Arts and Culture

The inaugural "Summer Concerts at Reynolds" series at Northern Michigan University will kick off with guitar professor Christopher Shoelen at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, in Reynolds Recital Hall. He will present a program that features some of the most renowned pieces for the Spanish guitar, and transport the audience to the streets of Spain with passionate Andalusian harmonies.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum will host its annual "North of the 45th" exhibition June 20-Aug. 1. The juried show features artists who reside above the 45th parallel in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. A reception is scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, July 25.

Northern Michigan University Theatre & Dance will present “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney, a past nominee for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play features two characters—Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III—whose 50-year correspondence chronicles their evolving relationship and shared confidences. It has been described as “a tender, tragi-comic and nuanced examination of the shared nostalgia, missed opportunities and deep closeness of two lifelong, complicated friends.” Showtimes are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26 through Saturday, June 28, in Forest Roberts Theatre.  

The Northern Michigan University Department of Music is launching a new series titled Summer Concerts at Reynolds, which will take place on Tuesdays in June and July in Reynolds Recital Hall. This year's series will highlight the department's faculty, all of whom are highly trained professional musicians, in addition to teaching full time. One or more faculty members will be featured during each performance.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present “Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin” by Dianne Nora, winner of the Panowski Playwriting Award. With the former USSR as its backdrop, the dark comedy revolves around two men—loosely inspired by real figures—who bear such a strong resemblance to Stalin that they are forced into dangerous service as political decoys to thwart his enemies and alleviate fears for his safety. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 pm. Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17, in NMU's Panowski Black Box Theatre.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will highlight and celebrate the talents of the department's graduating students with its inaugural Senior Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25. A second performance will be held on Mackinac Island for industry professionals from New York and major regional theaters on Tuesday, May 20.

Northern Michigan University's Center for Native American Studies will host Marquette's first "Water is Life Festival" on Friday, April 25. The event will bring together Indigenous teachers, local and regional musicians, performance artists, visual and material artists, and grassroots environmental advocates from throughout the Upper Peninsula. Admission to all activities is free.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present its adaptation of the iconic rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice produced for the professional stage more than 50 years ago. Show dates are Thursday-Saturday, April 10-12 and 17-19 in Forest Roberts Theatre. 

Northern Michigan University's Music Department will present three upcoming performances featuring its percussion ensemble, a senior trombone recital, and the Open Mind experimental music ensemble.

Two Upper Peninsula students were national award winners in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7-12. Berkeley Thompson of Marquette Senior High School won a Gold Medal and American Voices Award for her poem “On Buying Pre-Stirred Almond Butter," and Hannah Josefsen of Negaunee High School won a Gold Medal and American Visions Award in art for her painting, “Fragments of Identity."