Fueling Creative Growth Across Our Region

Photo credit: Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Network

 

Image description: A musician performs on the sidewalk in front of a storefront, playing an electric guitar beside a “Celebrate the Arts” sign from the Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network. 

 

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Making a positive impact on one’s community requires dedicated involvement from multiple sources—as they say, teamwork makes the dream work—and magic happens when we partner with other hardworking and passionate organizations, donor partners, and community members. 

In 2023, we partnered with numerous regional donors to support the Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network’s growth and capacity-building efforts through a $25,000 Community Funds grant. Many arts and culture organizations have had to shut their doors in recent years. But thanks to regional support, the Network has remained intact and continues to serve our region’s artists.  

The Network’s mission is to support and strengthen the collective power of artists, culture bearers, and the creative sector to cultivate vibrant communities. This multifaceted organization proudly serves 10 Northern Michigan counties that are home to 150 arts and culture organizations, 1,500 individual artists and culture bearers of all disciplines, and hundreds of ongoing creative projects. The Network fosters connections within the arts and culture sector, cultivating partnerships, teamwork, and support to build an even more vibrant Northern Michigan community.  

“We are honored and humbled by the Foundation and its donor’s faith in the Network and support for our arts and culture community,” said Mary Gillett, coordinator for the Network. “With gratitude, you have given us great hope for our future and renewed commitment to create the impact we all want to achieve to benefit the region and our creative sector.” 

But such a gift wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of individual community members, like longtime Community Foundation supporters Mack and Lorraine Beer.  

“The beauty of our region is enhanced by a strong cultural network,” shared the Beers. “Through music, performing arts, and the work of innovative artists, we can celebrate our environment and the people who live here.”  

The Beers, who donate regularly through their IRA’s Qualified Charitable Distribution, recognize the value of arts and culture efforts: “It is important to assess the arts-related needs of our region, which is best done through evaluation, collaboration, and capacity building. We appreciate that the Community Foundation’s grant to the Network will support these efforts.” 

Thanks to the donor partnerships that have supported the Network through our most recent Community Funds grant cycle, the organization can continue serving the arts and culture community across our region.  

Network member Amanda Kik, who is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, sees the Network as an invaluable community asset that connects and advocates for artists—and what could be more important than that? 

“The arts improve our mental health and bring us together, and the arts need advocates. The more the Network grows, the more we can advocate for our region's artists and the arts,” shared Amanda. “When the arts thrive, we all benefit.” 

Through collaborative efforts like those between us, the Network, the Beers, and other donor partners, we can make a lasting impact on our region. That’s the power of collective giving and meaningful granting. Together, we can all thrive.

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Writer: Alex Dailey