An Ongoing Tapestry of Evolution • The Year in the ARTS

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”
— Berthold Brecht

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been concealed by the answers.”
— James Baldwin 

Looking back at the year 2023 in terms of the ongoing evolution of the Arts and its impact upon our culture and community throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region, as with the inherent nature of art itself, this year turned out to be a tale of struggle and success that continues to be shaped by vision and courage as we move into a fresh new year.

While arts organizations and theatrical/concert venues across the country were still recovering from the societal disruption of the Pandemic that left stages empty and art galleries vacant for nearly two years, resulting in a $1.8 trillion loss to the arts & cultural sector of United States, 2023 began with venues continuing to court back into their seats the nearly 490 million fewer attendees lost during the lockdowns, with venues across the country reporting an average of 30% less attendance than in pre-Pandemic years. 

The one exception was with major headlining tours by marquee artists such as Taylor Swift, leading many smaller venues to focus on bringing in bigger name artists while staging fewer shows.  Another contributing factor was the rampant post-pandemic inflation that spiked in 2023, fueling concerns that concert & theatrical events are in danger of becoming affordable only for the upper one percent. 

Fortunately, this unfortunate dilemma was addressed throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region with an unprecedented number of free and low cost summer concert events, such as Saginaw’s Friday Night Live and Party of McCarty, Bay City’s Concerts in Wenonah Park, and Midland’s free weekend concerts on Main Street, along with Concerts at the Tridge, to name but a few.

Two of the biggest stories fusing the world of arts, commerce, culture, and community together in 2023 and sculpting the road for a regional economic turnaround in 2024 happened late in the year. On November 28, Midland Center for the Arts  embarked upon an exciting journey signaling the commencement of a $47 million renovation groundbreaking that promises to redefine the essence of  this artistic & cultural showcase, when over 100 dedicated supporters gathered to witness the symbolic breaking of a wall to reveal a vibrant mural envisioning the Center’s future in 2025. 

Through large portals in the atrium, visitors will witness a new interactive museum that will ignite the spark of curiosity and showcase the architectural design of Alden B. Dow in a renewed light, inviting patrons to immerse themselves in a truly spectacular space.

While the construction is underway, the  Center will remain operational, showcasing its commitment to the community's uninterrupted access to cultural enrichment. The $47 million project not only aims to revamp the museum, but also modernize the building's infrastructure, including a revamped main entrance.

With 96% of funds already secured, Midland Center for the Arts is poised to emerge as a national beacon, drawing in enthusiasts and curious minds from across the country. You can find the latest updates for this project and learn how to donate at www.midlandcenter.org/campaign.

A similar symmetry of fusion between the alchemy of art, culture, and community is happening in Saginaw, with the formation of the Shine Bright Mural Project - an inspired campaign spearheaded by Mark Flegenheimer and Larry Preston to transform the long-abandoned 70-year old riverfront grain silos located in at 105 Lyon in Old Town Saginaw into a world-class installation of public art. 

Having secured corporate commitments on the $850,000 project, and working with internationally-renowned artist Okuda to transform the seven 150-foot tall concrete & steel silos into what will be the second largest mural in the United States, a Crowdfunding Campaign was launched December 1^st to raise $50,000 by March 1^st needed to complete the project.

“From the beginning, we wanted our community to play a role, to buy into this project. Not just the foundations which already have donated,” notes Preston. “No amount is too small. We feel that is important so the public can, in the future, drive by and say, ‘I helped create this’ and take pride in it.”

Donations are being accepted at patronicity.com/shinebright. If Saginaw and other everyday citizens collectively donate $50,000 in the 60 days, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will donate another $50,000; totaling $100,000. Which will complete the $850,000 budget.

“Patronicity focuses on run down and blighted property and helps communities turn it into economic development,” says Preston of the fundraising firm which started in Detroit.  So far it has worked on 1,660 projects and helped raise more than $33 million, and states as it mission “empowering real people to have an impact on places they love.’’

A Cavalcade of Creative & Cultural Excellence

There were also numerous instances of creative high-water marks throughout the year in the Great Lakes Bay Region, and here are but a few worthy of mention that made in into our pages in 2023.

In the world of regional theatre, Midland Center for the Arts staged several top-notch award winning renditions of classic and contemporary musicals with its Broadway series, which included Legally Blonde, a stellar production of CATS, and an ebullient and joyous regional production of The PROM on their outdoor stage during the summer months. 

Equally impressive was Pit & Balcony’s ongoing commitment to reach for excellence through several regional premiers that included the Pulitzer Prize winning play Sweat, an innovative glimpse into the dating game with First Date, and a brilliant American-Gothic interpretation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Saginaw also hosted two successful art fairs this summer - the return of the Original Old Town Art Fair and later the debut of the Riverside Saginaw Art Fair at Ojibway Island in August, while the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum out at SVSU staged several relevant and fascinating exhibitions shining the spotlight upon different facets and period of American culture with Jacob Lawrence & The Legend of John Brown, along with a look at 1960s Pop culture, and a fascinating exhibition into the art and experiences of regional Anishinaabe, Inuit, and Pueblo Indian women in Vitality & Continuity, which is still running through mid January.

On the musical side of life, The REVIEW handed out 58 trophies at its 37^th Music Awards Celebration on May1st, which honored several of the remarkable creative talents we are blessed to have populating our region.  Top honorees consisted of REDBURN, who walked away with 7 trophies; Lori & the Darlings, who earned 3 awards including Best New CD Release; ADABOY! who clocked in with 5 trophies, including Best Alternative Band, with member Joe Balbaugh earning 3 of those trophies for Best Instrumentalist, Best Rock Bassist, and Best Solo Artist; the ever-popular Marsupial Creampie who earned the honor of Best Original Band and Best Funk Band, along with individual honors for vocalist Andy Hahn and videographer Amelia Jo; with the evolving eclecticism of Matthew deHeus getting the nod for Most Innovative Artist, Best Country Songwriter, and Best Jazz Vocalist, and the gifted Melissa May walking away with Best Rock Vocalist, Best Rock Songwriter, and Best Duo honors for her work with guitarist Brian Coonan.

In terms of national acts making appearances in our region, Saginaw’s historic Temple Theatre indeed proved it is the showcase of Mid-Michigan by featuring an impressive roster of musical artists including the phenomenal Jason Isbell, legendary rockers The Guess Who and Cheap Trick, and the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, to name but a few, white Midland Center featured Jakob Dylan and Air Supply, and the second year of Bay City’s Labadie Rib Festival saw The Little River Band, Lita Ford, Dokken, Molly Hatchet, and Dokken all making appearances.

And finally. the biggest story of all regarding the ways sports, the arts, community, and culture intersect was the announcement that for the first time in the 104-year history of the Memorial Cup, Michigan will host the championship of the Canadian Hockey League in 2024. Dubbed the NCAA Final Four of Canada, the tournament was awarded to Saginaw and will take place for 13 days from May 22 to June 3, 2024. 

It is estimated that there will be more than 4,500 overnight stays in area hotel rooms tied to this event, and according to Dr. Annette Rummel, President and CEO of the Great Lakes Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, the tournament will bring an estimated $24-million worth of commerce into our entire Great Lakes Bay Region.

Without doubt, this is going to be a true game changer if there ever was one, so hold onto our hats, stay strong, and keep optimistic - 2024 promises to be a wild ride and a great opportunity for all of us fuse an unprecedented array of opportunities with purposee.