Community Calendar

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Dinosaur Dimensions: Expedition is a high-energy, family-friendly adventure that brings dinosaurs roaring to life! Animatronic puppets and robotic dinos, wild special effects, and hands-on science experiments make for an unforgettable expedition for explorers of all ages!

WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Three ways to mark the day...

8:30 am Join us on a Guided Bird Walk at Tawas Point
Park. We will meet at the Feeding Station near the
lighthouse.

Tawas Point in Michigan is a premier birding destination, especially in May during the spring migration when many species stop to rest and refuel along the shoreline. It is known as an Important Bird Area due to its location, making it a hot spot for viewing a variety of migrating birds, including songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds. Visitors can also find birding hotspots in the surrounding areas, such as Tuttle Marsh, Iargo Springs, and Lumberman's Monument.

11 am Join us for one or two presentations at the
Tawas Senior Center at 312 Newman St. East Tawas
• 11 am, Nick Theisen, from Huron Pines will present "Piping
Plover Recovery in 2025". Learn what is happening in
your community and how you can help with the
recovery efforts.
• 12 pm, Pam Carter, from the AuSable Valley Audubon will present "Making your Home Safe for our Feathered Neighbors"

2-4 pm Join us at Riverbank Park (301 N. Lake St. Oscoda, Michigan)
For an invasive species pull led by Russ Williams from the Conservation District. Bring gloves and clippers. ausablevalleyaudubon.orq

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!