When budget cuts hit schools, the axe falls first on anything that’s not considered a “core subject.” For many school administrators, music education falls into the category of a luxury, rather than a necessity. In fact, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) put math, reading, science and social studies above all else. The arts simply weren’t considered essential to being “career ready.”

At first glance, the soft, subtly shifting hues in artist Mary Brodbeck’s Japanese woodblock prints take on the look of a painting. 
But there is a much more labor-intensive process that goes on behind-the-scenes, one that she explores in the documentary “Becoming Made.” It can take months to find the right imagery and inspiration, then sketch, carve, paint and create one print.

If you perform theater or comedy in Grand Rapids and don’t know Eirann Betka, you may be missing out. 

The 30-year-old child at heart has a full schedule by choice, working as the outreach specialist at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, director of Comedy Outlet Mondays, and as a comedian and actress at Funny Girls.

The artists of the Tanglefoot Building in Grand Rapids aim to keep a tradition of 25 years going this month. For the past quarter century, the first of its kind studio in Grand Rapids has hosted the Open Studio event on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The event has gone beyond an exhibition and sale, as the public is invited to observe and interact with artists in their unique studio spaces.