Nobody could accuse the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre of opting for safe, reliable productions after its decision to stage Side Show — a musical based on the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton who became famous in the 1920s for performances that highlighted their unique lives.

Most teenagers spend their high school years as far away from their parents as possible. Not so for the Bagin family.

Aspiring playwrights will find themselves face-to-face with audience feedback once again during Theatre Kalamazoo’s 7th Annual New Play Festival.

Just months after the National Museum of African American History finally opened in Washington, D.C., Grand Rapids got its own African American museum in the heart of downtown. George Bayard, owner of Bayard Art Consulting and Frameshop, led the charge on the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA), which has now set up shop in a pop-up gallery space downtown. 

Peter Kjome, the president and CEO of Grand Rapids Symphony, has accepted a position as president and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

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Brothers and fellow podiatrists Bill and Jim Gray receive rock star treatment when they attend performances in other countries. However, they still remain largely unknown in the United States for their work to establish a world-class brass band named for their native Battle Creek.

A musical rendition of “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” is just one part of a nostalgic holiday treat coming to Grand Rapids in a big way.

As the new gallery manager at the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon, Kathy Bechtel hopes to increase daily traffic to the historic theater and for special events. 

Their faces, rich with expressions of struggle, joy and faithful devotion, tell the story of an enduring human spirit without saying a word.

Holiday parades and pre-Black Friday sales signal the start of the holiday shopping season. But for people who seek locally made works of art, the opening of Signature Gallery in Kalamazoo is their sign.