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Articles by Jenny Sherman
The Michigan Public Service Commission: A powerful yet overlooked regulator
Overview: - Utilities like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission. - While many Michiganders may not be aware of the MPSC, the commission makes critical decisions such as the dollar amount of rate hikes requested by utilities. - Planet Detroit created this guide for Michiganders to gain a better understanding of what the MPSC does, who it serves, and how to get involved.
ArtPrize welcomes 800 artists from 15 countries
The annual ArtPrize competition and festival kicked off in Grand Rapids on Thursday, transforming the city into an interactive art exhibit, on display through Oct. 1. More than 800 artists from 15 countries and 30 states will compete for $400,000 in prizes in the Public Vote and Juror Competition categories this year, with nearly 650 physical and experiential installations on view for spectators.
One-day exhibit explores history of the Grand River
The Grand Rapids Public Museum will host a one-day, immersive journey through the past, present and future of the Grand River on Saturday, Sept. 16. The “Grand River Adventure” will feature open-house-style interactive stations that aim to foster awareness, inspire action, and promote community involvement in the preservation of this invaluable local resource.
Broadway composers, MSU students collaborate on new production
The MSU Department of Theatre and the Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity have joined forces with award-winning composers for an “exhilarating” new production, opening this Friday, Sept. 15 at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. “Rocky Mountain High,” running through Sunday, will feature Broadway talent on the same stage with MSU musical theatre students and local high school actors.
Mid-Michigan entertainment for the weekend of Sept. 15-17 and beyond
Art • “Saginaw Art Jamboree”: noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, more than 30 local art vendors to showcase their work within the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum and the Museum’s Jo Anne and Donald Peterson Sculpture Garden, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, marshallfredericks.org • “Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights”: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Feb. 18, Broad Art Museum, 547 E.
Grassroots greenspace projects expand Detroit’s open space network
September 7, 2023 By Jenny Sherman, Planet Detroit This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News, Borderless, Ensia, Planet Detroit, Sahan Journal, and Wisconsin Watch, as well as the Guardian and Inside Climate News. The project was supported by the Joyce Foundation. Detroit resident Andrew “Birch” Kemp has planted trees in Detroit’s Poletown East neighborhood for over 20 years.
Mid-Michigan entertainment for the weekend of Sept. 8-10 and beyond
Art • Campus of Colors: Plein Air Event: Saturday, Sept. 9, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, 7400 Bay Rd, University Center, marshallfredericks.org/campusofcolors • “Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights”: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Feb. 18, Broad Art Museum, 547 E.
Inaugural WoMa Bazaar Festival coming to Mt. Pleasant
A new event will take over the streets of downtown Mt. Pleasant on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8-9. The first annual WoMa Bazaar Festival will feature an artisan market, activities for kids, live entertainment, yoga classes, street dancing, a cornhole tournament and more.
New CMU exhibit transforms found objects into ancient relics
A new exhibition from Detroit artist Scott Hocking opened this week in the Baber Room Gallery at Charles V. Park Library on Central Michigan University’s campus. Hocking, internationally acclaimed for repurposing found objects into unique, site-specific projects, explores the concept of creation and destruction mythologies — as well as ceremony and ritual — in his latest exhibit, “Ancient Monuments of the Future Past.” On view at the library through Oct.
CMU Theatre and Dance presents ‘The 39 Steps’
Central Michigan University’ Departments of Theatre and Dance will present “The 39 Steps,” a parody adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at CMU’s Bush Theatre, 1200 South Franklin St. The show follows Richard Hannay, who’s “boring life” in London gets an injection of excitement when he meets a woman with a thick accent who he believe’s to be a spy.
Grassroots greenspace projects expand Detroit’s open space network – Planet Detroit
Detroit resident Andrew “Birch” Kemp has planted trees in Detroit’s Poletown East neighborhood for over 20 years. By expanding the city’s tree canopy, the former Detroit high school teacher hopes to promote the growth of healthy, resilient and equitable green spaces in his community that would both enrich his and his neighbors’ quality of life and deepen their connection to nature.
Styx brings latest tour to Battle Creek
Veteran rockers Styx will perform at the FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek on Friday, Sept. 1.
Last chance to catch CMU axolotl art exhibit
This weekend will be the final opportunity to check out the Central Michigan University art exhibition “Beauty of Regeneration,” on view through Sunday, Aug. 27 in the Brick Lobby at the Midland Center for the Arts, 1801 W. Saint Andrews, Midland. The design exhibit highlights the unique capability and beauty of axolotl, an aquatic salamander commonly known as the Mexican walking fish.
Home Builders’ annual car show coming to Mt. Pleasant
The Home Builders Association of Central Michigan is hosting its annual Car Show on Saturday, July 15, in downtown Mt. Pleasant, featuring tons of vintage cars, motorcycles, trucks and more. The 7th annual event, Thunder with Rods, replaces previous years’ Rods in the Park, and will offer more than 65 prizes, live entertainment and fun for the whole family. For more information, visit facebook.com/HBACentralMichigan.
Free Fishing Derby planned in St. Louis
The Joe Scholtz Memorial Free Fishing Derby in St. Louis is planned for Saturday, June 10 at Leppien Park, aligning with Michigan’s Free Fishing Weekend so no fishing license is needed to participate. The all ages event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, with an award presentation to follow at 1 p.m. Participants are grouped by age: 0-6 years, 7-12 years, 13-18 years, and Adult, with prizes awarded based on weight of fish and most fish caught.
Free Fishing Derby planned in St. Louis
Jun. 8—The Joe Scholtz Memorial Free Fishing Derby in St. Louis is planned for Saturday, June 10 at Leppien Park, aligning with Michigan's Free Fishing Weekend so no fishing license is needed to participate. The all ages event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, with an award presentation to follow at 1 p.m. Participants are grouped by age: 0-6 years, 7-12 years, 13-18 years, and Adult, with prizes awarded based on weight of fish and most fish caught.
Tyler Braden brings country grit to Saginaw
Tyler Braden will perform with special guest Jason Cross at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 19 at the Red Room at the Dow Event Center, 303 Johnson St., Saginaw. Alabama native Braden is a singer-songwriter whose songs have 160 million streams. Braden has toured with acts from Brantley Gilbert to Brooks & Dunn. His 2020 recording “Brother” was a tribute to first-responders and pandemic front-line personnel.
Anime, gaming lovers convene at Alma College for AlmaCon
Anime, cosplay and pop culture fans from across the region will convene on Alma College’s campus this Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26, for AlmaCon — an anime and gaming convention hosted by the student nonprofit organization, Alma College Otaku Gamers.
Indulge in Maple Syrup Day at Chippewa Nature Center
The Chippewa Nature Center will host its annual Maple Syrup Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 18, allowing visitors in on the process of boiling sap into pure maple syrup. Participants will take a wagon ride to the Sugarhouse to view the demonstration and learn how to make syrup at home in small batches. There will also be a guided tour of the sugarbush during which attendees will practice tapping a tree.
Alma College Dance Company performing new works
The Alma College Dance Company will perform new works by faculty and original dances by students in its Spring Dance Concert series this weekend at the Remick Heritage Center for Performing Arts at Presbyterian Hall - marking the 30th season of Alma College's iconic performance facility.
Juggernaut's Kids Foundation Opens in Roseville
From a young age, Roseville entrepreneur Robert Durham understood the pivotal role that youth outreach services and after school programs can play in the lives of children. As a young man growing up in Detroit, Durham joined a youth basketball program through R.E.A.C.H, a nonprofit that provides support to at-risk youth and families through public outreach, athletics and academic and personal enrichment programs.
Alma College to host series of MLK Day events
Alma College will host a slate of events the week of Jan. 16 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including a community engagement fair, poetry night, poverty simulation, art exhibit and more. The week’s activities will begin with a brunch at the Art Smith Arena, Hogan Center, on campus and open to the community from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, with a keynote speech from Travis Hall, a Saginaw native and ordained bishop from Life Church International.
World of Winter engulfs downtown Grand Rapids
Considered one of the largest winter festivals in the midwest, World of Winter will overtake downtown Grand Rapids for two months beginning this weekend, featuring more than 100 free events, activities and outdoor art installations for visitors and residents to enjoy throughout the season. The event will run from Jan.
CMU art exhibition explores post-pandemic life
A new exhibition featuring the work of Michigan artist and Eastern Michigan University professor Brian Nelson opened earlier this month in the Baber Room Gallery at CMU’s Charles V. Park Library. “Thinking Out Loud,” on view through Feb. 1, 2023, features an installation of drawings and sculptures that reflect on the experience of existing in a “post-pandemic” world. An Artist Talk is also planned for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at the Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium.
Chippewa Nature Center to host annual Winter Solstice Celebration
The Chippewa Nature Center in Midland will host its annual Winter Solstice Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the visitor center. Attendees will have opportunities to take part in earth-friendly traditions to celebrate the season, including rolling beeswax candles, creating a miniature Yule log and making a small evergreen wreath to take home.
Mt. Pleasant School of Dance presents ‘The Nutcracker: Reimagined’
Mt. Pleasant School of Dance will present “The Nutcracker: Reimagined!” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9-10, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10-11, at Mt. Pleasant High School, 1155 S Elizabeth St. Saturday’s matinee will be a sensory-friendly experience for young children, individuals with autism or developmental disabilities, or those with sensory-sensitivities, and their families.
Chippewa Nature Center hosting annual art show and sale
The Chippewa Nature Center will host its annual Nature Art Show & Sale from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 for members and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 for the general public. The show, featuring everything from paintings, woodcarvings and photography to jewelry, sculpture, baskets and pottery, is free to attend and open to all ages. There will be a silent auction closing at 3 pm on Saturday (bidders need not be present to win).
Enjoy dinner and blues at St. Louis High School
The St. Louis High School Music Program will present a dinner concert “Blues in the Night,” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. Tickets are $10 in advance, and include a meal. Some tickets will be sold at the door but with limited availability. Contact any St. Louis High School band member or e-mail Mr. Lawhorne at lawhorne@stlouisschools.net for more information or to purchase tickets.
Blush Theater Co. to host ‘A Night of Poetry’
Blush Theater Company in downtown Alma will showcase the work of local poets in “Gracious Creations: A Night of Poetry,” set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Highland Blush Café, 127 East Superior, Alma. The evening will feature poems by Alma College professor and Rumi Hour founder, Robert Vivian; Alma College Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing student, Joshua Zeitler; local poet Lynn Rather and more.
Author, activist Jeff Chang to headline CMU lecture series on social justice
Central Michigan University will host renowned social historian, author and activist Jeff Chang at the Plachta Auditorium on Thursday, Nov. 3, as this year’s Emma Norman Todd Distinguished Lecture Series speaker.
New Grand Rapids exhibit explores ‘The Power of Poison’
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is hosting a new exhibition this month from the American Museum of Natural History in New York, examining the power of poison in nature, myth, history, human health, and exploring “the role of science in demystifying and harnessing its power.” “The Power of Poison,” opening to the public on Saturday, Oct. 22, “is interactive and engaging, and incorporates history, science, and culture into a single exhibit,” said Dale Robertson, president and CEO of the Museum.
Friends of Clare County Parks hosts annual fundraiser
The Friends of Clare County Parks and Recreation will hold its 12th annual fundraiser, “A Gateway Affair,” from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Clare Moose Lodge, 1890 E Ludington Dr. The fun-filled event will include dinner, a raffle, silent auction and a presentation on the future development of recreation resources in the area, including the Pere-Marquette Rail-Trail Extension Project and information about the Friends of Clare County Parks and Recreation Grant Programs.
ArtPrize kicks off in Grand Rapids
The annual ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 15, spanning three square miles in the city’s downtown. Attracting more than 500,000 visitors each year, the free interactive art competition will feature more than 750 pieces of art exhibited throughout the city in public parks, museums, galleries, retail storefronts, breweries, bridges and any other space within the district that wants to participate.
Labor Day Bridge Walk, pancake breakfast planned in St. Louis
As Michigan’s annual Labor Day tradition continues this year with a pedestrian walk on the Mackinac Bridge, the City of St. Louis will host its own Labor Day Bridge Walk led by the St. Louis V.F.W. Color Guard, beginning 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 5, at the St. Louis High School Track, 113 E Saginaw St. The event will be followed by a free pancake breakfast and presentation at Clapp Park (across from the high school).
Enjoy Martial Arts in the Park, free ice cream in Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant Martial Arts will present Martial Arts in the Park, Vol. II at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18. The free family-friendly event at Island Park will be open to kids as young as 2 with a parent’s help, and will include a half-hour Taekwondo class, a martial arts demonstration in a tournament format, and free Doozie’s ice cream for all participants. Wristbands are required to participate.
Upcoming exhibition celebrates the art of inclusion
A new exhibition celebrating artists of all backgrounds and abilities will open to the public on Saturday, July 16, at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University. The exhibition, "Mosaic: A Collective Art Experience," aims to shed light on the diverse talents of individuals with disabilities in Saginaw and surrounding communities.
Chippewa Nature Center offering kayak trips through October
Beginning this month, the Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) in Midland is offering a variety of naturalist-led kayak trips, now through October. No experience is necessary to participate, and the CNC will provide each participant with a kayak, paddle and life jacket. Kayaking trips being offered throughout the year include: • Upper Chippewa River Kayak – Spend an evening paddling down the Chippewa River with a naturalist as you look for turtles, fish, herons, hawks and eagles.
Detroit Public TV to present special virtual Juneteenth program
Detroit Public Television will present “Juneteenth: We the People,” a special virtual program from the BLK Freedom Collective, at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 19, in commemoration of Juneteenth — the historic day the Emancipation Proclamation was officially enforced, ending enslavement in Texas.
Ola Holiness Camp offers eight days of ‘spiritual refreshing’
The 104th annual Ola Holiness Camp Meeting is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 19, running nightly through Sunday, June 26, 7212 S Bagley Rd. (US-127), in Ashley, Mich. The goal of the eight-day celebration is to create a setting for people “to have a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit.” The speaker of the week will be Pastor Jerry Drummond, a retired pastor from the East Washington Church in Ashley.
Mid-Michigan entertainment weekend June 10-12 and beyond
Art • Abundant Waters: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., Clarke Historical Library, 250 E. Preston Street, CMU, Mt. Pleasant, cmich.edu/research/clarke-historical-library/exhibitions • Birds Doing Stuff: A Retrospective on the Busy Lives of Michigan Wildlife: On view through Aug. 14 at the Baber Room Gallery inside CMU’s Charles V. Park Library, 250 E Preston. (989) 774-2165 Beats • Freak Daddy: 10 p.m. Friday, June 10, at The Ascend inside Soaring Eagle Casino, 6800 E Soaring Eagle Blvd.
Registration open for Alma summer art camp
The first session of Alma Community Art Center’s summer camp kicks off later this month, June 21-23, with the later session planned for Aug. 2-4. Registration is still open for both programs, which are held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. Each session is geared toward students ages 8-14, and costs $100 for three days of learning a variety of artistic styles/mediums. Only 20 seats are available for each session, and spots are filling up quickly, according to Camp Supervisor Sandy Sheldon.
‘Ain’t Too Proud’ follows The Temptations’ road to stardom
This weekend will be the last opportunity for Michiganders to catch the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations” at the Wharton Center in East Lansing. Running through Sunday, June 12, the musical follows the group’s extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, touching on themes of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal during a decade of civil unrest in America.
Homestead Sundays underway at Chippewa Nature Center
This month through August, the Chippewa Nature Center will be hosting Homestead Sundays from 1-5 p.m., with a different theme and a variety of activities featured each week. The free, family-friendly weekly event series will offer visitors the opportunity to tour the farm, visit the animals, explore historic buildings and heirloom gardens, and learn about Midland’s rural heritage. Guided tours will be offered each week at 2 p.m. by staff and volunteers, or visitors can be their own guide.
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