Jul 28 Tuesday
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.
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
Alternating Tuesdays / 6:30 – 8 pm / $5 drop-inJan 13, 27Feb 3, 17March 10, 24April 7, 21
Who doesn’t love to dance? This low-key class taught by local choreographer Kelli Jolly is designed for adults ages 18 and up! A flexible schedule allows you to drop in whenever you want.
Appropriate for ALL levels, from experienced dancer to complete beginner – the class is about having fun and enjoying the rhythm without any pressure.
Classes are 90 minutes and consist of a warmup, skills across the dance floor, and a combination.
Wear any comfortable shoes and clothing.
Jul 29 Wednesday
Art Reach invites you to paint or draw at your leisure in the company of other artists. Students are welcome to bring supplies and media of their choosing or use Art Reach studio supplies, as we create an art piece from a summer-inspired still life, including floral arrangements designed by instructor Matthew Grimmer. Students may work at their own pace and request help from Matt at any stage of their artwork, who will provide one-on-one assistance. Students are welcome to paint or draw for the full three hours or partial-time if preferred. Although there is some ventilation in this room, please be considerate when it comes to how we use paint thinner. Sprays with solvent will have to be used outside. We require a minimum of 4 students to run this open studio.
This open studio will be held from 10 am-1 pm, Wednesday, July 29, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.
Recommended age: 14 and up
Join instructor Tanya Ehrsam for a summertime writing course to keep our youth engaged and brains active. Students will choose from prompts or create their own fun idea to create a grand adventure on paper. One-on-one assistance will be provided to help all be successful in their writing. Wow your family and friends at your next special event with stories created by you.
This 3-week course will be held from 1-2:30 pm on Wednesday, July 15-29, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.
Recommended age: 8 -12
Young artists are invited to hone their drawing skills this summer with instructor Jason Correia in this 4-week skill-building course focused on creating their own character. Over the four weeks, students will design an original character and gradually develop a story and world around them. Each week, they’ll build their character through drawing, exploring expressions, poses, environments, storytelling, and world-building, while learning drawing fundamentals along the way. This course is perfect for setting a solid foundation in drawing techniques that can enhance art skills in other media.
This course will be held weekly from 1-2:30 pm on Wednesdays, July 8-29, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at 111 E. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, MI.
Recommended age: 8-12
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 13-18 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 Wednesdays, July 1-August 5, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Recommended age: 13-18
Jul 30 Thursday
Use a pre-cut kit to take the dread out of the Dresden Plate design and make a lovely table runner in an afternoon. Instructor Tanya Ehrsam will lead students in efficiently piecing their kits into a beautiful table runner to enjoy in any season. Your pattern will be yours to keep, so you can make future projects in your desired colorways. Pre-cut kids will be available for purchase directly from Tanya at the class, cash only. Cost is $10 for flowers or $18 for flowers and background. If you have a sewing machine, please bring it; machines will be available to borrow.
This workshop will be held from 10 am-2 pm on Thursday, July 30, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant
Recommended age: 16 and up
Dive into the second course of our youth summer comic series with artist and instructor Matthew Grimmer. Whether you’ve taken the first course or are just joining in, we’ll cover the same basics from session one with a twist; our characters are going to space! We'll learn to draw using simple shapes and colors as we create futuristic characters and out-of-this-world spaces. Students will create a small comic to take home each week, which can be an independent story or part of a series that follows a character of theirs. Matt will demonstrate how to draw a variety of space-themed images, including UFO's, shooting stars, monsters, and aliens, and all the wacky environments they live in! At the end of class, students will have an expanded visual vocabulary and a strengthened ability to create and narrate their own visual tales.
This 4-week course will be held from 3-5 pm on Thursdays, July 16-August 6, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant
Recommended age: 8 and up
Jul 31 Friday
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.
Anishinaabe artist and instructor Chyann Haas will cover the local history of basketmaking and guide you through the Anishinabek art form of coiled grass baskets. Utilizing long pine needles or dried grasses, students will be guided in creating a coiled basket from natural materials, formed around a base vessel of their choosing. Students will spend the 4 sessions of this course building up their form, and finish with decorative embellishments to make each project unique. Students will leave with a fully completed project and the skills to delve into more advanced baskets. All supplies are provided.
This four-week course will be held weekly from 1-3 pm on Friday, July 10-31, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.
Recommended age: 10 and up
Aug 01 Saturday
The Harrietta Blueberry Festival began in 2007 when local residents wanted to organize an event to bring the community together. Choosing to highlight local attractions and businesses, the Village celebrates annually with food, games, a parade, and more!
The festival is a free family-friendly event! Live music, pie eating contests, a quilt raffle, children’s games, and a fire hose spray provide entertainment for the participants and viewers alike. Many skilled artisans line the streets and fill the Village Hall to offer their goods for sale. The highlight of the day is the Leo Porter Memorial Parade, featuring local leaders, sponsors, and various local organization floats. Visitors of all ages and creeds are guaranteed to find something they enjoy.
The Harrietta United Methodist Church and the Slagle Township-Harrietta Fire Department put on major fundraisers. The Fire Dept. offers an amazing blueberry pancake breakfast, with eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice. The Fire Dept. also hosts a beer tent! The HUMC puts on a cookout lunch from noon until the food is gone, along with a great rummage and bake sale in the church. A community church service is also held the following morning.
Are you just here for the blueberries? Festival-goers are able to purchase a wide variety of blueberry items: ice-cream sundaes, hand-held pies, themed t-shirts, and fresh blueberries to support the Festival. Get them before they’re gone! If you want to pick your own, Harrietta’s Blueberry Hill is just down the road.
Aug 03 Monday
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.
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.
Aug 04 Tuesday