Ann Arbor Art Center

Odyssey: The Hero's Journey Fashion Show Fundraiser
2023-03-11 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit) | Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
On Saturday, March 11, you are invited to join us on the hero's journey on this night of high fashion!

NOIR Runway is a community service-based fashion group at UofM that has established itself as a premier fashion organization since its inception in the fall of 1999. Each year NOiR re-introduces style, creativity, and individuality to the University of Michigan with an annual fall project and Spring fashion show procured from local and student designers and artists, with proceeds going to a charitable cause.

This year, NOIR will donate all its proceeds to the A2AC!

Learn more about NOIR here: https://noirrunway.org/

Live Paint with Jeremy!
2023-03-15 12:00 - 12:45 | Virtual
Join the A2AC's Jeremy Wheeler for a special live lunchtime virtual paint session on YouTube. This event is in connection to the artist's Soft Collections watercolor exhibition in the A2AC Spotlight Gallery, celebrating its opening on Wednesday, March 15, from 5-8pm, in conjunction with the opening of the Off the Screen! 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival exhibition in the A2AC Gallery.

Off the Screen! 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival - A2AC Opening Reception
2023-03-17 17:00 - 20:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join the A2AC as we celebrate installations from the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival in the A2AC Gallery.

Featured artists include:

Christopher Pavsek

Troy Ramos

Alexandre Roy

Lilan Yang

More information on the 61st AAFF here.

This event will coincide with the opening of Jeremy Wheeler's Soft Collections exhibition in the Spotlight Gallery on the 2nd floor of the A2AC.

A second Opening Reception for Off the Screen! will be held during the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival on Thursday, March 23, from 3 - 5pm, featuring a live cinema performance by Matthieu Hallé in Studio 201.

Jeremy Wheeler's Soft Collections - Opening Reception
2023-03-17 17:00 - 20:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join the A2AC as we celebrate the opening reception of Jeremy Wheeler's Soft Collections, a new exhibition in the Spotlight Gallery located on the 2nd floor of the A2AC.

Featuring watercolor works by local artist and A2AC Marketing Manager Jeremy Wheeler.

Learn more about Jeremy's watercolor work here.

This event will coincide with the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival's Off the Screen Exhibition Opening in the A2AC Gallery.

OFF THE SCREEN! 61ST ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL – AAFF OPENING RECEPTION
2023-03-23 15:00 - 17:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join the A2AC as we celebrate installations from the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival in the A2AC Gallery and Studio 201, featuring a live cinema performance by Matthieu Hallé with musiciansJonathan Barahal Taylor and Chien-An Yuan.

Off the Screen's featured artists include:

Christopher Pavsek

Troy Ramos

Alexandre Roy

Lilan Yang

More information on the 61st AAFF here.

A2AC PlayLab: 61st AAFF presents Pickle Fort Film Collective Interactive Workshops
2023-03-26 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-03-26 13:00 - 14:30 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A2AC PlayLab is a new monthly family event series geared towards caregivers with young children ages 3-9 years of age.

Come see March’s film/video-based exhibition, Off the Screen: 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival. Join guest artist Sean Kenny from the Pickle Fort Collective in an interactive workshop to create your very own experimental 16mm film! Each caregiver and child will receive a length of 16mm to paint/scratch/mark up, and then watch as Sean Kenny creates a "loop" and debuts your very own 16mm film in the projector! Hand-held instruments and shakers will be provided to create a custom soundtrack. Film loops are free to take home.

This month's A2AC PlayLab has two age groups. Please RSVP below for the time that best reflects your group's needs and abilities.

KIDS 3-5 YEARS: 10:30am - 11:45am

KIDS 6-9 YEARS: 1:00pm - 2:30pm

In consideration of your child's sound sensitivities, this workshop includes a medium level of noise, mostly from shakers and hand drums, and voices.

A2AC PlayLab is supported with a grant from the DTE Energy Foundation

Awake! Printmaking in Action Opening Reception at the AADL
2023-04-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104, United States
Join us at the AADL on Friday, April 14, from 6-8pm, at the first opening reception for our upcoming Awake! Printmaking in Action exhibition, on view in the A2AC Spotlight Gallery and the 2nd floor of the Downtown Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. The A2AC will celebrate Awake! on May 5, in conjunction with the opening of Maternal Interior at the A2AC Gallery, as well as the First Fridays Gallery Hop in Ann Arbor, featuring various galleries around the city.

Come pull a print! AADL's Letterpress Lab will be on hand with their presses during the opening reception. Guests of all ages are invited create a show poster from the Awake! show. All ages welcome 6-8pm during the opening reception.

Awake! Printmaking in Action showcases the current visual language of activist movements. How has printmaking assisted with–and responded to–creating an aesthetic of change? This exhibition features 42 regional and national artists who embolden, seek justice for, and give voice to the various social justice and activist movements in the U.S.

Awake! Printmaking in Action is organized and curated by the Ann Arbor Art Center in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch location. Additional artwork can be seen at the AADL's downtown 2nd-floor gallery through May 28, 2023.

IS/LAND presents Tetra - Evening Performance
2023-04-15 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
IS/LAND invite the audience to attend and bear witness to a ceremony of transformation and transcendence. Forming rolls of colorful Hanji mulberry paper into shapes and pathways of wisdom, knowledge, and healing, the movement of the dancers offers improvised ‘rituals’ as communal gestures of healing and transmutation, ultimately creating a restorative healing space for both the audience and performers.

The performances are around 45 minutes with no intermission. Performances are best for ages 10 years and older. A2AC encourages caregivers to use their best judgment with concern for their child’s attention.

Learn more about Tetra here: https://www.annarborartcenter.org/is-land/

A2AC PlayLab featuring IS/LAND performers Olivia Lemmenes & Amber Kao
2023-04-16 10:30 - 12:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A2AC PlayLab is a new monthly family event series geared towards caregivers with young children ages 3- 9 years.

April’s A2AC PlayLab features dancers Olivia Lemmenes and Amber Kao from IS/LAND performance collaborative, who reside at the A2AC Gallery for the month. The dancers will guide caregivers and their children through a series of drawing exercises and movement exercises that lead to various “movement phrases” or short dances. Attendees will leave with a unique dance that they can perform anytime! No dance experience is necessary. This month’s A2AC PlayLab is best for ages 5 – 8 years of age. This no-fee event requires pre-registration and is sponsored by a grant from the DTE Energy Foundation.

Free. Pre-Registration Required

IS/LAND presents Tetra - Matinee Performance
2023-04-16 14:00 - 15:30, 2023-04-23 14:00 - 15:30 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
IS/LAND invite the audience to attend and bear witness to a ceremony of transformation and transcendence. Forming rolls of colorful Hanji mulberry paper into shapes and pathways of wisdom, knowledge, and healing, the movement of the dancers offers improvised ‘rituals’ as communal gestures of healing and transmutation, ultimately creating a restorative healing space for both the audience and performers.

Stay for a post-performance conversation between IS/LAND members and A2AC Exhibitions director Thea A. Eck.

The performances are around 45 minutes with no intermission. Performances are best for ages 10 years and older. A2AC encourages caregivers to use their best judgment with concern for their child’s attention.

Learn more about Tetra here: https://www.annarborartcenter.org/is-land/

Tsuru for Solidarity Paper Crane Drop-In
2023-04-20 15:00 - 18:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In conjunction with IS/LAND performance collaborative, join us in the A2AC Gallery to it. This free drop-in series will teach you how to fold the cranes, which will be included in IS/LAND's Tsuru for Solidarity Tree at the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch in May. Later this summer, all cranes will be transported down to the U.S./Mexico border to be part of the national Tsuru for Solidarity project.

All supplies will be provided. This drop-in is best for ages 9 years and up.

Products by Bløm Meadworks available during the event.

GO TO SATURDAY'S DROP-IN

Tsuru for Solidarity Paper Crane Drop-In
2023-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In conjunction with IS/LAND performance collaborative, join us in the A2AC Gallery to it. This free drop-in series will teach you how to fold the cranes, which will be included in IS/LAND's Tsuru for Solidarity Tree at the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch in May. Later this summer, all cranes will be transported down to the U.S./Mexico border to be part of the national Tsuru for Solidarity project.

All supplies will be provided. This drop-in is best for ages 9 years and up.

Coffee and tea will be available and are generously provided by our neighbors at Hyperion Coffee Co.

GO TO THURSDAY'S DROP-IN

Awake! Printmaking in Action Opening Reception at the A2AC
2023-05-05 17:00 - 20:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The A2AC celebrates Awake! Printmaking in Action at the A2AC Spotlight Gallery on May 5, in conjunction with the opening of Maternal Interior at the A2AC Gallery, as well as the First Fridays Gallery Hop in Ann Arbor, featuring various galleries around the city.

Awake! Printmaking in Action showcases the current visual language of activist movements. How has printmaking assisted with–and responded to–creating an aesthetic of change? This exhibition features 42 regional and national artists who embolden, seek justice for, and give voice to the various social justice and activist movements in the U.S.

Awake! Printmaking in Action is organized and curated by the Ann Arbor Art Center in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch location. Additional artwork can be seen at the AADL's downtown 2nd-floor gallery through May 28, 2023.

Maternal Interior Opening Reception
2023-05-05 17:00 - 20:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us for the Opening Reception of the Maternal Interior exhibition in the A2AC Gallery. We are proud to host guest curators Lee Nowell-Wilson (Baltimore), Alana DeRiggi (Ann Arbor), and Gina Balibrera (Ann Arbor) for this new multidisciplinary exhibition featuring 11 visual artists in conjunction with 12 writers, who turn their gaze inward toward their personal journeys of motherhood. This exhibition aims to broadly capture questions of relationship, the "inner" and the "surrounding" while building a collective display of the many layers of maternity.

The Opening will feature curators and participating artists/authors. The event will coincide with the A2AC opening reception for the Spotlight Gallery's Awake! Printmaking in Action exhibition and the A2 Gallery Hop event featuring six galleries around the city. Bring new formula, wipes, or diapers to the opening to stock RISE Wellness Collaborative's Formula Pantry.

Mother's Day Pop-Up at the A2AC Shop
2023-05-06 12:00 - 15:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us for a special pre-Mother's Day Pop-Up at the A2AC Shop. You won't want to miss the four guest artists whose work could make the perfect gifts for the Moms in your life.

Artists include:Stacey Malasky (Prints, textile)Anusree Sattaluri (ceramics, prints)Teresa Petersen (original collage and prints)Jessica Tenbusch (mixed media originals, prints, jewelry)

Summer Art Classes Open for Members
2023-05-17 07:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Things are heating up this summer at the A2AC! Mark your calendars for Summer Art Class registration, opening May 17 for members and May 19 for all. By becoming a member, you'll not only be supporting a 501(c)3 organization, ensuring a home for the visual arts in your community, but it will also allow you to secure a spot in your most anticipated classes before they open to the public. Consider becoming an A2AC Member today here: https://www.annarborartcenter.org/get-involved/memberships/

Summer Art Classes Open for ALL
2023-05-19 07:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Beat the heat with a summer art class at the A2AC!

A2AC Author Series
2023-05-25 19:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The new A2AC Author Series features writers from the Maternal Interior exhibition in the A2AC Gallery. Each Thursday evening presents six authors from the show, reading selections of their work. This includes poetry, essay, and fiction.

Free with RSVP | Donations will be accepted at the door

RSVP

In partnership with

A2AC Author Series
2023-06-01 19:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The new A2AC Author Series features writers from the Maternal Interior exhibition in the A2AC Gallery. Each Thursday evening presents six authors from the show, reading selections of their work. This includes poetry, essay, and fiction.

Free with RSVP | Donations accepted at the door

RSVP

Presented by

A2CAF Workshop | Become a Fearless Storyteller with Ryan Estrada
2023-06-10 14:00 - 15:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Author Ryan Estrada has been thrown from a moving train, was almost eaten by lions, and was even set on fire. But the scariest thing he's ever had to do? Tell those stories on stage. How did he go from nervous in front of a crowd to a three-time Moth StorySlam winner who turns his stage performances into comics? In this workshop, Ryan will use a foolproof secret method to cure stage fright and develop storytelling skills that you can use to make comics or to get ahead in any career. A series of fun, interactive minigames will create a safe, welcoming environment that will have even the shyest participants jumping up to volunteer.

free | Studio 201 | Ages: Teens & Adults

About Ryan Estrada

Ryan Estrada is an artist, author, and adventurer. His books include Banned Book Club, Occulted, and the Student Ambassador series. He has worked for Star Trek, Popeye, Flash Gordon, and Garfield. He was a gator wrangler in America, an ambassador to Australia, an undocumented animator in Canada, a ghostbuster in South Korea, a Bollywood voiceover actor in India, wandered Kim Jong Il's secret tunnels to North Korea, slept on a bench in a typhoon in Japan, dug toilets in Thailand, did an accidental illegal border crossing into Burma, made road comics in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, and The Phillippines, documentaries in Colombia and Ecuador, and podcasts in Malaysia, ran with the bulls in Mexico, barely escaped being eaten by lions in Kenya, fainted atop Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, got caught in a Peruvian coca war, lived in a Costa Rican rainforest and a Panamanian volcano.

Presented by

Learn More Ryan Estrada

Learn More About A2CAF 2023

A2AC Curator & Artist Talk - Maternal Interior
2023-06-11 11:00 - 12:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us in the A2AC Gallery for a conversation with curators Gina Balibrera, Alana DeRiggi, and Lee Nowell-Wilson, as well as A2AC Exhibitions Director Thea A. Eck. Learn how the show was created and dive deeper into the diverse theme of motherhood percolating through the artwork and writing pieces.

A2CAF Workshop | Write with Images with Anne & Jerzy Drozd
2023-06-11 11:15 - 12:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Learn how cartoonists use drawings, panel size, and crazy sound effects to immerse their readers in the story! Cartoonists Anne and Jerzy Drozd (Science Comics: Rockets) will lead you in an interactive discussion on some of the fundamental comics storytelling principles, after which you’ll be invited to create a short comics story of your own!

free | Studio 201 | Ages: All

About Anne & Jerzy Drozd

Jerzy Drozd is a cartoonist and teaching artist. He wrote and drew Science Comics: Rockets with his wife, Anne Drozd. He is one of the artists of The Warren Commission Report.

Jerzy leads cartooning workshops for children and teens in libraries and schools, as well as for teachers who want to bring comics to the classroom. He is a member of the Ohio Arts Council’s Teaching Artist Roster, and also podcasts about comics and how to make them.

He's drawn special projects for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Marvel Comics, VIZ Media, and others. He is currently working on a middle-grade fantasy comic called The Inscrutable Doctor Baer and the Case of the Two-Faced Statue.

Learn More About Jerzy

Anne Drozd is a museum coordinator at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum by day and a cartoonist by night. She's an avid space exploration enthusiast and a card-holding member of the Planetary Society. Her favorite NASA mission is Apollo 12.

Presented by

Learn More About A2CAF 2023

Make Music Day at the A2AC
2023-06-21 13:00 - 17:45 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join the A2AC as we celebrate Make Music Ann Arbor, a live, free musical celebration on June 21, the longest day of the year, with concerts by professional and amateur musicians across the city.

Performances:

1pm - 1:30pm - Rajeev Kalamdani (amateur saxophonist focusing on Indian semi classical music played to the accompaniment of electronic tabla and tanpura)

2pm - 2:45pm - Alvin Hill (modular wave on a modular synthesizer)

5pm - 5:45pm - Ancel Neeley (percussionist and composer: solo vibraphone)

ABOUT MAKE MUSIC ANN ARBOR

Wavelengths Opening Reception
2023-07-14 18:00 - 20:00 | A2AC Gallery, 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us for the opening night of Wavelengths in the A2AC Gallery, an exhibition that explores the art and science of color through the lens of 5 visionary artists.

This event coincides with the opening celebration of the A2AC Color Shop, a vibrant, color-filled wonderland where art and shopping unite in a unique summer pop-up event.

LEARN ABOUT WAVELENGTHS

A2AC Color Shop Opening Reception
2023-07-14 18:00 - 20:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The A2AC Shop will be transformed into a color-filled space this summer! Immerse yourself in a vibrant, color-filled wonderland where art and shopping unite in a unique summer pop-up event. Discover a carefully curated collection of artworks by talented local artists, each piece celebrating the beauty and power of a specific color.

This reception will coincide with the Opening Reception of Wavelengths, the new A2AC Gallery exhibition, running from July 14 - August 19, 2023.

Bracelet & Keychain DIY Drop-in
2023-08-05 12:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us outside the A2AC Color Shop on August 5th during Ann Arbor Pride Festival to make colorful bracelets or keychains for you, your best pal, partner, or favorite family member!

Free/$5 suggested donation includes 3 string cords for either bracelets or keychains, with 25% of the proceeds being donated to the Ann Arbor Pride (Jim Toy Community Center).

All necessary supplies are provided, including markers and basic drawing supplies. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the activity indoors.

Draw A Succulent Pot Drop-In
2023-08-11 16:00 - 19:00 | A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center), 117 W Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join us on August 11 with your best pal, significant other, or favorite family member to draw your own succulent pots! This is a drop-in event that takes place outside the A2AC Color Shop.

Admission Fee: $15 (including one pot and one succulent). Markers and basic drawing supplies will be provided. In the event of inclement weather, we will move the activity indoors.

Planters purchased from our friends at Gracias' Greenhouse.
