 The McCrossey Arts Center is getting ready for a new year filled with unique classes for the public. Archwell Moore has a preview of the 2018 calendar in this week's In Focus. You've probably heard of the McCrossey Arts Center in Grand Rapids by now. They've been around for 51 years and have been featured right here on Lake Lanuse tons of times. But did you know 2018 may just be one of their most art-filled years yet? We've been doing non-stop kids classes at least two to three times a week for the past year and a half. Because everything creative you can think of is a class at McCrossey Arts Center. Currently they have a class that's teaching young kids and teens how to draw in an anime and manga style. We've only had one week so far in the comic book class, but the first thing we started off with was just basically making a cartoon character. How do you make a regular person look like a comic book or like an anime character? From pottery making and basket weaving to anime and animation, the McCrossey Arts Center is always coming up with brand new classes for you guys to enjoy. It helps a lot for kids to learn how to take chances and to be okay with failing because art doesn't come naturally to anyone. So you have to practice at it and it helps the kids understand how to take risks and to be okay if those risks don't succeed. And another cool thing about the McCrossey Arts Center is they offer scholarships. So money is hardly ever an issue. The scholarships are available for everyone all ages and it's whatever you can afford. We don't want to turn any kids away so there's scholarships available for kids and I'll always make the classes available for kids no matter what your income level is. For future classes, the Center is hoping to get more technology involved like this past summer when one of their classes incorporated a 3D printer. Right now their 2018 calendar includes wood carving, collage making, jewelry making, wine and paints and even beer and paints for adults. Then there's pottery, painting, guitar lessons and stop motion animation for kids. David says one of the cool things about teaching the kids classes is watching them go on the journey. You also get to see their skills improve, get to see them start off by barely being able to draw a circle, to being able to draw people, to places, making their own worlds. Reporting in Grand Rapids with this week's in focus, Shremor, Lakeland News. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.