PRESIDENTS LETTER

Hello From the St. Ignace Area Creative Arts Council

Dear Supporter of the Arts,

     We are excited that we are entering our fourth year of being a 501c3 nonprofit organization.  We feel we have built a strong foundation for arts in the community.  Interest remains strong for art activities and art education.

     This year, our theme was “the Art of Story.” Monthly meetings featured the stories of some of our member artists. Paula McNamara, Tim LaJoice, and Greg LaTour shared how they became involved in artistic endeavors —from painting to the writing of poetry and children’s stories. Joe Davis talked about the process of wood-burning to create works of art and Clarlyn Ledy talked about the art of decorating gourds. Other members shared their creations at “Show and Tell” nights. Our big activity was hosting a Storytelling Festival at the new Hampton Inn. On Friday, our keynote speaker, Jenifer Straus showed participants how they can use “storytelling” to promote their business. On Saturday, we heard presentations on how storytelling can be used for learning history, songwriting, entertainment, passing on family lore, and healing. This event was made possible by a grant received from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

     This past year, we collaborated with the 4H Program to provide after-school art and craft opportunities. This included drawing and painting during winter and craft classes in summer and fall. In December we helped kids make crafts at the Little Bear for the Hometown Christmas Event

sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.   In 2025, we continued our weekly activities for adults. On Friday mornings (10;30-11:30) we have art & coffee events at the library when we show a film featuring art and artists. Topics range from artist studios, impressionism and architecture to different genres of music such as jazz and blues. Artists featured vary from prehistoric to Maya Angelou, to Andy Warhol. Coffee and treats are enjoyed weekly too! On Saturday mornings (10am-noon), many of us gather at the Boardwalk Café to paint with watercolor or acrylics. It’s not a class—everyone does their own thing and has a lot of fun. We also occasionally sponsor classes. The highlight this year was a needle-felting class led by

Marianne Freebury.

     In August, the Starling Shakespeare Company performed an outside performance of “A Comedy of Errors” made possible with the MACC Grant. We are thankful to the Museum of Ojibwa Culture for providing a great performance space! The summer is capped off with our management of the Arts Dockside Arts and Craft Show. This is a major 2-day downtown event with over 100 art vendors.

     Community engagement is a priority.  It is our goal to serve as a resource that will enhance life in St. Ignace.  We are so grateful and appreciative of every sponsor and member.  We hope that you recognize that all of this is only possible with generous supporters like you and that you will renew or begin your sponsorship and/or membership for 2026.

Sincerely, Deanna Draze, President