Community Calendar

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.

MIDLAND MAN SCOUTS

Second and fourth Monday of each Month
7:00 – 8:30 pm / $8 each day - Let us know you are coming!
Jan 12
Jan 26
Feb 9
Feb 23
March 9
March 23
April 13
April 27
May 11

WHAT: Men developing camaraderie and a social network through participation in a variety of tasks and challenges.

HOW: We will meet up to chat and pick tasks, challenges, competitions to complete. For instance, we might task each member to write one sentence about their life each day for fourteen days. At the next session, members share what they completed. We might challenge everyone to pick one health related behavior and do that for two weeks, reporting back to the group. The competition will obviously be arm wrestling. Group members will be encouraged to plan and participate in mutually beneficial outings.

Let’s show this loneliness epidemic who is boss!

With Eric Beasley, Ph.D., Sociology Michigan State University. Eric has been a professor for many years and likes improv, yoga, comedy, basketball, and guitar, along with whatever you're interested in! Send any questions, suggestions, one-liners, etc. to Eric at beasle23@msu.edu.

What's included
Chatting, bonding, and fun challenges!

Explore the beauty and radiance of summer’s golden flowers in watercolor with instructor and artist Cheryl Meyer. We’ll recreate the intricate forms of sunflowers by focusing on the details. Working from a still life, instruction will be centered on developing the finer details within your works, enabling you to enhance the depth and realism of your paintings. While prior watercolor painting experience is recommended, it is not required to participate in this workshop.

This 2-day workshop will be held from 10 am-12 pm on Tuesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 12 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.

Explore the world of theater, improv, and more with Mount Pleasant’s own Tena Gilbreath, a professional Hollywood theatre and Second City improv actress. Students age 7-12 can gain insight into the theater world and learn the fundamentals of acting through improvisation, scene work, voice acting, character development, and performance techniques. You’ll gain confidence in public speaking, storytelling, and exercise creativity while having fun in a supportive environment. Expect to improve your acting technique and build performance experience through creative exercises and theater games, culminating in a showcase of your skills at the final session.

This 6-week course will be held from 3-6 pm on Tuesdays, July 7-August 11, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant, MI.

Recommended age: 7-12

A snack will be provided midway through each session. Students with food sensitivities should bring a snack from home.

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

Turn up the music and join instructor Amy Perschbacher for an evening of Latin dance fun! Learn the basics of Salsa, including easy-to-follow steps, fun turns, and partner connection, then switch it up with a lively Latin line dance everyone can enjoy—no partner required!

Whether you come with a friend, a partner, or on your own, you'll enjoy a welcoming atmosphere filled with great music, movement, and plenty of fun. No dance experience necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and get ready to dance! Invite a dance buddy and reserve your spot today!

This workshop will be held from 6-7:30 pm on Tuesday, August 11, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at 111 E. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, MI.

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 beauty and radiance of summer’s golden flowers in watercolor with instructor and artist Cheryl Meyer. We’ll recreate the intricate forms of sunflowers by focusing on the details. Working from a still life, instruction will be centered on developing the finer details within your works, enabling you to enhance the depth and realism of your paintings. While prior watercolor painting experience is recommended, it is not required to participate in this workshop.

This 2-day workshop will be held from 10 am-12 pm on Tuesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 12 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.

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.

Club Create is a program created in partnership with Michigan Arts Access for adults with disabilities. Club Create offers adults with disabilities hands-on experiences in the arts, led by professional artists. Club members participate in an art experience at each meeting and also have time to socialize with other club members. Club Create of Mid Michigan meets 5:30-7 pm on the second Thursday of each month. Caregivers are welcome to participate as well.

Club Create of Mid Michigan members will meet from 5:30 pm-7 pm, Thursday, August 13, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

From a simple line drawing on canvas to a completed oil painting, learn the beginning elements of oil painting alongside artist Matthew Grimmer. We begin by learning to prime a canvas using natural mediums that are safe and simple to understand. Working from a detailed still-life crafted by the artist, students will lay the foundations of their painting using line-work and measurement methods based on the use of a "sighting stick." Following this, we'll learn to apply the various lights and darks onto our painting using limited, natural colors, which will gradually become more complex as we learn further about color theory and finishing details. Each session will have a combination of demonstration, work-time, and individual instruction. This class is most welcoming to beginner and intermediate students.

All supplies are provided for this class. We will be using Gamblin 1980 Oil Paints, which are excellent for learning because they dry quickly and apply more easily to the canvas and atop other oil paints.

If you would like to use a higher quality of paints and bring your own, the following pigments are required, and it's preferable that they are mixed with linseed oil instead of walnut oil:
Titanium White, Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Yellow Light (or Hansa Yellow), Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Red Light (or Naptha Red), Alizarin Crimson, Raw Umber, and Burnt Sienna.
You'll also want a variety of different-sized brushes, a palette (or palette paper), a palette knife, a rag, refined or washed linseed oil. Art Reach will provide paint thinner, as ONLY ART TREEHOUSE THINNER MAY BE USED.

This 4-week course will be held 1-3:30 pm, Friday, August 7-28, 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.

Dive into the vibrant world of alcohol inks with instructor Judi Steffke in this beginner-friendly workshop themed around the statuesque summer blooms of gladiolus. Alcohol inks are a bold, expressive medium known for their fluidity, unpredictability, and stunning, abstract effects. Whether you're an experienced artist or trying something new, this class offers a fun and relaxed environment to explore the magic of inks on non-porous surfaces, such as synthetic paper, ceramic tiles, or glass.

This workshop will be held from 4-6 pm on Friday, August 14 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.

Are you a fan of the Muppets? Have you ever been curious to learn how puppets are built, or wanted to explore your creative side through puppetry? Join us for a workshop that will guide you through the process of designing and building your very own puppet pal to take home and perform with. Nobody is too old to get started in puppetry, as proven by Jim Henson, who famously built and performed with puppets for years.

This 6-hour workshop for youth and adults will lead you in building a functional and unique hand-and-rod puppet, designed to match your vision using a variety of materials and a sewing machine. Assistance will be provided in using a sewing machine if students are not familiar.

During the last hour, Jon Morgan will cover the basic performance techniques you'll want to know when you're bringing your character to life.

This workshop will be held from 10 am-4 pm, Saturday, August 15, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant. A lunchtime break will be included for students to bring a lunch or purchase from a nearby eatery.

Recommended age: 12 and up (youth 12-16 may have an adult accompany them to assist)

Tonya Huber has been building puppets for 20 years. She has built puppets for storytellers and ventriloquists as well as worked on puppets for a kids’ math show. Some of her favorite puppet builds include her replica of Sweetums from The Muppet Show, Necco from “Positively Necco,” and her Calvin and Hobbes puppets. She is extremely excited to bring and share her love of puppets with all of the participants.

Jon Morgan has been performing puppetry for the last five years, and is a member of both the West Michigan Puppetry Guild and the Detroit Puppeteers Guild. He is also a co-founder of Mid Michigan Puppetry Club, and in December produced and performed as a member of the Pleasant Puppets troupe in a holiday puppetry show titled "A Christmas Mystery," which was hosted at the Shepherd Community Library. His puppetry videos can be found on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

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

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.

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.