Community Calendar

Love farmhouse style and country décor or jazzed about geometry and colorful shapes? Lovers of either aesthetic can have fun in this workshop, creating their own vibrant, hand-painted barn quilt perfect for your barn, porch, fence, or garden shed.

In this workshop led by Kim Bigard, you’ll be guided step-by-step through designing and painting your very own barn quilt square on 2×2 ft or 16×16 in solid core aluminum sheets. Exterior grade paint is used for fully weatherproof artwork that can be displayed outdoors year-round. You may come equipped with a favorite quilt pattern with straight lines, or peruse sample templates in class to create a timeless piece of Americana that blends artistry with tradition. No experience is necessary, just a love for creativity and country charm!

This workshop will be held from 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, July 26, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Note: Registrations MUST be made at least 1 week prior, so materials can be purchased and prepped ahead of the workshop. Students unable to finish their project during class time are welcome to come during open hours to finish their project. Please feel free to bring a snack or lunch to class.

Recommended age: 16 and up

Teen Open Studio is a relaxed, creative night just for teens—perfect for hanging out, making art, and enjoying some pizza. Whether you're into painting, drawing, or want to try something new, this is a great space to explore your creativity and meet other teen artists. Teen Open Studio runs from 6 to 8 pm on Saturday, July 26, and takes place on the fourth Saturday of every month.

This program is a Teen Advisory Group (TAG) initiative designed to give teens space and support to explore their creativity.

Recommended age: 13-19

Creative kids ages 6-12 are invited to join us for art camp to make the most of summer! Led by instructor Kassidy Thompson, students will be guided in various techniques and unique projects. A diverse set of media will be offered, and students will have art and craft projects they will be able to create, take home, and show off! You may select each day you wish to attend or enroll in the full week for a discounted rate. Each day, a snack will be provided. Students with dietary restrictions should plan to bring a snack from home.

This camp will take place from 9 am- noon, Monday-Friday, July 28-August 1, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 6 to 12

Our welcoming and inclusive festival brings together the 2SLGBTQ+ community, allies, friends, and families from across the Great Lakes Bay Region and surrounding areas. Attendees can enjoy a variety of retail vendors, community resource partners, live entertainment, a health screening area, and a children’s activity area.

The Great Lakes Bay Pride Festival is a family-friendly, outdoor event, and is free for all to attend! We have a big change for 2025 as we move to the Jolt Event Park in downtown Saginaw! This new location will allow for more safety and security for our visitors to enjoy the day.

Celebrate summer with color, creativity, and a flock of feathered inspiration! Led by instructor Cheryl Meyer, you’ll focus on capturing the charm, movement, and personality of birds through expressive painting techniques. Each week in this 4 session course will feature a different feathered friend and this class will guide you in bringing them to life on paper.

Perfect for beginner to intermediate artists, we’ll explore watercolor fundamentals—such as wet-on-wet, layering, and texture—while also learning how to sketch dynamic bird forms, render feathers, and create harmonious backgrounds.

Join us this July for a refreshing, nature-inspired artistic journey—because this month, it’s all about the birds!

The class will be held weekly from 2-5 pm on Mondays, July 7-28 in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant, MI. You may select individual classes or enroll in the series for a discounted rate!

July 7- Sandhill Cranes
July 14- Warblers
July 21- Orioles
July 28- Hummingbirds

Recommended age: 16 and up

Creative kids ages 6-12 are invited to join us for art camp to make the most of summer! Led by instructor Kassidy Thompson, students will be guided in various techniques and unique projects. A diverse set of media will be offered, and students will have art and craft projects they will be able to create, take home, and show off! You may select each day you wish to attend or enroll in the full week for a discounted rate. Each day, a snack will be provided. Students with dietary restrictions should plan to bring a snack from home.

This camp will take place from 9 am- noon, Monday-Friday, July 28-August 1, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 6 to 12

Aspiring teenage writers are invited to join instructor Tanya Ehrsam for an exploration of three forms of poetry. We'll explore free verse, pantoum, and villanelle poetry formats. We will explore rhyme scheme, meter, and find ways to incorporate concrete imagery to build your poetry muscles. Learn what makes a poem stronger and more visually appealing, as well as explore forms you may not have practiced. Come explore new worlds of verse and find the release of exploring your own verbal gifts.

This 3-week course takes place from 1-4 pm on Tuesdays, July 15-29, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant

Recommended age: 14 and up

Creative kids ages 6-12 are invited to join us for art camp to make the most of summer! Led by instructor Kassidy Thompson, students will be guided in various techniques and unique projects. A diverse set of media will be offered, and students will have art and craft projects they will be able to create, take home, and show off! You may select each day you wish to attend or enroll in the full week for a discounted rate. Each day, a snack will be provided. Students with dietary restrictions should plan to bring a snack from home.

This camp will take place from 9 am- noon, Monday-Friday, July 28-August 1, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended age: 6 to 12

Capture the magic of twilight in watercolors with a dose of Pure Michigan artistry. Led by instructor Cheryl Meyer, this class focuses on painting luminous skies and reflective water surfaces—perfect for those who want to explore the subtle beauty and bold color transitions of sunset scenes on our Great Lakes.

Students will learn watercolor techniques, including wet-on-wet blending, gradient washes, and layering to portray the glow of a setting sun and its shimmering reflection on the lake. Emphasis will be placed on creating mood and atmosphere, understanding color harmony, and working with light. All supplies provided and no experience necessary.

This 2-week course takes place from 2-4:30 pm on Wednesday, July 30 & August 6, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant

Recommended age: 16 and up

Explore the rich, tactile world of cold wax painting in this workshop series designed for artists of all levels. Instructor Judith Steffke will guide you in utilizing oil paint and cold wax medium to create layered, expressive, and deeply textured artworks. Cold wax is a soft, buttery medium that mixes with oil paint to create a matte, velvety finish and allows for endless experimentation with layering, mark-making, and surface manipulation. This class is all about process and exploration and is suitable for abstract or representative artwork. All supplies provided.

Each session will explore different subjects:

July 10: Lemons & Strawberries

July 23: Seascape with Rocks

July 30: Florals

This workshop will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm on Thursday, July 30 in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant.

Recommended ages: Adults only