A Sustainable Artists Community In The Upper Peninsula

From the metal casting workshop.

It started out in a small A-frame building, in Ewen, Michigan, located in the Upper Peninsula. This small town had seen hard times, with a notable population decline and the loss of industrial jobs. The A-frame was originally the Visitor Center to the Sylvania Wilderness Area.

When a new entry building was completed, and there were no buyers for the A-frame, it was given to Forest Service volunteer Cameron Coleman, with the stipulation that it be moved from the Wilderness area property. Three artists from Minneapolis took the building apart and re-assembled it at its current location at the end of Ewen Airport Road.



The idea behind the building and property was to facilitate the development of an artists' community, composed of artists, creative individuals, and members of the Upper Peninsula community, with a focus on sustainability. The site became known as THE VISITOR CENTER ARTISTS CAMP.

In 2014, the team members - Margaret Coleman, Josh Hosterman, Amy Joy Hosterman, Liz Ensz, and James Lentz - got together and organized the Do-It-Yourself Sustainable Adventure Art Symposium, which took place over a period of nine days, August 15-24. They issued invitations to members of the art world to join them for a rugged, wilderness-based artistic activity. It was rugged because it was a camping adventure, utilizing tents for accommodations, and electricity and water sources would be limited. The artists were actively engaged with the local community through talks, exhibitions, demonstrations, a clay and metal workshop, and a metal pour event.

The idea was also to bring artistic skills, creativity, sustainable practices, along with developing the site for future artistic endeavors. By offering this new opportunity, the idea was to bring hope and a future to this area in decline. As the literature for this symposium stated, "it is incredibly important to place a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility and promoting stewardship of  this beautiful area."

Fast forward to today, and The Visitor Center Artists Camp remains an active part of the community. There are workshops provided in metal casting; working with local clay, from mining to firing; and working with a local saw miller at Seeger's Sawmill, learning from a DIY master. There is an annual Ewen Arts Festival, being held for the third time this year. This year there is also a Sustainable Practices Symposium planned featuring lectures, discussions, camping, with hiking and canoe trips, utilizing the resources of Lake Superior and Sylvania National Forest.

Those at the 1st Symposium helped to improve the Visitor Center site.

This active arts community also promotes local enterprises and the natural wonders of its scenic location. Those who participated in the 2014 symposium helped to build this enterprise into the many-faceted program that it has become in just a short time.

Some of the locals in the Upper Peninsula town of Ewen.

Thanks to information from this article at Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/margaret-coleman-sustainable-adventure-art-symposium/; information from this article about the first symposium on Rocket Hub: https://www.rockethub.com/projects/40554-do-it-yourself-sustainable-adventure-art-symposium; and the above link.

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