troubled childhood turned around by art

TROUBLED CHILDHOOD TURNED AROUND BY ART
KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012
John Merigian's life had a bumpy start, and it would have been next to impossible to predict the path that would eventually bring him to the place he is at today. As the youngest of three kids, divorce was harder on him than his siblings. In the '60s shared custody or sole custody for dads was rare. Though she had custody of the children, John's mother was not equipped to care for them. The Merigian children ended up in the foster care system and were on their third foster home before their dad was able to get custody. Moving from Lansing, Merigian's re-united family ended up in Highland Park where John's dad and grandmother took on the task of creating a safe and stable life for the Merigian children, close to their family's Armenian roots and church.

"It was a bad situation in Lansing with lots of serious problems for us kids, but it was also tough adjusting to and growing up in [Detroit's] inner city during the '60s," explained Merigian. Merigian recalls that by the time he was 8 years old he was in trouble all the time and had started running with a gang. "We protected each other," confided Merigian. But that didn't stop him from experiencing the terror and helplessness of losing one of his childhood buddies who was shot and killed by a neighbor; and there would be other losses of friends to violence.

The label "trouble" extended into his school life, until a frustrated teacher decided to try something different with Merigian. "When I was in 4th grade they did some tests on me and discovered that I was smart, even though my grades didn't match that test result. They concluded that I must be bored. It turned out that I was really good at math and by the time I was in 5th and 6th grade I was tutoring kids in the 3rd grade," shared Merigian. "One of my teachers noticed that I had talent in art and allowed me to regularly go work independently in the art room."

Hanging on the wall of his studio today is a piece created by Merigian while in the 6th grade during those independent art sessions in school. It is a framed relief figure of a cheetah, made with sawdust and paste. Merigian recounts the circumstance of submitting this piece, two years later, to the Michigan State Fair art competition when he was in the 8th grade. After the judging he was stunned to find out that his piece had not received an award – no first prize, no second prize, no honorable mention – nothing. "I looked around at the pieces that received awards and felt like my work was better than some of them. I was a bit teary, but I went to a judge and asked why my work did not get a ribbon. The judge let me know that several of the judges felt that the work was so good that it could not possibly have been done by an 8th grader without help from an adult," recounts Merigian. He could have gotten mad about these assumptions, but instead chose to see this as a true compliment of his work.

Merigian had an uncle that went to Cranbrook Art Academy so there was some family support and encouragement to pursue art. By the time Merigian was in 7th grade he knew he wanted to "do art" and applied for a scholarship to Cranbrook. He received a full ride scholarship beginning with 9th grade. "It was art and sports in school that saved me and put me on a different path for my life," said Merigian. While he excelled at both art and sports, the budding artist made the tough decision going into his senior year at Cranbrook to drop sports and focus solely on art.

John graduated from Cranbrook with one of their highest honors, the Thistle Award - again important recognition of his gifts. He was recruited by several high-profile colleges including Harvard and Amherst. While he was accepted to every school he applied to, his family simply could not afford the costs associated with going to an Ivy League college and insisted that John agree to go to the University of Michigan (U-M) instead. After settling in at the U-M School of Art & Design, Merigian enjoyed the assets available to him to explore doing large scale works in the university studio facilities.

While Merigian was accepted at Pratt for its Masters of Fine Arts program, he put the pursuit of the MFA on hold, deciding to get practical and pursue an MBA in Human Resources at the Ross School of Business, again at U-M. His practical decision was also fueled by his interest in getting married and starting a family. And so began what would be a 25 year career in human resources for major companies like General Motors, Nissan, and Masco. Merigian did go back to pursue his MFA at Wayne State University, but found the challenges of balancing his family life, HR work life, and his sculptural works too demanding to complete the MFA. He did, however, add an MA to his professional arts resume.

The creativity that Merigian brought to his work in human resources was no surprise to him, and apparently served him well in his chosen professional career as he achieved great success. "We moved to several different places in the country for my work, and wherever we lived I always had a place in my home and in my heart for my art," emphasized Merigian. Eventually, his corporate work would bring him back to Michigan and his path would take a new turn.

It was his faith and an unwavering commitment to his art that would lead Merigian to his first monumental sculpture for his church, St. John Armenian Church of Detroit. The sculptural grouping of figures called "Let Us Rejoice", installed over 30 years ago, would lead him to a lifetime body of signature work.

In 2009 Merigian, like so many others, felt the crushing effects of the economic crash. His position was eliminated, his division experiencing significant staff reductions. "I worked really hard to find a new job, but even my contacts in the industry were losing their jobs," he confided. As a stress reducer John was spending more and more time in his sculpture studio. Later the same year, he had the good fortune to have an opportunity to participate in the 2009 ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, placing a grouping of seven of his signature sculptural pieces in a spot next to Calder Plaza. As a result he was able to sell some of his pieces to a prominent Grand Rapids family.

Before he knew it, Merigian began to realize that he was, at last, a full-time sculptor, with new commissions coming, including two of his largest pieces ever (32ft and 37ft), installed last year, and representation of his work in several galleries across the country. "Right now, my life is very much a work in progress, but so many of my friends are saying things like '… at last you are doing what you were meant to do…' and I am taking that as confirmation that everything that I have learned from grade school to my career in HR, and my advanced degree in art has brought me to this place with all the tools I need."

Given Merigian's lifetime accomplishments in both the corporate world and the creative arts, we are left with a question. Where would he be if he had not had access to the arts in elementary school? And, what about kids labeled as "troublemakers" in today's public school classrooms - will they have the same good fortune?

LIVING AND WORKING IN DETROIT'S NEW ECONOMY
IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012
Noah Levy, a 24-year-old graffiti artist and art director for the House of Marley, has carved a niche for himself in the state's new economy. Unlike politicians and business leaders, he did it without attending economic forums or spitting buzzwords like "boomerangs" or "new economy." Rather, he pursued his passions — cars, art and business — and a career followed.

"It's weird how patterns have evolved in my life," said Levy, who lives in Birmingham. "But it's always bounced back between cars, creative and business."

Growing up in West Bloomfield, Levy's interest in cars launched this professional trifecta. Having attended nearly every Woodward Dream Cruise, Levy thought he might pursue the mechanical side of the automotive industry however, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) design courses he took in high school steered him in a new direction.

"For some reason designing and working with other people captured my attention more than the hands on mechanical aspect of car design and manufacturing," Levy said.

After a few years at CCS, Levy transferred to the University of Michigan to study business, a logical move for an artist that had been making money as a freelancer throughout high school and college.

"I decided to seek something I could make money at and was good at which was business," Levy said about the transfer. "I wanted to learn how to be an entrepreneur."

Left Brain, Right Brain

After a few years of economics and marketing lectures, Levy enrolled in Full Sail University, an Orlando, Fla.-based school that specializes in the entertainment industry.

"I like to keep a balance in my life between making money and having fun," Levy said. "I thought, I've done my two years here (University of Michigan) and I'm starting to lose focus. I want to get back into art and design."

After receiving his associate degree from Full Sail, Levy worked for Campbell-Ewald, a Warren, Mich.-based advertising agency. Levy worked on the GM account, which he loved, but after less than two years, he started to consider moving back to Florida.

That's when a friend told him about the House of Marley, an environmentally friendly headphone company located in Commerce Township, Mich. that was hiring an art director. Levy got the job and has worked there for six months designing promotional materials for the company.

Connections and Perceptions

Levy's success working in the new economy contradicts the panicked pace with which the state's thought leaders attempt to harness creative talent. When it comes to talent, state leadership often has had a difficult time cutting the apron strings, determining to keep kids in Michigan the moment they graduate when many of them, particularly creatives, want to expand their life experiences before committing to Michigan.

In Florida, Levy was exposed to a vibrant art scene and a city—Miami—that is fighting stereotypes in order to claim a new identity.

"People have all these associations about Miami like people do about Detroit, our economy and the auto industry," Levy said. "Most people associate Florida with retirement homes, delicatessens, and a state with a long history of drug problems, but there are a lot of amazing cultural events happening there that are changing the artistic community all over the world."

Levy feels the same way about Detroit. Though the city has plenty of stereotypes to conquer, artists from around the world are realizing its potential.

"CCS is pumping out so many creative kids and a lot of them are going to Chicago or New York, but there's a few that are sticking it out," Levy said. "It's the few that are sticking it out that share the same values I do. They have this love/hate relationship with Michigan and Detroit. They don't want to go somewhere else and be a needle in a haystack. They want to network and they want to be different."

In August 2010, Levy launched WoodwarD, a well-designed arts publication that uses the iconic street name, which connects the suburbs and the city, as a metaphor for how Detroit and the surrounding suburbs rise and fall together as a region.

"As a state and as a metropolitan area we need to connect to each other and break these social divides," Levy said. "I didn't want to call it Art Detroit or something like that because it's not. There are a few people who are doing really great things and I don't think any of us like to classify ourselves as being part of the city or the suburbs."

WoodwarD showcases the city's artistic talent, a group Levy sees as a regional change agent. The second issue of WoodwaD was published in August 2011. Levy would like to publish a third but hasn't planned a publishing date.

"There are tons of artists moving here from all over the world and I think people see that," Levy said. "The creatives and the designers are the people who look at something and see it differently than everyone else. They make it their own and other people follow."

START THE PRESSES! ALYNN GUERRA HAS FOUND HER VOICE
MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012
Are artists born or created?

Asked about her childhood, Guerra describes herself as a "solitary" child in Mexico City – and art was definitely not in her plans. Her father gave her construction toys and she credits him with contributing to an innate sense of curiosity about the world and her desire to always be building something. She wanted to be a scientist and "Electricity" was her first choice for an elective in middle school. It wasn't until "Art" became her only choice as an elective in high school that she explored art. Much to her surprise, she discovered artistic talents.

Artists may be "born this way" - and yet without exposure to the arts, they might never have the opportunity to emerge.

When does one own their artistic gift?

This is the moment in an creative's life where the "the brush meets the palette." Upon graduation from high school, Guerra was faced with making a choice between pursuing a path of science or art, and it was a self-described agonizing decision. Science had always been a given; she had come to art in the proverbial eleventh hour of her secondary education. Heart won out over head, and art won.

She began studies in graphic design, and after five semesters of studying commercial art, discomfort set in. "I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I did not want a career in advertising art. I was afraid that if I chose to pursue MY art, I would starve." So she called a time out and decided to head for the hills…literally. Her university offered a course in painting and the campus was located in the mountains. It took her months to figure out how she was going to tell her father she was no longer interested in graphic design. "I was afraid of the judgment and disapproval that would follow. To my surprise, and delight, my dad said ‘Go for it' - and I did." There was only one remaining obstacle. Guerra didn't feel she was called to painting. She knew she was called to be an artist, she just didn't yet know how…yet.

An artist owns their gift when they come to this realization: to starve one's body is to be without food; to starve one's soul is to be without art.

How does someone with artistic talent discover the gift's best means of expression?

One day she stumbled into a printmaking shop. "For the first six months, I didn't like what I was producing, and I think it's because I didn't have anything to say, but I loved the process." She was also very good, and when she took hand-crafted journals to the Office of Trade in Mexico City, samples of her work sent to the United States received attention. Mass production was the way to profitability, so Guerra moved from her home in Mexico and set out for a facility in Georgia. Six months later it was time to move on again. Through a friend's invitation she arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On her first day on Division Street in 1999, she met a gallery owner and printmaker, and they remain best friends to this day.

Six months later, and after moving to a Community House (Co-op), she found her voice. While planting a garden she was made aware of the genetic modification of seeds. She voraciously consumed every bit of information on the subject. As she learned how it would impact the people of Mexico, other countries, and people without a voice or a choice, a new voice for social justice emerged and her printmaking art came into bloom.

Sometimes discovery of our gift's best means of expression comes, quite literally, by happy accident.

Social justice has become a resonant and re-emerging theme in her work. The use of "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) figures is an elegant blending of cultural roots and message. "I create art to help me understand and assimilate my everyday life tribulations. In my work you will find a broad range of themes: my ludic (read: playful) approach to civilization, images of cultural and political history, and images that echo my own life experiences."

As a little girl in Mexico City, Alynn Guerra loved to build things. And, in her Red Hydrant Press Studio in Grand Rapids, she is building a body of work that speaks deeply to the struggles of life, art and justice to find expression. Start the presses! This artist has found her voice.

OLD FRIENDS, NEW IDEA: GREAT LAKES COLLECTIVE
VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012

Sitting in a riverside restaurant in Lansing's historic Old Town, I watched Nick Berry, Adam Klein and Rich Whitman do business. Questions were put on the table, followed by animated conversation, the cacophony seeming to fuel their creative energy.

It's the same energy that has helped this trio build the The Great Lakes Collective. Launched in December of 2010, the Collective reaches out to local musicians, or ones with ties to the Great Lakes area. "Our job is to handle the business aspect of things, so bands can do their work," said Berry. "We help them with everything from recording budgets, printing budgets, local bookings, promotion, goal setting, and even visioning. We do the things that allow the band to focus on their creativity."

"We're here to help musicians as musicians, as fathers and mothers, as families," said Berry. "Sure, we want to be able to make a living doing this, but we want to help others make a living too. We won't do anything unless it helps both parties."

While the business partners have other day gigs, all have experience in the music business. Whitman and Klein have both played in bands. Klein and Berry both worked on the development of the Lansing Underground, a venue for musicians housed in the basement of a church. "It played a big role in developing the music scene here," said Berry. Nick Berry, who grew up in the Greater Lansing area, also learned the trade in Nashville, taking on everything from tour managing to lighting to driving the tour bus.

Berry, the Collective's founder and CEO describes himself as the behind the scenes guy. Klein, the group's bookkeeper also offers a strong background in online promotion. Whitman, whom Berry calls their jack-of-all-trades, does booking, talent buying, and the group's website. He also owns his own publishing company.

"We originally had categories that seemed to identify each of our roles, but, overtime, it has evolved," said Berry. "How we do it doesn't seem logical sometimes, but it works. We don't really have a standard list of things we do. We use all of each other's networks to help the bands."

The Great Lakes Collective works with all types of musicians. "We didn't want to get stuck in just one genre," said Berry. "As long as it's good, it goes. We're really trying to develop something for younger musicians, to have a place where they can come and create an identity."

"There's so much opportunity here in Lansing, so much growth happening," said Berry. "We're a capital city, but we need to earn our stars." Berry sees a cultural transition going on, now that GM is moving out, and a city that has the potential to be a cultural arts center. "I'm really excited to be a part of that."

Berry's entrepreneurial spirit is also reflected in his work at Inspired Green, a home performance contracting and consulting firm which partners with utility companies to provide energy assessments and retrofits to homeowners. "I do a bit of everything," said Berry. "Denny Duchene, the owner, has run me through every position in the company. He's a great teacher and mentor. I learned about thinking in a collective mindset from him." A mindset that Berry brought to the Great Lakes Collective.

The Great Lakes Collective is currently working with 6 bands. Elliot Street Lunatic (space rock) is releasing a CD on January 27th, Doug Mains and the City Folk (folk) is releasing another CD in February 18th, Of Virtue (melodic hard core) recently released the album Heart Sounds, Brave Youth (rock and roll) is getting ready to hit the studio, Dan Gleason (alternative progressive rock) is working on a solo project, and Vanity, Oh Vanity (indie throw-back pop) a group the collective helped form is also studio-bound.

Although the Collective works with bands outside of area, their heart is in Michigan. "We genuinely care about the Lansing music scene," said Berry. "We're hoping to build a big huge family," added Whitman.

And for the future…there's talk of an-all age venue, a studio of their own, a video company, even a publishing company. "We want to help artists of every form," said Berry. "We set up Great Lakes Collective to never stop growing."