MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Manistique arts center is helping people beat the winter blues through creativity.
Every week, Lake Effect Community Arts Center hosts Winter Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Creators of all kinds are invited to bring their individual projects for a drop-in crafting session. Those without something to work on are welcome to help solve a community puzzle.
Lake Effect Operations Manager Katie Birdsley says Winter Wednesdays are an opportunity to connect with other artists, enjoy some light snacks, and get inspired in a warm, accepting environment.
“Our biggest goal is to promote, enrich, and encourage cultural activities in Manistique,” she said, “but we are a bit more practical. We craft; we knit. It helps bring in people who may not have thought that what they do is art and let them realize that if you feel strongly, if you put your heart and soul into it, then that’s art.”
Lake Effect Community Arts also offers an early childhood exploration program called Please Touch and Play. On the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., toddlers and pre-school-aged children can paint, craft, and play freely.
“You can leave the mess here,” Birdsley said. “We have paint, blocks, clay, dress up. We have so many things for them to play with and explore, and that way, you don’t have to deal with the cleanup afterwards.”
Also on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, the center is hosting Open Mic Nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event allows writers and performers to share their work with new audiences.
“It’s that art of seeing different people and how they create in their own way,” said Birdsley. “Maybe they are a songwriter or a poet or they just like to strum on a guitar. That’s how they express themselves, and it’s beautiful.”
The Kids Create art show, a showcase for local youth, returns for its third year this Youth Art Month. The opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For a full list of classes and events at Lake Effect Community Arts Center, visit lakeeffectarts.org. To stay updated on future activities, follow the center on Facebook.
