Lecture: From Math to Muddy Waters: The History of the Cigar Box Guitar with Mike Mouradian 

Saturday, June 20th * 11:00am - 12:00pm

Cost: Free

Join us for a fascinating journey into the soul of American music as we trace the unlikely evolution of the cigar box guitar. This lecture explores how ancient mathematics, wartime necessity, and the birth of the Blues converged to create one of the most resilient symbols of musical ingenuity.

What to Expect:

 The Ancient Foundation: We begin with Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher who first decoded the mathematical relationship between string length and pitch.

 Necessity is the Mother of Invention: While high-society luthiers spent centuries refining sophisticated violins and lutes, "folk" instruments remained the heartbeat of the common people. We’ll examine the hunting bow, likely the world's first stringed instrument, and how its design persisted through time.

 A Perfect Storm of History: Discover how 19th-century tax laws inadvertently revolutionized instrument making. When the U.S. government mandated that cigars be packed in standardized wooden boxes, they provided a free, resonant "body" for anyone with a stick and a piece of wire.

 The Sound of Resistance and Resilience: We will explore the vital role these instruments played for enslaved people in the South and Civil War soldiers on the front lines. These humble boxes became the primary vehicles for the early Blues, later influencing rock legends like The Rolling Stones.

Lecture Highlights:

 Live Demonstrations: See and hear the raw, acoustic power of various homemade instruments.

 Visual History: View rare photos of the 19th-century cigar boxes that started it all.

 The Science of Sound: A simple breakdown of the math that makes a three-string guitar sing.

"If you can't buy it, build it." This lecture is a tribute to the spirit of the makers who proved that you don't need a golden instrument to play the music of the soul.

Bio: Mike Mouradian is a folk instrument maker driven by the belief that music should be accessible to everyone. Instrument making is about reclaiming the spirit of DIY folk history. Moving away from store-bought commercialism, Mike builds stringed instruments the way people have for centuries: with simple materials and a lot of heart. Drawing inspiration from historical traditions where instruments were crafted from everyday materials, Mike specializes in building soulful, handmade guitars and “canjos." His work has been showcased at the Ann Arbor Artisan’s Market, WSG Gallery, Detroit Artists Market, and the Ann Arbor Art Center. A career educator, Mike served as a public school teacher and a Clinical Professor of Education at the University of Michigan, and he now brings that lifelong passion for teaching to the art of instrument making.

Canjo Workshop Craft, Create & Play with Mike Mouradian

Saturday, June 20th

1:30pm to 3:00pm

Discover the roots of American folk music in this hands-on, single-session workshop. Guided by instrument maker Mike Mouradian, you will build your very own Canjo—a simple yet soulful stringed instrument (traditionally known as a Diddlybow) crafted from a tin can and wire.

After assembling your instrument, you’ll have the chance to decorate it, learn its fascinating history, and join the class in playing your first song. No experience is necessary, and all tools and materials are provided. You’ll head home with a finished Canjo, a music and history pamphlet, and the satisfaction of having made your own music.

2026 Teen Camp at the ACA

June 22-26

Times 9:30-4pm

Ages 12 and up 

Is your teen always drawing, begging for more supplies and making things? Are you dealing with a creative kid? 

Your teen can be immersed in a fun-filled week of creativity at the Adrian Center for the Arts.  They will be inspired as they work in different studios on the ACA campus and learn from a variety of talented artists, using a wide range of art media. Participants will have an opportunity to experience new things, expand their art knowledge and skills, all while surrounded by others just like them.

Participants should bring a packed lunch, we provide water and snacks daily. 

Paint and Pour Landscape with Tayleen Theisen

Sunday June 28 * 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Join us for a paint and pour class inspired by the paintings of Shirley VanBenschoten.  A fine arts graduate of Sienna Heights University art program, she resided in Tecumseh and was president of the Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts when it became the Adrian Center for the Arts. Using acrylic paint mixed with pour medium you will create an abstracted landscape. This class is perfect for those who love nature and thinking outside the box.

Ages 13+

2026 Kids Art Camp

July 13th through July 17th 

9am til noon

Ages 6-11

It's the middle of the summer and the kids are getting bored. It’s time to spark their creativity and the best place to be is at the Adrian Center for the Arts. Throughout this week participants will be getting into all kinds of materials,  from painting to constructing. We know every child is unique. We encourage them to express themselves and approach lessons from their own perspective.

2026 Kids Art Camp

July 13th through July 17th 

1 pm to 4 pm

Ages 6-11

It's the middle of the summer and the kids are getting bored. It’s time to spark their creativity and the best place to be is at the Adrian Center for the Arts. Throughout this week participants will be getting into all kinds of materials,  from painting to constructing. We know every child is unique. We encourage them to express themselves and approach lessons from their own perspective.

This exhibition is held in conjunction with the CompARTments exhibition at the Adrian Center for the Arts, Monday June 8-Sunday July 19. The idea is for an artist to make art, on, in, around a box.Artist Claudia Wallace’s passion is collecting ephemera; forlorn objects, faded lithographic images, cigar boxes, lots of them, all from another era. She then assembles them into mini-vignettes. Her house is taken over by completed boxes, boxes in process and the painstaking organization of the materials that will bring her ideas to life. The time, the thought, the attention to detail are what make these works extraordinary.You too can create your own box. Claudia will teach an all materials provided class right here at the Adrian District Library on Tues June 16, 5:30-7:30.

2026 Kids Art Camp

Monday, August 3rd through Friday, August 7th 

9am til noon

Ages 6-11

It's the middle of the summer and the kids are getting bored. It’s time to spark their creativity and the best place to be is at the Adrian Center for the Arts. Throughout this week participants will be getting into all kinds of materials,  from painting to constructing. We know every child is unique. We encourage them to express themselves and approach lessons from their own perspective.