Michigan's Arts & Humanities Touring Program

Michigan Week links

Governor Granholm proclamation
Official Michigan Week website
Michigan Week calendar of events
Michigan Week logos
Michigan Week poster (courtesy AAA)
Great Traditions Culture Tour poster
What is Michigan Week?
Michigan Firsts

Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour partners

Dept. of History, Arts and Libraries

Musicians, Singers and Storytellers Take Their Acts on the Road
for Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour
Tour Stops Include Grand Ledge, Greater West Bloomfield, Manistee, Marquette, Marshall, Monroe, Newaygo and Sturgis

link for listing of Great Traditions Culture Tour: by location -- by date

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries and the Michigan Humanities Council today announced the launch of the Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour. As part of Michigan Week 2005 – May 21-27, “Great Lakes, Great Traditions: Michigan on the Move” – this pilot program takes talented singers, musicians and storytellers to cities around the state, sharing songs and tales of Michigan’s rich, colorful heritage.

These free-to-the-public performances are made possible with funding from the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

“ Michigan Week is all about celebrating the best of Michigan and honoring our state’s proud history. This tour does both,” said William Anderson, director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. “Among the state’s finest singers, musicians and storytellers, these talented artists weave glimpses of Michigan history into every performance. Audiences will enjoy top-notch entertainment while learning fascinating things about our state’s past.”

“Michigan Week is a great tradition to celebrate and honor the heritage of our great state,” said Janice Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council. “The Council is proud to partner with the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to help bring some of the state’s most accomplished musicians and storytellers to several Michigan Week locations and provide a great historical context to the week’s festivities.”

Following is the Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour schedule:

BY LOCATION

In Grand Ledge and Newaygo: Kitty Donohoe
Grand Ledge: Tuesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. – Grand Ledge Opera House, 121 S. Bridge St.
Newaygo: Friday, May 27, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – Riverfront Park, Water Street

Kitty Donohoe combines songs, stories and folk instruments to present fun, cultural perspectives on Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

In Greater West Bloomfield: Larry and Priscilla Massie
Saturday, May 21, and Sunday, May 22, from 12-4 p.m., ongoing during tours of Apple Island (Tours depart from the Orchard Lake Museum, Orchard Lake Road at Long Lake Road.)

Priscilla Massie will demonstrate pioneer-style cooking and Larry Massie will portray historical characters and tell oldtime stories.

In Manistee: Song of the Lakes
Tuesday, May 24, at 7 p.m. – Ramsdell Theater, 101 Maple St.

Repeatedly voted “Northern Michigan’s Best Folk Artist,” Song of the Lakes combines Celtic and Scandinavian traditions with Michigan maritime history in high-energy performances.

In Marquette: Les Ross, Sr. and the Finnish American All Stars
Thursday, May 26, from 3-5 p.m. – Marquette Arts and Culture Center, inside the Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.

Les Ross, Sr. and the Finnish American All Stars play traditional Finnish folk and dance tunes, featuring such instrumentation as accordion, mandolin, fiddle and bones.

In Marshall: Patty Clark
Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. – Carver Park, downtown Marshall
The historical and multicultural stories and songs of Patty Clark make history come alive, depicting the “melting pot” of American culture and the Michigan’s beginnings.

In Monroe: Wanda Degen and Pete Wittig
Wednesday, May 25, at 9:30 a.m. – River Raisin Center for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St.
Wednesday, May 25, at noon – Frenchtown Senior Center, 2786 Vivian Road
Wednesday, May 25, at 2 p.m. – Arthur Leslow Community Center, 120 E. Chester

Wanda Degen and Pete Wittig’s participatory family concerts feature acoustic music that blends folk, Great Lakes, Celtic, original songs and instrumentals.

In Sturgis: Dodworth Saxhorn Band
Friday, May 20, at 4 p.m. – downtown Sturgis
Saturday, May 21, at noon – downtown Sturgis, Michigan Week Gateway Festival parade

America’s premier 19th-century brass band, the Dodworth Saxhorn Band is committed to bringing America’s musical past to life.

BY DATE

May 20

4 p.m. – Dodworth Saxhorn Band, downtown Sturgis

May 21

Noon – Dodworth Saxhorn Band, downtown Sturgis (parade)

Noon - 4 p.m., Larry & Priscilla Massie during tours of Apple Island (Tours depart from the Orchard Lake Museum, Orchard Lake Road at Long Lake Road), West Bloomfield

1 p.m. – Patty Clark, Carver Park, downtown Marshall

May 22

Noon - 4 p.m., Larry & Priscilla Massie during tours of Apple Island (Tours depart from the Orchard Lake Museum, Orchard Lake Road at Long Lake Road), West Bloomfield

May 24

7 p.m. – Song of the Lakes at Ramsdell Theater, 101 Maple St., Manistee

7:30 p.m. – Kitty Donohoe at Grand Ledge Opera House, 121 S. Bridge St., Grand Ledge

May 25

9:30 a.m. – Wanda Degen, Pete Wittig at River Raisin Center for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St., Monroe

Noon – Wanda Degen, Pete Wittig at Frenchtown Senior Center, 2786 Vivian Road, Monroe

2 p.m. – Wanda Degen, Pete Wittig at Arthur Leslow Community Center, 120 E. Chester, Monroe

May 26

3 p.m. – Les Ross, Sr., & the Finnish American All Stars at Marquette Arts and Culture Center, inside the Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.

May 27

4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – Kitty Donohoe at Riverfront Park, Water Street, Newaygo

Michigan Week is a program of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan heritage, and fostering cultural creativity, the department includes the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Historical Center, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a state agency that is part of HAL, serves to encourage, develop and facilitate an enriched environment of artistic, creative, cultural activity in Michigan. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/arts.

The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is the state's independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Musicians, Singers and Storytellers Take Their Acts on the Road
for Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour
Tour Stops Include Grand Ledge, Greater West Bloomfield, Manistee, Marquette, Marshall, Monroe, Newaygo and Sturgis

link for listing of Great Traditions Culture Tour: by location -- by date

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries and the Michigan Humanities Council today announced the launch of the Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour. As part of Michigan Week 2005 – May 21-27, “Great Lakes, Great Traditions: Michigan on the Move” – this pilot program takes talented singers, musicians and storytellers to cities around the state, sharing songs and tales of Michigan’s rich, colorful heritage.

These free-to-the-public performances are made possible with funding from the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

“ Michigan Week is all about celebrating the best of Michigan and honoring our state’s proud history. This tour does both,” said William Anderson, director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. “Among the state’s finest singers, musicians and storytellers, these talented artists weave glimpses of Michigan history into every performance. Audiences will enjoy top-notch entertainment while learning fascinating things about our state’s past.”

“Michigan Week is a great tradition to celebrate and honor the heritage of our great state,” said Janice Fedewa, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council. “The Council is proud to partner with the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to help bring some of the state’s most accomplished musicians and storytellers to several Michigan Week locations and provide a great historical context to the week’s festivities.”

Following is the Michigan Week Great Traditions Culture Tour schedule:

BY LOCATION

In Grand Ledge and Newaygo: Kitty Donohoe
Grand Ledge: Tuesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. – Grand Ledge Opera House, 121 S. Bridge St.
Newaygo: Friday, May 27, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – Riverfront Park, Water Street

Kitty Donohoe combines songs, stories and folk instruments to present fun, cultural perspectives on Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

In Greater West Bloomfield: Larry and Priscilla Massie
Saturday, May 21, and Sunday, May 22, from 12-4 p.m., ongoing during tours of Apple Island (Tours depart from the Orchard Lake Museum, Orchard Lake Road at Long Lake Road.)

Priscilla Massie will demonstrate pioneer-style cooking and Larry Massie will portray historical characters and tell oldtime stories.

In Manistee: Song of the Lakes
Tuesday, May 24, at 7 p.m. – Ramsdell Theater, 101 Maple St.

Repeatedly voted “Northern Michigan’s Best Folk Artist,” Song of the Lakes combines Celtic and Scandinavian traditions with Michigan maritime history in high-energy performances.

In Marquette: Les Ross, Sr. and the Finnish American All Stars
Thursday, May 26, from 3-5 p.m. – Marquette Arts and Culture Center, inside the Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St.

Les Ross, Sr. and the Finnish American All Stars play traditional Finnish folk and dance tunes, featuring such instrumentation as accordion, mandolin, fiddle and bones.

In Marshall: Patty Clark
Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. – Carver Park, downtown Marshall
The historical and multicultural stories and songs of Patty Clark make history come alive, depicting the “melting pot” of American culture and the Michigan’s beginnings.

In Monroe: Wanda Degen and Pete Wittig
Wednesday, May 25, at 9:30 a.m. – River Raisin Center for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St.
Wednesday, May 25, at noon – Frenchtown Senior Center, 2786 Vivian Road
Wednesday, May 25, at 2 p.m. – Arthur Leslow Community Center, 120 E. Chester

Wanda Degen and Pete Wittig’s participatory family concerts feature acoustic music that blends folk, Great Lakes, Celtic, original songs and instrumentals.

In Sturgis: Dodworth Saxhorn Band
Friday, May 20, at 4 p.m. – downtown Sturgis
Saturday, May 21, at noon – downtown Sturgis, Michigan Week Gateway Festival parade

America’s premier 19th-century brass band, the Dodworth Saxhorn Band is committed to bringing America’s musical past to life.

BY DATE

May 20

Michigan Week is a program of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan heritage, and fostering cultural creativity, the department includes the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Historical Center, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a state agency that is part of HAL, serves to encourage, develop and facilitate an enriched environment of artistic, creative, cultural activity in Michigan. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/arts.

The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is the state's independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

# # #