Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce

Glen Arbor Farmers Market
2024-08-06 09:00 - 13:00, 2024-08-13 09:00 - 13:00, 2024-08-20 09:00 - 13:00, 2024-08-27 09:00 - 13:00, 2024-09-03 09:00 - 13:00, 2024-09-10 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit)
The Glen Arbor Farmers Market is held every Tuesday morning from 9 AM – 1 PM, June 4th – September 10th. The market location is behind the Glen Arbor Township Hall at 6394 W. Western Ave, Glen Arbor, Michigan 49636. Enjoy a wide varitey of quality vendors, farmers and producers.

Port Oneida Fair
2024-08-09 10:00 - 15:00, 2024-08-10 10:00 - 15:00 | Port Oneida Rural Historic District, 3164 W Harbor Hwy, Maple City, MI, 49664, United States
Step back in time at the Port Oneida Fair and experience life as it was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Imagine the life of the pioneers as you help bale hay or watch a broom-maker at work. Learn about spinning, basket weaving, soap making, butter making, candle dipping, and fur trapping. Listen as park rangers and local history experts share the area’s history. Watch as teams of oxen and horses cut, load, and haul hay and artists and craftsmen demonstrate their skills.

Shrines + Altars
2024-08-16 09:00 - 2024-10-24 15:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
Shrines + Altars
Exhibition: August 16 – October 24, 2024
The Glen Arbor Arts Center’s next exhibit, Shrines + Altars, is an exploration of what we hold sacred: To whom are we building shrines? At what altars are we worshipping? This exhibit opens August 16 with a 5-8 pm reception.
In the most conventional sense, a shrine is a holy place in which sacred relics are housed. An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of offerings or other ritualized presents. Both offer ways to create space for memory, reverence, reflection. Exhibitors have taken these thoughts to heart, and created unexpected solutions to the creative problem.
For more information about the exhibit and its companion programs – artist interviews, book discussions, and the ongoing creation of a public shrine in the gallery – go to GlenArborArt.org/EXHIBITS. The GAAC is located at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor.

Late Night Friday
2024-08-16 17:00 - 20:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
Late Night Fridays August 16
The Glen Arbor Arts Center is keeping the lights on a little longer this summer. Late Night Fridays continues August 16 with the opening of a new exhibition, Shrines + Altars. The reception is open to the public, and runs 5 – 8 pm.
Shrines + Altars is a juried exhibition that explores what we hold sacred: To whom are we building shrines? At what altars are we worshipping? The works are on display in the GAAC Main Gallery through October 24. Native Plants, an exhibition of painted and chain stitched canvases by Dana Falconberry, are on view in the Lobby Gallery. Both galleries are open 5 – 8 pm.
Late Night Fridays events are free. The GAAC is located at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. Read more at GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS.

Late Night Friday + The Lofteez Front Porch Concert
2024-08-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
Late Night Fridays August 23
The Glen Arbor Arts Center bids a fond farewell to Summer 2024 with an upbeat Front Porch Concert. This year’s final Late Night Fridays event features The Lofteez on August 23, 5-7 pm. The concert is free. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own seating and refreshments.
The Lofteez are an upbeat acoustic duo. They feature multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Karin E of The Remedy Band on fiddle, keyboard, and vocals with her partner Riffin Tiff on acoustic guitar, bass and beats.
Both GAAC galleries are open during Late Night Fridays. Shrines + Altars is a juried exhibition that explores what we hold sacred: To whom are we building shrines? At what altars are we worshipping? The works are on display in the GAAC Main Gallery through October 24. Native Plants, an exhibition of painted and chain stitched canvases by Dana Falconberry, are on view in the Lobby Gallery. Both galleries are open 5 – 8 pm.
Late Night Fridays events are free. The GAAC is located at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. Read more at GlenArborArt.org .

Coffee with the Authors: An Artist's Pilgrimage
2024-09-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
Frankfort painter Ellie Harold traveled to Paris in 2022, a pilgrimage to view an exhibition of paintings by Impressionist Claude Monet and Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell. The souvenirs from that trip weren’t T-shirts and tote bags, but questions, including: What does it mean to be a “real” artist? Harold explores that question in the resulting book, Monet, Mitchell & Me: A Painter’s Pilgrimage. She talks about how she answered that question at the September 29 Coffee With The Authors conversation, 1 pm at the Glen Arbor Arts Center.
Harold’s book is a meditation on her struggles with creative block, about practice, process, and why she’d rather make work than look at it in a museum. Monet, Mitchell & Me is the story of Harold’s journey into the valley of art historical giants, and the side trips into the interior of her own, artistic country.
Coffee With The Authors is a series of conversational interviews with local and regional authors about the craft and process of writing. This program is offered as part of the GAAC’s Shrines + Altars, an exhibition that explores what we hold sacred: To whom are we building shrines? At what altars are we worshipping? The program is free. For more information go to GlenArborArt.org /EVENTS.

Open House: Grateful Gathering
2024-11-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
The Glen Arbor Arts Center’s 2024 Small Works Holiday Exhibition is an annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices, $150 or less. The exhibition is November 1 – December 19, 2024, and features more than 100 works of art, 12” x 12” or smaller, by 18 local artists working in glass, mixed media, collage, paper, paint, printing, clay, and photography.
New to the 2024 Small Works exhibit is a preview week, November 1 – 7, for leisurely online or in-gallery perusal of the exhibition. Small Works objects will be ready for acquisition during the Grateful Gathering open house on November 8, 6 – 8 pm. Enjoy music performed by harpist Sylvia Norris, refreshments, and morsels while perusing the exhibit, and the pop-up holiday store. In addition, the GAAC’s Art Wish List returns. Visitors can donate a wish to help with the GAAC’s year-round programming. Artwork purchases continue through December 19.
“In a world of mass-produced stuff, each item in the Small Works show is unique; it injects
a little beauty into the world and homes of the people who receive it.” explains Sarah Bearup-Neal, Glen Arbor Arts Center Gallery Manager. “These objects represent something thoughtful—both in the maker and the giver. This popular exhibit offers our community the chance to give gifts of creative handwork.”

The 2024 Small Works exhibitors are: Michele Aucello, Mark Bowyer, Mercedes Bowyer, Margo Burian, Ann Cibulskis, Barbara Cochran, Reyna Colombo, John Huston, Judy Kelly Jessica Kovan, Cynthia Marks, Mark Mehaffey, Pam Spicer, Nina Tarr, Susan Thompson, Michelle Tock York, Liz VerSchure, and David Westerfield.
View the Small Works exhibit online beginning November 1. Go to GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS, or call 231/334-6112.

Empire Artisan Marketplace
2024-11-30 10:00 - 16:00 | Empire Township Hall, 10088 W. Front Street, Empire, MI , Empire, MI, 49630, United States
On November 30th, take advantage of the trifecta of shopping local. There are 3 markets in Empire on that day. Start your day at the Empire Town Hall where the Artisan Marketplace will be taking place. Meet 20 artisans and have a take out lunch prepared by Mel and Fel. Next go right across the street to the library where a used book sale will be taking place plus the Glen Lake Women’s Club will be having a beautiful vintage jewelry sale. Finish your shopping spree in Empire at the Cottonwood Inn 1/4 mile East of the Town Hall. Located at 9583 W. Front Street. There you will find a Christmas Boutique, plus more artisans. All events are from 10 AM to 4 PM.

"The Sky Is Always There" - Exhibit Opening Reception
2025-01-10 17:00 - 20:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
The Glen Arbor Arts Center looks overhead with its first exhibit of 2025, The Sky Is Always There. This juried exhibit opens January 10 with a reception, 5-8 pm in the gallery.
The Sky Is Always There is an exhibition that moves beyond direct representation, beyond portraits of puffy clouds. Applicants were asked to consider the sky from its atmospheric characteristic to its mythic history. Is the sky so familiar that we forget to consider it? Is the sky just more psychic wallpaper? These are some of the creative prompts exhibitors will interpret.
More information about The Sky Is Always There can be found on the GAAC website: GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS The exhibition runs through March 20. The GAAC is open during the week 9 am – 3 pm, and on Saturday noon – 4 pm.

Gallery Walk and Talk: Two New Exhibits
2025-04-19 13:00 - 14:00
Gallery Walk and Talk: Two New Exhibits
April 19 | 1 pm
Take a stroll through the GAAC’s current exhibits, Walking, and Reflections In Water. Join in a conversational discussion of the exhibitions with Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC Gallery Manager. FREE. Enjoy both exhibits in person and online here: https://glenarborart.org/exhibits/

Outdoor Gallery Panel Auction
2025-04-22 09:00 - 2025-04-24 14:00
Outdoor Gallery Panel Auction
Auction is April 22-24, 2025
All five panels from the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s 2024 Outdoor Gallery exhibition will be available for acquisition. The GAAC is holding an online auction April 22-24 2024. The 5-foot square artworks are reproductions of original collages by Leelanau County artist Margo Burian, winner of the 2024 Outdoor Gallery invitational.
The panels may be enjoyed at any time. They are displayed on the GAAC’s exterior walls.
For more information about how to bid on the panels, and to learn more about Margo Burian, go to: https://glenarborart.org/2025-outdoor-gallery-panel-auction/

Welcome Tulip Season
2025-05-01 19:00 - 20:00 | Glen Lake Community Library, 10115 Front Street, Empire, MI, 49630, United States
Guest speaker Linda Young will discuss the history of Tulipia, cultivated and treasured for its long-necked beauty and jewel-like colors. She’ll trace the tulip’s humble beginnings as a wild flower in the mountains of Central Asia during the Ottoman Empire to becoming a wildly sought commodity during Tulip Mania in the 17th century. Her presentation will also explore the influence and fascination with tulips in the fine arts and decorative design. The hour-long talk will include an “arm chair” tour of tulip festivals across the globe.

Artist in Residence Talk: Seattle artist Chandra Wu
2025-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Scott Bouma
Executive Director
Glen Arbor Arts Center
231 2334-6112
director@glenarborart.org
Seattle artist Chandra Wu will talk about her car journey east to Glen Arbor, and how that Spring trip became the heart of her artist-in-residence project. Wu, the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s first artist-resident of 2025, will share stories and vignettes of her two-week residency on May 15, 10 am during a conversational presentation at the GAAC. The presentation is open to the public at no charge.
“I’m intending to make a quilt top based on my experience travelling to Traverse City,” Wu said. “I am excited to visit Michigan for the first time.” Wu plans to use sketches she’ll make while on the road. During the residency, she wants to learn more about the ancient, local glacial history, “the indigenous natural world, and the colonial history of homesteading and farming in the area.”
The GAAC has been hosting visiting artmakers as part of its residency program since the 1990s. For more information about the GAAC’s AIR Program go to GlenArborArt.org / ARTISTS.

Gallery Walk and Talk: Two New Exhibits
2025-05-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
WALK AND TALK
May 17
Gallery Walk and Talk: Two New Exhibits
May 17 | 1 pm
Take a stroll through the GAAC’s current exhibits, Walking, and Random: Collages From The Scrap Pile. Join in a conversational discussion of the exhibitions with Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC Gallery Manager. FREE. Enjoy both exhibits in person and online here: https://glenarborart.org/exhibits/

Thoreson Plein Air Event
2025-05-24 09:00 - 16:00 | Port Oneida Rural Historic District, 3164 W Harbor Hwy, Maple City, MI, 49664, United States
Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear invites artists to the Thoreson Farm in Port Oneida, for a Plein Air Event. The event is to encourage artists to paint and submit artwork of the farm to be considered for the 2025 Port Oneida Fair poster.
DETAILS:
A beautiful and picturesque historic farmstead with a farmhouse and several outbuildings, Thoreson Farm was chosen as the ideal subject for this year’s fair poster to honor the recently passed descendent Leonard Thoreson. Leonard was a legend himself, who grew up on this farm in Port Oneida, now part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The facts and folklore he provided will forever be told as part of the history of this area through books and archives.
Artists may arrive at any time to create their pieces. An informal meet and greet with light refreshments will take place at 9:30 a.m. for those interested. Artists should bring their own art supplies, easels, and chairs. Pre-registration is not required and there is no fee for the event or to submit.

Artist in Residence Talk: Photographer Robert Beras
2025-05-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Scott Bouma
Executive Director
Glen Arbor Arts Center
231 2334-6112
director@glenarborart.org
Photographer Robert Beras is an urban dream catcher. On May 29 he’ll discuss the rural and woodland dreams he captured with his camera during his May artist’s residency with the Glen Arbor Arts Center. The program begins at 10. Beras will share work and stories. The program is open to the public at no charge.
“My goal for this artist residency is to gather images for my Dream Series, expanding beyond Detroit’s urban and industrial landscapes,” said the Lathrup Village, Michigan, resident. “I aim to explore new environments that push the series in fresh directions. The residency will also provide dedicated time to develop my minimalist work, focusing on in-camera techniques — strong composition, exposure, and a heightened awareness of light and shadow — without reliance on digital manipulation.”
The GAAC has been hosting visiting artmakers as part of its residency program since the 1990s. For more information about the GAAC’s AIR Program go to GlenArborArt.org / ARTISTS.

Members Create At The Glen Arbor Arts Center
2025-06-06 09:00 - 2025-08-07 15:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
PRESS RELEASE
Contact
Scott Bouma
Executive Director
Glen Arbor Arts Center
231 334 6112
Director@glenarborart.org
Members Create At The Glen Arbor Arts Center
June 6 – August 7, 2025
An annual tradition returns! The Glen Arbor Arts Center’s Members Create exhibition opens June 6, 5 pm with a public reception featuring the work of 55 current GAAC members.
A showcase of members’ talent, Members Create runs through August 7. The exhibit includes work in a wide range of media: paint to fiber, clay to metal. It may be viewed in person in the GAAC’s Main Gallery, or online: GlenArborArt.org/EXHIBITS.
Also on view in the GAAC Lobby Gallery is Random: Collages From The Scrap Pile, a series of compositions by Leelanau County artist Mark Mehaffey.
The Members Create exhibition enjoys the support of Precision Collision & Auto Glass of Frankfort. Located at 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, the GAAC is open seven days. For more information go to GlenArborArt.org.

Artist in Residence Talk: Jodie Chilcote
2025-06-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
Spring Arbor, Michigan printmaker Jodie Chilcote will carve out time in June to create a series of woodblock prints – illustrations for a children’s book that are the focus of Chilcote’s two-week artist’s residency with the Glen Arbor Arts Center. She’ll share work and stories from the residency at a presentation on June 12, 10 am. The program is open to the public at no charge.
“This is a project I have been wanting to complete for a few years now, but I haven’t given myself the time,” Chilcote said. “The residency will be the perfect opportunity for me to sit down and prioritize this illustration project.”
The GAAC has been hosting visiting artmakers as part of its residency program since the 1990s. For more information about the GAAC’s AIR Program go to GlenArborArt.org / ARTISTS.

Late Night Fridays and Manitou Music
2025-06-13 17:00 - 2025-06-27 20:00, 2025-06-20 17:00 - 2025-07-04 20:00, 2025-06-27 17:00 - 2025-07-11 20:00, 2025-07-04 17:00 - 2025-07-18 20:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Scott Bouma
Executive Director
Glen Arbor Arts Center
231/334-6112
director@glenarborart.org
The Glen Arbor Arts Center is keeping the lights on a little longer on Friday nights. Late Night Fridays and Manitou Music bring the B-Side Growlers back to the GAAC Front Porch on June 27, 5-7 pm. This “tradition-inspired, toe-tapping fired” acoustic trio from Grand Rapids plays a plein air concert of blues, jazz and country. Bring a chair and refreshments.
As part of Late Night Fridays, both GAAC galleries are open June 13, 20, and 27. In the GAAC Main Gallery is the 2025 Members Create, an exhibition of work by 49 GAAC members. In the Lobby Gallery: Random: Collages From The Scrap Pile by Leelanau County painter Mark Mehaffey. Read more about the exhibit here: GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS.
All Late Friday Nights events are free. The GAAC is located at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor.

Artist’s Interview: Inside The Outside
2025-06-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Scott Bouma
Executive Director
Glen Arbor Arts Center
231 334-6112
director@glenarborart.org
Artist’s Interview: Inside The Outside
Inside The Outside is a new exhibition of work by Traverse City painter Justin Shull. This group of five digital paintings are on the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s Outdoor Gallery. Shull and Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC gallery manager, will discuss the work, the theme that connects each of the paintings in the installation, and Shull’s process for making them. The program is July 20, 11 am at the GAAC.
The paintings in this exhibition are digitally generated, and were created for the 6th edition of the GAAC’s Outdoor Gallery project, a year-long, invitational exhibition that turns the GAAC’s exterior walls into an outdoor exhibition space. Shull is no stranger to digital technology, and has integrated it into his painting practice. Shull will discuss how he balances high-tech methods of making with the conventions of working by hand.
Read more about Inside The Outside on the GAAC website: GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS

Glen Arbor Arts Center Presents Youth Plein Air Month in July
2025-07-01 09:00 - 2025-07-31 15:00 | Glen Arbor Arts Center, 6031 S. Lake Street, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Scott Bouma Executive Director / Glen Arbor Arts Center (231) 334-6112 director@glenarborart.org
Glen Arbor Arts Center Presents Youth Plein Air Month in July
GLEN ARBOR, Mich. — Throughout July, the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s new Youth Plein Air Month will invite children ages 6–12 to step outside, paint in the open air, and capture the signature landscapes and buildings of Leelanau County.
“Youth Plein Air Month is intended to nurture confidence and creativity by taking art making outside the classroom,” said Scott Bouma, Executive Director of GAAC. “We want young artists to feel the very spark of inspiration that has brought seasoned plein air painters to this area for generations.”
Paint with Free Plein Air Art Kits
From July 1 through July 31, families may borrow fully stocked art kits at no cost. Each kit contains supplies and instructions, including standing easels, canvases, paints, brushes, and painters palettes. Young artists can paint on GAAC grounds or borrow the kits for up to four days to take on outdoor adventures.
“We’re excited to introduce children to the world of plein air painting with free art kits designed just for them,” said Kristie McCaw, Program Manager at the Glen Arbor Arts Center. “It’s a chance to spark their creativity, connect with nature, and experience the joy of making art in the open air, all while exploring the beauty of our region.”
Meet a Plein Air Artist Day | Saturday, July 12
Professional plein air painters will be on site at GAAC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for demonstrations, technique tips, and hands-on guidance. A rain date is set for Sunday, July 13.
“After decades in the classroom, I’ve seen how quickly young minds spark when they watch creativity unfold in real time,” said Mark Mehaffey, former teacher and featured plein air painter. “The artists will guide kids, inviting them to pick up a brush and experience the joy of capturing the world around them.”
Youth Plein Air Exhibit | July 28 to July 31
Each participant will have the opportunity to display one completed painting in GAAC’s classroom gallery. The exhibit will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gathering and Awards Ceremony | Thursday, July 31
A community celebration on the GAAC back deck from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. will spotlight the young artists and recognize their work.
“Seeing their artwork on display and hearing applause from family and friends can be transformative for young creators,” Bouma added.
