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Art Activities for Kids in Northwest Michigan

Updated: Feb 2



Browse art, dance, music and acting classes for kids in Northwest Michigan.


Art

Arts for All of Northern Michigan

  • What: Arts for All of Northern Michigan provides arts and cultural experiences to connect people of all abilities.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Events, Summer Camp

Charlevoix Circle of Arts

  • What: Community art center with year-round exhibits and a gift shop featuring items made by local artists, as well as art classes, dance instruction, yoga, special events, and other programs for both children and adults.

  • Where: Charlevoix

  • How: Art-Ventures, Classes and Workshops

Crooked Tree Arts Center

  • What: Crooked Tree Arts Center offers exhibits, concerts, classes, lectures, special events and so much more, from campuses in Petoskey and Traverse City.

  • Where: Petoskey

  • How: Classes, Summer Art Camps

Crooked Tree Arts Center

  • What: Crooked Tree Arts Center offers exhibits, concerts, classes, lectures, special events and so much more, from campuses in Petoskey and Traverse City.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Classes

Glen Arbor Arts Center

  • What: Toddler through teen classes are designed to tap into the joy of artistic exploration, provide the basics of art techniques, and encourage the development of young artists.

  • Where: Glen Arbor

  • How: Classes

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Old Town Playhouse

  • What: MainStage and Studio Productions, Touring Productions, Classes and Broadway Junior program, Summer Performing Arts Camp, One-Week Intensive and Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop are programs offered as part of the Old Town Playhouse's Young Company.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Classes

Oliver Art Center

  • What: Summer classes for ages 7 and up. Each class will have different projects and activities.

  • Where: Frankfort

  • How: Classes

TC Handz on Art

  • What: Paint your own pottery studio located in downtown Traverse City. Handz On Art offers an enjoyable and friendly atmosphere to come and create works of art.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: How It Works

Tinker Studio TC

  • What: Offering classes in many mediums including drawing, painting, fiber art, jewelry making, printmaking and more for ages 16+.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Classes

Up North Arts

  • What: Community arts and cultural center offering art classes and events

  • Where: Cadillac

  • How: Classes


 

Dance

Alden Dance Academy

  • What: Creative movement, pre-ballet, ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and pointe classes for ages 2 and up.

  • Where: Alden

  • How: Classes

Ballet Academy Michigan

  • What: One of four Royal Academy of Dance-certified schools in Michigan, the Ballet Academy is a serious and supportive training environment for young dancers to develop and grow.

  • Where: Arcadia

  • How: Classes

Beautiful Feet Dance Studio

  • What: Beautiful Feet Dance Studio offers ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, acrobatics, tumbling, musical theater, contemporary, and lyrical dance classes to students ages 2 - adult.

  • Where: Harbor Springs

  • How: Classes

Charlevoix Circle of Arts

  • What: Community art center with year-round exhibits and a gift shop featuring items made by local artists, as well as art classes, dance instruction, yoga, special events, and other programs for both children and adults.

  • Where: Charlevoix

  • How: Dance Classes

Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet

  • What: The CTAC School of Ballet trains young people in Northern Michigan for careers as professional dancers and artists. The School of Ballet offers professional training in ballet and alternative dance techniques and concepts.

  • Where: Petoskey

  • How: Ballet Registration

Design Dance Studio

  • What: Dance exploration, ballet, jazz and lyrical classes for kids 3 and up.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Classes

Fitch Dance Company

  • What: Ballet, Tap, Celtic, Hip Hop, Pointe, Lyrical, Jazz, and Pre-School Classes.

  • Where: Kalkaska

  • How: Classes

Great Lakes Dance Academy

  • What: Dance studio in Petoskey for students of all levels.

  • Where: Petoskey

  • How: Classes

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Kingsley Dance Company

  • What: Lyrical, jazz, ballet, contemporary, tumbling and hip hop dance classes for kids.

  • Where: Kingsley

  • How: Classes

Landing Dance Academy

  • What: The Landing Dance Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, Irish and Ballroom in downtown Cadillac.

  • Where: Cadillac

  • How: Classes

Northern Lights Irish Dance and Ballet Academy

Old Art Building

  • What: Pre-Ballet, Beginning Ballet, Beginning Jazz/Modern classes at the Old Art Building in Leland.

  • Where: Leland

  • How: Classes and events

The Conservatory of Dance

  • What: Classes in ballet, jazz, tap, celtic, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acrobatics, contortion and musical theatre for ages 3 and up.

  • Where: Manistee

  • How: Classes


 

Music

Charlevoix Circle of Arts

  • What: Community art center with year-round exhibits and a gift shop featuring items made by local artists, as well as art classes, dance instruction, yoga, special events, and other programs for both children and adults.

  • Where: Charlevoix

  • How: Music Class

Dorothy Gerber Strings Program

  • What: The Dorothy Gerber Strings Program offers opportunities for students from four years old through seniors in high school, including in-school strings classes, individual lessons, and a growing youth orchestra program

  • Where: Petoskey

  • How: Programs

Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra

  • What: A group of professional musicians who entertain, inspire and educate students of all ages, bringing music instruction to area schools and music programs to foster a love for music and musical performance.

  • Where: Harbor Springs and Petoskey

  • How: Programs

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Martha Meek Music Studio

  • What: Private lessons in guitar, piano, band instruments, bass guitar, ukulele, mandolin, theory and composition for all ages.

  • Where: Suttons Bay

  • How: Lessons

Mindful and Musical

  • What: Together with the little ones, sing, move & groove, play with instruments, learn and laugh through music, yoga, story time and mindfulness.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Book a session

Miranda Music

  • What: Piano, mandolin, violin, viola, guitar, banjo, bass, oboe, voice and music theory online and in-person classes.

  • Where: Frankfort

  • How: Classes

Northwestern Michigan College Children's Choir

  • What: The Northwestern Michigan College Children’s Choir is a program of exemplary choral music performance that develops high levels of artistic, expressive singing for students in Kindergarten through grade nine in the Greater Grand Traverse Area.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Auditions, Kid's Choir Camp

River City Music School

  • What: River City Music School offers piano, drum, guitar and bass lessons, plus Kindermusic.

  • Where: Manistee

  • How: Lessons

Sun Radius Music International

  • What: Sun Radius features drum and percussion lessons with Dave Warne as well as a wide range of musical instruments for sale.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Lessons

The BeatLab

  • What: The Beat Lab is a facility/community committed to providing real world musical experience for students of all ages and experience levels. The Beat Lab has classes for drums, percussion, guitar, bass, and music theory as well as rock camps, drum line, percussion ensembles, recording services, etc.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Classes

Tinkertunes

  • What: Tom Kaufmann offers childhood music education programs such as the Traveling Musical Instrument Petting Zoo at various schools, museums, libraries and other children's events.

  • Where: Traverse City

  • How: Music Education

Vokey Music


 

Theater and Acting

Charlevoix Circle of Arts

  • What: Community art center with year-round exhibits and a gift shop featuring items made by local artists, as well as art classes, dance instruction, yoga, special events, and other programs for both children and adults.

  • Where: Charlevoix

  • How: Youth Musical Theater

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts

  • What: The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts (RRCA) is a performing and visual arts organization that preserves the historic Ramsdell Theatre.

  • Where: Manistee

  • How: Ramsdell Theatre Camp

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