Picture
"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.


Picture
"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.


Picture
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!
 
 
Picture
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!

 
 
OK, we're finally back!! :D I'll be up tonight watching the Red Wings game and doing some editing. I have photos and videos for everyone! It will probably take me a while, but it will definitely be worth it!

Photo by Kris Ilich:
Picture
 
 
Where to start?! First, welcome to the new and improved Galleria Monique; version 2.0! XD It's been a long night, but recently I've been looking into a new Web design with Wordpress, Wix, and (somewhat) Google Sites... Anyway, Weebly was absolutely wonderful when I started using it! It's definitely known for its "drag and drop" design, which is easy for beginners. I'm just so pleased with the options that were available, how few errors occurred, and how little time it took to upload so much content...

Secondly, on to our events! Monica had her first art class with the seniors at the Baptist Manor, and I think it went very well! I'll be getting the photos from that up ASAP. Thank you to everyone who came! Monica and I are really looking forward to the next art classes!

Thirdly, we'd like to stress the need for volunteers, input/feedback, and donations. We're always looking to help out around the community more and more. So let us know what we can do!

Fourthly, I will be working on the CafePress.com store as soon as I can. It's been a busy week, and I assume that it will only get busier. That's a good thing though, so stay tuned!

And, the GRAND FINALE: The Art Show and Auction for Charity! We're so excited and yet apprehensive! Artists, merchants, musicians, everyone needs to come forward! Support your band, sculptures, or local business! We want your talent! Monica is currently looking for donations for the big event, which is November 5 for those of you who haven't marked your calendars yet! E-mail Monica ASAP if there's any way at all that you can help. Hope to see you there! ;D

So it's an all new website and an all new blog! We're now on Facebook and LinkedIn, so connect, Connect, CONNECT with us and spread the word! :D

--Mekie Kukan, editor

PS: I hope you enjoy the new design! Thank you, Weebly!