"Beautiful Baskets" by Allen Brown, Farmington Hills resident
at Farmington Hills City Gallery, now through March 1.

Located at the Costick Center at 28600 W. Eleven Mile Road.

The City Gallery is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by special request.

For more information, call the Cultural Arts Division at 
248-473-1856.

"Take a musical trip to Ireland!"

Blackthorn band returns to 
Farmington Players Barn Theatre, located at 32332 Twelve Mile Road in Farmington Hills 
on March 8 and 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Blackthorn welcomes a fifth member, David Mosher, one of southeast Michigan’s acoustic performers, will perform on the fiddle, mandolin, and vocals.

The Farmington Players Barn Theater is located at 32332 Twelve Mile Road in Farmington Hills.

Tickets may be charged by calling 248-473-1848, purchased at the Costick Center, located at 28600 W. Eleven Mile Road, or purchased online at https://recreg.fhgov.com.

A limited number of tickets may be for sale at the door. Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students.

Fund-Raising for the American Lung Association

Mekie will be climbing the stairs of downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center on March 3rd to raise money in the fight against lung disease!

Please visit her donation page to contribute: Mekie's page

Hope everyone had a happy Valentine's Day!!! <3

It's been almost two weeks since the art exhibit passed but I still feeling the energy of joy, happiness, and accomplishment. Everything that I had dreaming of accomplishing happened, and I received more than I expected. I would love to share those memories with all the new website visitors and with everyone else who has believed in or contributed to my project and my mission in any way, by moral or financial support, or by just sharing their time with me and listening to our project's mission: Working together to make a difference.

It was precious to see the excitement of my students, all the boys and girls, who were so proud of their art and with their help to be part of this exhibit. I saw and felt their nature and pure love toward the world. One of the art pieces that they had made together was put up for auction and 100% of the proceeds went toward helping the St. George of Kratovo Church. I was so excited about this, to see that the work of our children can be so helpful in both the United States and overseas. 

Thank you to Father Goce and the committee of St. George of Kratovo Church for helping me to become an important part of this annual Macedonian festival. Many thanks to the Macedonian Consulate Igor Dukoski for visiting and sharing his time with us. It was especially my pleasure to work with Menka Przekop on preparing for the traditional exhibit and to combine that museum with Galleria Monique's art presentation. It had been my wish for a long time to create a Macedonian museum and now it has finally happened. I was very pleased that I had a chance to display all the artifacts from my mother with the world beyond Tudence. Each time I had returned home to Macedonia over the past 27 years, I had brought back to America something very special that my mother had made, and I believe that I will one day have a museum and share her work with everyone. I wanted to share the traditions of a very talented people through my mother's crafted treasures. Thank you to all the people who donated artifacts! Many thanks to everyone who helped with the preparations of the exhibit, with both moral and financial support.

Part of the exhibit took place outside, where it was beautiful: with traditional Macedonian music and food, lots of people, and a perfect atmosphere. Watching everyone enjoying themselves and visiting with their friends and family gave me a lot of joy. I felt like I was a bird and I could fly far off to the glorious Macedonia, and for a moment, I felt like all of that was concurrently happening in Macedonia. That feeling was very dear to me. The best part of this was having a chance to meet many new people and to see that they are interested in our mission and our project for the children. This was what I had wanted to see, working together to make a difference, and to see that people want to be included and contribute to this in any way they could. To see and to feel in my heart the notion of people helping each other is what puts a smile on my face. And this is what makes me strong and brave, and able to believe in myself, to never give up, and to live by this: That everything is possible, that if you can see it and believe in it enough, it will happen.

Thank you, with lots of love from Galleria Monique!

Here are a couple flyers for our upcoming events this month: our July Birthday Bash at Baptist Manor (July 9) and the Annual Macedonian Ethnic Festival at St. George of Kratovo Church (July 28–29). We hope to see you there or at downtown Farmington's Founders Festival (July 20–21)!

Here are the photos from tonight's art class at St. George of Kratovo Macedonian Orthodox Church in Farmington Hills! More to come soon!

Bring your little ones and join us for an art class with children of the St. George of Kratovo Macedonian Orthodox Church! The art class will begin at 6 p.m. tonight. The church is located at:

29141 W. Twelve Mile Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48824

Click the link below to download our flyer in Macedonian.

It's clear that more volunteers are crucial to the enhancement of the Detroit area. That's why we're teaming up with Samaritan Way for their event this Saturday to touch up the appearance of Margaret Simmons Playground in Detroit. There will be a basic cleanup of the area followed by a barbeque lunch. The event will run Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The park is near the corner of Lahser and 7 Mile roads. Bags and gloves will be provided. If possible, please bring cleanup supplies such as a rake. This event is intended to bring volunteers together from the metro Detroit area as we work toward improving the neighborhood and community. Two hours of your time would be greatly appreciated as you can enrich your life and the lives of others just by socializing with other volunteers. You are welcome even if you are new to Galleria Monique! We hope to see you there!

Monica is planning to work with the children of St. George of Kratovo Macedonian Orthodox Church very soon. She will be helping the children to create art projects to become part of August's art exhibit to support the Tudence playground. We have some big projects coming up, so we'll keep you posted on the dates!

You may have also noticed that our site has gone through some recent changes, but everything is still here! So take a look around and spread the word.

Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA)? Another great group for artists! The amazing works are open for viewing at the Detroit Chapter at the Farmington Hills City Gallery, May 22–June 29. An open reception to meet the artists will be held on Thursday, May 31, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The City Gallery is located in the Costick Center (28600 W. 11 Mile Rd.) and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and during special events. For more information, call the Cultural Arts Division at 248-473-1856.

Don't forget to explore the DIA “in your backyard” on Wednesday, May 23 at 1 p.m. in a free drop-in lecture at the Farmington Public Library, located at 23500 Liberty St. in downtown Farmington. The topic of discussion will be the seven masterpiece reproductions placed in downtown Farmington from a DIA trained docent.

We'll be posting a lot this week; we'll have some new stuff for you check out very soon! Mekie will be updating the content on the Tudence Project page as well as some much needed web cleaning...

In the meantime, there are two local events coming up tomorrow, so check them out if you're interested! As always, we will continue to post all your local art-related events on our Calendar.

Explore the DIA "in Your Backyard" Free Lectures on May 3 and 23

The topic of discussion will be the seven masterpiece reproductions placed in various locations around Farmington Hills, led by a trained docent from the DIA.

The May 3 lecture will take place at the Main Branch Library, located at 32737 Twelve Mile Road. The May 23 will take place at the Farmington branch library, located at 23500 Liberty Street.

The Inside|Out exhibit is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Portrait and Digital Photography Workshops

Farmington Hills workshops are available to help make your portraits look more professional. Lead by instructor and professional photographer Jacob Nothstine, three individual, one-time workshops will be offered on May 3, June 14, and August 15, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Stables Studio (the August workshop will be held at the Visitors Center at Heritage Park).

Basics and Beyond Basics photography classes are also available. You don't have to be a Farmington resident! Register online at https://recreg.fhgov.com or in person at the Costick Center (28600 W. 11 Mile Rd.) or call 248-473-1859. Visit Jacob Nothstine’s website at www.jfnphotography.com.

And now, some local congratulations are in order!

In its 37th year of recognizing excellence in the arts, the Farmington Area Arts Commission is proud to announce the 2012 Artist in Residence is William Allen Brown! Brown is a basket weaver, using horns or antlers in his designs. An established Farmington dentist for 30 years, Brown is now retired and a member of the Association of Michigan Basketmakers and the National Basket Organization and has won many awards. The Artist in Residence Award is given each year to a resident of Farmington or Farmington Hills who displays exceptional talent and artistic accomplishments.

Distinguished Service to the Arts Award to Cynthia and Brian Tupper, contributors to the Farmington Players for more than 30 years. The Distinguished Service to the Arts Award recognizes outstanding service to the community in the creative arts by a group or individual.

Congratulations to the winners of the 26th Annual High School Art Competition for students in the Farmington Hills and Farmington area! There were more than 170 submissions! Thank you also to juror David Miller, owner of Millers Art Supplies! The winning artwork is displayed at Millers on Twelve Mile and Farmington roads throughout May. For more information, please call the Cultural Arts Division at 248-473-1856.