The Holland Area Arts Council is excited to announce the 2025 First Friday Series beginning January 3, 2025.  The First Friday of each month will feature a (different) performance. We’ll bring you music, theatre, readings and much more.

Friday, January 3, 2025 from 6:30pm-8:30pm
Sweet Lady Bees is a female duo of life-long musicians and long-time friends whose singing voices brought them together. Katie Romig from Allendale and Robyn Schopp from West Olive have been jamming and harmonizing as Sweet Lady Bees since 2022. They cover music ranging from country to 70s rock to 80s pop, and they love giving audiences new ways of experiencing familiar songs!

The Holland Area Arts Council will be with Carolyn Stich and Carolyn’s Candy Land for the SinterKlaas Shuffle!
Join Sinterklaas and his friends for a wonderful trip to fun and faraway places without leaving downtown Holland! Sinterklaas will welcome families downtown to celebrate this Dutch holiday tradition. Guests will also be able to visit with skiers in Dutch costumes, the Community Police Team from the Holland Police Department, and even Sinterklaas' beautiful white horse, Ozosnel. 

Start this adventure at the Tulip Time office to pick up lanterns and passports before stamping your passport at Sinterklaas's Lodge, Polar Place, Sperry Slopes, Carolyn's Candy Land, and Ozosnel's Stable. Small gifts will be given to passport holders at each station. Post photos to Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #SinterklaasShuffle to be entered to win a special prize. 

Passports are $5 each. Adults and siblings may accompany passport holders at no cost. Be sure to purchase a ticket for anyone hoping to receive their own goodies and lanterns. 

The Holland Area Arts Council will be with Carolyn Stich and Carolyn’s Candy Land for the SinterKlaas Shuffle!
Join Sinterklaas and his friends for a wonderful trip to fun and faraway places without leaving downtown Holland! Sinterklaas will welcome families downtown to celebrate this Dutch holiday tradition. Guests will also be able to visit with skiers in Dutch costumes, the Community Police Team from the Holland Police Department, and even Sinterklaas' beautiful white horse, Ozosnel. 

Start this adventure at the Tulip Time office to pick up lanterns and passports before stamping your passport at Sinterklaas's Lodge, Polar Place, Sperry Slopes, Carolyn's Candy Land, and Ozosnel's Stable. Small gifts will be given to passport holders at each station. Post photos to Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #SinterklaasShuffle to be entered to win a special prize. 

Passports are $5 each. Adults and siblings may accompany passport holders at no cost. Be sure to purchase a ticket for anyone hoping to receive their own goodies and lanterns. 

Santa Claus arrives in Downtown Holland during the annual Parade of Lights on Tuesday, December 3 at 6:30 pm.  He’ll be escorted by 75 floats, trucks, antique cars, walkers and marching bands...all decked out from top to bottom in thousands of sparkling lights! This brightly lit holiday procession is fun for the entire family and a holiday tradition for the entire community! The Parade of Lights will begin at the corner of 8th Street and Columbia Avenue at 6:30 pm and proceed west down 8th Street until it reaches the Holland Civic Center, home of the Holiday Kerstmarkt!  The Parade of Lights is proudly sponsored by Gentex Corporation.

Glass & Gloss: Holiday Enamel Painting

Join Carolyn Stich for enamel painting on glass plates. Freehand your own design or follow easy templates provided by Cayolyn! No experience required. This event is free and open to ages 50+. Max 40 attendees. Register online at hollandarts.org/adult-classes

Tatsuki Hakoyama
Lievense Gallery
Reception and Artist Talk: November 21st, 5:30-7:00 pm

Tatsuki Hakoyama is a Japanese artist living and working in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Having experienced lifestyles in Japan, Samoa, and the United States, his works reflect on the role of culture, community, and the effect that environment has on identity through allegorical figurative paintings. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Kendall College of Art & Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) in Grand Rapids, MI. Hakoyama has exhibited his work in various solo and group exhibitions and received recognition for his work including the Director’s Purchase Prize at the 2023 West Michigan Area Show in Kalamazoo, MI, and the 1st Place Juror’s Award at 2021 Art Walk Central in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Aside from his professional studio practice, he teaches at KCAD and Grand Rapids Community College.

Calling all Swifties! The Eras Tour is about to start up again! Maybe you have concert tickets "The Lucky One", or maybe not "Shake It Off" - either way, come make friendship bracelets with us Saturday, October 12th from 11-1. This is a free event All supplies included (while they last!)

***CLASS IS FULL! EMAIL FOR WAITLIST HELPDESK@HOLLANDARTS.ORG***
Join Carolyn Stich for enamel painting on glass plates. Freehand your own design or follow easy templates provided by Cayolyn! No experience required. This event is free and open to ages 50+. Max 40 attendees. Register online at hollandarts.org/adult-classes

The Twenty-Something Exhibition showcases the artwork of young emerging adult artists in our region. This group show features fifteen select artists who are going somewhere. See and discover what our artistic future looks like!

Marquette Artist Kristine Granger displays her enigmatic installation of sculpture, video and photography to create a not-to-be-missed installation. Kristine Granger is currently Art Faculty and Fine Arts Coordinator for Bay College in Escanaba MI. She has been published in the 2nd edition of, Elements of Photography, by artist and author Angela Faris-Belt. Granger was a 2020 & 2022, Artist-in-Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France, and a recipient of The Denis Diderot Award. Her sculpture, jouissance, and, the red one, created at the residency are now part of their permanent collection and on permanent display in the Chateau. In 2022, she was an artist-in-residence on Mackinac Island and the recipient of the grand prize for Poetic Visions of Mackinac. Kristine is an interdisciplinary artist who investigates memory and exhibits both nationally and internationally. In 2023 Granger established, Rock Street Artist Residency, at her home in Marquette MI.

We will be creating with polymer clay for our September Art Cart project! Come join us for this free activity at the Holland Area Arts Council September 14th from 11:00am-1:00pm

We will be celebrating the summer coming to a close with a beach ball suncatcher Art Cart project! Come join us for this free activity at the Holland Area Arts Council August 24th from 11:00am-1:00pm

Art of the Spoon is excited to announce our new exhibition! Be sure to stop by The Gateway Spoon Cafe and Grill to see some beautiful paintings by Judi Kruis, and to get some yummy food!

Mark your calendars for Judi Kruis's RECEPTION AND ARTIST TALK will be on August 14th, 2024 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Judi Kruis, a buyer by day, is a woman of diverse talents and experiences. After many years in the corporate world, she took a detour to share seven years working with others in Latin America, engaging in international outreach. Also exploring new paths in non-profit work, small business consulting, and fine art. Drawing from her workshop history and wisdom as a certified coach, she has transformed her passion for writing into books, offering uplifting strategies to help others turn their dreams into reality. Her books are available on Amazon and her website, a testament to her multifaceted journey.

This is a fun class and will appeal to many types of artists. We will work in a small format-3.5”x4.5”; mostly on Bristol Board but also on other heavy papers and tags. To these surfaces we will adhere decorative papers, found objects, words from old books and embellishments. Other mediums can be used, such as water color paints, copic and metallic markers and more. These tiny art pieces can be incorporated in the pocket of a handmade book, a collage, a card or other mixed media art projects. They can also be traded with other artists to demonstrate a particular technique, process or color combination. So many possibilities. Come join the fun! All supplies will be included but students are encouraged to bring anything they would like to add to their work. Such as: scrapes of decorative paper, markers, words, small found objects etc.

We will be making a fun summer jellyfish for our July Art Cart! Come join us for this free activity at the Holland Area Arts Council!

Find the Art Council’s Art Cart near Window on the Waterfront playground for a ✨ free art activity! ✨ We will be making bird kites from 11am-1pm tomorrow - Saturday, June 8th!

Come and spend a Saturday morning making and decorating a clay Ocarina. Ocarinas are traditional South American whistles. They can take any form such as animals, fish, flowers and people. Let your imagination fly. The pieces will be fired and ready to collect approximately 3 to 4 weeks.

Free Guided Tour of the Dr. Seuss Exhibit on display at Holland Area Arts Council!

Come to the Art Cart on Saturday, April 13th from 11-1 to make spring flower luminaries! A wonderful way to use pressed flowers for a fun and easy craft for kids and adults alike!

STROKES & SPOKES FOR FOLKS Special Guest Artist Carolyn Stich

Participants will have the opportunity to explore the themes of tulips and bicycles through the artful techniques of watercolor and collage. Perfect for individuals of all skill levels, offering a chance to learn, create, and connect. No experience required. This event is free and open to ages 50+.