MML Review Magazine Winter 2025

Northern Field Report Artisan Village in Long-Vacant Building Revives Downtown Grayling By Rick Haglund

GRAYLING pop. 1,876

The performing arts center, with a standing capacity of 225 people, has been an especially big draw in this northern Michigan city of just under 2,000 people. A variety of shows, including blues singers, comedians, and theatrical performances, play to sold-out crowds. One popular act at the center is “Gits and Shiggles,” a local comedy troupe that puts on free shows but asks for donations to support local schools and nonprofits. “At every show they raise $500 to $1,000 for charity,” said Rosin, a musician who grew up in Grayling. Podjaske said he attended a “Gits and Shiggles” show last fall, which he described as jam-packed. “The performing arts center is a huge presence in downtown,” he said. AuSable Artisan Village was founded in 2010 by Terry Dickinson, who served as its executive director until retiring in November of 2023. Dickinson is a former math teacher who left the profession to paint murals in Bay City commemorating the nation’s 1976 bicentennial. He has also painted more than 200 murals in Frankenmuth. “He was a true visionary who saw the need for art and culture in our community, and it just grew from there,” Rosin said. Although retired, Dickinson is still involved in the arts center’s operations. Its board of directors includes accomplished artists, including Chairwoman Colby Chilcote, a marketing executive who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. Rosin said he believes AuSable Artisan Village is unique in northern Michigan for the breadth of arts programming it offers, including art classes for people of all ages. end. The community went up to and beyond what we believed we could accomplish. ” –Radel Rosin, AuSable Artisan Village's executive director “ We were speechless when we found out the results (of the crowdfunding campaign) at the

Downtown Grayling “was very sad for a long time,” City Manager Erich Podjaske said. “You could roll a bowling ball down the street and not hit anyone.” That’s no longer the case, thanks in great measure to the AuSable Artisan Village, which Podjaske credits for boosting foot traffic and investment downtown. “They’re a huge economic driver,” he said. The art center, which has operated for the past 14 years from a single storefront in a former Ben Franklin store on Michigan Avenue downtown, acquired a long-vacant building across the street in 2023 by raising more than $60,000 through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity. The 6,000 square-foot building, built in the early 1900s, now features a 165-seat performing arts center, a clay and ceramic studio, called “The Mud Room,” and a fine arts retail gallery. It continues to operate its original location, a combined coffee shop and retail art gallery featuring works from mostly local artists. “We were speechless when we found out the results (of the crowdfunding campaign) at the end, said Radel Rosin, AuSable Artisan Village’s executive director. The community went up to and beyond what we believed we could accomplish.” The campaign blew past its $50,000 goal by raising $67,200 from 225 donors. That qualified the organization for a $50,000 match from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The match is a key component of “Public Spaces Community Places,” a combined placemaking effort of the Michigan Municipal League, the MEDC, and Patronicity. “I couldn’t say better things about the outcome. They took one of largest vacant buildings downtown and turned it into a vibrant arts center. It’s really impactful to the community to have that space active again,” said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “It’s just the right vibe. It’s a really cool space.” The building’s success represents somewhat of a transformation for Grayling, long known as an outdoors recreational playground for its location on the banks of the majestic AuSable River. “Grayling has become an arts destination,” Holtz said. “Highly renowned artists came out of the woodwork,” a result of the AuSable Artisan Village’s expansion.

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| Winter 2025