Wellspring Literary Series Completes 11th Year of Arts Programming
Performer singing and playing guitar at a Wellspring Literacy Series event
Public access to the arts in Isabella County is often problematic due to the price of tickets.
The Wellspring Literary Series, founded and facilitated by Robert Fanning, is a free annual community event series hosted by Art Reach of Mid Michigan that provides free programming to the community featuring the work of musicians, writers, and poets.
Thanks to the Russ Herron Poetry Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, community members in Isabella County are able to participate in enriching and diverse programming each year. The free events include Michigan art, poetry, music, and complementary food from Max & Emily’s restaurant.
Some features of the program include poetry readings by Michigan poets and Central Michigan University (CMU) students, as well as musical performances by musicians from CMU’s School of Music. The program completed its 11th year and was made possible with the support of their partners, CMU’s English department and Max & Emily’s.
More than 150 attendees enjoyed musical entertainment and poetry presentations from prominent poets at the two events held earlier this year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured Jason Irwin and Jen Ashburn, followed by student reader Amanda Olsen with music by CMU student saxophone sextet. The November event highlighted poetry by Michelle Penaloza, followed by student reader Jordan Gakle and music by Joe Hertler.
The Wellspring Literary Series has become well known throughout the state and continues to be a quality program with a strong support base each year from community members, musicians, writers, and poets.