Twilight Tours are back!

Get our your calendars, Hatchies, it's time to see some farms—up close and personal. This is the third season of Twilight Tours, and every year they get more lovely and more inspiring. We've got a super exciting line-up; June can't come soon enough. 

A function of the small farm guilds, Twilight Tours are farm tours for and by farmers (non-farmers and wanna-be-farmers are welcome to come too!). Check out our Events page for full descriptions and themes of each tour. These tours are FREE and open to the public. Join us! Questions? Contact Jen. 

Hill House Artist Updates and News

Artists are humans, too. And like the rest of us, their summer is suddenly looking really busy. Check out some happenings from a few of the Hill House alums. Tours! Sales! New artwork and old friends. It's basically summer already, humans.

FUTURE ARTIST NEWS

Last week we said goodbye to David Vayo, a big-hearted, super-talented composer from Chicago. Among his many accolades, there have been over four hundred performances and broadcasts of his compositions: in Mexico, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Spain and at Harvard University, Ohio State University and the universities of Wisconsin and Iowa, the International Trumpet Guild festival, the International Trombone Festival, the International Double Reed Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and three World Music Days of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Bam! He composed new music while at the Hill House, cooked himself some decadent meals, and took a leisurely bike ride down Graves Crossing Road.

David’s departure makes room for the arrival of writers-in-collaboration, Jenny Johnson and Paul Kruse. Jenny and Paul hail from Pittsburgh, PA -- we hope they enjoy the newly popped green leaves of spring. May the chipmunks and squirrels inspire writing worthy of the woods.


PAST ARTIST NEWS

Jean Rohe, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, is heading out for a solo tour. Starting in Brooklyn TOMORROW, she’ll then be up and down the Pacific Northwest coast. Check her out if you find yourself in that green, magical part of this earth!

Alum Skye Livingston has spent the last 11 months as an artist-in-residence at Arrowmont. And just like that, she’s on the move and having a studio flash sale on her way out the door. Check it out and score some really good goods!

Lucas Harrison Oswald is doing really great stuff with his band, Shearwater—like playing David Bowie’s Lodger album from start to finish in front of a film crew. Check out this video put out over at AV Club of the Hill House alum’s band! You’re not gonna wanna miss this. And if that wasn’t enough, Shearwater has a European tour scheduled for next month, too.  

Michigan native and Hill House alum, Loren Nosan, has work in a new show called Body Politic. The exhibit is at Academic, a contemporary art gallery in Long Island City, NY, featuring emerging artists and curators. Go, Loren go!

Katie Vota, sculpture and installation artist, has a new website up and running. It’s so pretty you’re gonna wish you could stick your hand right through the screen and touch it. We regret to inform you this is simply not possible. Maybe someday!

Alum Esteban del Valle is working on an exciting piece for the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, VA. Enjoy, sweet kiddos!

 

AND OF COURSE…

June 1st begins the next season of Hill House residencies. Keep an eyeballs open for a newsletter about all the incoming artists. We can wait for you to meet them!





 

 

 


 

May, You Have My Attention

A blog post by Artist Residency Coordinator, Yvonne Stephens. 

A senior in high school, I distinctly remember asking to leave class, escaping to the restroom, where I sat down, laid my head on the roll of toilet paper, and hung there thinking, "May is mental health month. This is May. Am I depressed? Do I need help? Is this normal? It sure feels normal for me..."

May being named Mental Health Month was an inlet for me, a way for me to start thinking about my relationship with my mental health, how mental wellness or illness impacts our lives, the lives of those we love, the overall health of a person, a community.

Mental illness is common. It affects 1 in 5. I'm a big fan of the movement to talk about it. So let's talk about it. No need to suffer shame. We are all on this spectrum together, of mental health.

Here are some other movements I am a big fan of:

NAMI The National Alliance on Mental illness. They are a tremendous resource... you can start by signing their stigma free pledge.

Mental Health First Aid. Find a training course near you:

Collaboration. Crosshatch is collaborating with North Country Community Mental Health on a series of three events entitled, “May is Mental Health Month: An Evening of Understanding.” The events take place in Bellaire on May 13, Petoskey on May 17, and Cheboygan on May 25.

This dynamic two-hour program will feature poetry and prose readings, and a documentary screening. Local poets and writers Terry Wooten, Gerry Sell, and Ellen Whitehead, and other local poets (myself included) will be reading. These poems and prose aim to capture the life story of individuals who have spent time in or lived their whole lives in institutions. There will also be a screening of the 30-minute documentary, Through Our Eyes, - Living with Asperger's, produced by and with youth with Asperger's. Come and join us for an evening of understanding.

Find out more about the events here. 

Over the past 18 years, my mental health journey has led me to a deeper understanding of the way my brain works and what I need to do to take care of it so I stay stable. Self care is a priority for me now. And so is advocacy. I love my brain, my mind, and I intend to use it to increase understanding about mental health and illness. I hope to see you there.

 

Hill House Current and Past Artist News

Some seriously exciting news from the Hill House alums this month. It’s so fun to hear what these creative cats are up to out there in the world. Thanks for sharing your stories and inspiring us all to dream big. You all are it.

 

FUTURE ARTIST NEWS

David Gwaltney, a Hill House Alum, returns to the Hill House next week. He is a multi-instrumentalist solo musician playing cross-genre, focusing in both folk rock and electronic/hip-hop music, often experimental music. David also plays in a band called thecitylights*. Sounds pretty cool, right? Find out more about David here, or come see him in person when he plays at the 10th Annual Crosshatch Benefit Concert with a whole slew of Hill House alums!

 

PAST ARTIST NEWS

Christa Couture has a new album and is heading out for a Cross-Canada tour! The album, Long Time Leaving, can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp (CD or digital, along with other perks like postcards and posters) or iTunes. Either way you'll get an instant download of the first single "That Little Part of My Heart." Long Time Leaving officially comes out April 15th on Black Hen Music. The tour will take Christa from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia, from April 2nd to May 7th, and you can see full tour dates on her site or in this Facebook event.

Charming Disaster released a song that they wrote at the Hill House! Ellia explains, “We wanted to capture the essence of our surroundings, so it includes not only the Hill House piano and the curious shaker that lives on top of the piano, but also the pot lids that make that beautiful gong sound when you hit them together, and a pot full of water, and the rim of a wineglass traced with a finger, and the whistle of the teakettle.” Amazing.

Jean Rohe will head to National Sawdust on April 27 to perform songs from The Odysseus Agreement, “an in-progress performance memoir in song that tells the story of a young woman on a single-minded quest to learn about the life and tragic death of her grandmother and namesake.” If you’re in Brooklyn, this sounds like a must-see to us.

Scott Hocking will be at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) on April 16th for their TEEN COUNCIL series to discuss his artistic practice, influences, life and more. Check it out!

Jordan Geiger has been working on a new project with his band Hospital Ships. Here's a taste: “I asked Thor Harris and his new band Thor And Friends to create a song in B-minor and film it. I then adapted ‘Oh My Light’ to it and recorded myself singing and playing along. After a little editing, this video is the result.” From Substream Magazine. 

 

AND OF COURSE…

Have you heard? The Tenth Annual (TEN YEARS!) Crosshatch Benefit Concert at Short’s Brewery is just around the corner! Mark your calendars: May 7, 2pm until late. This all-day party features a number of Hill House alum playing music so y’all can listen, celebrate, and dance. Come one, come all - bring your good cheer and some dollar bills for our spirited raffle of themed gift baskets!

 

 

Crosshatch is Hiring!

Event Coordinator Internship

OBJECTIVE

To gain hands-on experience planning and executing the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference as well as food, farming and art events. This internship offers an opportunity to organize many different kinds of events throughout Northwest Lower Michigan, for six people up to 1,000.

INTERNSHIP

40 hours/week including some evening and weekend work, from 30 to 50 weeks. Crosshatch does not have a central office, so the intern will work remotely, coordinating with other Crosshatch staff. Parts of the experience will require excellent teamwork, while others require high levels of autonomy. Performance expectations are high and on-par with the best entry level jobs in this field.

Our service area runs the coasts from Manistee to Mackinac, with major areas of impact centered in Bellaire, Traverse City and Petoskey. The Event Coordinator Intern can live anywhere in this region, though a central location is advantageous. Travel throughout the region is a regular requirement of the position. Similarly, excellent telecommuting skills are required, including texting, email, phone, Basecamp, social media and other internet communication technologies. Start and end dates are somewhat flexible depending upon program requirements.

COMPENSATION

$10 per hour, mileage reimbursement.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Assist with planning and executing the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference
  • Answer and return phone calls related to the NMSFC
  • Communicate with volunteers to complete the many tasks that make the NMSFC run smoothly
  • Data entry
  • Participate in NMSFC planning committee meetings
  • Assist with planning and execution of food, farming and art events
  • Prepare materials for events
  • Manage set up and onsite operations at events
  • Attend staff meetings
  • Act as an ambassador at events, introducing the organization and our work
  • Poster
  • Write thank you notes
  • Manage speaker logistics and hospitality

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an accredited college or university
  • A working knowledge of the major themes in sustainable agriculture, environmental concern and the arts at a local, state and national level
  • Strong writing skills
  • Flawless attention to detail and impeccable personal organization skills
  • Exceptional verbal and interpersonal communication skills
  • Self-motivated and professional demeanor
  • Expertise in Google Drive, MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint, email, Mac OS
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Strong ability to manage multiple tasks and projects at one time

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit the following application materials via email to Amanda Kik,

CoDirector, at amanda@crosshatch.org:

  1. An exceptional one page cover letter
  2. A resume tailored to this position
  3. List of professional references

This position will remain open until filled by the right candidate.

ABOUT CROSSHATCH

Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology builds strong communities through the intersections of art, farming, ecology and economy. Over the last eleven years, we have organized hundreds of workshops, serving thousands in our community. Our service area is the 10-county region of Northwest Lower Michigan. To learn more, please visit www.crosshatch.org.

Hill House Current and Past Artist News

Another month has come and gone, Hatchies. How did that happen? Spring has (sort of) sprung in these parts and we're feeling excited about the magic and madness that's happening all around us.  

 

Current/Future Artist News

This week we say goodbye to Sioux Trujillo, who—along with her son Shaun—stayed for two weeks at the Hill House. Sioux was the 2009 Kresge Artist Fellowship recipient and has worked in the Detroit art community for 20 years as an artists, and an administrator for 10+ years. She was one of the founding directors for community+public arts: DETROIT, an initiative that brings community-driven public art projects to six underserved Detroit neighborhoods. Sioux is also the recipient of the 2012 Whole Thinking leadership development retreat. This retreat draws upon practices such as deepening connection the land, relationship building, working with and across difference, creativity, story, dialogue, and awareness practice. We were glad to have her downstate energy up north for a little while. 

We get to say 'hello' this week too, to artist-in-residence Latham Zearfoss. Latham is an artist and cultural producer living and working in Chicago. His artwork often centers on reclaiming historical and mythological texts, and revising them to incorporate radical notions of love and sex, possibility and probability. Latham will be in the Hill House for the next few weeks as we transition from winter to spring. We wish him squishy walks and rainy inspiration!

 

Past Artist News

Russell Brakefield has a poem featured in an anthology called The Michigan Poet.

Gabriel Birnbaum has a song on the latest Esopus Magazine compilation. Very cool!

Thais Beltrame is having a solo show for the month of April in Rio de Janeiro. Check out her intricate and inspiring work here. 

Ben Good released a couple songs he wrote at the Hill House. Let the log cabin energy wash over you as you listen. Check them out here and here.

Charming Disaster are on tour this April! Are they coming to a city near you? See the tour poster below!

 

 

And of course...

Are you an alum with updates for us? Contact Yvonne. Do you want to someday be a Hill House alum? Check out our residency page here for more information and instructions on how to apply. Next deadline is April 1, so put a spring in your step!

 

 

Big ideas, micro loans

Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology and Grain Train Natural Foods Market team up to provide a new micro loan program aimed at farms and food-related businesses.

BELLAIRE, MI— Farmers and food entrepreneurs have a new way to boost their business, thanks to a new community micro loan program. Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology and Grain Train Natural Foods Market have teamed up to offer low-interest loans for farms and food-related businesses in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, and Otsego counties. 

Farmers, agribusinesses, and food business entrepreneurs are invited to apply for this micro loan program aimed at enhancing the food and farming network in the Northwestern Lower Peninsula. Ideal candidates will propose an idea that would boost a farm or food business and elevate the region's local food system. Applicants can apply for loans between $500 and $6,000. Loans will have a 2.5% interest rate with 18-month repayment terms. There is no application fee. 

Uses for the loan may include, but are not limited to: essential tools for the farm or food business, materials, land, livestock or infrastructure, certification costs, professional development expenses, value-added product production, marketing and distribution costs, and expenses related to processing and packaging of farm products. Applicants using sustainable practices are strongly encouraged, but they are not a requirement. 

"We at Crosshatch, along with The Grain Train, see a demand for more local food in the community and wanted to help farmers on the ground by getting tools in their hands and increasing the capacity to process or package." Jen Schaap, Food and Farming Programs Coordinator for Crosshatch, said. "We're excited to see how these individual ideas will have a wider-reaching positive effect on the region's local food system."

Providing a micro loan for area farmers and food business entrepreneurs has the potential to affect change on the whole region. The easier it is for farmers to do their work, the more local food we'll see at the market. Crosshatch and Grain Train hope that this program will continue and grow as the years go on, providing more opportunity to strengthen the local economy and keeping Michigan focused on healthy, sustainable food for all. 

The micro loan program kicks off March 1 and the deadline to apply is May 3. The loans will be distributed in June of 2016, and borrowers will be required to have three meetings with the loan administrators throughout the term to discuss how their project is evolving. For more information and to apply for a loan, visit www.crosshatch.org/micro-loan/ or contact Jen. 

 

 

Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference — Oral History Project

At this year's Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, we invited farmers, eaters, and food producers to tell their stories. The Traverse Area District Library (TADL) was there to record the stories as part of their project: Food for Life on Two Peninsulas. The project is now up on their site for the public to listen to! Gather 'round the speakers and settle in for some good stories.

From the TADL: 

TADL Introduces New Oral History Collection Featuring Michigan-based Food Producers

February 29, 2016 (Traverse City, MI) — Traverse Area District Library (TADL), in partnership with Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology (formerly ISLAND), has released Food for Life on Two Peninsulas: Stories from Old Farm Families, Migrant Workers, and the New Food Producers of Grand Traverse Bay, an oral history project developed and curated by TADL staff and volunteers. The purpose of the project is to document the impact of the local food economy and focus on a central question; “What has becoming a regional “foodie” destination meant to the people and farms in our communities?”

TADL staff and volunteers conducted interviews with food producers and developers attending the 2016 Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference held on January 30, and executed by Crosshatch and partnering organizations. Interview subjects for the project range from former Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) owners to pioneers in regenerative farm animal grazing practices. Representing food producers from communities throughout Michigan, the interviews documented a variety of experiences, longevity, and spoke to each of their roles contributing to the local food economy.

"Seasoned farmers and greenhorns alike will find these oral histories contain an enthusiasm for locally-produced, responsible food, that draws our passionate statewide food community together. We are grateful to Crosshatch for the opportunity to gather these personal stories, and we look forward to adding more in the future," said organizer Amy Barritt, Special Collections Librarian at TADL.

There are ten interviews available posted online. For more information, and to listen to these oral histories, please visit TADL's Local History Collection's websitehttp://localhistory.tadl.org/foodforlifeoral, or contact the Reference Department at 231-932-8502 or ask@tadl.org.