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Events in January 2023
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January 25, 2023
“Cultural Exchange Rate”: University Musical Society.
Jan. 24–29. Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury shares her family’s memories of life in villages on the border of Lebanon and Syria through this interactive performance art piece in which each ticketholder is invited to peek into various boxes to explore the sounds, images, and textures hidden inside that are built out of recorded interviews with El Khoury’s late grandmother, material from her newly discovered relatives in Mexico City, and family memories of more than a century of border crossings. Timed entry every 90 minutes, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. U-M Stamps Gallery, 210 S. Division. Tickets $25 (students, $12) in advance only at tickets.UMS.org. 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.
Coffee & Conversation: Pittsfield Township Community Center.
“Tiny Tails Story Time”: HSHV.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Natural History Museum.
“Correspondence from the Soviet Zone: Northern Refugees and the Rise of Cold War Nationalism in South Korea, 1945–1949”: U-M Nam Center for Korean Studies.
Chime Concert: Kerrytown Market & Shops.
Tai Chi: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
“Douglass Day Celebration”: U-M Library.
All invited to help transcribe electronically selected work by pioneering Black newspaper editor Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823-1893). Also a talk about Frederick Douglass (who chose to celebrate his birthday, unknown because he was born into slavery, on Feb. 14) and a crafts session to make valentines. 1-4 p.m., U-M Hatcher Grad Library Gallery, enter from the Diag. Also via Zoom; preregister for URL at bit.ly/douglassday2023. Free. 764-0400.
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.
Alune Wade (Senegal): Blue LLama Jazz Club
Senegalese singer and bass virtuoso ALUNE WADE is back for a U.S. tour celebrating his latest album “Sultan” (released in May 2022, ENJA records), a musical journey between West Africa and North Africa, which stretches languorously until East Africa and Ethiopia.
314 S. Main St ,Ann Arbor. Pre-Pay Light Fare+Libations or Dinner+Show at opentable.com $35–85. hello@bluellamaclub.com bluellamaclub.com 734-372-3200.RESCHEDULED TO MAR. 22 - “Science Café”: U-M Museum of Natural History/Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub.
MOVED TO MARCH 22 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. U-M faculty discuss current scientific research in Climate Solutions: Renewable Energy Storage and Carbon Capture. Hors d’oeuvres at 5:30. 6–7:30 p.m., Conor O’Neill’s, 318 S. Main St. Free, but drink purchases encouraged. Seating limited, so come early. 764–0478.
Volunteer at Hunt for the Yeti: Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
Breaking news: 2023’s Hunt for the Yeti will be bigger and better than ever, and you’re invited to join the team! Last year, 900 people explored the snow-covered Rolling Hills County Park in search for the elusive Eddie the Yeti, with clues, riddles, prizes, snacks and hot cocoa, and a whole lot of fun for the entire family. This year, we’re even opening the role of The Yeti to volunteers like yourself. Along with your Yeti Handler, you’ll delight families while bringing them outdoors to experience and enjoy wintertime in Michigan. Don’t miss your chance to join the team putting on Washtenaw County’s biggest, best and original Hunt for the Yeti experience! Sign up at https://bit.ly/yetivolunteer2023wcprc.
Rolling Hills County Park, 7660 Stony Creek Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 ,Ypsilanti. https://bit.ly/yetivolunteer2023wcprc Free. bertrandm@washtenaw.org 734-971-6337 x323.“The End of Drum-Time”: Literati Bookstore At Home with Literati.
Philadelphia novelist Hanna Pylväinen joins novelist and U-M English professor Peter Ho Davies to discuss her new book, an epic love story in the vein of Cold Mountain and The Great Circle, about a young reindeer herder and a minister's daughter in the 19-century Arctic Circle. 6:30 p.m., for URL see literatibookstore.com/event/2023-01. Free. 585–5567.
“An Evening of Poetry and Written Word”: Crazy Wisdom Poetry Circle.
Reading (via Zoom) by the acclaimed poet Thomas Lynch, a longtime funeral director in Milford who now spends much of his time in Ireland. His insightful, lyrical writing fuses the intellectual and the personal, covering everything from growing up in a Detroit suburban Irish American family and readying his father’s body for burial to his reverence for secular and spiritual texts. Followed by open mic. For guidelines, see cwcircle.poetry.blog/poetry-workshop-guidelines. 7–8:45 p.m. (sign-up for new participants begins at 6:45 p.m.), for URL email cwpoetrycircle@gmail.com. Free. 668–7523.
“Curious About Quakers?”: Ann Arbor Friends Meeting.
"HaydnSEEK #7": Northside Community Church
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations for cello and piano
929 Barton Dr ,Ann Arbor. at the door Free. thorssigurdson@gmail.com www.thorsigurdson.com 708-205-4212.Ann Arbor Bridge Club.
Every Wed. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge. Bring a partner if you can, or call in advance or arrive 20 minutes early if you can’t. 7–10:30 p.m., Walden Hills clubhouse, 2114 Pauline east of Maple. (Park in the designated spaces in the lot on the north side of Pauline.) $6 per person. 945–6021.
Kerrytown Crafters.
Meditation & Discussion: Ann Arbor Karma Thegsum Chöling.
“The Legacy of George Crumb”: U-M Music School.
Jan. 25 & 27 (different locations). U-M music student ensembles perform 2 concerts of music honoring the late Pulitzer Prize–winning avant-garde composer, a U-M grad. Tonight: Ken Kiesler conducts the University Philharmonia Orchestra and Jayce Ogren directs the Contemporary Directions Ensemble in Crumb’s orchestral suite Echoes of Time and the River and Vox Balaenae, a chamber piece for cello, flute, and piano that evokes the songs of humpback whales. Also, contemporary Japanese composer Dai Fujikura’s 2015 orchestral piece Mina, Charles Ives’ brief 1908 piece “The Unanswered Question,” and contemporary American composer, and Crumb student Jennifer Higdon’s swelling and mournful blue cathedral. 8 p.m., Hill Auditorium. Free. 764–0583.
“Wednesday Night Swing”: Ann Arbor Swing Dance Association.
Every Wed., except Jan. 4. Lindy hop, East Coast swing, Charleston, and Balboa dancing to music spun by DJs. No partner needed. Wear comfortable low-grip shoes. Preceded at 7 p.m. by a free beginner lesson. 8–10 p.m., Michigan League Vandenberg Rm., 2nd fl. Mask, full vaccination, and boosters required. $5 (free for SAA members). Swingannarbor.com.
