Visual and Performing Arts - NMU Events and Announcements

Visual and Performing Arts

The NMU Department of Music is excited to have Deux Saisons with us at Reynolds Recital Hall on Friday, September 5, 2025!  Deux Saisons presents concerts with diverse collections of old and new classical repertoire. Featuring soprano Keri Lee Pierson, and classical guitarist Christopher Schoelen, this voice and guitar duo performs works from the Renaissance through the present day.

Deux Saisons (French for “two seasons”) brings classical music to a wide community through integration into diverse venues (such as farms, libraries, breweries, and the main stage).  They frequently incorporate audience participation, and they promote the application of music as a tool for education and restoration.

This concert is brought to you by the Siril Endowment for the Musical Arts, and we hope you’ll mark your calendars for a very special night.  

Visual and Performing Arts

We invite the young dancer in your family to apply for our Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Summer Dance Intensive! This year our transformative program offers a diverse range of classes including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, composition, choreography/repertoire, conditioning, injury prevention and treatment which will culminate in a guest performance in the North Coast Dance Festival alongside Giordano Dance Chicago, Ballet Project OC, and the NMU CO/LAB Dance Company, and a final performance showcase! This intensive is perfect for dancers looking to hone in their skills, level up their performance, and make connections to the professional industry - we are here to help you grow! Participants will also get the chance to partake in exciting local activities throughout the week. There are options to attend for one or two weeks and this year we have opened enrollment to include those heading into 8th grade! Those participating in the second week will learn choreography for the Showcase from some of our guest instructors and NMU Faculty.

Dates: July 13-27, 2025
Week 1: Classes July 13-20: In week one students will be in classes from 9am-5pm honing in their dance skills!
Week 2: Workshops & Showcase July 20-27: In Week Two, students will build on the skills developed in Week One, culminating in an hour-long showcase performance. This exciting week also includes special sessions with renowned guest instructors:
 

• Nan Giordano – Artistic Director, Giordano Dance Chicago, leading a Giordano Jazz class
• Ally Helman – Artistic Director, Ballet Project OC, teaching Balanchine-style ballet technique
• Jimena Flores Sanchez – Former company member, Moulin Rouge National Tour, offering a Moulin Rouge dance workshop
• Adina Belanger – Choreographer for Just for Kix
• Meg Schneider – Certified Athletic Trainer and Dance Medicine Specialist (Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Chicago Bulls LuvaBulls Dance Team and 312 Crew)
• Aurelia Fure – Circus Artist, Actor, Aerialist

Location: Northern Michigan University - 1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI 49855
Age: Students in 8th grade through current graduates from the class of 2025!

Further information and our free application can be found HERE! 

Please contact wpaa@nmu.edu for more information. Registration closes on Thursday, July 10 at 5:00PM.

Visual and Performing Arts

Giordano Dance Chicago Masterclass: July 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM in the Forest Roberts Theatre Stage

PRE-REGISTRATION FOR DANCE PARTICIPATION REQUIRED BY 7/21/25. REGISTER HERE.

Please join NMU Theatre and Dance, North Coast Dance Festival, and the Siril Endowment for the Arts for a jazz dance class and talkback led by Nan Giordano of Giordano Dance Chicago on Wednesday, July 23rd from 6:30-8:00PM in the Forest Roberts Theatre! This class will be open to dancers ages 13 and up with at least 5 years of previous formal dance training or at least one year of formal university dance training. We welcome observers of any age into the theatre to experience the joy of the Giordano Technique! There is no fee for participation or observation of this class! Pre-registration for class participation will close on Monday, July 21st at 5:00PM EST. Class size is limited--registering early is encouraged.

Visual and Performing Arts

Join us for the 4th Annual North Coast Dance Festival, a spectacular celebration of dance! Professional dancers from across the country will gather alongside the NMU CO/LAB Dance Company for engaging educational experiences and mesmerizing performances. Don't miss this unforgettable event filled with grace, talent, and artistry.

We are thrilled to welcome Giordano Dance Chicago back this summer to perform two new, exciting jazz dance pieces choreographed by Al Blackstone and Ray Leeper. We will also welcome back Ballet Project OC, who will be performing the pas de deux from George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and Ally Helman's Pitseleh. NMU's CO/LAB Dance Company will preview a new work by Karina Johnson set to the music of Johnny Cash.

This event is generously supported by the Siril Endowment for the Arts.

FOREST ROBERTS THEATRE

APPROXIMATE RUN TIME: 1HR 30MIN | 15min Intermission

Visual and Performing Arts

North of the 45th: 18th Annual Upper Midwest Juried Exhibition 

June 20 - August 1, 2025

North of the 45th is an annual juried exhibition of artists living in the geographical area north of the 45th parallel in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This line, known as the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole, is often associated with being “up north.” The exhibition highlights artists living in this upper Midwest region from rural and urban areas.

The 2025 exhibition is juried by Rebecca Heidenberg. Heidenberg is an curator, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Minneapolis gallery Dreamsong. Heidenberg earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and an MA from The New School in 2016. In 2021, Heidenberg launched Twin Cities Art Week, an annual celebration of contemporary art in Minneapolis and St. Paul, featuring over twenty venues, from small artist-run spaces to leading galleries and major institutions. 

On Friday, July 25 at 6 pm, please join us for talks with the juror and the closing reception.

The exhibition and event are free and open to all.

Visual and Performing Arts

June 20 - August 1, 2025

North of the 45th is an annual juried exhibition of artists living in the geographical area north of the 45th parallel in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This line, known as the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole, is often associated with being “up north.” The exhibition highlights artists living in this upper Midwest region from rural and urban areas. 

The 2025 exhibition is juried by Rebecca Heidenberg. Heidenberg is an curator, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Minneapolis gallery Dreamsong. Heidenberg earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and an MA from The New School in 2016. In 2021, Heidenberg launched Twin Cities Art Week, an annual celebration of contemporary art in Minneapolis and St. Paul, featuring over twenty venues, from small artist-run spaces to leading galleries and major institutions.

On Friday, July 25 at 6 pm, please join us for talks with the juror and the closing reception.

The exhibition and event are free and open to all.

Visual and Performing Arts

Join us for the Annual Children's Exhibition Reception on May 22, from 5-7 pm.

Each year, the NMU DeVos Art Museum celebrates our area schools that support art programs for elementary students. This annual exhibition, featuring talented elementary students’ artwork in all media, is organized by hardworking art teachers from local schools.

The participating schools include: Aspen Ridge Elementary School, AuTrain-Onota Public School, Birchview Elementary School, Cherry Creek Elementary School, Father Marquette Catholic Academy, Gilbert Elementary School, Graveraet Elementary School, K.I. Sawyer Elementary School, Lakeview Elementary School, North Star Montessori Academy, Powell Township School, and Sandy Knoll Elementary. Featuring Special guest, Project Knot work

The exhibition and event are free and open to all.

Visual and Performing Arts

May 5 – May 24, 2025
Join us for the reception on May 22, from 5-7 pm

Each year, the NMU DeVos Art Museum celebrates our area schools that support art programs for elementary students. This annual exhibition, featuring talented elementary students’ artwork in all media, is organized by hardworking art teachers from local schools.

The participating schools include: Aspen Ridge Elementary School, AuTrain-Onota Public School, Birchview Elementary School, Cherry Creek Elementary School, Father Marquette Catholic Academy, Gilbert Elementary School, Graveraet Elementary School, K.I. Sawyer Elementary School, Lakeview Elementary School, North Star Montessori Academy, Powell Township School, and Sandy Knoll Elementary. Featuring special guest, Project Knot Work

The exhibition and event are free and open to all.

Visual and Performing Arts

Friday, May 2nd, 7-9 PM

8 PM Awards Announced: Best of Show, sponsored by the Friends of the DeVos Art Museum

Featuring the following artists: 

Computer Art: Ejay Crandell

Digital Cinema: Quinn Alles, Haley Holland, Ainsley Patterson

Graphic Design: Emma Iles, Ashley Loomis

Human-Centered Design: Cole Adameak, Kate Cudney

Illustration: Lindsay Bulmann, Ethan Clark, Val Luxi, Amber Heiser,

Emerson Jermstad, Anna Laakso, Amara Meyskens, Sable Wood

Metals: Ben Gitchell

Photography: Stephanie Cramer, Ashlyn Nichols

Visual and Performing Arts

April 17th - May 2nd, 2024
Closing Reception: Friday, May 2nd, 7-9pm

Featuring the following artists:

Computer Art: Ejay Crandell

Digital Cinema: Quinn Alles, Haley Holland, Ainsley Patterson

Graphic Design: Emma Iles, Ashley Loomis

Human-Centered Design: Cole Adameak, Kate Cudney

Illustration: Lindsay Bulmann, Ethan Clark, Val Luxi, Amber Heiser,

Emerson Jermstad, Anna Laakso, Amara Meyskens, Sable Wood

Metals: Ben Gitchell

Photography: Stephanie Cramer, Ashlyn Nichols