On Monday morning you could hear the sound of students shuffling through the halls of Washington Elementary School as they approached the school gymnasium with excitement. In an effort to connect youth in the community with high quality performing arts experiences, the Midland Center for the Arts brought Latin American string band, Che Apalache, to the students in Bay City, Mich.
Stories at the Center
Brush Off Your Tiara and Unleash Your Inner Princess
The Center is ‘giving a ball’ and one local princess will be perform a solo at the Broadway Princess Party! An iconic trio featuring Broadway’s original Cinderella, Belle, and Anastasia come to Midland Center for the Arts on Feb. 7 for this hit concert, direct from New York City. Princesses of all ages are invited to share a video singing one of Disney’s animated favorites: “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog, “Just Around the Riverbend” from Pocahontas, or “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled.
Telling HERstory in History
Remember back to reading your history book as a student, witnessing the portraits of prominent leaders, honored and depicted through the art form of portraiture? Do you remember more portraits of women or men? The Midland Center for the Arts is taking a look at prominent women on a local and national scale who have had achievements in civil rights, public policy, philanthropy, art and science. Seeing HERstory, the role women have played in history.
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!
What starts as a life experience develops into a memory and can then be transformed into a story. Storytelling has the power to bring joy, laughter and entertainment, and, in some cases, create influence. For all of U.S. history, women in society have been strong, bold and intentional to inspire change and, in fact, change the world.
Midland Center Welcomes New Vice President of Marketing
Midland Center for the Arts recently announced the addition of Diane Willcox as the new Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Most recently the General Manager of Broadway in Tucson and Director of Operations/Strategic Marketing for UA Presents in Arizona, Willcox brings over 30 years of arts marketing and executive management experience in not-for-profit and for-profit presenting and producing performing arts organizations. She will begin her new position in Midland in mid-December.
Midland Center for the Arts Welcomes New Vice President of Development
Midland Center for the Arts recently announced the addition of Michael Mirto as the new Vice President of Development. Mirto comes to the Center from the Detroit area where he was the VP of Philanthropic Services for the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, and before that the Associate Vice President of Individual Giving at Wayne State University.
Midland Center Welcomes New Historical Programs and Exhibitions Manager
The Midland Center for the Arts recently announced Jacob Huss as the new Historical Programs and Exhibitions Manager. Jacob was formerly the Assistant Curator for the Midland County Historical Society and a Museum Generalist for the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art.
Blue’s Christmas Village Returns to the Bradley Home Holidays
Starting at an early age, Blue C. M. Dingman dreamed of assembling her own Christmas village. “I’ve always loved villages, since the time I was little, watching them get assembled for department stores in holiday movies on our families black-and-white television set,” said Dingman, the artist behind Blue’s Christmas Village at the 1874 Bradley Home this December. What started as a childhood memory signifying the holiday season quickly grew into 102 hand-painted homes, storefronts, hospitals and even a cemetery.
Discussing Disparities in Today’s Culture
The Midland Center for the Arts is starting dialogue and presenting programs around the role women have played in history, and their achievements that are impacting tomorrow. Connecting these themes with the bi-annual (Be)causes & Effects symposium, the Midland County Historical Society welcomes award-winning author Daisy Hernandez as keynote speaker to share current disparities in today’s culture on Feb. 1 in the Center Lecture Room below the Alden B. Museum of Science & Art.
Jennifer Kanyo Elected to Board of Directors for the Michigan Alliance for Cultural Accessibility
Offering a welcoming environment for the programs and activities on the stage and in the museums at the Center for every patron is something the Center staff continually works to improve.