Video hobbyists and professionals are invited to join the Ludington Center for the Arts AV (Audio/Video) Club at noon on the second Tuesday of each month.  AV Club participants will have the opportunity to discuss individual productions, learn new techniques, and collaborate on community projects. The club aims to be a support system for local video producers by encouraging the use of video as a communication tool. The AV Club welcomes Ludington area video hobbyists and professionals,13 and up. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. in the LACA Main Gallery, 107 S Harrison St, Ludington, MI 49431. There will be a short meet and greet, a club goal discussion, and an opportunity to showcase past projects. The AV Club can stream videos from YouTube or participants can bring their projects on a flash drive.The AV Club will be hosting a weekend movie-maker competition in the fall to raise funds for shared equipment and resources. Club members may choose to compete or may volunteer to help with the event.

Open Mic nights 

First and third Fridays of the month. Sign-up begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by performances at 7 p.m.

Free to perform or listen; show your support for local up-and-coming talent.

First Firday is 'Family Friendly' and third Fridays are 'Adult Themed.'

LACA's Photography Group meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. in LACA's main gallery Meetings are free and open to anyone who would like to discuss all things photography.
Each gathering of the group will include a brief highlighted topic followed by open discussions among attendees.
Occasional "field shoots" may be scheduled at various locations around the Ludington area on weekends.

Ukulele group 

to meet at 

LACA monthly

All Ukulele musicians are welcome and encouraged to attend. Sessions are divided into a beginner session from 1-1:30 p.m. followed by an "experienced" (can play 4 chords ) session from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Upcoming Ludington Writers Events

Art center to also host Epworth Plein Air painting exhibit

The Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA) and the Epworth Assembly are joining forces to host a very exciting history exhibit ‘Celebrating 125 years of Epworth’ at the art center.

‘Celebrating 125 years of Epworth,’ July 9-31 in LACA’s Main Gallery, will feature hundreds of items celebrating the rich history of the private summer resort located along the shore of Lake Michigan just north of Ludington. The exhibit will include storyboard information about Epworth over the past 125 years, photo’s, maps, memorabilia, artifacts and videos all celebrating Epworth throughout the years.

In honor of this exhibit LACA will host a public reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 12. This free event will give community members a chance to learn about the proud heritage of Epworth and for the sharing of stories from the past.

“The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is excited to partner with Epworth and help share it’s rich history with our community,” Andrew Skinner, LACA Operations Manager said. “This exhibit has tons of great information; from how Epworth was created to a very interesting infographic (chart) showing the history (ownership changes and cottage name changes over the years) of each residence within the resort.”

Epworth Assembly, originally known as Epworth Heights, was founded in 1894 as The Epworth League Training Assembly. Epworth began as a Methodist training camp on the shores of Lake Michigan. The mission statement drawn up read as follow: “Established 1894 for the purchase and improvement of grounds to be occupied for summer homes, for camp meetings, for meetings of assemblies or associations and societies organized for intellectual or scientific culture and for the promotion of the cause of religion and morality.”

An agreement between The Citizen's Development Company of Ludington, The Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad, and The Epworth Training Assembly, was signed May 6, 1894. By mid-July, a mere 10 weeks later, the hotel, auditorium and classrooms that had been hastily built were ready for the first session, July 18 to Aug. 5. Families camped in tents on the sandy beaches and enjoyed the programming as well as the lakeside vistas.

It was decided that leasing plots of land to allow for the building of cottages would be a good way to raise money and assure a future for the venture. For $5 a year, a member of the assembly could purchase the right to build a cottage on his leasehold. Several cottages were built in 1895; by 1909, there were close to 100. These were not year-round cottages, but simple wooden structures built along walks that lined the Lake Michigan shore. Over the years, the number of cottages has grown to over two hundred, each named by the family holding the lease.

In addition to the “Celebrating 125 years of Epworth” exhibit LACA will host an exhibit of plein air paintings and drawings from a group of art center artists who have been making weekly trips to the resort. These paintings and drawings will be displayed in the center’s performance hall gallery and many will be available for purchase.

In addition to the July 12 public reception the “Celebrating 125 years of Epworth” exhibit will be available to view during normal business hours, Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon.

The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that looks to fosters a community where arts and culture bring us together, feed the creative spirit and fuel community growth. The center’s mission is to engage, inspire and strengthen our community through arts advocacy.

The LACA Summer Concert Series will continue Wednesday, July 24 with a performance by Planet D Nonet starting at 7 p.m. in Waterfront Park.
The "D" is for Detroit and this tightly-rehearsed, big band infuses all its music with a bluesy Detroit sound. The Nonet will rock you with swing music from Ellington & Strayhorn, Count Basie and Benny Carter to more modern charts by Sun Ra and Pharoah Saunders. Planet D Nonet is all about swing, blues, jazz and classic songs. You'll be tapping your feet from the first bars and you're guaranteed to go home with a smile on your face.
The LACA Summer Concert Series is a free family friendly concert series at Waterfront Park in downtown Ludington featuring world class Jazz, Blues, Pop/Rock and R&B music from internationally acclaimed touring artists.
The performance hall at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts (107 S. Harrison St., in downtown Ludington) will serve as the series’ inclement weather location.
While the concerts are free to attend and open to the public, putting on the series is not free to the art center. LACA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on monetary donations to help fund its events and programs. Community members and area business interested in supporting the LACA Summer Concert Series are asked to send their pledges to: LACA Summer Concert Series, 107 S. Harrison St., Ludington MI 49431 or by calling LACA at 231-845-2787.