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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Color It Bizarre: Clarice Cliff Pottery from a Michigan Collection

Muskegon Museum of Art April 29 through August 1, 2010
Color It Bizarre: Clarice Cliff Pottery from a Michigan Collection
brings together 175 exceptional examples of Cliff’s colorful wares
designed at the Wilkinson and Newport pottery companies under her
direction in the 1920s and 1930s. Cliff’s distinctive wares are highly
collectible and sought by an enthusiastic international audience. Color
It Bizarre presents a broad selection of her hallmark works and is drawn
from a private collection that may be the largest private Clarice Cliff
collection in North America.

When Clarice Cliff, a young, independently minded decorator at A. J.
Wilkinson’s Royal Staffordshire pottery company, first experimented with
geometric patterns hand painted on traditionally shaped wares in 1927,
the delightful mismatch earned the name “Bizarre,” and the public was
smitten. Thus began the exceptional career of one of the most prolific
and important Art Deco ceramics designers of the 20th century.

Clarice Cliff (1899-1972) was of humble Staffordshire origins at the
heart of the British pottery industry. She entered the industry at 13,
and by the age of 28, her extraordinary talent, determination, and
vision moved her to the forefront of British pottery design.

Clarice experimented with glazes and pottery body colors, as well as
modern shapes that suited the Jazz Age. Her boldly colored, complex
abstract designs vied for attention with whimsical landscape and floral
patterns. An astute business woman, her innovative approach to color,
design, and shape appealed to a youthful market and she was instrumental
in making stylish, hand-painted wares available to the masses. As early
as 1928, her name appeared on the backstamp (maker’s mark) of Bizarre
wares—one of the few women in British potteries allowed the honor—and by
1936, wares were simply marked “Clarice Cliff,” her popularity was so
well established.

Opening Reception & May Tours
The Muskegon Museum of Art will hold an opening reception on Thursday,
April 29, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. A lecture by Cliff experts and
collectors, Kay and Peter Wentworth-Sheilds, will follow the reception
at 7:00 p.m. MMA docents will lead free, guided public tours of the
exhibition from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. every Thursday throughout May. Call
231.720.2570 or e-mail visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org for visitor
information.

Color it Bizarre was organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art and is
underwritten by the Hines Corporation.

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VISITOR INFORMATION

The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave. in downtown
Muskegon, Michigan. Call 231-720-2570 or visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org
for information.

Admission: $5.00 (Free on Thursdays)
Free admission for MMA Members, students (with I.D.), and ages 17 and
under.
Extra admission may be charged for special exhibitions and events.

Hours:
SUN noon-4:30pm
MON closed
TUES closed
(June thru August 10am-6pm)
WED 10am-4:30pm
THURS 10am-8:00pm
(June thru August 10am-6pm)
FRI 10am-4:30pm
SAT 10am-4:30pm

Crystal Mountain Brews a Summer Tradition


The Michigan Beer & Brat Festival is one of northern Michigan’s fastest growing Memorial Day Weekend traditions and returns to Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, Saturday, May 29 (4-9pm).

The Michigan Beer & Brat Festival welcomed over 1,500 to the base of Crystal’s slopes for last year’s event with room to spare for brewers and beer-lovers alike. In celebration of its fifth year, the festival will be extended to five hours (4-9pm) offering more time to sample over 50 different Michigan microbrews from Short’s, New Holland, Bell’s, Founder’s, Keweenau, Arcadia, Right Brain, Tri-City, North Peak Brewing Company, The Livery and others. Beer is only half the equation as over a dozen specialty brats, ranging in flavor from spicy jalapeno to tart cherry, will be served hot off the grill.

Admission to the Michigan Beer & Brat Festival is $5 and includes entertainment. The rebel rootgrass and reggae and swashbuckling folk and blues of Rootstand will be featured on stage (www.rootstand.com).

The Michigan Beer & Brat Festival package, from $79 per adult, per night, includes lodging, admission to the festival plus ten beer and brat tickets – that’s enough to sample five different microbrews. Add unlimited golf to the festival package with rates starting from $129 per adult, per night.

The Michigan Beer & Brat Festival is certainly the highlight but just one of many activities during the holiday weekend. Both the Crystal Coaster alpine slide and Park at Water’s Edge are set to open (weather permitting). The Golf Practice Center will host the annual FREE Golf Demo Day (May 29, 10am-4pm) featuring clubs from Callaway, Titleist, Cobra, Cleveland and more. Plus, free clinics, games, food and prizes.

Morel Mushroom Hunting Season is Hot in Benzie County, Michigan


Benzie County is a great place to hunt for morel mushrooms in Michigan due to its natural habitats that include forests, riverbeds, fields, and natural paths along old railroad tracks that are now used for hiking and biking. Benzie County boasts 25 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, 57 inland lakes, and includes the southern portion of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The forests, dunes and bluffs of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Pere Marquette State Forest offer over 100 miles of hiking and biking trails and wildlife habitats for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. For this reason, in late spring, morel mushroom hunting is a passionate activity in Benzie County
The timetable to find morel mushrooms is from approximately end of April through end of May. However, Michigan has experienced some unseasonably early warmer weather in early 2010 and morel mushrooms have been reported in some parts of Michigan according to the website http://www.northerncountrymorels.com.
Lodging is abundant in Benzie County and visitors will experience the beauty of spring in Northern Michigan during their morel mushroom hunting getaway. There’s also a handy morel mushroom hunting guide on www.visitbenzie.com within the spring page under “things to do”.

For a complete lodging listing and more information about other spring activities and locations in Benzie Country see www.visitbenzie.com.

Visitors who book two or more consecutive nights at one of many participating lodging locations in Benzie County can sign up for the Passport to Fun which is being offered from May 1 – October 31, 2010 and includes over fifteen free or discounted food, restaurant, sightseeing, kayak and golfing opportunities. See www.visitbenzie.com for more information and to sign up for the promotion.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Butterfly Expert to Speak at Binder Park Zoo

Binder Park Zoo and Brigham Audubon are welcoming special guest speaker Mogens (Mo) C. Nielsen, on Wednesday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. for a presentation titled “Michigan Butterflies.”

Nielsen was born in Denmark in 1926 and moved to Detroit, Michigan at age 3. He grew up and attended school in the Detroit area, where his intense interest in all forms of nature developed through pursuits and hobbies in collecting insects, viewing birds, and camping in the outdoors. Nielsen attended Wayne State University and transferred to Michigan State University where he earned a degree in forest management. He worked with the US Forest Service and was employed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) as a forester, land appraiser and buyer. After 37 years he finished his career with the MDNR in charge of the Great Lakes Submerged Lands program in 1988. Since then he has been appointed as an “Adjunct Curator of Lepidoptera” in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. Nielsen has been collecting, observing, photographing and rearing butterflies (and moths) for more than 70 years. His keen interest in and vast knowledge of butterflies led to the publishing of his book Field Guide to Michigan Butterflies and Skippers.

The program will take place in the Cross Administration Building (Zoo Office). The event is free to the public. For more information, please contact Binder Park Zoo: 269-979-1351.

Shanty Creek Announces the Return of Dinner Theater Entertainment

Shanty Creek Announces the Return of Dinner Theater Entertainment

Former Schussycat Returns to Shanty Creek



Bellaire, MI – Evoking memories of its former self and continuing its bold resurrection, Shanty Creek is partnering with Dominic Fortuna, Broadway star of Grease and a former Schussycat performer at Shanty Creek, to introduce The Dominic Fortuna Dinner Show at Shanty Creek Resorts.

Beginning Friday July 16th, and the following six Fridays thru August 23rd, The Dominic Fortuna Dinner Show will take the stage at Ivan's in Schuss Village at the base of Schuss Mountain. "We are proud to bring back dinner theater in the tradition of the Schussycats," said Chris Hale, VP of Sales & Marketing for the Resort.

Longtime performers at Shanty Creek, the Schussycats were a staple of live entertainment for generations in northern Michigan. "Having performed as a Schussycat, and now a Broadway star and operator of the Williamsburg Dinner Theater, Dominic understands the genre and its audience," said Hale. "We are very excited and pleased to be bringing back what so many have asked for."

This season's shows will begin at 7pm each Friday from July 16-August 23. Tickets will be $44.95 plus tax and gratuities. Reservations will be highly recommended. A special resort line has been established to take reservations at 866-408-5219.

About Shanty Creek Resorts
Shanty Creek Resorts boasts 49 ski runs on two mountains, 72 holes of championship golf and over 500 lodging options including 183 rooms in the recently completed $10 million renovation of its Lakeview Hotel and Conference Center, which also features over 35,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces. Just minutes from Torch Lake and set among northern Michigan's chain of lakes, Shanty Creek's neighbors include Bellaire, Alden, Elk Rapids, and Central Lake. Its guests enjoy complimentary shuttle service into downtown Bellaire, home of Lulu's and Shorts Brewing Company.

To book your next getaway call 800-678-4111 or visit www.ShantyCreek.com.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Early Opening for BOYNE Golf Courses


Two of BOYNE’s golf courses are opening a week early thanks in large part to warm temperatures and mild weather settling in northern Michigan. Crooked Tree Golf Club in Petoskey and The Monument course at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls open for the season on Friday, April 23.

BOYNE operates eight courses in the Petoskey region and plans to open the other courses in succession. Arthur Hills and The Moor courses at Boyne Highlands Resort open Friday, April 30 and The Alpine at Boyne Mountain Resort, The Links and The Quarry nines of Bay Harbor Golf Club and the Donald Ross Memorial at Boyne Highlands open Friday, May 7. Following is The Preserve nine at Bay Harbor Golf Club and The Heather at Boyne Highlands opening Friday, May 14.

“This warm weather has allowed us to kick start our golf season early than ever before,” said Mike Chumbler, BOYNE’s director of golf. “The Monument and Crooked Tree Golf Club came through the winter in prime condition and ahead of schedule in terms of being ready for play.”

With the launch of golf season comes a heap of deals for golfers. The always valuable BOYNE Unlimited Golf Package starts at $94 per person for unlimited golf and overnight hotel lodging; the economical Room and a Round package starts at $76 per person and Bay Harbor Golf Club, BOYNE’s flagship course, can be added to any golf package this summer from only $29-$59, dependent on date of stay.



For additional information or for reservations, please visit www.BOYNE.com or call 800.GO.BOYNE (462-6963).

New vessel Lady Michigan to cruise Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | - MLive.com

New vessel Lady Michigan to cruise Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | - MLive.com

Friday, April 16, 2010

April 19 & 20: Spring Moon Gaze in Grand Rapids

Ah, spring – a time to gaze at the moon in awe and wonder, but April 19 & 20 offer a great chance for laypersons to turn wonder into enlightenment with the help of astronomy aficionados, during the Spring Moon Gaze.

Weather permitting, members of the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association, local amateur astronomers, and Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium staff members will set up telescopes from 8:30 - 10:30 pm in convenient parking lots throughout the greater Grand Rapids area. Passers-by will be invited to glimpse the moon and other celestial objects and ask questions of the telescope operator. Viewing is free but the event will take place only if the sky is clear. This list can be found below, and on the websites of the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association, www.graaa.org, and Grand Rapids Public Museum, www.grmuseum.org.

OFFICIAL VIEWING SITES:

Cascade – D & W Fresh Market, 6425 28th St.at Thornhills Ave; parking lot near cart corral.

Grand Rapids Downtown – Rosa Parks Circle; Monroe Center side near Art Museum

Grand Rapids SE - Alger Park – Near Edna and Blaine; NE side near baseball dugout

Calvin College Observatory – atop Science Building; use campus entrance off Burton.

Schuler Books & Music – 2660 28th St. SE , in the parking lot

Grand Rapids NE - Celebration Cinema North; west side near main entrance

3rd Reformed Church, 2060 Michigan NE; in the parking lot

Kentwood – Celebration Cinema at Woodland Mall; near main entrance, east side

East Kentwood High School – 6230 Kalamazoo, SE; west parking lot

Lowell - Main Street near Larkin’s Restaurant

Wittenbach Nature Center – Vergennes Rd. north of Lowell High School

Rockford - D & W Fresh Market, 10 Mile at Northland Drive; outdoor café seating area

Walker – Schuler Books & Music, 3165 Alpine, NW; parking lot near main entrance

Monday, April 12, 2010

Binder Park Zoo Opens on Earth Day, April 22nd!


Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, will open for its 34th season on April 22; the event-filled 2010 season kicks off with an Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 24. Highlights will include special programs and valuable earth-friendly tips to add to the excitement of a brand new season at Binder Park Zoo! Come help celebrate the new life that the spring season brings and don’t forget to stop by Twiga Overlook to see the new baby giraffe arrivals!

“We are very excited for the new season and especially about having our three new giraffe boys out on Savannah in Wild Africa,” says Jenny Barnett, Director of Wildlife and Conservation. “This special Earth Day event is a great way to kick off our 2010 season and a fun opportunity for families to learn how to be a little ‘greener’ in their everyday lives.”

Besides the new additions to the Savannah, there are plenty more new and exciting things happening at the Zoo this summer. A brand new stage show will be featured at the Smith Wildlife Discovery Theatre! The Zoo’s dedicated education staff has been working around the clock with many new education animals as well as bringing back some familiar faces to entertain and educate guests with brand new programming for the 2010 season. Stick around after the show for a chance to get up close and personal with some of the stars of the Smith Wildlife Discovery Theatre.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Free Golf On Tax Wednesday!

McGuire's Resort brings you an unbeatable offer this April 15th, 2010.

At long last you can get one over on the tax man! Come and join McGuires and enjoy a FREE round on us.

Click Here to register and we will send you a complimentary voucher for a round of Golf, and don't just keep this to yourself...spread the wealth and pass it on to all your buddies out there.

Come and play McGuire's course for FREE* and forget tax returns for a few hours! Contact us at (800) 634-7302 to book your tee time and start the new golf season with McGuires Resort.

*cart fee required

Take Five - Places to Celebrate Michigan Wine Month

Take Five - Places to Celebrate Michigan Wine Month