We Can MARVEL All Day: Issue #2 — Black Widow

One of Anna Barnhart’s guiding principles as an artist is to try new things, no matter how ridiculous they might seem. She uses nontraditional tools like Saran Wrap, bubble wrap, spatulas, and even frosting to create textures impossible with a traditional artist’s toolkit.

“I’m looking at shapes in general and thinking of new ways of making marks,” Barnhart said. “It’s more about what the subject demands. Bubble wrap is probably really good for dotty things like pebbles or flowers. I look at the general shape, make the mark first, play around with that, and then figure out what might work later.”

Mick Kolassa, a blues musician, recently retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry. He attended Glen Oaks on the GI Bill after serving in the U.S. Army. He later earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern Washington University, followed by a doctorate in pharmaceutical marketing and economics from the University of Mississippi.

In the early 1980s, while working at The Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Kolassa also taught classes at Glen Oaks. His career later took him across the country in roles within the pharmaceutical industry, including work in pricing and economic policy and as a vice president at a consulting firm.

The tulip display was inspired in part by the Yellow Tulip Project, a nationwide youth-led initiative founded to reduce stigma surrounding mental health struggles and suicide prevention. The yellow tulip has become a symbol of hope and open conversation.

Club President Jan Michaels said the local organization wanted to take that message and make it visible in Three Rivers.

“We hear so often that people need help and nobody is doing anything,” she said. “But there are services, and there are ways to help. Sometimes people just don’t know where to start.”