Fact And Fiction With Todd Zimmerman Traveling Exhibition
September 11, 2023-June 3, 2024
Installed in schools for two weeks
Best for grades K-12
Spotlight Kalamazoo artist Todd Zimmerman (1963-2022) at your school using works both whimsical and realistic. Students will see works that explore his fantastical thought process, such as his designs for spacecraft or animals acting as people. At the same time, students will examine how such an imaginative artist portrayed people in a realistic manner. Often when painting a realistic figure, Zimmerman played with colors, painting people in shades of blues and reds or yellows and pinks, giving us a moment of surprise and wonder. Through paintings and prints, students will explore works created in their own community. MORE
A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Wu Jian’an
September 20-December 21, 2023
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Best for grades K-12
The works of Beijing-based artist Wu Jian’an are rooted in the traditional Chinese medium of paper cutting. Chinese paper cutting is a 1,500-year-old technique and is considered to be one of the most important forms of Chinese folk art. Wu Jian’an explores this traditional technique with contemporary designs, and helps keep this method alive in a fresh and exciting way. In addition to his use of traditional methods, he creates art using watercolors, ink, oil, and sculpture. Students will have the opportunity to explore these works, which present themselves like a puzzle. Through questions and close examinations, they will be able to solve the mysteries of his artworks. MORE
The String Queens
SOLD OUT
November 8, 2023
10:00 AM & 12:15 PM
Comstock Auditorium
Best for grades 3-12
Praised for its authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound, The String Queens (TSQ), based in Washington, D.C., is a dynamic trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel, and imagine! With an array of repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, TSQ performs versatile programs that take listeners on a rousing musical journey through time and a multitude of musical genres. Recognized as, “school teachers by day and concert performers by night”, TSQ’s dedication, service, and innovative work in the field of music education has been widely acknowledged. MORE
SOLE Defined
SOLD OUT
December 5, 2023
10:00 & 12:30 PM
Miller Auditorium
Best for grades K-12
SOLE Defined is the Washington Metro area’s leading arts organization specializing in percussive dance – using the body as an instrument to create musical expression. Advancing styles such as Tap, Stepping, Body Percussion, Sand Dance, and Gumboot; this BIPOC led company infuses powerful skills to delight and inspire audiences. SOLE Defined’s school show is an action-packed, rhythmic rollercoaster that explores the elements of percussive dance. The immersive performance intertwines Hip Hop music, Tap, and Stepping, bringing students dancing along the way. MORE
Crawlspace Eviction
What’s Next?
December 13 shows are cancelled.
SOLD OUT
December 13-15, 2023
10:00 AM & 12:15 PM
Comstock Auditorium
Best for grades K-12
Have you seen Fluffy? Join improv troupe Crawlspace Eviction on an improvised adventure of creative problem-solving, as you–the audience–find different ways to reunite the lovable pooch Fluffy with his family! Along the way, we’ll encounter The Unknown (Dun, dun, duuun!), but is this mysterious figure really a villain, or should we welcome The Unknown as a friend? Since 2003, Crawlspace Eviction has been Southwest Michigan’s premiere improv troupe and a beloved Kalamazoo institution. MORE
American Realism: Visions Of America, 1900-1950
January 24-April 12, 2024
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Best for grades K-12
This exhibition brings together works by American artists from the early 20th century who sought to define “American Art” and the American experience, especially at a time when cities were rapidly growing. Through paintings, drawings, prints, and photos, students will see how artists sought to explore and create an American style of creative expression. Students will see the works of well-known artists such as Edward Hopper, Alexander Calder, Hughie Lee-Smith, Robert Henri, George Bellows, Peggy Baxter, Victoria Marshall Litna, Reginald Marsh, and many others, including Michigan artists who also sought to capture the changing ways of living. MORE
South Chicago Dance Theatre
SOLD OUT
February 6, 2024
10:00 AM & 12:30 PM
Miller Auditorium
Best for grades 2-12
South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT) was founded in 2017 by Executive Artistic Director, Kia S. Smith. The company is a multicultural organization seamlessly fusing classical and contemporary dance styles, as well as preserving historic dance work. With cultural diplomacy at the heart of the organization, SCDT creates, performs, and teaches dance on a local, national, and international platform. The EFA performances will highlight the diversity inherent in the concert dance sphere, featuring Contemporary Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Jazz, Modern, and West African techniques. MORE
Glass Half Full Theatre
Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderalla Story
SOLD OUT
February 13-15, 2024
10:00 AM & 12:15 PM
Comstock Auditorium
Best for grades K-6
Ten-year-old Belinda loves to tell stories, but when she’s in the basement preparing for a party upstairs, she’ll have to get creative. Using everyday objects like teapots and napkins, Belinda recreates the classic tale of Cinderella. Glass Half Full Theatre from Austin, Texas, presents its award-winning “story within a story” using puppetry, Spanish, and English. As Belinda confronts her stepmother and stepsisters, she’ll learn to embrace her love of poetry and stand up for herself. This captivating bilingual one-woman performance is a modern spin on the beloved fairy tale and tackles cultural heritage, family, and the power of language. MORE
The Okee Dokee Brothers
SOLD OUT
May 8, 2024
10:00 AM
Miller Auditorium
Best for grades K-3
As childhood friends growing up in Denver, Colorado, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing were always exploring the outdoors. Whether it was rafting down their neighborhood creek or discovering hiking trails through the Rocky Mountains, Joe and Justin were born adventurers. Now, as the GRAMMY Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers, they have put this passion for the outdoors at the heart of their Americana Folk music. Joe and Justin record and perform family music with a goal to inspire children and their parents to step outside and get creative. They believe this can motivate kids to gain a greater respect for the natural world, their communities, and themselves. MORE