John Bauer

Every First Friday we connect with Betty Firth from the Ely Folk School.  She lets us in on the upcoming classes and events in Ely and at the Folk School.  This month is full of cool stuff... including a class today where you can learn how to make a fish leather wallet and later in month a class on bent willow chair making!  Go to the Ely Folk School website for a full listing of upcoming courses! 

Every First Friday of the month, we check in with Katie Marshall, Executive Director of the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids.

"In terms of how I choose subjects, it's kind of a combination of physical exploration and...Google Street View exploration...  I look for a... formal structure that appeals to me in a building whether it's dilapidated or new.

"I do a lot of mental snapshots.  I'll look up, see something, go back down and paint it and try to capture them that way...it gets more expressive the faster I go, I find.  And then I don't think as much.  I just go with more of the feeling and try to get those brush strokes just as fast as I can on there...that's when cool things really happen." - Nate Luetgers on live-painting bands.  

Deathtrap is a dark comedy coming to the Reif Center in Grand Rapids.  Auditions are tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday morning… We spoke with director Steve Jaeger about the play, what he’s looking for in terms of actors (5 actors – 1 mature female, 1 female aged mid 20s-mid 50s, 1 younger male – early to mid 20s, and 2 mature males), what auditions are like. Everyone is welcome to audition, with or without acting experience!

Steve also tells us about the excitement and thrill of directing and being in theater that keeps him coming back for more.