Saginaw's Castle Museum offers a summer of cultural 'trips'

by Janet I. Martineau

Travel costs and airport security issues leaving you unsettled about summer plans? 

How about the chance to visit China, Eastern Europe, Germany, Great Britain, French Canada and the Middle East -- all without leaving Saginaw and for the grand total of $14 if you include all the destinations.

Once again the Castle Museum of Saginaw County, 500 Federal, is offering a series of culture celebrations, starting Tuesday (June 19) and running through Aug. 16.

Each Tuesday and Thursday, at noon, it’s a different country. Most of the programs run an hour, for travelers who have daytime jobs. Each one, for $1 admission, includes a culturally-themed dessert and beverage (and because of that, reservations are required by calling 752-2861, ext. 315).

Following is the itinerary (with July 31/Aug. 2 TBA):

CHINA

Tuesday, June 19, tai chi instructor Jim Bush from Cloud Hands Michigan shares the history of tai chi, explains what it is and demonstrates some of the moves.

Thursday, June 21, participants of all ages will make their own dragon kite and learn about the significance of kites in Chinese culture.

Tom, Diane Bradley

EASTERN EUROPE

Tuesday, June 26,  Tom and Diane Bradley of Bannister will demonstrate Czechoslovakian polka music and dancing. The couple was recently inducted into the Michigan Polka Music Hall of Fame and has been teaching and performing for many  years.

Thursday, June 28,  Hoyt Library’s Linda Bryant will discuss the significance of Russian fairy tales and fables and introduce some of the most famous writers and stories. She will finish by reading a few of her favorite stories.

ISLAM/MIDDLE EAST

Tuesday, July 10, Dr. Waheed Akbar will  explain what Islam is in a lecture titled “Knowing Islam.” There also will be a small display of items reflecting Islamic culture.

Thursday, July 12, in an “Islam Sampler,” participants can visit “stations” and learn about Islamic art, music, food and henna tattoos.

GERMANY

Tuesday, July 17, During “Breweries in Saginaw: One Family’s Story,”  Bob Rosa will discuss his family’s history owning and operating some of the area’s breweries at the turn of the 20^th century.

Thursday, July 19 – To Be Announced.

FRENCH CANADA 

Tuesday, July 24, D.  Laurence Rogers will investigate “The Legend of Paul Bunyan.” Somewhere in the old St. Joseph Cemetery in Bay City lies the last remains of Fabian “Joe” Fournier -- a man whom many are  convinced inspired a major portion of the legendary figure Paul Bunyan. 

Rogers wrote the  book “Paul Bunyan: How a Terrible Timber Feller Became a Legend” in which he outlines his theory with enough evidence from many sources to present a convincing case.

The Saginaw Voyageurs

Thursday, July 26, The Saginaw Voyageurs is a living history re-enactment group sponsored by the Castle Museum. 

The members participate in a journey each summer tracing the routes of the original Voyageurs and fur traders of the Great Lakes as a way to promote an understanding and appreciation for the early Great Lakes fur trade, the life of the voyageurs, and the role Saginaw played as the fur trading center. 

Voyageur John Severs will talk about the group and what it does and where the group is going in early August as it prepares for its 27^th annual excursion.

GREAT BRITAIN

Tuesday, Aug. 7, the summer Olympics are in London this year, so in “The Olympics, Facts and Fun” participants will play a game related to the Olympics, hear a brief history of the Olympic Games, and test their knowledge on the flags and countries of the more than  200 nations that participate in the Olympics.

Thursday, Aug. 9, bring your own tea cup and enjoy a traditional British high tea. Great Britain native Maureen Jones, who now lives in Saginaw, will talk about tea time in Great Britain as one and all enjoys some delectable finger foods and a nice cup of tea.

CAJUN

Tuesday, Aug. 14, the owners of A Touch of Cajun in Saginaw will share some of their favorite foods and explain what Cajun cooking is all about.

Thursday, Aug. 16, a lively performance by the Saucecats, formed in the fall of 2001 by a group of seasoned musicians seeking to play New Orleans funk, zydeco, blues, Latin and Caribbean music.

Attention to details, strong acting enliven "Strange Snow" at SVSU

review by Janet I. Martineau

Details. Details. Details.

Oh my gosh they shine in SVSU’s production of “Strange Snow,” which opened Tuesday night in the Black Box Theatre.

Bloody knuckles and noses, upset stomachs,  the dirty hands and nails of a mechanic, an 1970s aura apartment filled with crap from that timeframe, soup poured from a pot and brewing coffee, a flower child dress, big eyeglass frames, cherry tomatoes...we could go on.

Rustin Myers, Cassidy Morey in a light-hearted moment

Bravo director David Rzeszutek, scenic designer Jerry Dennis and costume designer Elise Shannon for making this show live and breath with realism.

But, of course, plays are far more about their scrips and acting than about the window dressing.

And for the most part “Strange Snow,” playing through Friday night, delivers just as strongly there as well.

Written by Stephen Metcalfe, “Strange Snow” deals with two small-town, working-class buddies who served in Vietnam and lost their best buddy there. 

One lives with his school teacher sister now, and a romance is developing between her and her brother’s buddy -- much to the brother’s anger.

To be truthful this is not the strongest script in the world and reverts to one to many cliches about love and war and healing. But its three characters are despite that interesting people -- and played strongly by David Ryan as the overly enthusiastic and high energy Megs, Cassidy Morey as the shy sister, and Rustin Myers as the depressed, angry and alcohol-sodden brother.

It is such a joy to watch their emotion-filled faces in this small theater, to watch their body English, to observe them move with realism and comfort around the set with its kitchen, dining area and living room. These three are living their characters in full throttle, and we often notice our own faces are mirroring theirs as we get caught up in the humor, pathos and coming to terms progression of the play.


Their only glitch comes when the two men finally, in a heated exchange, reveal what it was that happened in Vietnam -- to them and to their buddy. The passion is rightfully intense here, but the words exchanged a little too fast and furious and less clearly enunciated for the audience to catch it all. 

Rzeszutek has set the play in Massachusetts to give his cast an exercise in a difficult accent. Morey is spot on with it  from start to finish, whether she is being coy and shy or raging at her brother in fed-up anger. She also is the one of the trio who shows the most movement in her character evolving and changing and it is delightful to watch the progression.

Myers is, frankly, rather scary. From the get go his David is like a coiled rattlesnake and we are not sure when he is going to strike, and at whom, and why. We just know that his character is oozing with something pent up and it makes us uncomfortable -- except for that one brief moment he teases his sister about her love life and she teases back. Nice performance all around although his accent comes and goes.

Ryan seems to have no accent at all, and struggles throughout with lines, but his Megs is an enjoyable high-energy yet gentle giant guy trying to bring some spark of life back into sullen David. But, we start to suspect, is that high-energy and enthusiasm hiding something as well. And when it erupts out of nowhere, we jump in our seat we are so startled.

Over the years we tend to judge the impact of a play on whether or not we give a rip about its characters beyond the ending of the play, Do we care what the next day, next year, next decade is like in their lives.

With these three characters, thanks more to the performances than the lines, we cared a lot.

Whimsical felted animals debut at Andersen Art & Garden Festival

by Janet I. Martineau

Sauer's giraffe....

A mother and daughter team up Wednesday, June 13, to sell felted animals at the Andersen Enrichment Center’s 8th Annual Art & Garden Festival.

“I make giraffes, lions, bears, horses, whales,” says Elizabeth M. Sauer, “and my mom, Robin,  makes birds. It’s the first time either of us has sold them at an art  festival or fair.”

The Art & Garden Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Andersen, 120 Ezra Rust. Nearly 25 vendors will sell plants, paintings, garden art, clothing, pottery, candles. Other activities include gardening lectures, a silent auction, and a Koegel hot dogs/chips/ pasta salad lunch with strawberry shortcake for dessert. Admission and parking is free.

Sauer is serious about art,  despite the colorful and whimsical animals she has been making for the past year and a half.  The Saginaw native just graduated with a BFA in ceramics from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and is headed this fall to the University of Florida to  pursue her MFA.

And for the past two years, she was accepted into the prestigious ArtPrize  exhibition in Grand Rapids. In 2010, she displayed a 16-foot-in-diameter bird’s nest and last year a life-size clay sculpture of a Haitian woman.

Ceramics, welding and mixed media are her preferred art media, says the Nouvel Catholic High School alum who for the past several years also has been a drummer and dancer with Saginaw’s Celtic band Equinox.

“I make the felted animals for fun,” says Sauer, “although right now I am stressing to get enough made to sell Wednesday. I love color, so they are not the normal colors of the animals. I hunt down woolen material in crazy colors and then just mix and match them into something whimsical.”

... and a horse

The critters range in size from 4 inches high to a foot (the giraffe) and sell for between $20 and $50. 

“People have no idea how time-consuming the craft of felting is -- taking raw wool, stabbing away at it to shape it into the form of the animal and then adding the colored wool over top.”

One of those giraffes she favors takes eight hours to create, she says.

As for her two ArtPrize winners, the giant bird’s best was constructed out of apple tree branches. “And there was nothing (no birds or eggs) in it because I liked the idea of ambiguity -- letting the people looking at it come up with different ideas.”

The 5-foot ceramic/mixed media/welded Haitian woman “was my response to when I went to Haiti a year and a half ago.” She also dressed the woman, in blue and green retro garb with big pockets, typical of many of the clothes Americans donate to Haiti.

Elizabeth Sauer

Sauer hopes to eventually teach at the collegiate level and maintain an art studio on the side, working in ceramics or sculpture.

Other vendors at the Art & Garden Festival include native Michigan perennials, ferns and trees from Better Finds LLC; vintage and new pottery, china and glass assembled into tiered garden art and stands by Janet Hahn; cement lawn art from Mother Earth Ceramics; paintings by the Saginaw Area Watermedia Artists;  garden stones, glass, potting tables from recycled items by Judy Rich; cider slush, baked goods and donuts from Leaman’s Green Apple Barn, and honey-beeswax candles, lip balms and soaps by Jeanette Waibel.

The gardening lectures are: 

-- 10:30am, Vegetable Gardening, presented by Anne Birkam, a member of the Saginaw Valley Master Gardeners Association.

-- 11:15pm, Shade Gardening, presented by Sally Suttle of Abele’s Greenhouse and Garden Center.

--  Noon, Flower Arranging, presented by Shelley McGeathy,  director of the Downtown Saginaw Farmers’ Market.

-- 12:45pm, Rose Care, presented by Jackie Steinert and Clint Bremer of the Saginaw Valley Rose Society).

Mural, birthday memories, play acting all a part of "In a Poet's Backyard" summer programs

by Janet I. Martineau

A series of 11 backyard picnic programs will keep participants busy this summer  -- painting a 16-foot mural, sharing memories of their birthdays, and acting in a readers theater  play about a famous Saginawian.

“And we will serve birthday cake and ice cream with the birthday memories event,” says Annie Ransford of the “In a Poet’s Backyard” offerings at 1805 Gratiot, the boyhood home of Pulitzer-winning poet Theodore Roethke, as well as  three off-site venues.

An earlier event, with Roethke's house in the background

Most of the programs, in fact, include food -- catered by such venues as dawn of a new day, Crumbs, Sullivans and The Savoy, says Ransford, the president of the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation which owns and operates the Roethke home. And several are aimed at family participation, she adds, with affordable admission.

Following is the summer schedule:

-- Tuesday, June 12, “The Human Pang: Writing About What Matters,” led by Holly Wren Spaulding. Noon-3:30 pm. $20 includes lunch from dawn of a new day,

Spaulding currently  teaches writing at Northwestern Michigan College and leads monthly Poetry Boot Camps in Traverse City.

In this workshop, aimed at poets. essayists, memoir writers and fiction writers, Spaulding will discuss the necessity of taking emotional risks in writing and how to tackle  big themes and experiences. She will read works in which the author writes with "something at stake";  guide participants into  improvisations designed to encourage leaps of the imagination, unlikely associations, fresh imagery and dazzling language, and provide strategies for getting started.

Spaulding studied creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Michigan, and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Her articles, essays and poems have appeared in The Nation, Michigan Quarterly Review, Witness and Wake and among her honors are  five Avery Hopwood Awards.

-- Tuesday, June 19, “Raising Awareness: Getting One’s Mental and Physical on Par." 7-8:30 pm at Zauel Library, 3100 N. Center. Free.

This summer, Roethke House extends its reach into mental health issues,  in consideration of Roethke's own struggles with mental illness. Dr. Harold Lenhart and Mary Ann Fournier will discuss Roethke’s diagnosis, his writing and his life through  family stories of awareness and survival.  

-- Wednesday, June 20, “Saginaw Community Garden Project.” 10am-noon at Good Neighbors Mission, 1318 Cherry. $10 includes snack.

Padaric Ingle, the founder and director of the of Grow Saginaw project seeking to establish community gardens throughout the city, will construct  one or more raised bed planters at this site as he talks about the importance of  community gardens and how Roethke’s family once owned the largest greenhouse in the Saginaw area and was heavily involved in gardening.  

-- Thursday, June 21, “Create a Mural With Poetry and Paint.”  10am-noon. $10 a person/$15 family includes a snack.

Bay City artist/author Mary Blocksma will read her children's poem "Scammon's Lagoon," describing a magic place where the gray whales congregate every year, and then guide those attending in the painting of a 16-foot mural. 

“We’ll line up the mural paper on tables stretched across the yard,” says Ransford, “and hopefully find a place willing to showcase the finished product.”

-- Wednesday, June 27, “Finding and Shaping Your Narrative.” 10am-12:30pm. $20 includes lunch from Crumbs.

   

Roethke was a master at observation, drawing word pictures so clearly that readers can see, and feel, the details of his life experiences. 

Artist and writer, Wilma Romatz will lead writers into drawing meaningful objects that will tap into their memories in a surprising way and will demonstrate how examining old photos can spark creativity in much the same way that walking into a greenhouse inspired Roethke. 

And author and educator Gloria Nixon-John will read from “Learning From Lady Chatterley,” her memoir in narrative verse, as she shares  Roethke’s proclivity toward narrative in his verse even before it was fashionable. Also shared is narrative verse penned by Sharon Olds and Michael Ondaatje before participants dabble in their own creations.

-- Thursday, June 28, “Touching Spirit Bear, A Novel Discussion.” 4-5pm. $10 a person/$15 family includes lemonade and cookies.

Rob Joslyn, an English teacher at White Pine Middle School, will lead a family conversation about Ben Mikaelsen’s award-winning novel  “Touching Spirit Bear,” dealing with the issue of bulling. 

Joslyn was one of the teachers who participated in this year’s Great Lakes Great Read project during which middle school students in Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties read the book and attended  presentations by Mikaelsen. The project was sponsored by Saginaw Township Community Education, SVSU, Creative 360 and Bay City Public Schools. 

-- Tuesday, July 17, “Party at the Zoo.” 2-3pm at the Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 1730 S. Washington. Free with $7 admission to the zoo.

In a collaboration between Bay Arenac Reading Council and Friends of Theodore Roethke, the party includes poetry reading, games, party hats and animal crackers. Roethke penned a book-long poem titled “Party at the Zoo,” eaturing story of his goddaughter Meg Walkenshaw Fuell.

-- Tuesday, July 24, “Roethke’s Letters From Home,” performed by members of the River Junction Poets. 7-8pm. $10 includes  dessert from The Savoy.

Alfreda Harris

Roethke’s letters express his feelings during Saginaw summers as he writes to his girl friend Kitty Stokes, makes ice cream with his mother, hangs up wash in the back yard  and goes to the movies. Reading with letters with dramatic flourish are Maxine Harris, Betty Van Ochten and Marion Tincknell.

“This is taken from letters that were published, spanning the 1920s to the 1940s, during Roethke’s visits to Saginaw” says Ransford. “What will be special about this program is that the letters will be read at the house where they were written.”

-- Thursday, July 26, “Celebrate Birthday Memories and Stories With Alfreda Harris.” 7-8:30 pm. $10 a person/$15 family includes cake and ice cream.

Harris is a professional storyteller who shares stories that transcend cultural boundaries and expand global horizons in performances at schools, libraries, museums and nursing homes. 

In this offering she will  share personal and fictional birthday stories and then participants will have an opportunity to share a favorite birthday celebration memory in a story circle.  Art supplies will be available for those who want to create an illustration to accompany their story.  

“This program is more verbal than about writing,” says Ransford, “as people swap stories.”

Harris was a member of the  Peace Corps in the Solomon Islands. She also has participated in two Roethke oral history projects supported by Michigan Humanities Council. During Flint’s 150th anniversary celebration she collected more than  600 stories from past and present residents of Flint neighborhoods for an exhibition at the Sloan Museum.

-- Thursday, July 31, “Roethke Readers Theater.” 6-7:30pm. $20 includes dinner from Sullivans.

Roberta Johnson, a retired California judge and law school professor, will create a readers theater script from “The Glass House,” a Roethke biography penned by Alan Seager. It will focus on the Roethke family and its life at 1805 Gratiot, says Ransford, including the divide between his boyhood home and his uncle’s house next door. Those attending will then read and play the parts.

Johnson has created several readers theater programs dealing with women in history.

-- Wednesday, Aug 22, “Creatives Conquered and Conquering, From Michigan to Memphis.”  6-8pm. $20 includes dinner from Sullivans.

Mike Mosher, a professor of art, communication and digital media at Saginaw Valley State University, examines what can be learned about Roethke from investigations of tf Elvis Presley, defeated by his depression, and that of a contemporary Michigan children's musician who creatively thrived once he got his bipolarity under control.

Mosher also will perform several original songs on the Roethke family piano.

Reservations are required for all of the programs including a catered lunch or dinner. Call (989) 928-0430 or e-mail info@roethkehouse.org. by noon the day before the event. Tours of the house and registration begin 30 minutes before each program. Chairs are provided, but participants can also bring their own.

The “In a Poet’s Backyard” series is sponsored by grants from the Arthur D. Eddy Charity Trust managed by Citizens Bank Wealth Management, Saginaw Celebrates Summer/Hemlock Semiconductor, and the Michigan Humanities Council.

11th Annual "D.E.A.R. at the Zoo" set for June 13

by Janet I. Martineau

Children at 2011 'D.E.A.R. at the Zoo"

Animals and books team up for the 11th year on Wednesday, June 13, when the READ Association of Saginaw County invades the Children’s  Zoo at Celebration Square for its  always-popular “D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) at the Zoo” event.

Running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., among the activities are selecting a new and free book for each youngster, 12 booths with animal and reading themed activities, a presentation and book signing by a Michigan author, and special guests reading books in the zoo amphitheater.

“Research confirms that children who read during the summer months are more likely to maintain and even improve their reading skills,” says Carol R. Lechel, the director  of the READ Association of Saginaw County, “so we began this event 11 years ago to foster that.”

Sponsoring the activity booths spaced throughout the zoo grounds are  Barnes and Noble Booksellers, the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Saginaw County, the Castle Museum of Saginaw County, the Children's Book Company,  Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Mid Michigan Waste Authority, Public Libraries of Saginaw,  Covenant HealthCare, Saginaw County Birth to 5 Program, Saginaw Community Foundation Youth FORCE, St. Mary’s of Michigan and Target.   

The featured author is award-winning Nancy E. Shaw, who penned “Sheep in a Jeep,” “Sheep on a Ship,” “Sheep Take a Hike” and four other sheep books as well as the 2008 Michigan READS! selection “Raccoon Tune.”   

As a child, Shaw played word games during long car trips with her family and those trips helped develop her love for words and rhymes. The author was on a dull car trip in 1982 with her own daughter and son when she began tinkering with animal rhymes.  The resulting silly stories turned into the first of the sheep series..

Author Nancy E. Shaw

At noon, Shaw will read from her books in the amphitheater, and the rest of the time (between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) she will sell and autograph copies of her books. She lives in Ann Arbor,

The other readers at the amphitheater are:

-- 10:30 a.m., Judge Terry L. Claek of  the 70th District Court reading “The  Fox and the Hen” by Eric Battut.

-- 11:15 a.m., Anita Richardson of the MDOR Office of Communications, reading  “Who  Ate All the Cookie Dough?”  by Karen Beaumont.

-- 1:15 p.m., Staff members from the Public Libraries of Saginaw reading  “Big Chickens” by Leslie Helakowski.

-- 2:15 p.m., a surprise reader reading “Tanka Skunk!: Stamp Your Feet to the Skunka Tanka Beat!”  by Steve Webb.

The zoo is located at 1730 S. Washington in Saginaw. Admission to “D.E.A.R.” is $7 for adults and children (with infants through 11 months free.). The day takes place rain or shine.

The READ Association of Saginaw County is a grassroots literacy organization whose mission is to help students improve their reading skills and discover the joy of reading. It currently  has more than 500 volunteers who read one-on-one with more than 1,100 children during the school year at 42  locations throughout the county.

Sponsoring “D.E.A.R. at the Zoo” are thee Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation, Michigan CardioVascular Institute,  the Saginaw Celebrates Summer program sponsored in part by Hemlock Semiconductor Group, and proceeds from the 2012 Bee for Literacy event cosponsored by Altrusa International of Saginaw and Rotary Club of Saginaw.  

SVSU's "Strange Snow" visits the legacy of war and the 1970s

THEATER EVENT

“Strange Snow” 

SVSU Black Box

7:30pm June 12-15

$10, $7 students and seniors

(989) 964-4261

by Janet I. Martineau

Three everyday people with a lot of baggage will take viewers on a journey of healing when Saginaw Valley State University opens “Summer Snow,” its second summer show, on Tuesday, June 12.

“Some people might consider it a dated piece since it is set right after the Vietnam War and deals with a loss there,” says director  David Rzeszutek, an SVSU assistant professor of theatre.

Cassidy Morey and David Ryan in "Strange Snow"

“But stop and think about it....every generation deals with a war, a conflict. We all know somebody involved in Iraq, Afghanistan if not Vietnam. There is a truth in this play that deals with all that. 

"And I also see it as a sweet play because it is about everyday people  (a mechanic, a truck driver and a teacher) and how they are dealing with their issues.”

Written by American film director and screenwriter Stephen Metcalfe, "Strange Snow" was adapted into the 1998 film "Jacknife," starring Robert DeNiro, Ed Harris and Kathy Bates. 

In its storyline, it is 5 a.m. on the first day of the fishing season and Megs (played by sophomore David Ryan of Prescott)  is determined to get his buddy up. 

But buddy David (played by junior Rustin Myers of Beckenridge) has a terrible hangover -- one that is not entirely from last night's drinking. 

Megs and David served together in Vietnam, and both are still feeling guilty about the death over there of their best friend  Bobby. The three had always spent the first day of the fishing season together.

Depressed and alcoholic  David, who also incurred battlefield injuries,  lives with his sister Martha (played by freshman Cassidy Morey from Saginaw), a high school biology teacher who is enjoying a budding romance with the delightful Megs. 

Together, the two endeavor to convince David he has to get past the war and get on with life.

“So we know the two guys are dealing with the baggage of their death of their friend,’” says Rzeszutek. “As for Martha, her dad  died and her mom left, she is taking care of her brother, and when she was younger she was an ugly, heavy girl and has low self-esteem.

“So all three are coming to terms with this baggage one way or another, just as the people in our audience also have baggage of some sort, whatever it us,  and will go on this journey of healing with them.”

Despite it all sounding overly dramatic, Rzeszutek assures there are moments of comedy and romance -- and a trip down memory lane into the mid 1970s.

“The script is set in the 1980s but I have moved it to 1975 (the year the war ended). That makes it more immediate rather than a 10-year gap from the ending of the war -- done for me and for the set, and the fact my cast is younger.

“1975 is fun and gives Jerry Dennis (the set builder) something to work with -- the Love Is comic series, needlepoint and latchwork, owls.”

Rzeszutek chose the play “because it is a really good character piece for students to work on. I have seen tremendous growth in all three during rehearsals in making their characters 3D, not caricatures.”

He also added another challenge. Since the script was vague about where the play is set, Rzeszutek set it in Lowell, Mass., “so they are also having to work on dialect.”

As for the strange title, Rzeszutek notes that “a white blanket of fresh snow covers up other things.”

Policeman, journalist team up on photography exhibit

by Janet I. Martineau

Brian Wood, left, and Henry Reyna

A policeman and a journalist are offering the Saginawians  they often visit during stressful times an opportunity to enjoy  “Reflections of a Quiet Time.”

Brian Wood, a reporter at WNEM Channel 5, and Henry Reyna, with the City of Saginaw Police Department, are showcasing their photographic images through July 11 at the Andersen Enrichment Center, 120 Ezra Rust.

Although the images and locations may be familiar, Reyna and  Wood seek to present their works in new and striking ways. Both men draw from their imagination and a strong sense of emotion to shoot and create a photographic work that will evoke an emotional response from those viewing their first joint exhibition.

Says Reyna, “Our exciting daytime careers transition to quiet evenings developing art. Our friendship has grown as we discovered that along with exciting daytime careers, we shared a love for photography. Brian has encouraged me and I’ve encouraged him to explore our desire to produce incredible photography and push our abilities.” 

Wood is a native of Detroit, and receive a degree in communications from Wayne State University. He worked at a Midland/Odessatelevision station  in Texas before returning to Michigan to take a position at WNEM.

His works in the exhibition capture Michigan’s natural beauty in the spring, summer and fall, or tell a story of its people and places. When he is not working or shooting, Wood enjoys spending time with his family,  especially his nieces and nephew.

Reyna has been a police officer for 27 years and lives in Midland with wife, Lori.  He recently took up photography as a hobby and found a love for the camera that has turned into a passion. 

“Selecting just the right places and moments to take a photograph that conveys an emotional response is far more difficult that it appears,” says Reyna, “It takes vision, along with the tenacity of a hunter, to capture a great photograph.” 

Creativity runs in the Reyna family. Henry’s oldest son is studying music in Oregon and his youngest photography in Chicago. 

Exhibit hours are 9 a,. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

More than 130 concerts, fairs, workshops, films and exhibitions light up city of Saginaw June through August

D.E.A.R. at the Zoo

by Janet I. Martineau

From this month through August, the city of Saginaw heats up with more than 130 events taking place at nearly  20 venues --  concerts, jazz festivals, art fairs, cultural celebrations, poetry readings, workshops, films, exhibitions and picnics among them. 

And many are free, or with nominal admission prices.

Saginaw Cdelebrates Summer! they are collectively titled, sponsored by a grant from the Hemlock Semiconductor Group and coordinated by the Saginaw Arts and Enrichment Commission.

Below is a list of the events (updated from the one posted online and the one distributed in print form).

June:

Downtown Saginaw Farmers’ Market – 507 Washington at Thompson; Mon, Wed, Fri, 10 am – 3 pm; Sat 9 am – 1 pm beginning July 7. 

Temple Theatre Tours – Tuesdays in June, July and August, 2 pm, $2.

Saginaw Art Museum – Macy’s FREE Friday’s. Free Admission every Friday.

Art for All Exhibition Series – Saginaw Art Museum, Exhibit III through July 8, Exhibit IV opens July 20. Admission.

Thrifty Tuesday at the Zoo – Half price admission every Tuesday all summer long.

Everyday Objects of the Chippewa Indians – Castle Museum through July 29. Admission.

Listen to the Mrs: WSGW’s Recipe for Success – Castle Museum through July 29. Admission.

Project 1893: Unearthing the Great Saginaw Fire – Castle Museum through September 29. Admission.

11, 12, 19      Summer Reading KICK-OFF Program: Speed Painting with Martina Hahn – Public Libraries of Saginaw, FREE. Visit  www.saginawlibrary.org  for a full calendar of events. 

6/11:  Hoyt – 2:30 pm, Butman-Fish – 7 pm

6/12:  Wickes – 4 pm, Zauel – 7 pm, 

6/19:  Claytor – 1:30 pm

                     

19, 21, 

26, 28        Castle Celebrates Culture – Castle Museum, noon. Celebrate a different culture each week, visit   http://www.castlemuseum.org  for complete list of speakers and activities. Admission;  registration required. 

20, 23, 24 Michigan Jazz Trail – Find your groove in the Great Lakes Bay Region, Admission. Visit  http://www.MichiganJazzTrail.org  for ticket information and list of performers. 

         6/20:  Blues on the Bay – Bay City, 3:30 pm

        6/23:  Jazz on the Green at Dow Gardens/Ramsey Lewis– Midland, 7 pm

         6/24:  Heart & Soul at TheDow/DeeDee Bridgewater  – Saginaw, 3:30 pm

23, 24        Animal Athletes – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 4 pm,  Find out how animals measure up against each other, and you! Admission.

12     In a Poet’s Backyard: “Writing About What Matters” Workshop – Roethke House and Yards, 11:30 am – 3:30 pm, $20. Includes tour and lunch from dawn of a new day. Call 989.928.0430 to register.

13       Art & Garden Festival – Andersen Enrichment Center, 10 am – 3 pm,  Family gardening fun, demonstrations, art and garden vendors, silent auction, lunch and strawberry shortcake.  Free admission.

DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, presented by READ Association, 10 am – 3 pm, Promotes and encourages family reading, every child receives a free book, activities. Admission. 

14    American Art History Lecture – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 7 pm, Admission. 

16    KCQ Country Music Fest – Ojibway Island, 9 am – 5 pm,  One-day concert showcasing talents of nationally known and up and coming artists,   http://www.fm98kcq.com  for information. Free.

17    Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – The Grand World Tour with singers Jill Vary and Jim Smerdon, White Pine Middle School. 7 pm, Free.

Father’s Day at the Zoo – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 5 pm. Dads get in free. 

18       “My Favorite Dreams are Books” Pajama Party! – Hoyt Library, 2:30  

            pm. Free.

         

            Butterfly Dreams & Musical Things – Butman-Fish Library, 7pm, Free.

19    Altered Book Art – Wickes Library, 3pm, ages10 – 14, FREE.

20       In a Poet’s Backyard: “Saginaw Community Gardens” talk by Grow Saginaw founder -  Roethke House and Yards, 10am - noon, $10. Includes snack. Call 989.928.0430 to register.

21    In a Poet’s Backyard: Paint and Poetry Mural – Roethke House and Yards, 10 am – noon. Help create a 16 foot mural.  $10/person or $15/family and includes snack. Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

  

           Classic Legacy Band of Saginaw – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7:30 

pm. Free.

Fare and Feature Classic Film: “Cover Girl” – Temple Theatre, 

12:45pm. Admission.

    Dream, Big Bear…Read! Comedy Show – Zauel Library, 3 pm, Free.

Family Night: Tie Dye – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 6:30 pm, Bring your own item to tie dye. Admission. 

22    Great Lakes Bay Train Exhibition – Saginaw Art Museum, through June 29. Admission. 

Late Night MMCM – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 8 pm,  Leave your cleats at the door, no flags during play, score a goal at the MMCM! Admission.

23    Flower Day – Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House and Gardens, 1 pm. Watch and learn flower arranging. 

   Animal Athletes – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 4 pm,  Taller, faster, stronger, smarter… it’s all about competition. Admission.

24   Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – Director’s Choice, singers Nina Lasceski and Don Gingrich, Ojibway Island, 7 pm. Free. 

 Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. “The Descendants” with George Clooney. Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk. Free.

         Animal Athletes – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 4 pm.  Taller, faster, stronger, smarter… it’s all about competition. Free.

25   Late Night MMCM – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 8 pm, Admission. Leave your cleats at the door, no flags during play, score a goal at the MMCM. Admission.

26    Teelightful Teens – Claytor Library, 1:30pm. Just for teens. Free.

27    In a Poet’s Backyard: Finding and Shaping Your Narrative Workshop – Roethke House and Yards, 10 am – 12:30 pm, $20. Includes tour and lunch from Crumbs. Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

28       In a Poet’s Backyard: “Touching Spirit Bear” discussion of novel and recent Great Lakes Bay Great Read Project, witht Rob Joslyn  – Roethke House and Yards, 4 – 5 pm, $10/person or $15/family. Includes tour, lemonade and cookies. Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

30       Saginaw Eddy Band Concert – Patriotic Passion at the Zoo at Celebration Square, singers Hillary Huebler and Adam Rongo. 7 pm. Free.      

Baby Doll Birthday Party with Music for Munchkins – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 1:30 – 3 pm. Fee includes activities, refreshments and museum admission. Call for reservations.

July:

3, 5, 10, 12

17, 19, 24, 

26, 31     Castle Celebrates Culture – Castle Museum, noon. Celebrate a different culture each week, visit  http://www.castlemuseum.org  for complete list of speakers and activities. Free. with admission, must register. 

16, 17, 19 Drummunity: Rhythm and Drums – Public Libraries of Saginaw. Free.

7/16:  Hoyt – 2:30 pm, Butman-Fish – 7 pm

7/17:  Claytor – 11 am, Wickes – 4 pm, 

7/19:  Zauel – 3 pm

          1          Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. Oscar-winning silent “The Artist.” Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk,  Free/

4   Saginaw Area Fireworks – Viewing surrounding Ojibway Island at dusk. 

           7       Tanabata (Star Festival) – Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House and 

                      Gardens, 1pm. Admission.

Dr. Slime! – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Admission. Call for reservations and time of program. 

           8       Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. “Submarine.” Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk. Free.

   9      Animal Dreams with Classroom Critters – Hoyt Library, 2:30 pm. Free.

10  Fun on the Farm – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 2 pm, . Learn how our food and more comes from plants and animals down on the farm. Admission.

 Joel Tracey’s Magic Workshop – Claytor Library, 1:30 pm. Free.

11 Jazz in the Garden, New Reformation Band – Andersen Enrichment 

           Center, 7 pm. Bring your own chair. Free.

14 Formal Japanese Tea Ceremony – Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House and Gardens, 2 pm, $8, reservations required.

13 PRIDE Friday Night Live, Classic Rock – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm.  Free. 

14 Reptile Slither – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 5 pm,  Creeping and crawling critters, special shows and programs. Admission. 

           15     Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk. Free.

15 Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – One Word Wonders, singers Kathleen Scott and Dave Tagget. Ojibway Island, 7 pm. Free.

17 In a Poet’s Backyard: Party at the Zoo – Zoo at Celebration Square, 2 – 3 pm. Poetry reading, games and animal crackers. Admission.

18 Jazz in the Garden, Brush Street featuring Julie Mulady – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7 pm, Bring your own chair. Free.

19 Classic Legacy Band of Saginaw – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7:30 pm. Free.

Music in the Park – Borchard Park corner of Michigan Ave and Court St, Saginaw, 6 – 8 pm. Bring your own chair. Free..

Big Blow Out Party! – Wickes Library, 4 pm,. Celebrate the end of Summer Reading Program. Free.

American Art History Lecture – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 7 pm, Admission. 

20 PRIDE Friday Night Live, Country – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm. Free.  

After Hours @ the Museum – Saginaw Art Museum, 5 – 8 pm. Art, music and garden walk. Free,

21 Birds, Bugs, Butterflies & Blooms – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 5 pm. Garden day at the Zoo with special presentations and activities. Admission.

Ice Cream Social – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 5 pm,  Music, ice cream, games and crafts. Admission.

Bingo and Ice Cream Social – Zauel Library, 2 pm, under 7 need a helper. Free.

22    Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – Oldies Night, singers Peggy Knutson and Keith Kidder, Ojibway Island, 7 pm. Free.

                      Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. “Casablanca” with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk,  free

Old Town Motorfest – Old Town Saginaw, 10 am – 4 pm. Cars, food and fun. Free.

24 Ice Cream Zoofari – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 6 – 8 pm. Make your own all-you-can-eat ice cream sundae. Ticket price includes Zoo admission, ice cream, train and carousel ride. $7 in advance, $9 at gate.

In a Poet’s Backyard: Roethke’s Letters From Home, read  by members of the River Junction Poets – Roethke House and Yards, 7 – 8 pm, $10. Includes dessert from The Savoy. Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

           Beads of the World: Friendship Bracelets – Claytor Library, 1:30 pm, Free.

25      Jazz in the Garden, DJAM Band – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7pm. Bring your own chair. Free.

26  Family Night: Clay Sculptures – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 6:30 pm, Admission.

  In a Poet’s Backyard: Celebrate Birthday Memories and Stories With Storyteller Alfreda Harris – Roethke House and Yards, 7 – 8:30 pm, $10/person or $15/family. Includes tour, birthday cake and ice cream. Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

27   PRIDE Friday Night Live, Latin – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm. Free. 

28  Summer Olympics at the MMCM – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 5 pm.Games to test your agility, brain power and other surprises. Admission.

29  Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – Summer Sizzlers, singers Lora and Dave Keenan, Ojibway Island, 7 pm, Free.

                      Lawn Chair Film Festival – Old Saginaw City, corner of Ames & N. Hamilton. “The Muppets.” Bring your own chair, movie starts at dusk. Free.

31       In a Poet’s Backyard: Roethke Readers Theater, with participants taking parts and reading from a script about Roethke’s life – Roethke House and Yards, 6 – 7:30 pm, $20. Includes dinner from Sullivans, Call 989.928.0430 to register. 

August :

2, 7, 9, 

14, 16 Castle Celebrates Culture – Castle Museum, noon. Celebrate a different culture each week, visit   http://www.castlemuseum.org  for complete list of speakers and activities. Free with museum admission; registration required. 

10, 11, 12 Saginaw African Cultural Festival – Morley School Park, 2601 Lapeer St., Saginaw. Food, fun, entertainment and fellowship. 

1           Jazz in the Garden, Saucecats – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7pm. Bring your own chair. Free.

            In a Poet’s Backyard: Theodore Roethke’s Death Day – Oakwood Cemetery, 7 – 8 pm,. Candle light walk to commemorate the poet’s life. Free.

2    Music in the Park – Borchard Park corner of Michigan Ave and Court St., Saginaw, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.Bring your own chair. Free.

3    PRIDE Friday Night Live, Swing – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm. Free.

5    Saginaw Eddy Concert Band – Exciting Entertainment, singers Becky Moore and Tony Serra, White Pine Middle School, 7 pm. Free.

7   Tri-City Carvers Show – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 10 am – 3 pm. Woodcarving display and demonstrations.  Admission.

  Egg Roll Demonstration with Ming the Magnificent – Claytor Library, 1:30 pm. Free.

9   American Art History Lecture – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 7 pm, Admission. 

10   PRIDE Friday Night Live, Variety Night – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm. Free.  

11   Formal Japanese Tea Ceremony – Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House and Gardens, 2 pm, $8, reservations required.

Bite Me! Mosquito Day – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 5 pm. Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission will be on hand to educate and demonstrate. Admission.

13   Dream Big Back to School Bingo – Butman-Fish Library, 3 pm, under 7 needs a helper. Play card bingo to win school supplies. Free.

15   Pancake Supper – Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, 5:30 – 8 pm.

Enjoy an all-you-can-eat pancake supper. Ticket price includes Zoo admission, supper, train and carousel ride. $7 in advance, $9 at gate.

16   Music in the Park – Borchard Park corner of Michigan Ave and Court St,.Saginaw, 6 – 8 pm. Bring your own chair. Free.

Classic Legacy Band of Saginaw – Andersen Enrichment Center, 7 pm. Free.

  Family Night: Painted Picasso Faces – Saginaw Art Museum, 5:30 – 6:30 pm. Admission.

17   PRIDE Friday Night Live, Motown – Morley Plaza, 5:30 – 9 pm. Free. 

            18      Origami Workshop – Japanese Cultural Center, 1pm. Admission. 

22   In a Poet’s Backyard: “Creatives Conquered and Conquering, From Michigan to Memphis” with Mike Mosher – Roethke House and Yards, 5:30 - 8 pm, $20. Includes tour and dinner from Sullivans. Call 989.928.0430 to register.

25     Saginaw Wonderfest – Ojibway Island, noon – 6 pm.  Entertainment, food and fun at the region’s first multi-cultural, family friendly celebration. Free.

MMCM Fest! – Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, 10 am – 5 pm, Celebrate summer’s end with live music, face painting, bounce house, games and more. Admission.

30   Music in the Park – Borchard Park corner of Michigan Ave. and Court Sy., Saginaw, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. Bring your own chair. Free..