanical illustration studies in a fun group setting. Learn about drawing techniques like mark-making and practice working with a nib pen to give your drawing character and style. Working from real leaves, mix colors and practice techniques to achieve colors that deliver autumn’s joy. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have at least two leaf studies and newfound confidence to take your illustration and watercolor skills to the next level. Expect plenty of demos, time to explore and practice techniques, and a fun group environment that will send you home feeling inspired and encouraged.

Objective: Skill Development, Creativity Enhancement

Outcome: Improved Technique, Creation of Artwork

Join The Dennos, Children’s Therapy Corner, Children’s Advocacy Center, TADL Youth Services, and Oryana for the fourth annual sensory-friendly Halloween event! We will have a variety of fun activities, being mindful of diverse sensory needs and accommodations to create an inclusive environment where all are welcome!  

Visitors may self-select activities they would like to participate in, with descriptive maps and communication boards provided at the entrance to the museum. Halloween activities will include pumpkin decorating, playdough creations, scratch art projects, coloring and activity pages, Discovery Gallery interactive exhibits, and a special Halloween treat scavenger hunt through the museum. The Dutmers Theater will be a designated quiet room, offering an easily accessible space to take a break.  Although the museum has made considerations for a variety of sensory needs for this event, families are encouraged to bring any accommodations that may be helpful. Questions about the event can be directed to Liz Celeste at eceleste@nmc.edu.   

Event support provided by Oryana Community Co-Op and the Linda O'Meara Fund for Arts Education.

The Oliver Art Center's annual Juried Exhibition showcases the best work of regional artists in all media. Visitors will find paintings, photography, sculpture, fiber art and more.

The reception on Saturday, October 10th, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, is free and open to the public.

Exhibit open during normal business hours:
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sunday – Noon to 4:00 pm

Date: Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–3:30 pm
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Location: Glen Arbor Arts Center Classroom
Skill: Beginner to Intermediate

If you’ve ever picked up a maple leaf in awe of October color, you belong here. This workshop offers classical botanical illustration studies in a fun group setting. Learn about drawing techniques like mark-making and practice working with a nib pen to give your drawing character and style. Working from real leaves, mix colors and practice techniques to achieve colors that deliver autumn’s joy. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have at least two leaf studies and newfound confidence to take your illustration and watercolor skills to the next level. Expect plenty of demos, time to explore and practice techniques, and a fun group environment that will send you home feeling inspired and encouraged.

Objective: Skill Development, Creativity Enhancement

Outcome: Improved Technique, Creation of Artwork

Come hang out with us for live music. We'll be serving wine, seasonal cocktails, cider, coffee, and tapas-style small plates to share. Bring your crew or show up solo — Dune Bird is that kind of place.

This is a free event — no reservation required. Seating is first come, first served.

Please check our social media for the most up-to-date event information.

Experience Beethoven at his most powerful and exhilarating. Symphony No. 7 surges with driving rhythms and soaring melodies — a work Wagner called “the apotheosis of the dance.” Heroic, dramatic, and irresistibly alive. Also featuring the majestic “Emperor” Piano Concerto, performed by returning favorite Sean Chen, an award-winning pianist, arranger, and composer.

The 2026 Northwest Michigan Housing Summit is coming soon: Mark your calendars for October 26 & 27, 2026, at the Hagerty Center in Traverse City. This annual convening brings together community leaders, housing professionals, and partners from across the region to share ideas, highlight innovative solutions, and advance housing efforts throughout Northwest Michigan.

Tickets must be purchased online.

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)

In a field built on relationships, it’s easy to stay focused on the work right in front of us. This conversation steps back to consider the bigger picture: where do you sit within the arts and culture ecosystem, and how might that perspective shape your work?

Facilitated by Freya Bradford, this session uses a systems lens to look at how individuals, organizations, and initiatives are interconnected. Through guided discussion, participants will reflect on patterns, relationships, and opportunities for alignment.

This is a space for perspective. Come ready to listen, share, and leave with a clearer sense of how your work fits into the larger whole.

Freya Bradford is the Director of Systems Change and Learning at Rotary Charities of Traverse City, where she supports changemakers working to address the root causes of complex community challenges.

Audience: Who is this for? This session is designed for:

Independent artists & creatives
Art & culture professionals / administrators
Arts patrons / philanthropists
Community builders / leaders