Observer Editor
Community Listing
Online Event
Creative Washtenaw Event
Free Event
Donation Suggested
Hybrid Event
Events in January 2023
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Looking for live music tonight?
Visit our Nightspots listing.
January 17, 2023
“Salt: Dispersed”: University Musical Society Digital Presentation.
Jan. 17–Feb. 13. Online presentation of this very personal monologue by performance artist Selina Thompson which premiered at the 2017 Edinburgh festival. At once dramatic, sad, and comic, it’s about a journey she made by cargo ship to retrace the triangular route of the transatlantic slave trade. Salt is Thompson’s response to being both British and a descendant of a people enslaved by the British. Anytime from Jan. 17 until Feb. 13. For URL, go to ums.org/performance/salt-dispersed, or preregister to be reminded. Free. 764–2538.
“The Plastic Bag Store”: University Musical Society/U-M Museum of Art/U-M Graham Sustainability Institute.
Jan. 17 and every Wed.–Sun., Jan. 18–Feb. 5. Film and theater director Robin Frohardt’s public art installation and immersive film screening uses humor and a critical lens to question our culture of consumption and convenience, with a focus on the effects of single-use plastic addiction. Shelves are stocked with thousands of original sculptures of everyday goods—produce and meat, dry goods and toiletries—all made from discarded single-use plastics. Several times a day, the “store” is transformed into a film screen that uses puppetry, shadowplay, and handmade sets to tell a darkly comedic story of how what we value least may become our most lasting cultural legacy. The Plastic Bag Store premiered in Times Square in 2020 and has toured across the U.S. 8 p.m. (Tues.), 6 & 8 p.m. (Wed.–Fri.); 2, 4, 6, & 8 p.m. (Sat.); & 2, 5, & 7 p.m. (Sun.), location TBA at tickets.ums.org. Mask required if Washtenaw County is in the CDC’s high-risk category. Tickets $30 (students $12) in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League box office, & by phone, and (if available) at the door. 764–2538.
Preschool Storytimes: AADL.
Mahjong: Pittsfield Township Senior Center.
Online Meditation Drop-In: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Natural History Museum.
“Authoritarian Populism in Everyday Life: Contemporary Turkey”: U-M Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies.
Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club.
Every Tues., Thurs., & Fri. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge (Tues. & Fri.) or a 499er game for players with no more than 499 ACBL master points (Thurs.). 1–4 p.m. or so (arrive by 12:45 p.m.), City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Ave. $6 per person. If you plan to come without a partner, email kahanae@yahoo.net or ronmeade@comcast.net beforehand.
Euchre: Pittsfield Township Senior Center.
“Una Tertulia”: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
“Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation”: U-M Wallace House.
Brooklyn-based journalist and educator Linda Villarosa discusses her new book about the forces in the American health care system and in American society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” compared to their white counterparts. 4:30 p.m., Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium, 735 S. State. Free. 998–7575.
“D & D Adventures”: Sylvan Factory.
Letterpress Lab: Ann Arbor District Library.
“Still Standing: A Photographic Tour of Beautiful Buildings from Northern Michigan's Past”: Ann Arbor District Library.
Ann Arbor Group Runs: Fleet Feet.
BattleTech: Classic: Sylvan Factory.
Magic: The Gathering: Sylvan Factory.
Every Mon.–Wed., Fri., & Sat. All invited to play various forms of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Mon. 6:30–10 p.m.: Power Cards, $10. Tues. 6–9 p.m.: MTG Pauper, a fun and fast format for all skill levels, $5. Wed. 5–8 p.m.: Casual Commander, the most popular form of the game, free. Fri. 6:30–10 p.m.: Magic rotating draft, cost varies. Sat. noon–3 p.m.: Intro to Magic: The Gathering, free. Sat. 6–10 p.m.: Commander Pods, casual groups of 4 players, free. Prizes paid in store credit. Various times. Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877.
“Embracing, Respecting, and Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”: American Business Women’s Association Maia Chapter.
“Food Literacy for All”: U-M Sustainable Food Systems Initiative.
Every Tues. (except Feb. 28), Jan. 10–Apr. 4. Lecture series. Jan. 10: Panel discussion on “Roots: Food, Power, and the Climate Crisis” with U-M Afroamerican & African studies professor Jessica Kenyatta Walker, U-M School for Environment & Sustainability lecturer shakara tyler, and U-M Sustainable Food Systems project manager Lilly Fink Shapiro. Jan. 17: Climate Justice Alliance coexecutive director Bineshi Albert on “Community Food Systems for Climate Justice.” Jan. 24: Writer and filmmaker Raj Patel, a University of Texas public affairs professor, on The Ants & The Grasshopper. Jan. 31: British chef and writer Fozia Ismail on “Food Culture as Companion.” 6:30–8 p.m. Free. Preregistration required at sites.lsa.umich.edu/sustainablefoodsystems/foodliteracyforall. Free.
“Capture the Flag”: All Hands Active.
Every Tues. All invited to try to capture a virtual flag by solving a computer security problem (or series of problems), ranging from basic computer to some programming. Led by AHA usage members. Beginners welcome. 7 p.m., for URL preregister at meetup.com/AllHandsActive/events. Free; donations welcome. info@AllHandsActive.org.
“Capture the Flag”: All Hands Active.
Every Tues. All invited to try to capture a virtual flag by solving a computer security problem (or series of problems), ranging from basic computer to some programming. Led by AHA usage members. Beginners welcome. 7 p.m., for URL preregister at meetup.com/AllHandsActive/events. Free; donations welcome. info@AllHandsActive.org.
Ann Arbor Camera Club.
Jan. 3 & 17. Club members show their digital slides (Jan. 3) and prints (Jan. 17) on various topics, including this month’s assignment, “Birds in Flight.” Also, presentations by club member Larry Hoxey on “Techniques for Managing Extreme Lighting Conditions” (Jan. 3) and by teacher Hannah Crabtree & her Community High School photography students (Jan. 17). 7–9 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Liberty, rear entrance, 2nd fl. Mask and proof of Covid-19 vaccination and booster required. Free. annarborcameraclub.org, a2camclub@gmail.com.
English Country Dance: Ann Arbor Community of Traditional Music and Dance.
Every Tues. Historical and traditional English dancing to live music. All dances taught; no partner or experience needed. Bring flat, clean-soled, nonslip shoes (running shoes okay) and your own water bottle. First-timers are asked to arrive at 6:45 p.m. 7–9:30 p.m., Concourse Hall, 4531 Concourse Dr. Mask, proof of vaccination, and release of liability required. Suggested donation: $8 (students, $4; kids age 13 & under with caregiver, free). aactmad.org/english-country, 665–7704.
Huron Valley Harmonizers Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Virtual Trivia Night: Ann Arbor Adventure Club.
Every Tues. All invited to form teams of 4 or so persons to compete (via Zoom) in a family-friendly 2-round trivia contest featuring questions in a range of fields from entertainment and history to pop culture and geography. Solo competitors are matched up together. 7 p.m., for URL email burrbarr7@hotmail.com. Free.
Voices in Harmony.
Every Tues. Female singers invited to join the weekly rehearsals of this local 40-member a cappella barbershop harmony chorus. 7–8:30 p.m., UAW Local 898, 8975 Textile Rd., Ypsilanti. Mask policy follows CDC guidelines; proof of vaccination required. Free to visitors ($26 monthly dues for those who join). info@voicesinharmonychorus.org, 765–3611.
The Moth StorySLAM: Michigan Radio.
Open mic storytelling competition sponsored by The Moth, the NYC-based nonprofit storytelling organization. Ten storytellers are selected at random from among those who sign up to tell a 3- to 5-minute story on the theme of “Juggle.” Stories are judged by a 3-person team recruited from the audience. Monthly winners compete in a semiannual GrandSLAM. Seating limited; arrive early. 7:30–9 p.m. (doors open and sign-up begins at 6:30 p.m.), The Blind Pig, 208 S. First. Tickets $15 general admission in advance only at TheMoth.org beginning a week before event. patricia@themoth.org.
“Liar, Dreamer, Thief”: Literati Bookstore At Home with Literati.
Michigan poet and short fiction writer Maria Dong joins novelist Grace D. Li to discuss (via Zoom) Dong’s debut novel, a surreal story about a woman obsessed with a coworker who accuses her of causing his death before he commits suicide. 8 p.m., for URL see literatibookstore.com/event/2023-01. Free. 585–5567.