(bright music) - Celebrating vibrant people, captivating places, and remarkable things.

This is "Living West Michigan."

(bright music continues) (bright music fades) - [Narrator] Celebrating our vibrant community together.

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Thank you.

(bright music) - Making personalized art from start to finish?

The Mud Room in Grand Rapids offers a chance to do just that.

From pottery to painting and even glass fusing, the DIY art studio encourages folks to let their creative spirits soar.

Shelley, stopped by to show off her artistic skills, and find out how you can get involved.

(gentle music) - All right, here we are at The Mud Room.

I'm looking for the mud, looking for the mud, but I see paint, I see other ways to use the word mud in The Mud Room.

- Sure.

- Congratulations on your success.

- Thank you.

- What a gift you have here.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

How would you describe The Mud Room?

Well, The Mud Room is really a creative art studio.

So, most of what we do is pottery painting, where you come in and paint your own, but we also have wheel throwing classes, glass fusing events, wood sign painting.

We do kids classes.

- So who walks through the door?

- Lots of families, moms and kids.

Sometimes first dates, sometimes corporate groups, people going for work outing.

Really, it's for anyone, all ages, but a lot of families come in for sure.

- So, what do you do at The Mud Room?

- So I manage it.

I'm in charge of making sure that things flow smoothly.

- Tell me how you would prep a person for their art.

- First, let them choose an item that they would enjoy painting.

- And then this is the painting part of it, right?

- Yeah, the painting part.

And then one of our staff members will give them directions of tips, how to, what to do, what not to do, and show them where everything is and show them ideas and examples.

- So if I ask you who's a typical client guest, are we mostly inexperienced and just looking for a new thing to do?

- [Kris] Most people come in here and they always say, "I'm not good at art."

But I'm like, "Well, today you are."

Today is the day where you're gonna be able to be good at it.

- [Rachel] When you come in, we've got all the brushes, the colors, different technique tools for you to use.

And our staff is always here to guide you, and you just decorate it however you want.

And if for some reason you come to the studio, you can always come in and purchase your pottery and supplies and paint at home or at your own site also.

Most of what we do is the pottery painting, as I mentioned.

And you just come in and you pick out a piece of pottery that's already shaped, and then we'll go through some basic instructions with you, which you'll get to do in a few minutes.

You just decorate it with colors and patterns.

And then you're gonna leave it here for us to add a clear glaze on and fire it in our kiln, and you pick it up about a week later.

(bright music continues) - Kris K., I am your student here at The Mud Room.

What am I in store for?

Teach me.

- So we are gonna learn about how to paint with bubbles today.

Okay, so what we're gonna do, go ahead and squeeze- - [Shelley] is that the bubble machine?

- [Kris] Three little things.

That's the bubbles.

- [Shelley] And I can do this if I come in here to The Mud Room.

- [Kris] Yeah.

- [Shelley] 1, 2, 3, 4.

- Yeah, we'll do it fourth for a good measure.

- [Shelley] Now, what are you putting in there?

- [Kris] Put a little bit of color in there.

- [Shelley] What color is it?

- [Kris] That's pink.

- [Shelley] It's my favorite color.

- [Kris] Your favorite color.

- How'd you do that?

Okay, so a little pink in here with the bubble sauce.

- [Kris] Yeah, with the bubble sauce.

- [Shelley] I hope it doesn't, oh, oh my gosh.

(bright music continues) - Magnificent.

I almost wanna sign it, but maybe I'll wait till it's done.

All right, what's next?

Do we flip it over?

- We can flip it over.

It's dry.

- [Shelley] Okay, do that for us.

Oh!

- [Kris] So now we got the backside to do.

- [Shelley] Okay.

All right.

- And now, what we can do is we can grab a paint palette and then we can do some sponge.

- We're back to our pink again, right?

- [Kris] We're back to our- - [Shelley] Oh!

- [Kris] This is like a little bit of purpley pink, so it kind of matches.

- [Shelley] Okay, that's even better.

And what's our goal here ultimately?

- [Kris] Create a sponge dotted pattern.

- [Shelley] Sponge dotted.

We've gone from bubbles to sponging.

- [Kris] Yes.

- [Shelley] Water's prepared.

Looks like water's on every station.

- [Kris] Water's every... Everything is right at your spot.

And then what you can do is you can dip it.

- [Shelley] Oh!

- [Kris] And then you can just kind of, start to kind of... - Are there memberships included?

In other words, can I come in anytime?

- [Rachel] You don't need a membership.

You can walk in anytime.

And seating is first come, first serve.

- [Shelley] How unique are you to our West Michigan?

- One of the things that's unique about The Mud Room You don't have to do it step by step.

You don't have to come in to try and build your creative skills.

You can literally just come in and relax and enjoy time to be creative.

- Not only do we do pottery painting, we do glass fusing.

We do pottery classes, so we get to learn how to throw pottery on the wheel.

And we do wood signs with stencils and stuff too.

So it's pretty unique to the area.

(upbeat music) - [Shelley] If I'm soft and gentle, it's nice.

- [Kris] Yeah.

Yeah.

- [Shelley] Okay, and what is this called?

- [Kris] And this is called sponge.

- Let's get into the potter's wheel.

- Yes.

- What's that all about?

- [Rachel] That's where you take a lump of clay and you put it on a spinning wheel, like in the movie "Ghost."

So that's what people my age always pick up.

- [Shelley] That's a whole nother visual.

- [Rachel] Yes.

And you use your hands to form it into a bowl or a vessel or a cup.

(upbeat music) - In these times of maybe needing to slow down, how important is it to get our creative juices going where it might not be our comfort zone?

- Like retirement home, people come in, and it helps them go back to being a kid, just having fun, just having not to worry about a whole lot with people that you know and love.

- Are you making memories for families in closing?

- [Rachel] Definitely making memories while you have a fun experience.

- [Shelley] And you get muddy while you do it.

- Not too muddy.

Well, in the potter's wheel, you do get muddy in those classes.

But coming in into paint here, it's not too bad.

And everything's washable, and we clean up after you.

- That sells my ticket.

- Thank you, Rachel.

- You're welcome.

- S-R, let's just do SI.

- [Kris] There you go.

- How's that?

That could we worth some money?

- That works.

Yeah.

- Wonderful.

- When you get famous- - I get working on it.

Thank you very much, Kris.

- Yes, you're welcome.

(upbeat music fades) - What would it look like to have a learner-designed education system?

Well, Grand Valley State University says it may have cracked the code, calling its REP4 program an unexpected model for unprecedented change.

We check out our students and faculty working on interactive programs, plus I spoke with GVSU President Philomena Mantella, who is helping us see learning through a new lens.

(gentle upbeat music) - [Philomena] It's all about student empowerment, student voice, and students being able to visualize the future of education, which involves engagement.

(gentle upbeat music fades) - Dr. Mantella, thanks so much for joining us today.

Tell us what REP4 is to you, the Rapid Education Prototyping, and why you felt compelled, your why to do such a program that's had such a great impact.

- Yeah.

We had a summit in my inauguration week where we talked about the future of education with lots of really interesting speakers.

And there were two high school students and two college students at every table, with superintendents and presidents of universities and heads of corporate learning and development.

And bar none, the best inspirations came out of the students in the room, you know?

So it was like experiencing it.

And so we made a commitment to do a couple things, figure out how to shape the table so that students can have their full voice, and to do something that was very action-oriented, which is where the notion of prototyping came in.

- REP4 and Project Grand Path in general has opened the door for students to be the architects of their future and for students to have access to emerging tools in order to visualize that future.

- [Jennifer] Tell me about financial literacy and the advances they've made with that now that you've got the second year of students in place.

- In the first year, the students felt that before we could really make a comprehensive application, focusing on the various components of financial literacy, it was really important for the user, right, the student, to understand what their money personality.

So there's been a lot of research done on the psychology of Money.

So the students focused on building an app that really focused on the money personality.

So for example, someone who spends a lot of money might be a shopper or a gambler.

So there's these certain prototypes.

So now in the second year, now that we have the Money Personality app, which has had a lot of success in its market research, we're taking it to the next level and really building out the original provocation of the REP4 students, which was to have a place where they could go and have peer-to-peer communication and ask questions about things that they might not feel so comfortable about.

- [Jennifer] How important is financial lit?

- I thought it was important to not really teach anybody financial literacy.

I thought it was more important to understand or to motivate people to get more information about financial literacy.

So through that lens, we kind of stirred in the direction of what the students gave us.

They said, "Hey, can we make a an app that's social media based, social engagement, community-centric, and foster learning through that atmosphere?"

- The students that came together to do the prototypes, they're not all just computer wizards.

They came together from different departments or different curriculums, right, to develop this.

And that's kind of key as well because that pulls students together.

So tell me about the technology and the idea that they're able to come together and work on this from their various interests.

- So we're using design thinking and we're bringing in students from all different majors.

So what we're trying to build here is really a pathway between the classroom and their career or the real world.

So this is sort of a mock studio with equipment and technology that can involve a lot of depth, but can also be used a very entry level.

So students from graphic design are collaborating with students from computer science and illustration students and business students, and they're all working together, just like we do in the real world, and bringing what they've learned in the classroom to the studio environment.

- What kind of, give me a synopsis of what we're seeing when we go to that other room, go peeking over their shoulders.

- Okay, so what we're gonna look at when we go into the next room is we have a multi-camera setup, which is basically volumetric video, but not video in the traditional sense of what we're doing right now, but volumetric video, where we can basically take a multiple cameras and create a 3D model of somebody that includes what's called the mesh, or the geometry or the surface, right?

The texture and the materials that we're using, that we're wearing, as well as motion capture data, our movements.

So what we're gonna do is we're gonna take you into the next room, we're gonna scan you into with 3D Object or a 3D form, a 3D version of you.

And then we're gonna bring you back into this room onto one of the computers and apply motion capture data to you.

(bright music) (Jennifer faintly speaking) (everybody laughing) (Jennifer faintly speaking) - It's very encouraging to know that there's more people on the team.

And to know that as many ideas come through the door, a lot of 'em get, I guess, critiqued from like-minded peers, well-engaged on the topic more than ever, and it just keeps the wheels turning.

- I'm very excited about the future.

I'm excited about the future of technology, but I'm also excited about the future of education.

'Cause what we can provide in a physical environment, in an educational environment is the in-person opportunity for students to really collaborate with each other.

You can kind of do it through Zoom or through a virtual space, but it's really nice to be together in a space.

And the students would attest to this, that being together and learning what employers call the soft skills is really exciting.

So I'm very excited about hybridizing what we've done in the past with the potential for the future.

People are afraid of the future.

I don't feel like it erases anything from the past.

I feel it's important to embrace the new tools and build on what we've done before.

So, yeah, I'm very enthusiastic about the future.

(lively music) (lively music continues) - Get your popcorn ready because today, we are headed to the theater, Circle Theater that is.

With a mission to enrich, entertain, and educate the West Michigan community through arts, the Circle Theater offers community performers, directors, and musicians of all ages a chance to hone their craft.

Shelley's on the scene during rehearsals for their production of "Curious George" to learn more.

- We're taking you behind the scenes at Circle Theater, where we're curious about George.

(upbeat music) (actors laughing) (upbeat music continues) - "Curious George and the Golden Meatball" is kind of similar to the story that we know, the books and the TV show.

- George's friend, Chef Pisghetti, has all You-Can-Eat Meatball Day, happens once a year.

George is very excited about it.

He's gonna be a waiter.

Phineas, who has invented this instant meatball machine, pops up and steals all Pisghetti's business, and he's discouraged and he doesn't wanna cook meatballs anymore.

- But in this particular production, George ends up wanting to enter his friend, Chef Pisghetti, into the Golden Meatball contest.

- Which is all the way in Rome.

So leads everyone on a little bit of a cross-country adventure.

- Circle Theater, here on the campus of Aquinas College.

- Yes.

- Give me a bit of the history of Circle.

You haven't always been here.

- No, no.

We started in 1953, and the first location was at the old Rowe Hotel.

Then the second one was at, what was the Pantlind Hotel, which is now the Amway Grand Plaza.

And then the location we were at for the longest, which is where I first became familiar with it, was at John Ball Zoo.

And so we had moved there in 1964, and then we moved here on campus in 2003.

- What makes Circle Theater special today?

- We are so blessed with the level of talent that we have in this community of performers, of designers, directors, musicians.

And we have so many patrons that come to the theater, they can't believe it's community theater performers, that they're supporting their neighbors and teachers and dentists and doctors and all of these people who most of them have full-time jobs and this is their second job, but a little bit, probably more fun.

(Shelley laughs) - [Shelley] Tell us your character.

- I am Curious George.

When I was told I got the part, I was very excited because this is actually my first real community theater role, and I always watched "Curious George" like ever since I was like five.

I was really obsessed with it.

I watched the Halloween special with no noggin, like year round.

But I really wanted to audition for it because like it really holds a special place in my heart.

- How'd you get the interest to get involved with "Curious George" and the Circle Theater?

- So I have always loved doing theater for young audiences ever since I did the "Charlotte's Web" back in high school.

And I just love it 'cause kids are the most honest audience members that you're gonna get.

Like they'll not lie to you about what they thought of the show.

And the impact that you could have on someone seeing their very first live performance, it's incredible.

(gentle music) - I'm the director for the show, and so my job is to kind of make the creative vision and all the creative decisions.

I was in charge of casting and picking our awesome cast that we have.

Yeah, and so it's really fun to get to create and kind of bring the story that everyone knows, but also kind of create this new story that is unique to the musical.

Basically, she's in charge of the creative and I'm in charge of everything else.

So I make sure that the creative and the technical aspects of the show just come together and become seamless.

- Usually, a rehearsal process starts out with a read through, sing throughs, so we go through the whole show.

And then it depends on the process of the director, but I like to start with music and really make sure that all of the actors are really solid on their singing, and then we move into dance and kind of sprinkle the acting portions in between those so they can kind of bring everything together.

And then at a certain point, we take all the different elements and kind of piece 'em together and put the show, and it's like a puzzle, basically, putting all the pieces together and then getting to run the whole show and really making sure that everything smoothly connects with each other.

- [Actor 1] Check this out.

- [Actor 2] that's in back of the whole world, George.

- What is it about theater that once you've been on stage, that makes you wanna come back for more?

- I think the experience that you have is unlike any other.

First of all, in a show, you have different people coming together from all different walks of life, all different lived experiences, people that might not come together under any other circumstances other than this and they all come in to do one thing together.

And I always tell every cast, it's kind of like being the Beatles, nobody else knows what it's like except for you guys, because you're the only ones creating this every single night, but it's also special for the audiences when they come because every single performance, because it's live, is unique and different, and you won't see it the same twice and you'll never be able to, one, audience isn't gonna be able to get the same experience as another audience.

And then for the performers on stage, the energy that they get from the audience, it's just you cannot replicate a live experience, a live performance.

- Are standing ovation's pretty cool?

- They're pretty awesome.

They're pretty awesome.

Won't lie about that.

(laughs) - [Shelley] Break a leg this season, Lynn.

- [Lynn] Thank you so much.

Shelley.

(audience clapping) - "Living West Michigan" takes a few seconds now to show off some wonderful things happening via local organizations in our community.

Take a look.

(upbeat music) It just wouldn't be the finale of "Living West Michigan" without one last word from everyone's neighborhood flower guy.

J Schwanke is here with some unbelievable arrangements that will make you look and feel like a pro.

Let's take a look on today's "Living in Bloom."

(transition whooshing) (upbeat music) - I am always fascinated with color, and I'm fascinated with bringing flowers and fruit together in an arrangement because it makes it so festive for us.

And so when I looked at the different flowers I'm using today, these beautiful pink hydrangeas that have a wonderful red cast, that's what sent me in a direction to find some fruit that would go with it and other flowers that are gonna look great.

Now, let's add in some fruit.

I found these wonderful raspberry oranges that have that blush on them.

I've placed two bamboo sticks in the backside so that they won't rotate when I put them into the flower foam.

So pushing those down inside here, we're gonna place these raspberry-colored, and look it on the inside, they have a wonderful reddish tone on the inside.

So as we add our other flowers around, we'll add those too.

I've got some spray roses.

These are a bright red spray rose, which is gonna be a wonderful contrast to our oranges and also to the hydrangeas.

So we'll go in there with a few of those.

I love spray roses because a spray rose has so many flowers on one stem that it makes it super easy for us to fill in.

Look at how much room that spray rose takes up in that arrangement?

Easy.

Okay, and now, we'll add in some cherry brandy roses.

They have the same blush color that our oranges do as well.

So adding those cherry brandy roses are gonna make a wonderful color statement through our arrangement.

Again, placing these together.

Now, you'll notice that I go fast, but when you're making this at home, make sure that you take the time to enjoy every second as you're creating a beautiful arrangement, because that's part of the health and wellness benefits that go with the flowers.

Now, we're gonna finish off with these amazing pincushion protea, and look how those are going to bring that whole arrangement together and create super excitement.

It's just a really fun way to utilize those.

These grow in the mountains, in the southern part of California, in Fallbrook, and it's an amazing leucadendron.

Now, I think an arrangement isn't finished until it has a few carnations in there.

You know, I'm really partial to a red carnation, so adding that in there is gonna give us a contesting texture as well.

So we're gonna come around here with a few of those red carnations.

And we'll add another one of our open oranges.

And look at this one, I just took the center out of that guy, and we can place that little slice right down into the bouquet, just like this.

I've got three more roses.

And we'll be finished with this beautiful bouquet.

That's a fun, fast way for us to create a centerpiece for our table and we'll be "Living in Bloom."

(upbeat music) - More content can be found on WGVU's YouTube channel or the PBS app.

Be sure to also check out wgvu.org/livingwestmichigan, where you can submit ideas for future features on the show.

I'm Jennifer Moss, and this is Living West Michigan.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues)