Stories at the Center

This past fall, history was made when two NASA astronauts completed the first-ever spacewalk by an all-woman team, what you could say is ‘one giant leap for mankind,’ and more importantly, womankind. These two astronauts made history only 35 years after the first woman to spacewalk, and now more than any time in our history, women are entering the workforce for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

When we experience the traditions and lifestyles of a new culture through the worldly perspective of an artist, we open the window for further dialogue and cultural exchange. This is the purpose of the Windows on the World Series at the Midland Center for the Arts. The Center is proud to partner with the Midland Area Interfaith Friends for an evening of music and conversation with Arab-Jewish ensemble Shesh Besh on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at the United Church of Christ, 4100 Chestnut Hill Drive, Midland, MI. The ensemble will perform several selections from both Eastern and Western repertoire, and answer questions while facilitating conversation about life in the Middle East and their goal of building bridges across religion and culture through the art of music. The event is free and open to the public.

On Monday morning you could hear the sound of students shuffling through the halls of Washington Elementary School as they approached the school gymnasium with excitement. In an effort to connect youth in the community with high quality performing arts experiences, the Midland Center for the Arts brought Latin American string band, Che Apalache, to the students in Bay City, Mich.

The Center is ‘giving a ball’ and one local princess will be perform a solo at the Broadway Princess Party! An iconic trio featuring Broadway’s original Cinderella, Belle, and Anastasia come to Midland Center for the Arts on Feb. 7 for this hit concert, direct from New York City. Princesses of all ages are invited to share a video singing one of Disney’s animated favorites: “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog, “Just Around the Riverbend” from Pocahontas, or “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled.

Remember back to reading your history book as a student, witnessing the portraits of prominent leaders, honored and depicted through the art form of portraiture? Do you remember more portraits of women or men? The Midland Center for the Arts is taking a look at prominent women on a local and national scale who have had achievements in civil rights, public policy, philanthropy, art and science. Seeing HERstory, the role women have played in history.

Midland Center for the Arts recently announced the addition of Michael Mirto as the new Vice President of Development. Mirto comes to the Center from the Detroit area where he was the VP of Philanthropic Services for the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, and before that the Associate Vice President of Individual Giving at Wayne State University.

The Midland Center for the Arts recently announced Jacob Huss as the new Historical Programs and Exhibitions Manager. Jacob was formerly the Assistant Curator for the Midland County Historical Society and a Museum Generalist for the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art.

Starting at an early age, Blue C. M. Dingman dreamed of assembling her own Christmas village. “I’ve always loved villages, since the time I was little, watching them get assembled for department stores in holiday movies on our families black-and-white television set,” said Dingman, the artist behind Blue’s Christmas Village at the 1874 Bradley Home this December. What started as a childhood memory signifying the holiday season quickly grew into 102 hand-painted homes, storefronts, hospitals and even a cemetery.