Arts, Culture & Humanities

The Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative (KADI) grant has had a transformative impact on individual artists within the community, serving as a vital source of support and empowerment. It enables artists to focus more fully on their creative practices without the constant pressure of securing income through unrelated jobs. This freedom fosters deeper artistic exploration, experimentation and production, elevating the quality and originality of local art.

Over the past three years, the need for this program has doubled due to dwindling access to other sources of grant income and support. As traditional funding streams have decreased or disappeared, the KADI grant has become increasingly crucial for sustaining artistic careers. It is now one of the only grants available specifically to individual artists in the county, making its presence even more essential.

In the most recent cycle, the program supported 45 individual artists and their projects or professional development opportunities. This allowed recipients to purchase materials, upgrade equipment, rent studio space or invest in training. Such support enhanced their creative work and expanded their reach within the community.

The KADI grant also strengthens the local cultural landscape. By uplifting diverse artistic voices – especially those from underrepresented backgrounds – it enriches the community’s collective narrative. Supported artists often give back through workshops, public art and mentorship, further amplifying the program’s impact.

The ripple effect is clear: when artists thrive, communities grow stronger, more connected and more inspired. The KADI grant remains a crucial investment in the creative future of the region.

To learn more, visit https://kalamazooarts.org/grants/kadi

In 2024/25, Kalamazoo RESA–Education for the Arts (EFA) celebrates 30 years of creating and sustaining innovative arts education programming and partnerships in Kalamazoo County with nine public K-12 school districts, special ed programs and alternative ed schools, higher education and community arts organizations. In October 2024, the Arts Schools Network awarded EFA the 2024 Arts Innovation Award.

EFA’s innovative structure of community and educational partnerships, fueled by a unique fiscal model of public, philanthropic and endowment funding, enables flexibility and a mind-set of experimentation.

EFA’s arts programming is equitably accessible for all 25,000 K-8, special ed program and alternative students in Kalamazoo County. Additionally, approximately 700 Kalamazoo County high school students annually attend EFA classes in every artform.

Nationally, KRESA-EFA staff have served in board and committee leadership roles with the Lincoln Center Institute of Aesthetic Education, the Association of Aesthetic Ed Institutes and Americans for the Arts – State Arts Education Public Policy Program. Michigan leadership has included the Council of Michigan Foundations, Creative Many Michigan and Michigan Youth Arts Association. Locally, staff have helped lead the Kalamazoo Cultural Center and Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

KRESA-EFA has received a statewide arts organization Guvvy Award from ArtServe Michigan and three EFA instructors have won Michigan Arts Teacher of the Year awards.

For more information, visit www.kresa.org/page/265

The mission of the Stulberg International String Competition is to promote excellence in string instrument performance by gifted artists under the age of twenty. The Stulberg’s vision is to deepen community engagement while offering a premier string competition.

The Stulberg International String Competition was founded in 1975 in memory of Julius Stulberg, longtime violin teacher and conductor of the Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Junior Symphony orchestras. The Stulberg provides performance and educational opportunities for young string instrument (violin, viola, cello, double bass) musicians to develop essential skills and prepare for their professional performance careers.

The Stulberg uses a blind screening process every year to select twelve string instrument semifinalists from applicants from around the world. Each semifinalist travels to Kalamazoo in May to compete for three medal prizes before a jury of distinguished judges. All Stulberg competition events are open to the Kalamazoo public.

The 2024/25 Stulberg is the fiftieth anniversary of the competition, and the Stulberg is celebrating its first fifty years with special performances, print and media events, a new commission of a solo string work and a gala.

Over 2,500 young string musicians have participated in the first half-century of the Stulberg International String Competition. The list of past medalists is a veritable international Who’s-Who of string musical artists and teachers. Notable Stulberg alumni include Joshua Bell, Anthony Ross, Rachel Barton Pine, Wendy Warner, Nicholas Schwartz, Lucia Lin, Catherine Basrak.

To learn more, visit www.stulberg.org

All Ears Theatre debuted in January 2002 as a collaboration of local artists organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. We specialize in creating audio-style theatre performances using local sound effects artists, musicians, actors and recording artists, just like in the Golden Age of radio.

All Ears Theatre offers free, live performances and is one of the few theatre groups where people can participate even if they have little time for rehearsal, have a hard time memorizing lines or just don’t “look the part.”

We believe in making performance art accessible regardless of financial position. Performances are recorded and re-broadcast, primarily on SoundCloud. We have also begun adding ASL interpretation to live performances to share our stories with all present. Public Media Network has also been video recording live performances to be shared with those who cannot attend in person.

All Ears Theatre is led by Laura Henderson-Whiteford and our fiscal sponsor is Public Media Network.

For more information, visit: www.allearstheatre.org

It’s hard to believe that New Year’s Fest has been happening in Kalamazoo since 1985! Not a year has been missed, even during COVID. We have survived ice storms, Y2K and sub-zero temperatures living out our purpose to entertain through the celebration of the performing arts.

Uniquely, this performing arts festival has become a tradition where toddlers that grew upon New Year’s Fest are now bringing their kids to celebrate the experience that performing arts unveil. With short repeating performances throughout the night, New Year’s Fest’s formula of “a taste of the arts” allows families to negotiate an evening that supports something for everyone.

As the fireworks light up the sky and the ball drops at midnight, the community can feel the allure of Times Square right in the heart of Downtown Kalamazoo. People of all walks of life come together to start a new year.

Behind the scenes, New Year’s Fest tells a story of supporting our artists, enabling performances from both emerging and experienced artists. This is what makes the event “artist-unique” as well as empowering. New Year’s Fest is working to be relevant in an ever-changing performing arts landscape. To present a more inclusive festival, our Board of Directors has pledged to hire 20 percent BIPOC performers with a commitment to supporting emerging artist groups.

For more information, visit: www.newyearsfest.com

The mission of the Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center is to provide music education to urban and under-resourced youth as a pathway to success and excellence in all areas of life. Our namesake, Helen Fox, taught music lessons in the community for many years, accepting only what students could afford to pay.

Jasmine “Dryw” Starkey-Williams is one of our many success stories, having joined our program as a 13-year-old 7th grader at Hillside Middle School. Due to the generosity of donors, HLFGMC was able to offer Jasmine a full scholarship to cover the cost of her lessons and instrument rental. Over time, she developed as a cellist and as a person. She gained confidence in her ability and performed at recitals and community events with the ensemble and as a soloist.

Now, Jasmine is a graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School. She is currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College and plans to further her education. In an essay she wrote while in high school, this is some of what she said about the Music Center program.

“. . .I have been playing cello for six years. My family has been struggling financially for a longtime, so music lessons . . . were something we often simply could not afford. The Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Program changed my life in many ways. I have been studying under Jordan Hamilton for almost three years. He is a brilliant musician and an amazing instructor. His words of wisdom have at times kept me going. My ensemble teacher is Alexis Terrain. She is also an extraordinary musician and incredibly patient. I enjoy many genres of music but some of the classical composers that I am very fond of include Mozart, Beethoven, Bizet and Tchaikovsky.…”

For more information, visit: www.hlfgmc.org

Center Stage Theatre began in 1974 as Comstock Community Theatre. Since then, the mission has always been to create a safe environment where families and individuals of all lifestyles can enjoy the world of theater together. Center Stage Theatre is unique because we do not make cuts during the audition process. No matter what the level of experience or differing ability, everyone who auditions and commits to the rehearsal schedule is given a place on our stage. This inclusiveness does not diminish but adds to the quality of our productions. Extending the inclusiveness to our audiences, Center Stage Theatre produces both a sensory friendly and an ASL interpreted performance of each show.

Our season begins with a fall youth show for 6–18-year-olds. We celebrate the holidays with an all-age cabaret. An adult show for those 16 and older is staged in February. Our largest show is our summer family musical in July. The multi-generational cast for this show often tops 125 members.

After being given the opportunity to shine on our local stage, Center Stage Theatre
graduates have gone on to shine on and off Broadway, star in traveling shows, light up
the field of technical theatre, produce, direct, and manage other community theatres.
Center Stage Theatre is thankful for the volunteers, on and off the stage, who give their
time, effort, and passion to the production of each show. Without them, we would not
have been putting the “community” in community theatre for almost 50 years.

For more information, visit www.kzoocst.com.

Gull Lake Community Schools is delighted to be in a new space dedicated to K-12 fine arts programs and guest artist performances that enrich the lives of the school community. The Gull Lake Center for the fine arts (GLCFA) showcases a variety of events that bring the community together in an intimate environment that engages the senses and encourages participants to communicate with purpose. This new space was designed to elevate the art of presentation in multiple modes and formats. It can host any event ranging from an elementary matinee to a world- class symphony or musical.
Fifteen full-time Fine Arts educators collaborate with a full time auditorium manager to bring student performances to the stage. Community members and guests can find events and procure tickets through the district website and GLCFA box office. Guest artists and ensembles are marketed to the local community and regional arts organizations and foundations. The new space is attracting attention from a variety of professional groups who find it to be an ideal venue featuring state-of-the-art technology and exceptional acoustics that enhance any performance.
The new Gull Lake Center for the Fine Arts is the realization of a dream that began growing over three decades ago. It has been a true collaboration involving a talented and diverse coalition of individuals who were able to articulate the vision and sustain focus to see this project through to completion. It is a rare occasion when a teaching and learning space can serve everyone in a community. The Gull Lake Center for the Fine Arts accomplishes this purpose beautifully and is serves as a beacon to the future of fine arts in the Richland area and surrounding community.

For more information, visit www.gulllakecs.org/glcfa

The Kalamazoo Community Chorale completed its 89th season in 2022 under the direction of Jacqueline Stilger. We are a women’s choir that welcomes members seeking an opportunity to be involved in choral music without the requirement of an audition or an extensive musical background. Our central focus is to provide area women the chance to participate in the fellowship of song for educational and non-professional purposes. Our membership averages between 50-65 women of different ages from very diverse backgrounds. We perform secular and sacred pieces at two admission-free concerts annually that are open to the public. We also perform at community events, public organizations and private facilities. The group often features local musicians to provide additional accompaniment at our concerts. Another important facet of the Chorale’s activities is that we provide scholarships to qualifying college students with a major or minor in music. In addition to assisting them with their school expenses, the students gain the experience of rehearsing and performing outside of the academic world, but still within the local area. In return, they greatly contribute to our ensemble with their energy, talent and enthusiasm for choral singing. The benefits of sharing the joy of music are many and we look forward to continuing to share it with our membership and the community.

For more information, visit www.kalamazoocommunitychorale.com

A legacy of generosity leads to naming the WMU School of Music

Celebrating the extraordinary generosity of former philanthropist and arts patron Irving S. Gilmore, Western Michigan University is naming its school dedicated to educating its outstanding musicians the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music.

Daniel G. Guyette, dean of the College of Fine Arts, made the announcement to the campus community during its 50th anniversary celebration on October 14, stating the new name will begin being used officially in January.

A former business leader and concert quality pianist, Gilmore died in 1986, leaving a legacy of charitable giving through the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.

On campus, the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation has been enormously generous, granting more than $30 million to Western since the mid-1980s. In the College of Fine Arts, past grants from the foundation total more than $17 million.

“In light of this legacy of philanthropy and Mr. Gilmore’s devotion to music and the arts, recent conversations with members of the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation trustees have brought about an extraordinary opportunity,” Guyette said at the celebration. “We thank Irving S. Gilmore and the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation for their profound leadership and generosity, which supports and enriches the cultural, social and economic life of greater Kalamazoo.”

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Western has offered music instruction since 1904. The first music majors and minors were offered in 1942, and the department became a school in 1980. Today, it offers a broad range of programs including 11 undergraduate degree, eight graduate degree and two certificate programs to nearly 440 registered students that prepare them for careers and further study in performance, research, music education, music therapy, composition and multimedia arts technology.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit www.wmich.edu/news