Projection Mapping Takes Music to a New Visual Level
projection mapping takes music to a new visual level

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MAY 30th, 2013

Master of projection mapping Carlos Garcia plays a delicate game comprised of technology, light, sound and projection to create a stunning display of movement, dimension and optical illusion for a visual musical experience.
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Artisan Level Audio Mixes Quality Look and Sound
artisan-level audio mixes quality of look with quality of sound

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MAY 30th, 2013

The founders of The Leon Speakers Corporation believed music aficionados shouldn’t have to sacrifice aesthetic for superior sound, a principle that’s guided the business through nearly 20 years of success.
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Fancy Footwork in Business / Dance
legendary instrument repair shop in flint

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MAY 30th, 2013

A staple of the Flint music scene for more than 30 years, Sherm’s Musical Instrument Repair embraces the artistry, as well as the mechanics, of an instrument to best understand the complexities of its repair.
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Rose the Riveter, Meet Laura the Luthier
rosie the riveter, meet laura the luthier

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MAY 30th, 2013

Law professor John Thomas was perplexed by an interesting quandary, which became the subject of his new book: if during WWII, men were fighting in the war, who made the holy grail of Gibson guitars from 1942-1945?
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From Factory to Lliterary Fellowship
from factory line to literary fellowship

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MARCH 28th, 2013

Though she made great strides in her more than 30 years in the automotive industry, moving from the assembly line to skilled trade, now-recognized-author Lolita Hernandez never sacrificed her penchant for writing for the factory.
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Applying Creative Principles to Law
applying creative principles to law and vice versa

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MARCH 28th, 2013

For attorneys Tom Clinton and Diana Trivax-Levy creative outlets and analytical mentality go hand-in-hand to support their business and artistic objectives, whether through Clinton’s printmaking or Trivax-Levy’s dancing.
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Applying ER Training to Sculpture
applying ER training to sculpture

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MARCH 28th, 2013

Crediting his background in medicine, former ER doctor Dewey Blocksma of Northern Michigan, has found success in mixed media sculpture, leaving behind a family legacy of his scientific side to pursue a simplistic creative lifestyle.
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Fancy Footwork in Business / Dance
fancy footwork in business and in dance

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MARCH 28th, 2013

Rick Williams, owner of Burn Rubber in Royal Oak, Mich., has grown an enterprise known nationwide for its high-profile footwear retail collaborations, but Williams and his feet used to be known across the country for hoofing.
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Going Off Grid Inspires Creativity
going off grid to inspire collaboration, creativity

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28th, 2013

Creatives from around the country and the globe meet in Grand Rapids to travel to Cabin-Time roaming residencies, where they meet new artists to collaborate on new works, while secluded from technology and the outside world. .
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Spontaneous Live Jazz
spontaneous live jazz, where you least expect it

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28th, 2013

Randomly filling the Detroit-area with live jazz, the Detroit Party Marching Band prides itself on its guerilla-style performances and collaborative, free-form band participation to create joyful moments in the oddest of places.
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Skills, Environment, Brands Built
collection of skills + playful environment = brands built

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28th, 2013

For the collective members of Hamtramck’s The Art Direction, collaboration and teamwork create the foundation for helping start-ups in Detroit and companies across the nation build a brand and make a name for themselves.
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Ox-Bow Connects Artists to Saugatuck
ox-bow connects global artists to saugatuck community

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28th, 2013

On the ox-bow shaped bend of the Kalamazoo River, beginning, intermediate and advanced students from across the globe flock to Saugatucks’ Ox-Bow school to learn their craft and engage the community in their works.
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Lansing Cultivates Creative Industry Growth
lansing cultivates a creative industry growth spurt

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JANUARY 31st, 2013

With the high density of creatives in Lansing and the sector’s continued growth, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing has put in place programs to encourage further development and inspire a model that could expand statewide.
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Michigan a Creative State: Take That to the Bank
michigan a creative state: you can take that to the bank

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JANUARY 31st, 2013

The proven impact of the arts in Michigan arrived with resounding fanfare in 2012 with the first edition of Creative State Michigan. Now in its second year, the report reveals more good news for the Mitten.
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AWW Shinola: Made in Detroit
aww shinola: upscale watches, made in Detroit

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JANUARY 31st, 2013

Drawn by Michigan’s history of innovation and manufacturing expertise, Shinola, originally known for its shoe polish, is enacting big plans for the production of upscale watches in the Motor City.
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Grand Rapids Art Museum Collaboration
grand rapids art museum takes collaboration to a new level

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JANUARY 31st, 2013

Implementing an exceptional vision for collaboration among the state’s arts museums and with ambitious partners, GRAM’s Director and CEO Dana Friis-Hansen is taking the benefits of cooperation to national and international heights.
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Combining the Artistry of Fresh Food with Community Need
combining the artistry of making fresh food with community need

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27th, 2012

An artist/academic concerned with social issues, Leon Johnson provides Detroit’s underserved population with life skills and a quality food education to encourage nutritious eating in Market Studio Kitchen at Eastern Market.
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Michigan Craft Beer Enthusiasts
craft beer invites enthusiasts around the world to michigan

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27th, 2012

Noted as “The Great Beer State,” Michigan’s breweries, like Founders Brewing Company and Bell’s Brewery, are finding fast success from a growing demand of people who have acquired a taste for craft beer.
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Michigan Artisan Foods Online Success
northern michigan artisan foods gain national success online

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27th, 2012

Creating handcrafted foods with infused flavors and the highest quality ingredients, artisans from Northern Michigan comprise the “carefully curated Michigan gift baskets” of TraverseGourmet.com, making a splash across the country.
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Lake Leelanau Icon Intermingles Food and Community
lake leelanau icon intermingles food, art, music and community

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27th, 2012

The Redheads, sisters Sarah and Christen Landry, combine their passion for food and artistry to express themselves while providing a place where the community can break bread with fresh food to get to know one another.
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Veterans Wear Their Hearts
veterans wear their hearts on your sleeve

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2012

Launched by Michael Hyacinthe, who was inspired by a paralyzed Marine, Fashion Has Heart pairs wounded war veterans with designers to honor each hero’s story through art, then translated to t-shirts, to help veterans re-engage with life at home.
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From Navy to Creative to Academic
from navy to creative to academic: george brown

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2012

George Brown, an associate dean at WMU, knew two things at a young age: he wanted to join the navy and he loved the theater. He didn’t know how closely the two would interconnect.
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Repurposed Uniforms Liberate
repurposed combat uniforms liberate war heros

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2012

Through the Combat Paper Project, veterans reclaim their uniforms, transforming them into handmade paper for works of art, in a cathartic process of self-discovery, healing and even redemption.
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Competition Motivates Veteran Creativity
competition motivates veteran creativity

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2012

The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival provides an outlet for veterans to share their experiences in the armed forces in a competitive environment that motivates their creative skill and interaction with others.
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National Arts and Humanities Month
national arts and humanities month showcases who we are & why

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25th, 2012

October honors arts and humanities programs and workshops, large and small, that teach history and heritage to help understand where we came from, the world around us and who we want to be through creative outlets and experiences.
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Poetry Out Loud Competition
poetry out loud competition teaches heritage and confidence

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25th, 2012

Gaining in popularity across the country, students are building public speaking skills and their self confidence with poetry competitions that can earn them cash rewards and college scholarships.
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Great Michigan Read
great michigan read inspires state dialogue on tough issues

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25TH, 2012

The Great Read Michigan program tackles important social topics, with a coordinated reading program, in communities throughout the state to inspire discussion about the current and historical contexts of diversity, equality and more.
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Families Bond Over Reading
families bond over reading during PRIME TIME

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25th, 2012

Libraries across Michigan are adopting the PRIME TIME program to motivate non-active library patrons but find it also opens the door for parents to have important, relatable life discussions with their children.
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Arts Education in Michigan
arts education in michigan: a glass half full

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27th, 2012

Students who have access to arts education are more successful in school, yet not all Michigan students receive state-required arts instruction. Research shows where the state ranks and what arts groups are doing to improve access.
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Aesthetic Education Program
aesthetic education program nurtures critical thinking

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2012

Annually, 4000 students in nine Kalamazoo County school districts participate in the Aesthetic Education Program, and parents and teachers are seeing clear improvements in language arts performance and scientific thinking.
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Michigan Arts Education Needs Improvement
new data illuminates needs to improve michigan arts education

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY SEPTMEBER 27th, 2012

For the first time, concrete data on the condition of art in Michigan schools is available through the Arts Education Survey. The results show room for improvement as schools make a median investment of $2.09 per student per year.
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Making Visual Arts a Core Competency
making visual arts a core competency

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27th, 2012

Metro Detroit school Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies uses a rigorous arts curriculum to foster creative problem solving and equip students for selective college programs.
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Arts, Culture Contributes to State Economy
arts & culture contributes major green to state economy

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY AUGUST 30th, 2012

Arts and cultural activities attract attention, as cultural tourists impressively spend more than $2 billion in 2010 alone, investing in jobs, economic growth and quality of life for the State of Michigan.
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State Festivals Celebrate Michigan
state festivals celebrate assets uniquely michigan

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY AUGUST 30th, 2012

When Michigan Festivals said Party at MI Place, people across the state responded, inspired by the creativity of Michigan, and festivals promoting arts, culture, heritage and agriculture continue to offer economic gain.
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Ann Arbor “Doing Life Different”
ann arbor is “doing life different”

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY AUGUST 30TH, 2012

Ann Arbor’s affinity for experimental ideas allows the city to develop attractive partnerships setting it apart to host nationally-recognized events engaging large, diverse audiences.
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Experience Grand Rapids
more and more visitors experience grand rapids

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY AUGUST 30th, 2012

To attract more tourism, Grand Rapids embraced visitor requests for experiences, not just places to see, and continues to build on that momentum through ArtPrize and the Culture Pass GR.
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Flint Artists
flint draws in artists from around the country

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JULY 26TH, 2012

The Flint Public Art Project invites visionary and celebrated practitioners of contemporary art, design, architecture and urbanism from around the world to transform and activate the public space of Flint.
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Vacant Detroit Houses Transformed
three vacant detroit houses transformed for community use

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JULY 26th, 2012

Artists and collaborators reclaim three vacant houses in Detroit to move forward a vision of activity, urban gardening and performance space.
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DIA Cultural Living Room
DIA to introduce cultural living room

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JULY 26th, 2012

Landmark of creativity, the Detroit Institute of Arts to create the Cultural Living Room, an attractive day-to-day center of activity, by renovating its own space to generate a more vibrant midtown experience.
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creative placemaking revitalizes neighborhoods
creative placemaking revitalizes neighborhoods

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JULY 26th, 2012

Arts organizations are investing in communities around the state via placemaking to capitalize on creative ways for redevelopment and growth of the places where people want to live and work.
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Traverse City Indie Crafts Market
traverse city makers market brings indie crafts center stage

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JUNE 28th, 2012

The annual Traverse City Makers Market, a free juried art market launched in 2010, builds awareness for indie artists and their diverse Michigan-made crafts in Northern Michigan.
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The Geek Group
the geek group’s take on hacker spaces

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JUNE 28th, 2012

Grand Rapids’ The Geek Group hosts largest hands-on hackerspace in the world for technology-curious members across the globe.
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Maker Movement
maker movement gains speed in detroit

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY JUNE 28TH, 2012

Invention and creativity collide as hundreds of local and regional makers bring inspiration to The Henry Ford.
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3D Printing
3d printing & other new technologies take shape in kalamazoo

JENNIFER BAUM
THURSDAY MAY 28th, 2012

The Kalamazoo Makers Guild embraces 3D printing and other technologies presenting new possibilities for future conveniences and less waste.
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Forward Arts Scripps Park Project
connecting the dots for detroit’s arts scene

IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY MAY 31st, 2012

Forward Arts founder Dominic Arellano is creating a structural grid to support musicians, artists, arts groups and independent art projects in Detroit.
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Marissa Kurtzahls
passionate business

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY MAY 31st, 2012

EMU’s Arts Management program is training business professionals to preserve and advance the arts. Marissa Kurtzhals is a senior who is combining her passion for theatre with new media tools, a great example of today’s emerging arts professional.
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The Armory Est 1924
developing with heart

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY MAY 31st, 2012

A change of heart led this Lansing developer to creative solutions in urban development. Pat Gillespie’s latest project, the Marshall Street Armory, is racking up awards for historic preservation and earning points for the community.
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Swim Good
cartoonist sees himself in pictures

MARK BOYD
THURSDAY MAY 31st, 2012

When a kid who loves to draw makes friends with a kid who loves to tell stories, they grow up to create a comic strip called “The Revolutionary Times” which is piquing international interest.
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allied media projects

VIDEO BY ELI BROWN
THURSDAY MAY 10th, 2012

Allied Media Projects (AMP) uses all forms of media to foster “a more just and creative world.” Operating with the philosophy that every problem can be solved with creativity, AMP’s work is empowering the people of Detroit to take charge of their own future through media training, arts and activism.
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Superior
30 acre legacy

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY MAY 10th, 2012

43 sculptures created from many media, including dirt, grace Michigan Legacy Art Park’s 30 acres, located near Crystal Mountain in Northern Michigan’s Benzie County.
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Mark Boyd
comedy troupe ‘nobody gets us’ hopes everybody does

LISA SMITH
THURSDAYMAY 10th, 2012

This West Michigan troupe believes there is a ‘serious overload of seriousness’ spreading through the community. Thankfully, this small group of brave people is facing the problem head on in local clubs and events like Grand Rapids’ LaughFest.
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IWBC's Gail Robertson
iwbc: we can do it

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY MAY 10th, 2012

These pioneering ‘women of brass’, members of the International Women’s Brass Conference, show the passion and commitment it takes to perform in a man’s world – the brass section of symphony orchestras. These women say, ‘We Can Do It.’ The IWBC is convening next month at Western Michigan University and includes an all Michigan-based women of brass performance open to the public.
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TechShopDetroitFacility
techshop detroit:
‘makers’ of dreams

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY APRIL 26th, 2012

The ultimate DIY workshop has been designed for ‘makers’ of all skill levels and it is now open for business in Allen Park thanks to a little help from Ford.
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Jeana-Dee Allen Rogers
reaching and teaching at-risk youth

KATE TYKOCKI
THURSDAY APRIL 26th, 2012

Reaching at-risk young people through the art programs of Lansing’s REACH Studio Art Center gives Jeana-Dee Allen Rogers hope for the kids and the Capital region.
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Erin Wilson
triple threat:
erin wilson

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY APRIL 26th, 2012

After years in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen, East Village and Williamsburg, Erin Wilson chose Grand Rapids as home base for his own creative pursuits and a burgeoning career as an artist, advocate and activist.
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Jackson Symphony
jso and the fine art
of development

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY APRIL 26th, 2012

Development means more than raising money, according to Mary Spring of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (JSO) after their recent $4.2M capital campaign.
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michigan youth arts festival

VIDEO BY ELI BROWN
THURSDAY APRIL 12th, 2012

Michigan Youth Arts is a nonprofit that has been showcasing the work of our state’s top young creative minds for the past 50 years. As the annual festival approaches, executive director Kim Dabbs talks about the impact of the event on the students themselves as well as the importance of all Michigan students having access to quality arts education.
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Con Artist Crew Logo
these ‘con’ artists are real pros

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY APRIL 12th, 2012

Carving a space for emerging artists to shine in Grand Rapids, two recent college grads have created a collaborative exhibit/studio space of their own.
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Bottle Cap Sculpture
bottle caps in battle creek

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY APRIL 12th, 2012

Battle Creek’s Trash2Art project is using interactive sculpture, made by school kids using more than 5,000 bottle caps, to raise awareness of area recycling programs.
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LIsa and her mother Mary
the sweet rhythm of clave

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY MARCH 12th, 2012

Lisa Luevanos is a Southwest Detroit photographer and community organizer whose art was inspired by her mother, a fellow activist and educator.
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Arts in Healthcare
arts in healthcare

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY MARCH 22nd, 2012

Nearly half of all US hospitals utilize the arts to calm worried patients and family members, reduce the stress of medical treatment and even escalate healing. Detroit celebrates the Arts in Healthcare this May by welcoming an international conference on the topic.
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Spray Can Sculpture
‘hacktivist’ evan roth returns to michigan

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY MARCH 22nd, 2012

Internationally acclaimed artist and ‘hacktivist’ is challenging EMU students to embrace their own brand of activism combining online technologies and art.
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Marvin Sapp
grammy nominee redefining education in grand rapids

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY MARCH 22nd, 2012

Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is breaking records on the Billboard charts while also charting a new course for kids in his hometown of Grand Rapids.
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Red Leather Lady
(scene) metrospace a kaleidoscope of creativity

IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY MARCH 22nd, 2012

East Lansing funds this downtown art gallery to draw visitors. For all the roles (SCENE) Metrospace plays, its most important is creative incubator.
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art + science = innovation

VIDEO BY JEFF BURTON
THURSDAY MARCH 8th, 2012

Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein, international creativity experts and co-authors of Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People, talk with ArtServe Michigan about their research and how innovation, scientific creativity and the arts intersect. Their homebase is Michigan State University but their findings are piquing interest all over the globe!
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Wesley Taylor
vision for the future

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY MARCH 8th, 2012

Wesley Taylor describes his creative life as a bit schizophrenic. He balances teaching graphic design at Lawrence Tech with his own artistic pursuits: a studio collective and a media company focused on creating change. There is symmetry in his life that converges into a positive future through community building.
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Arts Council Building
a lasting legacy

ALEXANDRA FLUEGEL
THURSDAY MARCH 8th, 2012

The Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids is closing its doors after over forty years of service.Executive Director Caroline Older talks about what it was like making the tough decision and how it affects the future of the state’s arts and cultural sector.
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Mary Wright
collaborators, bootstrappers & fools

ANDREW SMENTKOWSKI
THURSDAY MARCH 8th, 2012

With meager budgets, huge service areas, and unsuspecting participants, arts organizers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula may be some of the region’s most creative individuals. Area arts instigator Mary Wright credits her ‘sisu,’ the Finnish term for guts and determination.
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Thomas Lynch

acclaimed writer, thomas lynch, also funeral director

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2012

So what’s an internationally renowned writer doing as a funeral director in Milford, MI? The answer to that question sheds light on poet and essayist Thomas Lynch, a man whose commitment to community, the dead, the bereaved, and his Irish roots fuel his writing.
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amer ahmed
bringing cultures together through hip-hop activism

KATE TYKOCKI
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2012

Amer Ahmed, an Indian American Muslim, could not have predicted the pivotal role hip-hop would play in his career in academia. Now his spoken-word poetry and event organizing are helping others to find their voice. Click here to read full article


Chris and Tiffany Best
this place makes you smile

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2012

Ferndale is a hip urban scene in Metro Detroit, it is fun, funky and unpretentious – a perfect place for an artists’ market, The Rust Belt Market created by Chris and Tiffany Best.
Click here to read full article



flint handmade

flint handmade and a city in renaissance

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2012

As the founder of Flint Handmade, an urban crafts movement, and as a proud urban homesteader, Crystal Pepperdine is very adamant that Flint’s very best days are ahead. Her story is about a renaissance woman assisting a city in a renaissance of its own.
Click here to read full article


aaron dworkin: changing the face of classical music

VIDEO BY ELI BROWN
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9th, 2012

Violinist Aaron Dworkin grew up one of very few classical musicians of color. In response, he founded The Sphinx Organization 15 years ago to help overcome the cultural stereotype of classical music and to encourage the participation of Blacks and Latinos in the field. Thanks to efforts like his, orchestra halls across the country and even the world have begun to diversify.
Click here to view a larger video


rob miller photographer
photo project captures images, stories of combat veterans

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Great photographic artists choreograph the dance between light and shadow of subject and environment. Rob Miller of Canton is a globally recognized expert in both and his art has been reawakened with the discovery of his father’s WWII POW diary.
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miguel and corina
flores design studio: a powerful combination

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2012

These Ann Arbor-to-Lansing transplants are building their business on artistic talent and family values. Meet high school sweethearts, Miguel and Corina Ferreyra-Flores.
Click here to read full article


finding art and soul in michigan
finding art and soul in michigan

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Susan Van Sant traveled many miles to find herself and to find “home.” What Grand Rapids nurtured Grand Rapids now applauds in her nationally recognized works of art.
Click here to read full article


great lakes collective
old friends, new idea: great lakes collective

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012

Old friends Nick Berry, Adam Klein, and Rich Whitman have a passion for music. Together they make beautiful music by supporting the efforts of Mid-Michigan musicians.


alynn guerra
start the presses! alynn guerra has found her voice

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012

Are artists born or created? When do they own their artistic gift and how does an artist discover the gift’s best means of expression? In truth, the answers to these questions vary with every artist’s formation. Alynn Guerra’s non-traditional journey as an emerging presence in the printmaking world powerfully demonstrates how very unique an artist’s journey can be.


noah levy
living and working in detroit’s new economy

IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012

Noah Levy is the poster child for new economy talent that’s reshaping how people think about Detroit. He’s smart, he’s creative and he’s enterprising. He also has that love/hate relationship with the city that’s inspired many young artists and entrepreneurs to standout in Detroit rather than blend into Chicago or New York.


Four Phrase Movement by John Merigian
troubled childhood turned around by art

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY JANUARY 26th, 2012

Large steel sculptures that, in spite of the hard lines and shadows, communicate a very human, soulful, and sometimes playful demeanor, is the distinctive signature work of Ann Arbor area sculptor, John Merigian. Learn how a difficult childhood brought him to a successful career as a sculptor.


detroit’s mosaic youth theatre – proof positive

VIDEO BY JEFF BURTON
THURSDAY JANUARY 12th, 2012

Proving that an investment in the arts yields positive, measurable results is a hard thing to do. A multi-year research project from UofM followed the lives of young people involved in Mosaic Youth Theatre has done just that. Watch this video for proof straight from the kids involved who are achieving “excellence on stage and in life.”
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4th culture studios brainchild of painter/ professional

VIKI LORRAINE
THURSDAY JANUARY 12th, 2012

New to Michigan, painter Benjamin Duke landed a teaching job at MSU. Unable to find the artist’s community that was right for him, he created 4th Culture Studios, now taking on a life of its own inside an old warehouse in Lansing.
Click here to read full article


Victor 'Governor Slugwell' Williams
rap veteran uses hip-hop for youth positivity

WILLIAM E. KETCHUM III
THURSDAY JANUARY 12th, 2012

After a career of touring alongside legendary rap artists and being advised by Sean “Diddy” Combs, a Grand Rapids native comes home to make sure hip-hop music and culture are used for good.
Click here to read full article



northern michigan strings program nourishes young minds

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
THURSDAY JANUARY 12th, 2012

Baby food and violins? The success of Gerber Baby Foods, a Michigan based company, is being leveraged in Northern Michigan to benefit hundreds of school children every year through the Gerber Strings Program.
Click here to read full article








Martha Curtis during one of her orchestral performances
the power to choose

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY DECEMBER 15th, 2011

Concert violinist and Flint native Martha Curtis shares her incredible story with ArtServe Michigan about the role her craft has played in overcoming epilepsy and the lessons on choice we all can take from her experiences.


Ice Luge decoration at the DJ Olympics
making a creative scene, dj olympics in lansing

SUBAN NUR COOLEY
THURSDAY DECEMBER 15th, 2011

Spinning, scratching, reggae, house … violins. You never know what to expect at Lansing’s Capital City DJ Olympics. Co-Founder Marcus McKissic shares how the competition and its deejays are affecting the social arts scene in Michigan’s capital.


rob bliss
grand rapids’ rob bliss and his crazy (smart) ideas

MARK BOYD
THURSDAY DECEMBER 15th, 2011

What happens when you gather over 5,000 people together, some with musical ability, some without, block traffic by walking through town broadcasting a pre-recorded song, and record the whole thing? If you do it right, you get “the greatest music video ever made.”



$50m ‘bell tower’ project a lesson in the power of architecture

IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY DECEMBER 15th, 2011

A Michigan architecture firm and its leader, Jim Pappas, are using the aesthetic power of architecture to rehab one of Detroit’s coolest buildings. By this time next year, the former Michigan Bell Telephone Company building will have been artfully redesigned to house the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) and an estimated 155 homeless men and women.


inside out poetry

VIDEO BY ELI BROWN
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2011

With the gifts of poetry and creative writing, the InsideOut Literary Arts Project is challenging Detroit students to reach inside and share what they find with the outside world. By placing live poets and writers into the classroom, Terry Blackhawk and the InsideOut Team inspires and educates city youth in more ways than one and her methods are getting attention from the highest office in the land – The White House
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how a great idea grows

MARY KATHERINE QUASARANO
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2011

I.D.E.A. was formed to provide Kalamazoo artists and visionaries the seed funding and practical direction needed to give substance to their own ideas. Matthew Lechel and the co-founders of I.D.E.A. believe art and culture unify people and that all lasting change happen at the grassroots level.
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linking artists to business

KATIE DONOVAN
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2011

Two Grand Rapids artists have their sights set on success with the help of a new business incubator program through LINC Community Revitalization, Inc.
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tunde olaniran

VIKI LORRAINE
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29th, 2011

Flint-based artist, organizer and teen health advocate – Tunde Olaniran’s life pays homage to the city he calls home.
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Kinetic Affect, Kirk Latimer and Gabriel Giron, a spoken word duo will change your view on poetry completely
kinetic affect – they will move you

KATIE DONOVAN
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2011

Kinetic Affect, is a compelling team of two spoken word artists with something to say about living in Michigan. The Michigan Poem calls us to show our pride in this great state. Read how these two have created a business from their hearts and out of spoken word, and started a national phenomenon with The Michigan Poem.


Jamall Bufford aka Buff1
successful emcee mentors young musicians

WILLIAM E. KETCHUM III
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2011

Jamall Bufford helped put his hometown of Ann Arbor on the map with a solo rap career as Buff1, garnering critical acclaim and miles of international touring under his belt. Now, as he takes a break from making music, he helps young musicians reach to achieve their own dreams.



double latte with a doodle on the side

MARK BOYD
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2011

The next time you are slurping down your coffee and accidentally slosh whipped cream onto your shirt, don’t grab the nearest napkin and blot without looking at the napkin first. If you’re at a Biggby location in Lansing, you might be about to ruin a Dennis Preston original!



graffiti art serves as outlet

IVY HUGHES
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2011

Young Nation is developing creative outlets for kids in southwest Detroit by getting them to participate in things they love — street art and ‘lowriding’ — while promoting positive social change.