Thursday Evening Speaker Series

  • Feasting on Art

    Feasting on Art

    Thursday, November 6, 2025 | 6:00-7:00pm

    Join renowned art historian Wendy Evans to discover how food and feasts are depicted in art. Artists from around the world and over the centuries have captured the very human act of eating in diverse and fascinating ways. This presentation brings an art feast for your eyes, complete with ingredients, cooking pots, helpful servants, serving dishes, and paintings of others enjoying meals, including the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner by Norman Rockwell. Bon appetit! This program is generously sponsored by American House, Village at Bloomfield. 

  • Michigan Central Station Restoration Project

    Michigan Central Station Restoration Project

    Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Angela Wyrembelski, AIA

    Meet Quinn Evans architect Angela Wyrembelski, and hear first-hand her amazing story as the lead architect on the restoration of one of Detroit’s famous landmarks. Michigan Central Station was reopened on June 6, 2024 after a years long intensive restoration project. Angela will speak about the evolution of this incredible endeavor, and the responsibility of restoring an iconic building. Angela’s focus on the importance of integrating sustainability and reimagining historic structures for modern use across Michigan, along with the value she places on historic buildings, is sure to both entertain and inspire audience members. This program is generously sponsored by All Seasons Birmingham.  

  • The Blues: Lecture and Entertainment

    The Blues: Lecture and Entertainment

    Thursday, November 20, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Leonardo Gianola, Historian and Musician

    Experienced musician Leonardo Gianola tells the story of the blues from the beginning by starting with transforming prison work songs into blues songs. The story continues up through the 1930’s while Leonardo performs songs to support the narrative and illustrate how the blues developed. Come and learn the fascinating history of this singular musical style from an experienced performer. Bringing history to life, Leonardo will perform several songs using two acoustic resonator guitars; just like the songs were originally performed.

  • Tariffs and International Relations

    Tariffs and International Relations

    Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Kevin Cotter, Associate Professor, Department of Economics - Wayne State University

    Tariffs, trade wars, foreign policy, cost of living, price increases: how does a consumer in the United States make sense of it all?? Come to Next and hear from Kevin Cotter, Wayne State University Economics Department Chair, who will explain the function and consequences of tariffs. Professor Cotter will discuss the logistics of tariffs, and the foreign policy objectives and international relations consequences that come into play. He will also look at the changing economic landscape and how tariffs and pricing present a continually moving target in today’s economy.

  • Protecting Nature in the Heart of Birmingham

    Protecting Nature in the Heart of Birmingham

    Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Birmingham Residents Debra Horner and David Williams, Nick Dupuis, Birmingham Planning Director

    Join Debra Horner of the University of Michigan Ford Public Policy School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) and a member of the City of Birmingham’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, her husband David Williams, and Nick Dupuis, Birmingham’s Planning Director, for a talk on sustainability and eco-friendly native plantings. Debra and David are Birmingham residents who have created an oasis of native plants on their property. Come and hear about their yard and their journey, the City of Birmingham’s commitment to green preservation, and what you can do to promote spaces with native plants and pollinators on a local level!

  • The Goods Road Movement (1888-1926)

    The Goods Road Movement (1888-1926)

    Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Jim Craft, Historian

    In 1890 the United States had, perhaps, worst road system of any developed country in the world. Impassable three or four months a year due to muddy conditions, the balance of the year roads in America were dusty, rutted and disjointed, serving only very local functions. By the mid 1920’s the United States had developed a well-funded system that integrated local, state and Federal governments to create the massive road network we take for granted today. Come to Next and learn about this enormous infrastructure endeavor and how it has shaped the United States