Heritage Theatre Group’s current production of “Fool for Love” brings Sam Shepard’s 75 minute play to the intimate confines of the 50 seat Spectrum Theatre Blackbox. The production has much to offer and it begins with the acting of a talented cast of four.

Matt Simpson Siegel as Eddie and Brooke Bruce as May portray the fiery star-crossed lovers who struggle to separate themselves from a toxic relationship that is clearly not meant to be. Their performances reveal a passionate attraction for one another as well as a passion for the physical and verbal abuse of one another.

The action of the play is punctuated by what seems to be an excessive amount of screaming, yelling, and door slamming. These high decibel moments pile up throughout the evening and yield more heat than light and contribute little to our understanding of Eddie and May.

Siegel provides a better insight into Eddie with less volume as he calmly explains his plans for the future to May or his version of the couple’s past history. We see the wheels turning as he calculates his adversaries’ strengths and weaknesses and in his mental shifts from moment to moment as he reacts to information from other characters.

Bruce’s best scenes occur when she reacts to her off and on cowboy lover with a quiet seething burn that comes from the place where she has lived for years. She’s a gifted physical actress and finds ways to show her discontent and resentment by draping herself over a chair, curling into a fetal position on the bed or readying herself for an evening out and away from Eddie.

Michael Kohlenberger is Martin, May’s date, who unwittingly enters the mayhem of the Mojave motel room. He presents an appropriately nerdy foil for Eddie, as well as a more normative character and sounding board from the outside world. As Kohlenberger’s character listens to the story of Eddie and May unfold, he registers an understanding that he has clearly wandered into the wrong arena and is among combatants way beyond his weight class.

Gary E. Mitchell, as the Old Man, has a knack for spinning the kind of half-truth yarns which may or may not be substantiated by others in the play. Mitchell makes his character much more than a dramatic device for revelation. His seemingly affable rocking chair alcoholic becomes a menacing intrusion on the current lives of Eddie and May. He is more feared than revered: for the dark secrets he holds, the seeds of destruction he sows, and a refusal to see the lives he has ruined.

Credit director Rachel Finan with telling the story of “Fool for Love” with variety of movement in a small space with a limited acting areas.

Lighting designer Kenneth Judge and his crew add to the drab motel interior with special lighting effects that signify threats to the couple’s fragile relationship from an unseen hostile world outside.

Although this 35 year old play depicting a knock-down-drag-out love relationship in a desert motel lands some punches, the impact of the late playwright’s script from decades past has diminished with the passing of the years.

That’s not the fault of this production or Sam Shepard. The kind of alienated and disaffected anti-heroes that Shepard writes about now seem commonplace in our entertainment on stage and screen .Let it be noted that Shepard was an early practitioner of this kind of writing in the American theatre.The shock value of content in “Breaking Bad,” “Shameless,” and television reality series, has taken much of the “fun,” so to speak, out of dysfunction.

The play contains adult situations and will not please all comers. Despite this, “Fool for Love” and other works by Shepard, one of America’s most important Twentieth Century playwrights, are rightly enjoying revivals in recent years.

“Fool for Love”

Written by Sam Shepard
Directed by Rachel Finan
Heritage Theatre Group at Spectrum Theatre
July 26-August 4
Tickets here.

Heritage Theatre’s “Fool for Love” lands punches was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Taylor Smith, co-owner of Muse, welcomes me into the bright, newly-refurbished building on Leonard Street. Her husband and co-owner Stephen Smith joins her and draws our attention to the art hanging on the walls around us. I hover in front of each piece for a few moments and absorb the textures and colors. The space feels fresh and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting in the late-afternoon sun.

Muse, an interactive, contemporary art gallery on the West Side of Grand Rapids, opened this May after some serious renovations. The building, now completely transformed, had been an adult bookstore for decades.

Muse is one of the only black-owned art galleries in Grand Rapids. Its co-owners, coming from backgrounds in journalism (Taylor Smith) and photography (Stephen Smith), originally thought they’d just open a photography studio.

“Through the process of working with the City and just exploring what we wanted to do and the construction process, we landed on an art gallery,” explains Taylor Smith. “I’m really excited that we’ve switched our ideas and let it evolve into what it has been… it’s been really fun.”

The couple wants to be inclusive in the work they show, giving everyone an opportunity to express themselves and showcase their experiences. They work with local artists for the most part but collaborate with national artists as well.

“I would say our mission is to just inspire people,” Taylor Smith says. “That’s kind of the root of what Muse means and what we want to do here. We want to inspire people to be creative, feel comfortable being creative — even if they don’t think they’re creative — and also to just embrace change and transformation in a creative way.”

Though Muse is primarily an art gallery, the pair is open to new interpretations of the space. They welcome events, art workshops, book signings, and other interactive experiences. They also plan to teach their own classes.

“I’m a photography instructor for West Michigan Center for Art and Technology (WMCAT), but I’ll be doing some photography classes here for adults, for children, and for couples,” Stephen Smith says. “We’re open to teaching — to teachers coming in and teaching and people who just want to come in and learn.”

The duo never planned to go into the art business, but they had to do something that fed their appetite for positive community engagement.

“We knew that we would own something impactful,” Stephen said. “The gallery is a vehicle. We knew that people were going to be brought together and they were going to be challenged to explore their purpose and their passion.”

The co-owners visibly beam with pride and enthusiasm as they express their hopes and intentions for the gallery, a reflection of the truly special place they’ve created.

“I think what makes it feel meaningful is… it goes back to that whole concept of change and transformation,” Taylor said. “Seeing it transform inside the building but also seeing things changing outside of it and seeing new faces and some of the activity outside of the windows has been pretty cool. People just… the excitement and people embracing it has been really awesome.”

Muse will be hosting the Sankofa Mixer and Pop-up Marketplace, presented by Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses (GRABB), this Thursday, July 26. The event kicks off at 5:00 and is free and open to the public.

Follow @mymusegr on Instagram and check out Muse GR on Facebook to get the latest about exhibitions, events, and artists coming to the space. Interested in hosting your own event? Contact Stephen and Taylor Smith for more information.

And if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and explore the gallery. The Smiths would be delighted to give you a tour.

New Black-owned art gallery works to bring inspiration, transformation in West Side space was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Content created by our sponsor, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

When Grand Rapids Civic Theatre unveiled their lineup for the upcoming 2018/2019 season, there was a notable absence in the ensemble. One of their shows was deemed a “surprise musical” due to the production’s licensing agreement with Civic Theatre. Several suspenseful months later, our guessing games can, at last, be put to rest…

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre proudly invites you to save the date for “Mamma Mia!,” coming February 23, 2019.

Over 54 million people all around the world have fallen in in love with the characters, the story and the music that make “Mamma Mia!” the ultimate feel-good show. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget.

The musical features Abba favorites, like “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance On Me,” and the title hit “Mamma Mia.”

“We were very fortunate to secure the rights to this show,” Executive and Artistic Director Bruce Tinker notes. “But only if we agreed to withhold revealing the title until a later date this season. The chance to produce one of the most successful and entertaining musicals of recent history was too important to pass up.”

Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The timeless songs and storytelling of Swedish pop group ABBA propel this enchanting tale of love, laughter, and friendship, creating an unforgettable show. A large cast with non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers combine to make “Mamma Mia!” a guaranteed smash hit.

For information on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre or to purchase tickets, call 616–222–6650 or visit www.GRCT.org.

This content is brought to you by one of our sponsors, an important part of making cultured.GR possible. All content here is original to the sponsor and was shared on cultured.GR with their permission.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre reveals 2018/19 surprise musical was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Content created by our sponsor, Fountain Street Church.

Fountain Street Church has a long-standing history in Grand Rapids. 149 years of history, to be exact. Since 1869, the multi-faith, non-denominational church has been a pillar of progressive thought, social justice, and free choice in West Michigan. They have hosted influential speakers, politicians, musicians, comedians, authors, activists, artists, and spiritual leaders from around the world in their historic, stained-glass filled sanctuary.

Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joseph Campbell, Gloria Steinem, Michael Moore, Tiffany Haddish, Amelia Earhart, Anita Hill, Richard Dawkins, and so many others have brought their talents to Fountain Street Church in support of FSC’s mission “to be a vibrant church community that challenges individuals to craft their own spiritual journeys, and to engage in creative and responsible action in the world.”

In addition to great speakers, Fountain Street Church has hosted a slew of iconic musical acts over the years. In anticipation of their 150th Anniversary in 2019, FSC has released a limited edition series of poster reprints from memorable concerts of Fountain Street Church past.

The first series includes five posters, all from actual Fountain Street Church events, each featuring a hand-numbered, 150th Anniversary limited-edition sticker. Ella Fitzgerald, BB King, Frank Zappa, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck are featured in the inaugural memorial series, with plans for a second series in late 2018/early 2019. There are only 100 of each poster available. All proceeds support Fountain Street Church.

Posters can be purchased online at the Fountain Street Church website store, or in person at the FSC office M-F from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Fountain Street Church is home to The Keeler Gallery, which holds an annual slate of exhibits each year, including during ArtPrize in partnership with the ACLU of Michigan.

This content is brought to you by one of our sponsors, an important part of making cultured.GR possible. All content here is original to the sponsor and was shared on cultured.GR with their permission.

Fountain Street Church celebrates forthcoming 150th anniversary with limited edition posters was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There are plenty of opportunities to experience new and ongoing exhibitions and events all around the city. Catch up on the week’s conversations in the arts + get a full run-down of your opportunities to get cultured in the upcoming week.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Local Jewish temple filled with art honors creation, preservation

The first of a series on religious art in Grand Rapids, writer John Kissane and photographer Eric Tank explore the art of Temple Emanuel, the oldest Jewish congregation in the city, including a highly regarded three-dimensional Tiffany window.

“The mural is a series of painted panels: crowns, suns, Hebrew lettering, swirls. Gold, white, and brown dominate. The overall impression is of warmth and peace; if art is that which allows us to put down the ephemeral and contemplate the eternal, it is inarguably art.” -John Kissane

Read the full article + see all of the photos here.

LaFontsee Galleries prepares for second chance to see artist demonstrations

This July 28, head to their Douglas location to see sculptors Cara O’Brien and David Huang at work during a special free event.

We love these artist demonstration events—meet the artists, get to know the gallerists, and watch incredible art being made before your eyes. And right at the lakeshore, where you can get dinner and see the sunset over Lake Michigan to top off your night? It’s pretty much a perfect summer day in Michigan.

Get all the information about next Saturday’s event here.

Outdoor symphony series pops with three dynamic maestros

A casual outdoor experience of familiar favorites at the Classical Fireworks concert kicked off the Picnic Pops season with Grand Rapids Symphony.

“The Cannonsburg Ski Area hill bustled with people young and old who had set up chairs, laid out blankets, and brought their own food and beverages. Musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony, while the audience settled in, warmed up inside the large band shell in which they would perform.” -Tasman Mattox

Read the full article about the experience here.

Art classes cultivate appreciation for outdoors, creativity

Blandford Nature Center’s new painting, drawing, and children’s workshops are aimed at those hoping to experiment with art and spend time outside. The next workshop is this Thursday, July 26.

“I just wanted to educate, share, and show people that being outside is exciting,” Morgan Denison, the instructor for the workshops at Blandford says. “In a day of technology and fast paces, we just need to stop, be outside, observe our environment, and be still.”

Read the full story + get a rundown of workshops coming up here.

WHAT NOT TO MISS THIS WEEK

UICA: Last week to see Pantone Color of the Year, through July 29. Read our article about the exhibition here, and our interview with Insta-famous painter Heather Day, whose 95-foot-long mural can be seen from the street, here.

Grand Rapids Symphony’s Picnic Pops series continues, with “Beethoven v Colplay” this weekend. Read what the experience is like and get a full rundown of events here.

Grand Valley State University galleries now have four new art exhibitions, showcasing everything from global travels to plastination. Details on all four shows here. Also at GVSU: two separate concerts as part of their free International Carillon Concert Series.

“Fool for Love” opens at Heritage Theatre this Thursday, and runs through August 4. Get your tickets here, and watch for our review of the play by Sam Shepherd next weekend.

“School of Rock” and “Little Women” both open at Civic Theatre this weekend. Running through August 5, so don’t delay in planning your visit—with kids in tow!—to Civic. Learn all about it here.

“Fun Home” at Circle Theatre runs through July 28. This Tony Award-winning musical is making its Michigan community theatre debut right here in GR. Read the glowing review on culturedGR right here. Tickets here.

Circle Theatre’s series of summer concerts on Monday nights continues with “Silver Screen” this Monday, a celebration of Academy Award-winning songs. Learn all about it here, and then get your tickets here.

This Wednesday, join Solstice Handmade to learn the basics of block printing at Lions & Rabbits.

Light Gallery’s workshops provide a variety of ways to get creative again, whether you’re a novice or an experienced artist. This week: Kokeama (Moss Ball) Workshop on Tuesday, Modern Calligraphy + Sign Workshop on Wednesday, and Wall Tapestry Weaving Workshop on Thursday. Read what the experience is like with this article by our editor.

Your Monday nights should be picnicking on the lawn of Ah Nab Awen with the West Michigan Jazz society for Jazz in the Park, free every Monday night through August. This week: Micheal Doyle — Evidence. Next week: John Proulx Trio.

“Christmas in July” BOGO tickets are still on sale with the Grand Rapids Ballet for their seasonal favorite, the “Nutcracker.” This special deal is just for one mroe week— it runs through July 29. All the details right here.

Stellar exhibits at the Grand Rapids Art Museum include Oswaldo Vigas, Anila Quayyum Agha, and Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, through August.

Also! While the Grand Rapids Art Museum is open for free this Thursday night, you can enjoy their GRAM on the Green free outdoor concert series, complete with food trucks and a cash bar. This week: Fauxgrass.

The incredible Masayuki Koorida exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is up in the galleries (along with a temporary sculpture & his permanent sculptures outside) through August 19.

Finding this “Sunday Paper” on the socials but wish you could get it directly in your inbox as soon as you’ve got that coffee made in the morning?
Sign up to get culturedGR news sent to you with four easy steps, right here.

Sunday Paper: Preserving art in sacred spaces, bringing symphony to casual places, slowing down to… was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Blandford Nature Center’s many lovely outdoor spaces may have visitors itching to create some beauty themselves. Blandford has an new array of art offerings this summer so that people can capture nature’s beauty themselves.

The next available class, Landscape Painting, occurs on July 26 at 6 p.m.. It costs $9 for members and $12 for non-members and supplies are included in the cost. A reservation is required but can easily be made on Blandford’s website.

“It’s such a rewarding experience to share my passion and love for nature with other people who are discovering that new aspect of art that’s a little uncomfortable,” says Morgan Denison, a senior at Kendall College of Art & Design. Denison is teaching the three available art classes this season. “Art can be uncomfortable but that’s the wonderful part about it; it’s an exploratory experience.”

The classes were initially something Denison came up with herself. She then created a packet and proposed the art classes to Blandford’s Marketing and Communications Manager Antonio Bailey in the spring.

“I said…‘I’m an illustrator; I’m a natural science artist; I know how to do everything under the sun when it comes to painting animals — and I want to do this. I think it’s important.’ He loved the idea, so we went forward with it,” Denison said.

She feels that Blandford Nature Center was a good place for the environmentally-conscious and community-based art program she wanted to create.

“What they stand for, and the message of education, is exactly where I wanted to be,” she says. “I love that they’re a nonprofit and focus on community, growing together, and preserving the land that they have…Drawing nature now is a way for us to both learn and find a love and respect for it. If we instill a value of caring for something, it will help us learn how to preserve it.”

Her classes are for all ages, and there have been a few kids as well as plenty of adults.

“I don’t shy anybody away from wanting to learn and experience nature through their own eyes and put it down on paper. What everyone sees is different,” Denison says.

The Landscape Painting class involves a hike into Blandford’s woods, where everyone then settles down to paint. Another course, How to Draw Wildlife, is more intensive but still approachable. Denison takes a lot of time to help people get comfortable drawing.

“We go into the learning lab and we use a lot of the animals they have in there that are educational. We draw from them and then I teach about form, how to explore body and shape, because animals are really hard to draw,” she says. “After that, we go over into the visitors center and draw from life. We visit, talk about them, and learn as we go. I teach how to capture movement and quick gestures. We tour outside too.”

The other class is a Kids Creative Art Class, where children get the chance to do lots of hands-on activities. Helping people appreciate the outdoors is incredibly rewarding to Denison.

“Kids learn through observing their environment and doing tactile things. I just wanted to educate, share, and show people that being outside is exciting,” Denison says. “In a day of technology and fast paces, we just need to stop, be outside, observe our environment, and be still.”

Denison hopes that the classes give people a way they can slow down and relax.

“It’s a way for you to escape…and just focus on something so rewarding and personal. It’s a great way to release your emotions or stresses,” she says. “Finding something that is so removed from the stresses of daily life where you can make a happy place is really rewarding.”

Blandford Summer Art Classes

Blandford Nature Center
Landscape Painting: July 26, August 23 6:00p.m.
How to Draw Wildlife: August 2, 6:00p.m.
Kids Creative Art Class: August 9, 6:00p.m.
Tickets: Make a reservation at the links above on the Blandford Nature Center website.

Art classes cultivate appreciation for outdoors, creativity was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Temple Emanuel sits on Fulton Street, in a tree-lined neighborhood filled with brick houses. Recently, I parked my car in the back lot and walked past the playground, noting the stickers on the windows, which depicted Jewish symbols; walked past the inviting patio, where white hydrangea threatened to overtake the benches; and walked up to the entrance, where a single work of art — a sculpture by Calvin Albert — stood sentry.

The dark bronze sculpture, titled “Burning Bush,” did have something fiery in its twists and folds. A nearby plaque advised that Albert was born in Grand Rapids, and that the piece had been commissioned by the Temple, where he and his family worshipped.

Archivist Margaret Tracy-Finkelstein (Peggy to her friends) opened the door and ushered me in. She wore dark, conservative clothing, a contrast to her daughter, Megan Yost, also present; Yost wore summer clothes and a baseball cap. They stood in religious placidity. I sweated.

We were in a showcase room dominated by displays celebrating the contribution of Temple Emanuel congregants to World War II and flanked by two extraordinary works of art: near the entrance, a large, seemingly writhing menorah, incredibly fluid; and across from it, at the other end of the room, a Tiffany window depicting the Biblical Ruth. Only as I got close to the latter did I see that faces were sketched below the glass, and that the window was, in fact, three-dimensional.

Tracy-Finkelstein told me that a Tiffany scholar came and spent days studying it.

“She said it was among the finest examples of three-dimensional Tiffany windows ever produced,” she says.

As we walked among the past, she tossed out fact after fact, story after story, all of them interesting and some fascinating: she spoke of Julius Houseman, businessman and mayor; of the five families who came together to create Oakhill Cemetery, so the first Jew to die in Grand Rapids (a traveler from Canada) could be buried according to the customs of his people; of Lincoln, and his advocacy for allowing Jews to serve as chaplains in the army.

“Do you have to force yourself to go to sleep at night?”

“I do,” she said, laughing. “Everything’s so fascinating!”

Yost admits she shares this fascination of history and stories with her mother, which results in a lot of phone calls.

“Four, five, six times a day,” she says. “‘Oh my gosh, I found out that…’ or ‘Did you hear that…?’”

We went into the main room of worship. The main two rooms, actually; generally, the right half is sufficient for service, but at times the wooden dividing wall is pulled back, as it was when I visited, revealing the full room in all its glory, and a full view of the 1,000 square-foot mural by Lucienne Bloch Dimitroff.

It is magnificent.

The mural is a series of painted panels: crowns, suns, Hebrew lettering, swirls. Gold, white, and brown dominate. The overall impression is of warmth and peace; if art is that which allows us to put down the ephemeral and contemplate the eternal, it is inarguably art.

“It changes,” Tracy-Finkelstein told me. “Depending on the light.” Behind and above us are a row of windows. “I remember being so amazed by how it looks one way in the morning, another at noon, and another at night.”

Yost pulls open two panels to reveal hidden treasures: four Torahs. One was commissioned recently by the Temple. Congregants got to help create one letter apiece; they held the pen, and the scribe moved it.

Another, over 350 years old, is a Holocaust Torah.

Adolf Hitler ordered the confiscation of many Torahs. He hoped that, after the Jews had been purged from the earth, a museum would exist, filled with relics of Judaism: a way to remember all that Germany had accomplished — a perverse mirror image of the work Tracy-Finkelstein and others do. The Torah, liberated from the Nazis, was later given in trust to Temple Emanuel.

W.H. Auden advised against reading the Bible for its prose. Similarly, while the Torahs are very beautiful, it seems wrong to admire them simply as aesthetic objects. They radiate sacredness.

The panels now shut, we completed our tour, following a wing of classrooms. More display cases told the stories of local Jewish veterans. One case honored Oakhill Cemetery, and the (successful) efforts to beatify it, with which Mort Finkelstein, my guide’s husband, was heavily involved.

“What does he think of your love of history?”

“He says, ‘I’ll raise the money and you do all the work.’ It works out well.”

I left understanding that I had only scratched the surface of the art at Temple Emanuel—and of its stories. This congregation, nearly as old as the city itself, has been a center of stillness in lives that are often busy enough to feel frantic. Jewish author Saul Bellow, rightful recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, once wondered if time might not exist in the afterlife. “There is no time in bliss,” he wrote. “All the clocks were thrown out of Heaven.”

Local Jewish temple filled with art honors creation, preservation was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Content created by our sponsor, LaFontsee Galleries.

July 28, join LaFontsee Galleries at their Douglas location for their second round of artist demonstrations. Observe the fascinating techniques of two different sculptors.

Cara O’Brien specializes in organic objects hand-formed out of porcelain and found objects, Inspired by microscopic designs in nature, O’Brien creates life-like elements in clay. She emphasizes texture and shape over color, bringing out the essential qualities of her materials and transforming them into pieces bursting with life.

David Huang hammers metals such as copper and gold to create luminous vessels. Hammering and molding, Huang is sensitive to the nature of the materials he uses. They maintain their specific identity, lending their original properties and innate knowledge to his ideas. Huang’s work is a demonstration of the beauty and brilliance that can result from a sensitive collaboration between the human and material worlds.

Artists will personally show their hands-on approach as they answer questions and discuss their ideas.

This event is free and open to the public from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28.

The Douglas Gallery is located at 410 W center Street, Douglas, MI 49406. Everyone is Welcome, Dress is Casual, Admission is Free. For more information contact the gallery at 616–451–3850, or visit their website at www.lafontsee.us.

This content is brought to you by one of our sponsors, an important part of making cultured.GR possible. All content here is original to the sponsor and was shared on cultured.GR with their permission.

LaFontsee Galleries prepares for second chance to see artist demonstrations was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The feeling of community while sitting down to attend the first Picnic Pops Concert of the season, Classical Fireworks on July 12 at 8:00 p.m., was warm and welcoming. The Cannonsburg Ski Area hill bustled with people young and old who had set up chairs, laid out blankets, and brought their own food and beverages. Musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony, while the audience settled in, warmed up inside the large band shell in which they would perform.

The Grand Rapids Symphony hosts the D&W Fresh Market Picnic Pops every summer. It’s a chance to enjoy a variety of music in a casual setting.

“The summers are short in Michigan, and we try and jump in with both feet because we only have 12 weeks of summer,” says Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk, Grand Rapids Symphony’s Senior Manager of Communications and Media Relations. “You can sit up on the hill and if you want to pay close attention to the music you can. If you want to listen a little, chat a little, you can…If there’s a way to make it more relaxed, I’m not sure what it is.”

The audience certainly seemed quite relaxed; children danced, families ate dinner, and some even pulled books from their bags to read as the music played. Adding to the ambiance was the perfect weather. It was warm but not buggy, and a slight breeze moved down the hill.

“What a beautiful place to have a concert; it’s so different than the traditional getting dressed up and going into a beautiful building,” says Patricia Tergerson, a now-retired orchestra conductor. She taught at many schools in her 40-year career, including Saginaw School of Music and Grand Rapids Public Schools. “It’s being outside: the casualness of it, the social possibilities of it…”

The Grand Rapids Symphony hosts Picnic Pops Thursdays and Fridays through August 3. Tickets come at a range of costs so everyone can go. There are also some great lower-cost opportunities like Symphony Scorecard.

“For people of limited financial means, we provide tickets to almost everything we do. All our Classical Series, our Pops Series in the fall and winter, and Picnic Pops,” says Kaczmarczyk. Symphony Scorecard is just one of those options. “The participants qualify through the Department of Social Services…and we provide tickets upon request. Since we started this program a couple years ago, we’ve given a good 8000 tickets.”

Last week’s concert, Classical Fireworks, was unique in that all three of the Grand Rapids’ Symphony’s conductors — John Varineau, Bob Bernhardt, and Marcelo Lehninger — conducted. As they passed the baton back and forth, they would make friendly quips and comments to the audience, lightening the mood and reminding everyone it was a casual affair.

“I liked seeing the different conductors. They’re all going to conduct slightly different and have different nuances,” says Tergerson. “For the musicians, that keeps them on their toes, more than the audience can appreciate…it was probably exciting for the musicians.”

The music performed had something for everyone. Starting with the Overture to Die Fledermaus, a comedic operetta by Strauss, Jr. and ending with the 1812 Overture and sensational fireworks. The middle was filled with classics from the Great American Songbook, songs that had everyone dancing in their seats.

“We grew up with that kind of music—a lot of things we might have learned when we were children,” says Tergerson. “All these things kind of give us a sense of tradition, belonging, and history.”

The excitement of the night only rose as the Symphony performed, and came to a great climax with the fireworks at the end, where even the musicians got the chance to sit back and relax. Everyone was together in a wonderful community moment.

“The name of the organization is Grand Rapids’ Symphony…We’re the community’s orchestra, and if you’re going to be the community’s orchestra you have to do your best to serve as many people as possible in the community,” said Kaczmarczyk. “It’s not realistic to have everyone come to everything we do, but ideally we’d like to have everyone come down to one or two events every year.”

It seems the Picnic Pops definitely attracts a large crowd, with nearly 3500 people attending every night.

“I think the fact that there were so many people in the crowd it felt like it was a very popular thing to do. [Picnic Pops concerts] are just absolutely fun,” said Tergerson. “There’s just a totally different feeling when you’re going into it and when you’re there—it’s freeing and uplifting.”

D&W Fresh Market Picnic Pops

Cannonsburg Ski Area
July 19, 20: 80s Rewind!
July 26, 27: Beethoven v. Coldplay
August 2: Tito Puente Jr.
August 3: Ben Folds
Tickets: Call the Grand Rapids Symphony at 616.454.9451 x4, or visit Grand Rapids Symphony online

Outdoor symphony series pops with three dynamic maestros was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

That, and plenty of opportunities to experience new and ongoing exhibitions all around the city. Plus, a full run-down of your opportunities to get cultured in the upcoming week.

Editor’s note: We’re bringing you the Sunday Paper just a little bit early this week, thanks to summer adventures taking us away from our computers. Catch up on the arts, plan your cultured week, and then get out there yourself!

WEEK IN REVIEW

“Fun Home” brings powerful theatre experience to Circle Theatre stage

The Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel, a memoir detailing a young lesbian woman’s memories of her coming out story and her dysfunctional family upbringing, is the Michigan community premiere.

“In the Michigan community premiere of “Fun Home,” Circle Theatre brings this story to the stage in a moving production that will command the audience’s emotional attention and provide a powerful experience in the theatre.” -Gordon Bolar, culturedGR theatre critic

Read the full review + learn more about the story behind this play here.

Civic Theatre finishes out season with family favorites School of Rock, Little Women

The productions, opening July 27 and 28, are brought to you by the multi-talented students of the Summer Repertory Theatre Intensive (SRTI).

Get all the information about these upcoming productions here.

Grand Rapids Symphony takes music to zoo with free Neighborhood Series

The Symphony is expanding its efforts in diversity, inclusion, and equity with a Wege Foundation grant. These efforts include free neighborhood concerts for all.

“We want to make the music available for everyone. It’s not as simple as saying, ‘We’re doing our concerts of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, and you’re invited.’ We’ve been doing that that for years,” Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk, Grand Rapids’ Symphony’s Senior Manager of Communications and Media Relations explains. “We’re trying to step our game up more, and approach it more from the standpoint of, ‘What are you interested in? What do you like to hear? And what can we do?’”

Learn more about this new programming here.

New art exhibits feature global travels, the art of preservation, and idealizing common objects

Beginning July 13, Grand Valley’s Art Gallery will offer four free exhibitions displayed in its multiple galleries on both the Allendale and Pew Grand Rapids campuses.

Get all the details about all four exhibits here.

WHAT NOT TO MISS THIS WEEK

While the Grand Rapids Art Museum is open for free this Thursday night, you can also enjoy their GRAM on the Green free outdoor concert series, complete with food trucks and a cash bar. This week: Grand Rapids Soul Club and Yolonda Lavender.

Grand Valley State University galleries now have four new art exhibitions, showcasing everything from global travels to plastination. Details on all four shows here. Also at GVSU: two separate concerts as part of their free International Carillon Concert Series.

“Fun Home” at Circle Theatre runs through July 28. This Tony Award-winning musical is making its Michigan community theatre debut right here in GR. Read the glowing review on culturedGR right here. Tickets here.

“The Cherry Orchard” with Heritage Theatre runs through July 22. Tickets start at just $10.

Grand Rapids Symphony kicks off its series of free neighborhood concerts this Saturday at John Ball Park. Tickets are now extremely limited, so get the story + info on tickets here.

Textile artist + vintage maven Lisa Price is having a rare pop-up shop sale this Thursday through Friday, including studio seconds and vintage clearance. Hours, location, and more info on Facebook.

“Christmas in July” BOGO tickets for the Grand Rapids Ballet’s seasonal favorite “Nutcracker performances start Monday and run through July 29. All the details right here.

Stellar exhibits at the Grand Rapids Art Museum include Oswaldo Vigas, Anila Quayyum Agha, and Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, through August.

UICA: Pantone Color of the Year, through July 29.

The incredible Masayuki Koorida exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is up in the galleries (along with a temporary sculpture & his permanent sculptures outside) through August 19.

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Sunday Paper: Dysfunctional families, free symphony concerts, and aspiring young actors was originally published in culturedGR on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.