March 29, 2024

The Summer Friends Lecture Series

July 15, 2016

BRINGING AN ECLECTIC LINEUP OF SPEAKERS TO HARBOR SPRINGS

During the summer months, Harbor Springs residents and resorters often can be found reveling in the quiet northern corner of Little Traverse Bay, reluctant to head south into the busier community of Petoskey. “So we decided to team up with the Harbor Springs Library and bring our programming across the bay to them,” explained Megan DeWindt, Crooked Tree Arts Center program director. The result is the Harbor Springs Summer Friends Lecture Series, helmed by a diverse mix of speakers that offer an intelligent indoor diversion for hot summer days.

The lectures, coordinated by DeWindt and colleague Alex Dailey, take place on Tuesday evenings in the Harbor Springs Library’s common area. “Due to the intimate space, we set up to accommodate 50 attendees per event,” DeWindt explained. “The setting is close, but it creates a nice vibe that reflects the tight-knit community in Harbor Springs.”

With this elbow-to-elbow audience, the lectures feel more personal than might be expected, an unusual and welcome component of the series. “Guests are actually able to meet and ask the lecturers questions face to face,” DeWindt said. “A traditional Q&A takes place immediately after each lecture, as well, so attendees can ask questions in whichever format they are most comfortable.”

This is the fourth year of the series, which carries no formal selection process; DeWindt and Dailey simply keep an eye out for interesting topics and speakers, and they often get suggestions from lecture attendees. “Our patrons and staff are constantly forwarding along names of people who they would like to hear speak,” DeWindt said, “but most importantly, we like to draw from our incredible community that is bursting at the seams with people who have fascinating stories to share.

The series piques a variety of interests, and we definitely plan to continue it.”

Here are the events that the Summer Friends Lecture Series has to offer for the 2016 season:

JULY 19: THE MOTOR CITY ARTIST

Scott Hocking

Since 1996, he’s stayed loyal to the city of Detroit, the hometown where he creates photography projects and sculptural installations that often include found materials. Hocking’s inspirations run deep — from current events to ancient mythology — and that diverse approach has led him to show exhibits of his artwork across the globe, from Detroit’s own Detroit Institute of Art and Museum of Contemporary Art to art institutes in Chicago, Germany, and Austria. (5pm–6pm.)

JULY 26: THE ROAMING JOURNALIST

Anders Kelto

Former Traverse City All-American soccer player Anders Kelto has moved on to a different kind of acclaimed accomplishment — that of being a Peabody Award-winning journalist. Kelto has traveled extensively across Africa, covering the continent for National Public Radio programming, as well as Public Radio International’s The World show. He will share stories and photos from his work there, including coverage of Nelson Mandela and events like the 2010 World Cup and Ebola crisis. (5pm–8pm.)

AUG. 2: THE CRAFTY CYCLIST

Ken Stolpmann

New Zealand native Stolpmann worked as an apprentice for yacht designer Owen Wooley, and he turned his boat-building experience to the land, creating his own line of “wood fixies,” unique and striking wood-framed bicycles that are not only rideable but also works of art. His bicycles have been exhibited in the Detroit Bike City Show and the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and are named Owen Bikes after Stolpmann’s mentor, Wooley. (5pm–6pm)

AUG. 9: THE ENTERPRISING BUSINESSWOMEN

Marie Eckstein and Lin Alessio

Eckstein has 30 years of experience as a vice president with Dow Corning Corporation and three years as CEO of East Jordan Iron Works; Alessio, a former inner city educator and art gallery owner, runs Interlochen Perennial Farms. Together, they’ve formed Red Dirt Road, a Cambodian-based fashion accessories business and social enterprise endeavor that employs nine women in a rural workshop to the benefit of both the employees and their village. (5pm–6pm)

All lectures take place at the Harbor Springs Library, 206 S. Spring Street. Tickets are $15. For more information and ticket availability, visit crookedtree.org or call 231-347-4337.

Clockwise from top left: Scott Hocking, the ladies of Red Dirt Road, Ken Stolpmann, and Anders Kelto will speak at the 2016 Harbor Springs Summer Friends Lecture series.

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