Poet. Writer. Activist. Storyteller. Grand Rapids native Rachel Gleason is all of these and many more.

Supermarket stationary aisles are rife with cards cheekily announcing 40th birthdays as the harbinger of old age, the demise of youth, and the decline of usefulness. Meanwhile, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) is choosing instead to celebrate its 40th birthday as a milestone of achievement, with two massive exhibits celebrating diversity and representation.

For emerging artist Michelle Martin, events like Wine About Winter provide confidence, exposure and even some commission work.

Art Martin never minded pounding nails into the wall, but for now, he’ll put down the hammer and settle into a more scholarly and public role at Muskegon Museum of Art. 

Peter Kjome’s history with the Grand Rapids Symphony goes back to 1990, when he first joined the organization as a musician. But it’s his time as president and CEO that Kjome will be remembered for when he steps down in January to embark on a similar role with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO).

Nobody could accuse the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre of opting for safe, reliable productions after its decision to stage Side Show — a musical based on the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton who became famous in the 1920s for performances that highlighted their unique lives.

Most teenagers spend their high school years as far away from their parents as possible. Not so for the Bagin family.

Aspiring playwrights will find themselves face-to-face with audience feedback once again during Theatre Kalamazoo’s 7th Annual New Play Festival.

Just months after the National Museum of African American History finally opened in Washington, D.C., Grand Rapids got its own African American museum in the heart of downtown. George Bayard, owner of Bayard Art Consulting and Frameshop, led the charge on the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA), which has now set up shop in a pop-up gallery space downtown. 

Peter Kjome, the president and CEO of Grand Rapids Symphony, has accepted a position as president and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

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