Arts & Culture

You can file this story under "silver lining."

Michigan's recession has left a lot of empty buildings in its wake. When James Marks was looking for a larger building to house his t-shirt and flat screen printing company, VG Kids, he looked at a two-story brick building on Railroad Street in Ypsilanti.

The building had plenty of space, but was divided into dozens of small rooms. Marks says the space wasn't a good fit for his company, but it was perfect for artists’ studios:

Michigan author Lara Zielin is taking over the world.

She and three other women writers (and some special guests) are kicking off their Girls Taking Over the World Tour tonight at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor.

The Detroit Institute of Arts is taking the first step toward building a program for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

The DIA and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Association have been trying to launch the “Minds on Art” program for more than a year. But it’s stalled from lack of funding.

But the groups decided to hold an initial session anyway, and hope to expand the program.

The program offers gallery tours for patients and caregivers. Renee Grant is a DIA docent who trained to work with Alzheimer’s patients.

The 2011 Flint Jazz Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary at Riverbank Park this weekend.

The event will begin with a Jazz Walk from 6 -11 p.m. Thursday.

Greg Fiedler is with the Greater Flint Arts Council.

"We created something entirely new called Jazz Walk, and the Jazz Walk is fashioned sort of as our famous Flint Art Walk that we do every month. Only the difference is that Jazz Walk is going to be in the pubs downtown and we’re in six of the local pubs."

Fiedler also says every year the festival celebrates the jazz drummer and founder of the festival, Joe Freyre. This year his nephew -- who has the same name -- will headline with Freyre’s former band, The People's Jazz Band.

The festival is charging admission for the first time. Fielder explains with corporate sponsorships decreasing, it is important for the community to begin investing in its major annual events.   

Admission is $2 per day or $5 for a three-day pass.

The festival runs through Sunday.

Traci Currie, Michigan Radio Newsroom

A group of young people marched through Holland Wednesday night to protest a vote city council made in June against adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its anti-discrimination laws.

These laws would protect people from getting fired or kicked out of their houses because they are gay or transgender. Federal and state laws protect people from discrimination – but not based on a person’s sexuality or gender identity. The debate in Holland has not died with that vote.

About 150 people marched as part of an ongoing effort to demand Holland City Council change its decision. The march was organized to show young people in Holland support the effort.

The Cincinnati Art Museum recently discovered it had a long lost treasure trove of rare instruments in its possession. More than 800 antique instruments just sitting in storage…unused and pretty much forgotten.