“It looks pretty amazing,” says Sarah Ebaugh, owner of Kaleidoscope. “It’s not typical of what you find in a coffee shop, with all the dark browns and leather. It’s vibrant.”
Communities across Michigan are embracing all kinds of art -- everything from murals to gardens -- to help create a sense of place, inspire artists and add vibrancy to their downtowns.
Two sisters in west Michigan have turned a honey hobby into a thriving business, producing lip balm and other skin care products from beeswax.
“Historic resources and archaeological sites tell us about the past and help us define Michigan’s unique identity,” says Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Martha MacFarlane-Faes. “Their preservation is vital to Michigan’s present and future as they contribute to vibrant communities and our understanding of the past.”
“Traverse City can be seen as a tourist destination with great restaurants and retail and outdoor destinations — and we have all those things. But we want people to know that Traverse City has a great year-round, world class economy, too,” says Camille Hoisington, director of Ecosystem Development, Traverse Connect.
“The Public Spaces Community Places matching grant program makes projects like ours possible,” says St. Ignace DDA Director Scott Marshall. “Small communities have fewer financial resources which makes it very difficult to get projects out of the planning stage and into the development stage.”
“I saw a tweet yesterday that said that working at a startup in the Midwest is a team sport. I thought that was very apt,” says Keri Amlotte, spokesperson for Northern Michigan Startup Week. “We want more collaborations and the organizations involved in this, we’re working toward building a community here.”
“Documenting the untold stories here will contribute to pride of place for local residents and enhance placemaking efforts throughout the city of Niles,” says Christina H. Arseneau, director of the Niles History Center.
"This is the only statewide conference that is focused on rural economic development that we have,” says Jessica AcMoody, policy director for the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan.
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