Arts and Culture

Northern Michigan University Theater and Dance will present the world premiere of the full-length ballet, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This twist on the classic Scandinavian folk tale features original choreography by director Jill Grundstrom and original music composed by Griffin Candey. The production is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, through Saturday, Jan. 26, in Forest Roberts Theatre. Admission is $15 for general public, $10 for students and $5 for NMU students. All theatre and dance majors and minors are invited to attend free of charge.

Janet Mock, transgender activist and author of Redefining Realness, will give a presentation at Northern Michigan University at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, in 1100 Jamrich Hall. Her memoir was the first biography written from the perspective of a young trans person and is this year's selection for the NMU Diversity Common Reader Program.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is one of several community organizations sponsoring the Winter Roots Festival on Sunday, Feb. 23. The festival will offer a full day of folk music, dance and workshops at a variety of venues throughout the Marquette area.

The Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives will present an “Evening at the Archives” event on Thursday, Feb. 28. Negaunee High School seniors Chaz Bluse and Lucas Lambertson will give a presentation on the history of the 1946 iron miners' strike. NMU Archivist Marcus Robyns will provide a brief summary of labor history on the Marquette Iron Range from 1900-1946.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is seeking submissions from artists for its "North of the 45th: 12th Annual Upper Midwest Juried Exhibition." Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota residents living above the 45th parallel are eligible to participate. The submission deadline is Friday, March 22.

NMU alumna Elizabeth Mowers’ first published book, A Promise Remembered, will be released March 1. The novel details the story of a man who returns to his hometown in Michigan for a brief visit. He runs into his old high school sweetheart and is reminded of everyone and everything he left behind years ago. When selecting a beautiful, romantic setting for her novel, she was inspired by Marquette and the Lake Superior shoreline.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center will host a Historical Society of Michigan presentation titled "Murder and Mayhem II: True Crime in Michigan History." This free History Hounds Lecture Series event, offered via teleconference from Lansing, features author Tobin Buhk. It will explore cases including the 1916 poisoning of the Peck family of Grand Rapids, murderer Helmuth Schmidt and Mary McKnight, the "Strychnine Saint." The presentation begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the center in Gries Hall at NMU. 

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will open a new exhibition titled “From Chalk to Light Boards: Technology at NMU.” The exhibition will feature dozens of artifacts, not only from the Beaumier Center’s collection, but from offices and storage facilities as well. A free opening reception with food and refreshments will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, in the center’s Gries Hall gallery.