The pandemic has played havoc with all facets of life, including the arts. Whether music, lectures, visual art, dance, the live experience has all but disappeared. While the world awaits the vaccine and (hoped-for) subsequent return to something approaching normality, artists of all stripes continue to create. 

In this week’s Northern Express - sister publication of The Ticker - writer Ross Boissoneau rounds up galleries, lectures, author events, classes, and more to keep you engaged and connected with your creative side this winter. From a partnership between Michigan Legacy Art Park and Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts to create a community papier maché mask display to Northwestern Michigan College Coffee Chats, from a new slate of Traverse City National Writers Series virtual events to online workshops, exhibitions, and classes at numerous northern Michigan museums and galleries, this week’s Northern Express guide to local arts and entertainment will give you plenty of options to stay busy through the cold, dark weeks ahead.

The Northern Express is available to read online, or pick up a free copy at newsstand locations in 14 counties across northern Michigan.