The Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan has extended the Season of Light exhibit through Jan. 31.

With the museum being closed for several weeks during this year’s Season of Light exhibit, with the canceling the annual opening reception, and with having limited visitor capacity per hour due to COVID-19, the community did not have the opportunity to visit the exhibit before the end of December. So, the Besser Museum decided to keep the museum beautifully decorated with the annual Season of Light exhibit through Jan. 31. This decision will allow visitors the opportunity to experience the spirit of Christmas a little longer than usual this year.

Visiting the Season of Light exhibit is a favorite holiday tradition for many. Volunteers and community partners contribute so much of their time and talents to help make the Season of Light exhibit very special. Museum staff and volunteers spent hours on the seasonally themed decorations that artistically adorn the Avenue of Shops and center gallery. The museum also had more than 15 nonprofit organizations participate in the Community Trees exhibit, each decorating their tree to help inform the public of the services they offer the community all throughout the year.

Extending the Christmas exhibit and special planetarium shows through Jan. 31 might seem a little out of the ordinary, but nothing, over the last few months has been ordinary.

Holiday raffle extended

The Besser Museum is also extending the Holiday Give Away Raffle through Jan. 31. The raffle drawing will be held Feb. 1, with a chance to win one of nine amazing gifts. Prizes consist of six pieces of jewelry donated by Bolenz Jewelry, a beautiful holiday wreath donated by Lasting Expressions, a stain-glass three-dimensional hanging star with base donated by Forty-Five North Art Gallery (Peggy Matuzak), and a basket of books with a gift certificate donated by Turn the Page.

Tickets can be purchased for $1 each at the Besser Museum, by calling 989-356-2202, or online at bessermuseum.org. All proceeds from the raffle benefit the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.

Changes to non-juried

art exhibit

The Besser Museum has also made changes to the annual non-juried art exhibit. This year’s New Beginnings non-juried art exhibit takes a break from the winter blues theme and encourages artists to use any or all colors of the spectrum.

The non-juried art exhibit is open to all Michigan artists of all ages. Entries can be in any medium, and size cannot exceed 36 inches by 36 inches. All entries must be original works of the artist’s own creation and have been completed in the last five years. All work must be ready for exhibit. Each artist may submit one art entry for a single non-refundable fee of $20. Each artist is limited to a total of five art entries at $20 each for a total non-refundable entry fee of $100. Entries will be accepted Feb. 2-8.

The exhibit opens Feb. 13 and runs through April 3. For more information call 989-356-2202 or visit bessermuseum. org.