The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week:
Joanna Sterling, Moonmill, Lydia Lato, Tension Splash, Dancers, Rawhide, Hey Look Listen, The Minor Pieces, microplastique, Kid Jay, and Chirp.

If you took a giant dollop of American Idol, added a heaping helping of The Voice, and tossed in a massive spoonful of America's Got Talent, you'd have a lot of caterwauling singers standing around waiting to belt.

But if you wrap those competitions into a Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style format, and stage it at an Ann Arbor brewpub, then you have Mic Drop, a new improv singing competition, which debuts at 6:30 pm on Sunday, January 25, at hear.say brewing + theater. Mic Drop then runs every fourth Sunday of the month through June, at a minimum.

The rotating cast of singers includes Kyler Wilkins (aka Ki5), Leah Gittlen, Forrest Hejkal, Elizabeth Harding, Caitlyn Crowel, Josh McDaniel, Julia Snyderwine, Jenna Jansa, Toriano Drane, Katie Parzych, Beth Dutridge-Corp, Kara Williams, Sara Rose, and Shelly Smith.

Music director Jamie Artman will accompany the crooners on a variety of instruments, primarily guitar and keyboards.

The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week:
October Babies, Laughing Hyenas, Bill Edwards, Larkn, Craig Taborn, Dre Dav and Mo Grease, Sigidy, Ryan Gerald, Kelsey., Studio Lounge, Benji Robot, and George Mashour.

Unless you're in an area served by the Chelsea District Library (CDL), you might not be aware that the institution's quarterly newsletter features cover art by local creators, from students to professionals.

Lori Coryell, the library's director, wrote about CDL's support for local artists in the spring 2025 newsletter. She said one of the reasons she applied for the job 10 years ago was because she was "so taken with and impressed by this community’s embrace of the arts. To work in a place where creativity is valued, celebrated, and encouraged is a dream come true! I am so pleased to be at the helm of an organization that shares these values and encourages, collects, and showcases artistic expression in our community."

You can see some of the artists' work on the CDL website, but thumbnails and PDFs aren't the best way to appreciate these paintings, photos, wood carvings, yarn creations, and more.

A new exhibit at Chelsea's Gallery 100 at Silver Maples will give art lovers a chance to see some of these CDL newsletter creations in person, along with extra works by the creators.

Curator Alice Korkor Ebeheakey is clear about the intent of 404: Accountability Not Found, the new exhibit at Ann Arbor Art Center featuring the satirical works of Ghanaian creative Bright Ackwerh:

"The exhibition explores how art can confront the global challenge of holding elected officials accountable for their actions."

Using digital paintings that he distributes on social media, Ackwerh welcomes audiences into "a paradoxical space where laughter collides with discomfort, prompting reflection on personal, national, and global responsibilities," writes Ebeheakey, a lecturer and postdoctoral fellow with the University of Michigan’s History of Art department.

404: Accountability Not Found: Satirical Paintings of Bright Ackwerh opened January 9 and is on view through February 18. There is an opening reception on Friday, January 16, 6-8 pm.

Here is a selection of interviews with Ackwerh, who earned his BFA and MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

An MLive headline on January 10 may have caused the heart rates of local theater fans to spike for a second:

"96-year-old Ann Arbor theater hopes to continue despite lease nearing its end"

The article discusses the history of Ann Arbor Civic Theatre (A2CT) and the difficulties that this scrappy troupe, which started in 1929, has faced in recent years:

The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week:
North Ingalls, Fearless Amaretto, Levi Makula, RE:fusion CC:ontractor, FFANGS, Winged Wheel, Sex Kennedy's, Jakarta Kids, and Ratmatia.

The University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) owns a record: It has sponsored the longest-running Japanese film series in the world.

That's not a surprise considering CJS is also one of the original Japanese studies programs in the U.S. and the oldest interdisciplinary center, founded in 1947.

While CJS records indicate the film series started in 1975, the center has screened Japanese films since the 1960s. The tradition continues in the "Winter 2026 Japanese Film Series: Comedy" at the State Theater, from January 22 to April 16. All the showings are free.

Check out trailers and descriptions of the films in CJS's winter series—plus two more films of Japanese origin that will be at the Michigan Theater as part of another ongoing series.

The bleak midwinter is here, and there's only one way to cope:

Eat.

A lot.

Two upcoming foodie events in Ann Arbor will offer the succor your brain (and tummy) needs to get through this season.

Theater is communal by nature, with different departments—costumes, set design, acting—coming together to create something of artistic value.

But Ann Arbor's Forge Theater is built entirely on community.

Creatives become members to gain access to the space; once their productions and performances are ready to go, Forge supports the artists with ticketing, marketing, and house management duties, among other things. (Nonmembers can also rent the space, but members get a discount and additional support.)

The idea for Forge Theater came from the mind of local theater vet Catherine Zudak, but its success will be the result of artists rallying around the plan.

The collaborative studio space on Packard Street soft-launched in the fall, and it recently announced its initial 2026 performances.