Riverside Arts Center

The creative community in Ypsilanti will come together to work and play this week. The 6th season of the Independent Film Festival-Ypsilanti kicks off with a full slate of programming and movie-making opportunity. iFFY, as it's called, will run from Thursday, April 17th through Saturday, April 19th. WEMU's David Fair was joined by iFFY co-founder and Board member Donald Harrison and festival co-director Micah Vanderhoof for an inside look.

Later this month, there is going to be a celebration of artistic endeavor in Ypsilanti! It will include a one-of-a-kind processional from the Riverside Arts Center to the Freighthouse in Depot Town. On this week's “On the Ground Ypsi,” Rylee Barnsdale spoke with UMS community and audience programs manager Justine Sedky about the partnerships that will bring to life the creativity of the community on April 19th.

The Riverside Arts Center is working with social workers and students of social work to develop new, socially conscious programming. Concentrate Media’s Rylee Barnsdale chats about some of the programming being offered at Riverside with local social worker and therapist Kayla Skinner-Roy.

A lot has been happening at Ypsilanti’s Riverside Arts Center since Elizabeth Warren took her seat as the executive director two years ago – building expansion, new programs and community events to name a few. We find out what else Liz and her board have in store for the center in this conversation with Deb Polich.

The Riverside Arts Center has revitalized its Artist-in-Residency program this year. The two artists serving in that capacity are about to mark the halfway point of their residency, and you’ll hear from one of them! Nick Azzaro sat down with Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the program, his art, education and what is still to come through the rest of the residency.

Get a behind the scenes look at the 2024 Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti. Known affectionately as the iFFY, it runs April 24 – 27. Get the iFFY scoop when organizers Hafsah Mijinyawa and Martin Thoburn joined Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact."

The 2nd annual Black History Month art exhibition is on display at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti. This year’s theme is taken from the title of a book written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or community?" The exhibition is sponsored by former State Representative Ronnie Peterson and his wife, Ypsilanti Township trustee Gloria Peterson, and is put forth by the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. AACHM board chair, Dr. Debby Covington, and Mr. Peterson joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the exhibit and its impacts.

Art, in all its forms, is a universal language. Sreyashi Dey’s company, Akshara, explores contemporary themes by bringing Indian myths to life through Indian dance and theater. Sreyashi joins Deb Polich on this edition of WEMU’s "creative:impact." They chat about the new work she is premiering at the Rasa Festival, September 23.

The newly created Ypsi Fine Arts Club is offering a gathering place for artists to discuss their work, have it reviewed by peers, and even try to sell their work. We learn more about the club in this segment of "On the Ground Ypsi" with your hosts, WEMU's Cathy Shafran and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale, as they're joined by the club's co-founder, Lynne Settles.

The process of hiring the next chief for the Ypsilanti Police Department has taken a step forward. WEMU's Josh Hakala reports.