AADL Productions Podcast: J. T. Abernathy & Stan Baker

In celebration of the 50th Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, AADL brings you an interview with the only artist whose art has appeared in every fair, J. T. Abernathy. Fresh off a recent successful show at the Clay Gallery, J. T. sat down with us and Stan Baker, another Ann Arbor pottery great and former student of J. T.'s, to talk about his career and how pottery is different from half a century ago.

AADL Productions Podcast: Mr. B

Local musician Mark Lincoln Braun, aka Mr. B, is celebrating his 30th year playing street boogie-woogie piano as part of the original Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. We talked with Mr. B about his memories of art fairs past; his musical influences; and his most recent venture, Mr. B's Joybox Express, a 125-mile bike ride charity, in which he rode a special bike designed to haul his piano. 

AADL Productions Podcast: Festifools

On Sunday, April 5, 2009, a festival of fools descended on Main Street for the third annual Festifools event. The prior week, we had the opportunity to interview Mark Tucker, the creative force behind Festifools, at his studio. Mark talks about his background in float building, this year's Festifools theme, and he takes us on tour of the studio and the various stages of creating a paper mache puppet.

AADL Productions Podcast: Donald Harrison, Ann Arbor Film Festival

The 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival is right around the corner, so we asked the festival's Executive Director, Donald Harrison, to give us a preview of this year's offerings. He let us in on some of the interesting events planned for this year as well as talking about some of the filmmakers who will be showing their work and giving talks.

Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program

Join representatives from the City of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt program and landowners involved with the program for a dynamic discussion on land conservation, farming and why land conservation is important. During this event, a variety of landowners (both long-time and new farmers) will discuss their farms, farming rewards and challenges; why they chose to protect their land and how the Greenbelt Program has helped to keep farming viable in the Ann Arbor area. Representatives from the City of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program will also cover how the program is working with landowners in the Greenbelt District to protect the agriculture and natural resources in the area for future generations. As of February 2012, the Greenbelt has expended funds to protect 27 working farms through the purchase of development rights and 3 open space parks, in collaboration with Washtenaw Natural Area Preservation Program. Collectively, these properties comprise over 3,500 acres protected using Greenbelt funds.

50 Years Of The Ann Arbor Film Festival: Ann Arbor Film Festival Archive @ AADL Launch

The Ann Arbor Film Festival is celebrating its 50th year - and AADL is excited to unveil its new digital archive, chronicling the Festival's history. Join Donald Harrison, AAFF Executive Director, and other voices from the Festival's past as they share behind-the-scenes stories from the longest-running independent and experimental film festival in North America! This event features the premiere of AADL's digital archive of the Festival, which will provide online access to posters and program guides from the Festival's half century of film exhibition history. The evening will conclude with light refreshments and the opportunity to mingle with Film Fest fans. THE ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ARCHIVE @ AADLThis website will document the history of the Ann Arbor Film Fest and its 50 years of experimental cinema. Festival programs, photographs, promotional materials, and behind-the-scenes documents from the Festival's half-century history will be featured.Original interviews with festival organizers and participants from over the years and media coverage of the event including articles from the Ann Arbor News and Ann Arbor Sun will paint a portrait of the longest-running independent and experimental film festival in North America.Join us for a look in the past and an introduction to this valuable online collection!

Being Homeless In Washtenaw County: A Panel Discussion With The Washtenaw Housing Alliance

Disturbing facts on homelessness in Washtenaw County: 2, 756 people will experience homelessness within a year in the county; 26% of these are families; 41 people in the county in any given week become homeless.Join service and housing providers across the community as they discuss the current state of homelessness in Washtenaw County, the innovative partnerships that have been created to address the need, and the next steps needed to end homelessness in our community.The Washtenaw Housing Alliance (WHA) is a unique coalition of 28 non-profit organizations that serve those experiencing homelessness or those at risk of homelessness. The WHA and its member agencies have created a collaboration that harnesses the commitment, energy and resources of a major hospital system, the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, three major institutions of higher education, the private sector and the community at large to end homelessness in Washtenaw County.

Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads Event: Literacy Learners Share Their Stories

The 2011 Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads 2011 book Life Is So Good is the story of George Dawson, a man who learned to read at age 98. Dawson's story of becoming literate at a late age is truly inspirational. What are the learning stories of local residents - and what are their successes? Be inspired as a panel of local literacy learners share their experiences. Discover how you can engage in learning that makes life worth living as a learner or volunteer. This event is co-sponsored by the Literacy Coalition of Washtenaw County.