January 2025

In January, we filled a 70-person theater with students, family members, and friends to enjoy the Wicked sing-along and had a great time singing at the top of our lungs together! Everyone enjoyed this so much we have plans to rent a theater for Wicked 2 in the new year!

We continued to develop our music programming to include singing, using instruments, and writing songs. Here is Vicki playing the guitar and singing the lyrics she came up with during Song-Writing with Sierra!

February 2025

In February, we had a great time hosting our annual Valentine’s Day dance at the studio! We put on social dances a couple times a year and it’s a chance for students to hang out with each other and for their caregivers to have a Friday evening to themselves!

March 2025

In March, Kelly Jandernoa from the Red Glasses Movement came and spoke with our group about loving and living boldly. She also invited a group of high school students from Catholic Central to lead an art class for everyone to enjoy!

At the end of the month, we held our annual Dance On event at Indian Trails Camp. We hit a record by raising $10,000 for the studio! Students danced, won prizes, and enjoyed a pizza lunch.

April 2025

In April, we launched an ongoing series called Yoga For All, which invites our students and community members to participate in a monthly beginner-level yoga class in our building. The cost is $10 and goes toward the mission of making art more accessible. These classes will continue in 2026!

May 2025

In May, we planted seeds in the community garden at Congress Elementary. This has been a great way to get students outside during the warmer months and to partner with our local community. Throughout the summer, students can weed and water our planters and enjoy the harvest when flowers bloom!

June 2025

This June we hosted our first ever golf outing fundraiser! We had 20 teams show up at The Mines golf course for an 18-hole scramble! During lunch, we had a student performance by Liam Doyle, Elvis Tribute Artist. We are looking forward to this event again in May 2026!

We also put on our Annual Show, which is a showcase of dance, drama, and singing performances that students work on beginning in January. It was our first year having the show at Wealthy Theatre and it was awesome to be performing in a local and historical treasure. We plan to continue using Wealthy Theatre for future performances. Next year’s will be on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 2pm.

July 2025

In July, we taught weekly toddler and kids’ classes hosted at Tia’s Play Cafe. We were excited to partner with another organization in our neighborhood and have a fun environment for kids to participate in. We added additional programming at Tia’s in September & October since it was such a hit!

We also performed at the Disability Advocate’s ADA Celebration on one of the hottest days of the summer!!

August 2025

We received a classroom set of iPads through a grant partnership with Artists Creating Together and Moka. With these iPads we were able to put on our first-ever photography mini series where students learned about taking photos and editing them through a program called Procreate. This series was also supported by the Grand Rapids Jaycees! To wrap up the session, students chose their favorite photos to put on display.

Also in August, we had a fundraiser at The Mitten Brewing Company, which raised over $2,700 for our studio!! We are so thankful for the continued partnership and support of The Mitten Foundation. Stay tuned about future fundraisers with The Mitten!

September 2025

If you can believe it, we had even more performances in September! Our dancers performed at the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan’s Step Up event, Noorthoek Academy’s Big Step Walk, and at a neighborhood Art Prize kick-off party at The Hermitage!

October 2025

This fall, our students submitted a collaborative piece to Art Prize, which was on display in our building. As an Art Prize venue, we hosted the incredible work of artist DeMarcus Smith as well. Art Prize provided us grant funding to freshen up our main hallway in order to better display the art!

November 2025

In November, we held our annual Chair Affair event! It was one for the books!! Hosted by Monroe Community Church, we had student performances, a student art exhibit of over 100 pieces up for sale, amazing food by Provisions Chef, and a live auction of 10 unique chairs created by local artists. Thank you for your huge support at this year’s event! Together we raised $40,000 for Arts in Motion! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 7, 2026 for next year’s Chair Affair!

December 2025

So far in December, we have put on a community Porch Pot Workshop at Speciation Ales with instruction from Sloan Delores Flowers. This annual opportunity helps us connect with the greater community and share our mission of accessible art! Stay tuned for details on our next Paint & Sip at Speciation on Monday, February 26!

We also enjoyed a staff and board holiday party, hosted at Chef Shack, right across the street from the studio. We had a great time celebrating the year and spending time together. This team is what makes Arts in Motion special and we are so thankful for the dedication and passion they continue to show up with.

Our annual Holiday Show will wrap up our year! We are so grateful for your support throughout the year – coming to events & fundraisers, cheering on students at performances, donating supplies, and spreading the word about Arts in Motion. It all makes a difference and we are thankful for you!