Community Calendar

Play with the toys on Monday! This is a great opportunity to connect with each other, play with some different toys, and look at and check out library books. Drop-in between 10:00am and 11:30am or stay the whole time.
This program is best for ages 0-5. Siblings and children of all ages are welcome.

Recurring every Monday from 6/1-8/31 10-11:30am.

Create memories and learn new skills this summer with our Summer Studio program. Created for all ages, this program provides affordable, high-quality workshops in a variety of media to make for an artful summer. Each session will explore a different art form. This program is sponsored by Mt. Pleasant Jaycees. Each attendee will receive a $5 voucher for any future class.

Join Art Reach staff Kim Bigard and Cara Denison for an introduction to sewing in this all-ages pillowcase workshop. Students may select from a simple envelope throw pillow cover or a standard bed pillowcase. You’ll be guided step-by-step through measuring and cutting your fabric, mastering the use of a sewing machine, and assembling your pillowcase. No prior experience is necessary! By the end of the session, you’ll have a completed project along with the confidence to tackle future sewing projects. Sewing machines will be provided and shared among students.

Students are recommended to bring their own fabric in their desired color/pattern. You will need 1 yard of main fabric and ¼ yard of contrast/accent fabric for the bed pillowcase -or- 1 yard of fabric to make (2) standard 18inch throw pillow covers.

This workshop will be held from 10 am-12 pm on Monday, August 17, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway St. in Mt. Pleasant.

Recommended age: 10 and up

Note: Participants are limited to (1) Summer Studio workshop per year. We will allow additional workshops only if the workshop does not reach capacity. After each Summer Studio workshop reaches capacity, we will create a waitlist. To be considered for additional SS workshops, please join the waitlist. Please let staff know if you are unable to come, so we can offer your space to someone on the waitlist.

Spend your lunch hour with instructor Cheryl Meyer exploring the art of poetry. Bring a lunch if you like and learn different methods for creating free-verse poetry to capture these moments in time. Through fun writing prompts, group discussions, and constructive feedback, you'll have the opportunity to create and share your work in a relaxed, non-judgmental environment. Perfect for those looking to spark their creativity, challenge themselves, or try something new. This is truly beginner-friendly; no writing experience needed!

This 2-week course will be held from 11 am-1 pm on Mondays, August 10-17, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 16 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Explore the practice of abstract painting with artist and instructor Tena Gilbreath. Regardless of painting experience, students can delve into acrylics while engaging in a variety of methods to experiment, consider, and create abstract art. We’ll approach each week with a new concept and project, intended to force you to reconsider how you create, regardless of your usual chosen media. Expect a new exercise each week, addressing themes such as sound map painting, gesture painting, collaborative improvisation painting, and more. All skill levels are welcome, and all supplies are provided!

This 4-week course will be held twice weekly from 1-3 pm on Mondays and Thursdays, July 27-August 20, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 14 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Indigenous arts comprise a wide variety of art forms from varied original peoples from around the world. Mt. Pleasant is the home to the modern-day Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and the ancestral lands of the Anishinabek people. This tie to the tribe affords our region a rich history of cultural traditions, as well as a variety of art forms. Art Reach presents a series of classes with the hope of widening our worldview and offering an avenue for sharing this cultural tradition.

Discover the Anishinaabe art form of traditional quillwork with artist and instructor Chyann Haas. Students will experience the full process, from respectfully harvesting quills from a porcupine, dyeing the quills, and assembling your design. You’ll create your artwork utilizing traditional motifs on leather or birchbark and apply finishing touches by finishing the back. All supplies are provided.

This four-week course will be held weekly from 3-4:30 pm on Monday, August 17- September 14 (skipping Labor Day), in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 14 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Channel the airiness of Van Gogh’s earliest sunflower work, Shed With Sunflowers, in watercolor. Led by instructor Cheryl Meyer, you’ll recreate this early painting that led to Van Gogh’s iconic sunflower paintings, which later made him famous. You’ll work with ink and watercolors to capture the wispy effect and loose line work of this lesser-known piece. Open to all skill levels.

This workshop will be held 4-6:30 pm, Tuesday, August 18, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 14 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Play in your pajamas! The children's program room will be open for ages 0-5 and their caregiver(s) for an evening of play. This is a great opportunity to connect with each other, play with some different toys, and look at and check out library books.

Recurring every Tuesday and Thursday 6/2-8/27 5:30-6:45pm

Wee Wednesday invites babies, toddlers, and young children to explore art in a relaxed, hands-on environment. Held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, this bi-monthly class encourages curiosity and creativity through simple projects that introduce color, texture, and playful materials. Kids can paint, build, stamp, squish, swirl, sing, and experiment at their own pace while caregivers join in on the fun.

The program starts at 10 am, Wednesday, August 19, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Designed with ages 0–5 in mind but welcoming to older siblings, Wee Wednesday is a flexible, sensory-rich art experience where every child can create, discover, and make a little joyful mess.

Capture the fluttering, fleeting beauty of butterflies in watercolor with instructor Judi Steffke. You’ll be guided in using the fluid, vibrant medium to capture these alluring insects while working from photos. This workshop is beginner-friendly and all supplies are provided.

This workshop will be held from 1-3 pm, Wednesday, August 19, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 16 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Choose one medium to focus on or try both!

For drawing, learn the fundamentals of observational drawing with an introduction to materials and their functions, perspective, proportion, composition, shading and more. For painting, you may be an absolute beginner or be well versed in the acrylic medium. Cyd will provide an understanding of the principles and elements of art, color mixing, composition, and adding mediums to explore the versatility of acrylics. There will be project flexibility depending on your artistic needs with in-depth tailored instruction.

With Cynthia Keefe, MFA, Creative 360 Co-Founder. No experience necessary. Age 16 and up. Materials list upon registration. Please preregister.

Wednesdays, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
August Mini Session – Drawing & Painting / August 5, 12, 19, 26 / $80

Capture a truly handmade feel in your journaling or sketching by creating from scratch. Utilizing recycled materials, instructor Chyann Haas will guide you in creating handmade papers to be formed into a book. Your papers will have texture, character, and a soft handmade feel, perfect for creating your hand-bound book. We’ll create your book with hard covers to make them durable and useful for journaling, sketching, artwork, and more.

This 4-week course will be held from 3-4:30 pm on Wednesdays, August 12-Sept 2, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at 111 E. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, MI.

Recommended age: 13 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Gestural Drawing is the practice of using loose, quick, and intuitive linework to create expressive, energetic works of art. We'll work with a live, clothed model each session who will strike a variety of expressive poses to aid us in developing our understanding of these methods. Led by artist and instructor Matthew Grimmer, we'll learn to adopt a looser style through several simple exercises paired with group and individual instruction. This class is welcoming to students of all levels. Beginners will benefit from instruction which includes the basics of working with charcoal and drawing the figure, while more advanced students may enjoy the opportunity to work with a live model alongside chats and critiques with the Instructor and other students.

REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
Students are expected to bring their own pad of Newsprint Paper (18x24"). We will be making a large number of studies in this class, which will require us to quickly flip from page to page, so it's important we're not wasting time shuffling around in a sea of paper (the personal pad will also keep all your drawings safe!).
Everything else is provided, but if students are compelled to bring their own supplies, they should expect to bring Vine or Stick Charcoal (medium and soft or extra soft), and a kneadable eraser. NO compressed charcoal, please.

This 3-week course will be held 6:30-8:30 pm, Wednesday, August 5-19, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 14 and up

Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.

Wednesday, August 19th / 7:00 – 8:30 pm / $5 covers materials / BYOB

Let’s explore watercolor together as both an individual and community mindfulness practice. Watercolor is the perfect medium to teach us how to let go of perfection, to continue when things aren't going exactly as planned, to appreciate one another's creative journeys, and to find flow.

The focus is on the journey rather than the outcome. This is not a class with a teacher, but rather an experience of creativity in community. Zero experience or "artistic ability" strongly encouraged. This experience will create a welcome space for all who wish to participate.

Space is limited. Please preregister.

Join us at noon Thursday, August 20, for Let's Do Lunch featuring music by Magdalena Fanning. Bring your lunch and take a break in the middle of your day while enjoying live music in a welcoming and creative setting.
This free program takes place at Art Reach in The Morey Family Gallery, 111 E. Broadway in Mt. Pleasant.

Magdalena Fanning is a passionate and prolific songwriter from Mt. Pleasant, MI, who has been composing and singing since before she could physically write. She performed her first original song at her first-grade talent show, and at the age of fifteen, began playing her music for public audiences. She was featured on the Summit Sessions Live in February 2025 and was recently honored to be a Top 30 Finalist for the International Youth Songwriters' competition. She is a dedicated student, actress, and songwriter who hopes to pursue a performance-based career.

Let's Do Lunch is free and open to the public!

As our nation embarks on the historic America250 celebration—commemorating the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, WCMU Public Media invites you to step back in time with us for an unforgettable evening of history, conversation, and community. On Thursday, August 20^th 4-6 PM, we are partnering with Mackinac State Historic Parks to host a special event at the Station 256 Conference Room located above the Mackinac Island State Park Visitor’s Center on Mackinac Island.

This unique gathering honors America's semi quincentennial with a special look at Ken Burns’ highly anticipated landmark documentary, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. There is truly no better backdrop to experience this history than Mackinac Island. As always, Burns brings his signature depth and powerful storytelling to the pivotal era that defined our nation, offering the perfect opportunity for us to reflect together on 250 years of the American experiment.

The evening concludes with a panel discussion on the fascinating history of how and why the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island, and the larger ramifications it had during the Revolutionary War. The panel includes:

• John R. Thiel (Moderator & Panelist) – Vice President of Academic Affairs, Kirtland Community College
• Craig Wilson (Panelist) – Chief Curator, Mackinac State Historic Parks
• Kristin A. Olbertson (Panelist) – Professor of History, Alma College
• Andrew Wehrman (Panelist) – Historian of Colonial America and the American Revolution, Central Michigan University

Whether you are a lifelong history buff, a fan of public media, or looking for a meaningful summer afternoon on the island, we would love to share this milestone celebration with you. This free event is open to the public however, an RSVP is requested. Please RSVP by emailing marketing@wcmu.org. Any questions, please call 989-774-7154.