 Jack Lienhart is a multimedia artist from Holt, MI with a focus on video post-production, and a love of doing all things art. His passion & fascination with video & photo editing lead to his work in media production. He holds an Associates Degree with two certifications as a Digital Media Specialist from Lansing Community College, while also working there in the Digital Media, Audio, and Cinema Program.
Jack has vast experience in media production and has worked as a videographer, assistant director, & camera operator in his career. He has created special effects, demo reels, & short films, including creating visuals for the Capital City Film Festival as well as creating the music & bumper for the CCFF Bangers Series. In addition to media production, Jack also enjoys doing animal photography and making music. He has a love of seeing the abstract, and using his artistic talents to give it meaning. For More Information on Jack and his work visit: Website: https://jacklienhart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacklienhart/
0 Comments
 Katelyn Mueller is a vocalist as well as a digital and traditional artist. She is originally from Livingston County Michigan and has worked in Metro Detroit. Katelyn has performed at multiple venues throughout the state of Michigan including at The Crow Foot, & District 142. Katelyn’s & her band ‘Crafted Conviction’ have also been featured on From The Depths Entertainment.
Katelyn's’ grandmother on her fathers side, was a vocal teacher and professional vocalist which instilled a love of music in her father. “I didn't discover my dad until I was 23 with DNA testing, and after meeting him, I realized why singing called to me so much,” says Katelyn. Her fathers side of the family is full of musicians and artists. On top of being a 3rd generation professional vocalist, Katelyn is also a business owner, and proudly runs a small cleaning company named Little Lemon Cleaning. For more information on Katelyn & her work visit: www.facebook.com/katelyn.conviction  Cyr Wheel Workshop presented by Spinnovation Detroit 6pm-8pm: March 28th, April 11th, May 2nd, & May 9th The Lexus Velodrome 601 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201 For more information visit: http://spinnovationdetroit.com/ You may have seen Cyr Wheel Spinning on the Internet via social media or YouTube. This spring however, not only will you get the chance to see it in person, you can also learn how to do it yourself! Alli Spinz of Spinnovation Detroit will be hosting at least 4 separate Cyr Wheel Workshops this spring at the Lexus Velodrome. The dates for the workshop are Tuesday, March 28th, Tuesday, April 11th, Tuesday, May 2nd, and Tuesday, May 9th. Tickets are $50 per class, and you don’t have to run away & join the circus to be a part of it. Tickets can be booked via the Spinnovation Detroit or the Lexus Velodrome websites. http://spinnovationdetroit.com/ “The Cyr Wheel 101 Workshop covers the fundamentals and basics of Roue Cyr Wheel,” says Alli Spinz. In this workshop, Alli will help you learn how to maintain proper posture, find your balance, and the fun part, the most efficient ways to manipulate the cyr wheel itself. Alli continues, “This is a great way to stay active, work out, while having fun learning a new skill.” Cyr wheel is a fun and unique activity that is accessible for all walks of life. Whether your goal is for fitness, fun, or personal growth, Cyr Wheel will challenge you in new exciting ways. About Alli: Allison Ottjepka (aka Allisin Chainz, aka Alli Spins) is a Cyr Wheel Spinner, Aerial Chain Artist, Aerial Hoop Artist (Lyra), Fire Hoop Dancer, & Instrumentalist from Detroit, MI. She holds a Progressive Axis Training (PAT) Certification, considered the top international Cyr Wheel curriculum. She has performed at multiple festivals including Dally In the Ally, All Good Festival, Detroit Jazz Fest, Movement Electronic Music Festival, Arts Beats and Eats, Asian Cultural Celebration, Kertcheval After Dark, The Michigan Chicken Wing Festival, and Busker Festival Toronto. She has collaborated with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Asian Cultural Association. She has been featured in Grosse Pointe Times, Detroit Metro Times, and on Fox 2 Detroit. For more information on Alli & her work visit her on Instagram: @alli_spins & @allisin_chainz For more information on Cyr Wheel spinning, and to reserve a spot in the Cyr Wheel Workshops at the Lexus Velodrome visit: http://spinnovationdetroit.com/ You can also reserve a spot & buy tickets from the Lexus Velodrome website: https://lexusvelodrome.com/booking # # #  Matt Thornton (aka T.O.K.I.N) is an artist on a quest for knowledge who uses writing, be it a poem, 16 bar verse, or interview article, to express himself, and to make sense of the world. Born in Chicago, Matt grew up in Lawton, MI. He graduated from Portage Northern in 2003. Matt believes that if people can show who they are with something they love, we would all be in a better place.
Matt has performed at Small Planet, The Loft, The Rocket, & Mac's Bar. He has opened for Bone Thugs N Harmony, Rich Boy and Schwayze, & performed with Zulu Nation in Chicago. He has been featured on Fox47, and in The Chronicle News, & Metro Parent. Matt is also the owner of Schem Team Consulting. Assisting businesses with their dreams through his writing and business acumen. He is also a partner in Umbrella Sock Company, a custom design sock business based in Mid-Michigan. For more information on Matt Thornton & the work he does in the community check out: www.thechroniclenews.com/post/community-is-about-helping-matthew-thornton To check out his music visit: https://m.soundcloud.com/t-o-k-i-n For his other writings check out: medium.com/@schemeteamconsulting  Carla Pitawanakwat is a mixed media artist from Lansing, Michigan. She was initially inspired to create art after receiving her grandfather’s sketchbooks & seeing his drawings. Carla loves experimenting with different media and compiling it together. Since studying at Lansing Community College, she started working more heavily with digital art/design, while also studying animation, where she plans to focus her future endeavors. Carla’s work has been presented throughout Mid-Michigan including at the Broad Art Lab’s 2019 MLK Art Contest, and at Constellation Cat Café for their 2022 Fundraiser in December. She also enjoys creating portraiture and designing characters, and is available for commissions.
For more information on Carla & her work visit: www.instagram.com/capstelli/  Kasey is a versatile artist, working across multiple mediums including photography, graphic art, painting, and mixed media. With a keen eye for composition and a passion for exploring new forms of visual expression. Kasey creates striking and thought-provoking art that pushes the boundaries of traditional techniques.
Through photography, Kasey captures the beauty and complexity of the world around them, whether it be through candid street photography or carefully composed landscapes. In graphic art. Kasey combines digital tools with traditional techniques to create bold and dynamic images that challenge our perceptions of the world. In painting and mixed media, she explores the endless possibilities of color, texture, and form to create surreal art that evokes emotion and provokes thought. Kasey has exhibited her work at the Katalyst Gallery in Lansing, Art & Soul Gallery in St. John’s, and The Gallery at Brewery Park in Detroit. She is constantly experimenting and pushing herself to try new things. Kasey’s work can be viewed at her business page, Stella Cora Design at: www.facebook.com/stellacoradesign  Parker Knepp (Artist Name: PK) is an audio engineer, producer, hip hop artist, and entrepreneur originally from Charlevoix MI, but now residing in East Lansing, MI. He has a degree in Audio Technology from NMC in Traverse City, and a degree in Horticulture from MSU. PK is currently working on two companies. The first one, Apostle, is an investment group that comes up with solutions to problems. The 2nd company is Apostle’s solution to the entertainment industry, an app that lets you find and buy tickets to events, host events, and find freelancers for your events, whether you’re an artist, venue, or fan. On top of these companies, PK is creating collaborative hip hop albums with upcoming musicians, and mini-documentaries on these musicians, while running a podcast and other social media content as well. PK plans on moving to Detroit in a few years to make a lasting impact on the entertainment scene there, but in the meantime, is focusing on Lansing’s live music scene.
For more information on PK, visit: Apostle’s Website: https://apostlerec.com/ PK’s Social Media: https://solo.to/therealpkfire Apostle’s Social Media: https://solo.to/apostlerec  Conscious Conversations 2023 A Monthly Topical Discussion Series at the East Lansing Public Library See Dates Below www.verumesse.com/consciousconversations  Abrielle (Abi) Mason has always been community driven, but it was while she was a student at MSU that she discovered specifically how she wanted to give back to her community. While minoring in Entrepreneurship at MSU, the university informed her of an opportunity to attend a young entrepreneurs retreat in Costa Rica in the spring of 2019. It was here that she was introduced to her dear friend Brian Helfman, the founder of Third Nature, a New York based company focused on building a fulfilling career and life, surrounded by a supportive, uplifting, and impact-driven community. “Brian started Third Nature as a way for young entrepreneurs to connect & share ideas during the pandemic,” said Mason. “I wanted to bring that same concept, but in person, here to my community in Mid-Michigan.”
Conscious Conversations, a monthly topical discussion series tailored for MSU students & young adults living and working in East Lansing & Lansing, is a space for meaningful, empathetic, and energizing discussion, around a monthly topic. Topics include “Choosing the Right Opportunities”, “Transitioning to Something New”, & “Making It Happen vs. Letting It Happen”. The monthly series will take place at the East Lansing Public Library. It is a space to feel safe, supported, and connected. “Attendees are encouraged to share what they have been feeling openly and honestly about both personal and contemporary issues,” said Mason. Abi hopes that the series cultivates a broader perspective on life and finding opportunities for personal, professional, and collective growth. The schedule for Conscious Conversations is as follows: January 31st: Goal Setting February 28th: Modern Love March 28th: Choosing the Right Opportunities April 25th: A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime May 30th: Transitioning to Something New June 27 th: Authentic Self Expression July 25th: Learning From and Letting Go of the Past August 29th: Making It Happen vs. Letting It Happen September 26th: Finding the Right Environment *October 24th: Belonging November 28th: Acceptance *December 19th: Recap 2023 (*Every last Tuesday of the month in 2023, excluding October and December) Topics subject to change About Abrielle Mason: Abrielle (Abi) hails from Lansing, Michigan as a proud graduate of Michigan State University. She works as a User Experience Designer and Content Strategist at Gravity Works Design and Development. Abrielle is also training to become a certified professional life coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. She holds a Facilitator certification through Third Nature. In her free time, she hosts monthly Conscious Conversations, attends art shows, designs logos, and reads everything she can. Learn more about Abi at her website: https://abriellemason.wordpress.com/ For more information on Conscious Conversations visit: https://www.verumesse.com/consciousconversations  The Dedfoot Duo of Wil Pruitt & Justin Deason have qualified for, and will compete against Blues artists from around the world at The Blues Foundation’s 38th International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, TN. The Duo have been performing together throughout Michigan since 2018, and will be debuting original songs created for the competition. This will be the duo’s first time taking the stage in Memphis, TN, and they are honored to be representing Mid-Michigan at the Competition. The International Blues Challenge will run from January 24th-28th, in multiple music venues on Memphis’s world famous Beale Street. For more information on the International Blues Challenge visit: www.bealestreet.com/international-blues-challenge The Dedfoot Duo qualified for the International Blues Challenge after winning the Best Duo Act for the solo / duo category of the 2022 Capital Area Blues Society Blues Brawl. In preparation for their trip to Memphis, the duo recently performed at the International Blues Competition Finalists Showcase at the Green Door on Lansing’s East Side. The Showcase was a fundraiser with proceeds going to help support the winners of the Blues Brawl on their journey to the Challenge. Anyone who is interested in supporting the artists on this endeavor should contact the Dedfoot Duo directly. The International Blues Challenge’s Opening Ceremonies will take place in Memphis, TN at 6:00pm on January 24th at Beale Street’s Club 152, Wil & Justin will compete in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday, January 25th & Thursday, January 26th with a goal of advancing to the Semifinals the following day. “I’m a little nervous, but proud to rep Michigan,” said Pruitt. “It’s something that means a lot to me.” The IBC Finals will take place at noon on January 28th at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre. About Wil Pruitt & Justin Deason: Wil Pruitt is a Vocal Performer, Front Man, & Guitarist working and performing throughout Michigan & the Midwest. Originally from Holt, Wil’s artistic endeavors are based out of Lansing & Detroit. He has developed his skills playing with multiple bands and experimenting with solo work. Wil has played multiple music venues throughout the Midwest including being invited to perform on stage at the world famous Tootsies in Nashville, TN. He has also performed at multiple Michigan music venues including UrbanBeat, The Green Door, The Loft, and GameTime. Wil credits Chris Cornell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bill Withers, and Johnny Cash as the major influences in crafting his Bluesy, Soulful, Dirty Rock musical style. For more information on Wil & his work visit: www.linktr.ee/wil_pruitt Justin Deason is a freelance professional guitarist from Lansing, MI who has spent over 15 years performing throughout the state. Emotive and enchanting, Justin’s smooth, soulful guitar sound is incendiary. He creates a unique and inspiring blend of Blues, Rock and Americana in his songwriting and energetic live performances. Justin also enjoys traveling and comedy. For more information on Justin & his work visit: www.facebook.com/JD517 About the International Blues Challenge: “The International Blues Challenge represents the worldwide search for blues bands and solo/duo blues performers ready for the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. The world’s largest gathering of blues musicians will take place on Beale Street, with over 20 clubs hosting the challengers and fans. In addition to featuring these final rounds of the prestigious blues music competition, the IBC event week will offer seminars, showcases, master classes, film screenings, networking events, book signings, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.” For a full schedule of the International Blues Challenge visit: www.blues.org/ibc-schedule-2023 Visual Artist Sera Reneé Gives Pieces of Herself: Completes 365 Consecutive Days of Body Painting1/4/2023 It took an entire revolution around the sun, but Michigan based Artist Sera Reneé, (formerly known as Sarah Reneé Sanders), has completed her “Pieces of Me” Project, a 365 day, self-growth face/body paint project that started January 1, 2022, and ended on December 31, 2022. Each day, Sera would create a new face/body paint, and then present it to the public via her social media platforms, specifically Instagram & Facebook. The paintings were based on different concepts revolving around things related to the artist’s day. This could be an emotion, inspiration, or even an art concept or style that Sera wanted to work on. "Think of it like a unique journal/sketchbook, only on my face,” said Sera. “It was my way of documenting how I felt for the day, something that was important to me that day, or an idea for something I can look back on." All 365 paints can be viewed via the artist’s website at www.contrastedcontent.com/the-pieces-of-me-2022
Sera decided to create “Pieces of Me" to document her growth as an artist & a person. "Doing a project where you document yourself everyday gives you a different understanding of time,” said Sera. “It makes you mindful of how time blends into the reality of seaming fast while actually moving incredibly slow, and vice versa." The project also gave Sera the opportunity to create art when she wasn’t in a creative mindset. “When you do art as a career, you sometimes have to create art even when you’re not inspired to,” says Sera. “Some days were a breeze, and other days it was trudging through with everything on my shoulders, but I didn't quit. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to quit some days, but that wasn't an option.” One of the most impressive things about the project, aside from its artistic excellence, is the dedication it took to actually create a new face/body paint each and every day. In addition to her paintings, throughout the year, Sera had to battle through illnesses, the ending of a relationship, organizing & founding the Rooted Reverence Festival in Mason along with her colleague Poet Morgan Madden, working part time for a local small business, artistic commissions, travel for events, events themselves, as well as the struggles that come with everyday life. Someone had asked Sera if she had paints already done & photographed for this project, so she would have something to post publicly each day, just in case she got sick or something. “I did not,” said Sera. “It wasn't about what was displayed to the public, I didn’t even announce that I was doing the project publicly. It was about the authenticity within myself. So I didn't allow myself to do that. I would paint a new piece everyday no matter what." Sera continued, “On August 26th, I literally got up early to do a paint because I had a colonoscopy scheduled for later that morning and didn’t know what condition I’d be in to do the paint afterward.” No matter how she felt, no matter her schedule, or how her day went, whatever happened, Sera’s day was not completed until her paint was completed & documented for the day. "There was also a period this year where I had a horrible case of Strep C. It didn't stop me. I still created and pushed through though it was incredibly hard. But now I know in myself, if I really want to do something, I'm the only thing standing in my way." Upon completion of “Pieces of Me”, Sera decided it will set up her next artistic endeavor that she will call “Sides of Me”, which will debut in 2023. To view all 365 paintings of the “Pieces of Me” project, visit: www.contrastedcontent.com/the-pieces-of-me-2022 For more information on Sera Reneé & her work visit: www.contrastedcontent.com |
NewsNews about Opportunity Arts and it's Affiliates. Archives
June 2023
CategoriesPast HeadlinesSeizing the Opportunity:
The Poetry Room with Masaki Takahashi becomes Opportunity Arts Affiliates. |
RSS Feed