The third edition of The Long Memory Project is in collaboration with MSU's Broad Art Museum. Elders with ties to the state's farming history shared their stories with participating artists: ceramist Debbie Carlos, painter Lilian Martinez, poet Alex Rivera-Sastre, mixed-media artist Mike (Michaela) Nichelle, and sculptor, installation artist, and poet Mikayla Thompson.

In July, they visited the Farmland exhibition in East Lansing to kick off this summer pop-up residency. 

Late August brought the second gathering. Artists and elders attended the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, then gathered for a day of facilitated discussion about farming in Michigan. 

Sitting in the shade as water softly lapped the shore, the conversations flowed between heartfelt memories, laughter, and important equity work within the farming world. More than once, these conversations brought people to tears. At one point, elder Gail Holman gestured to everyone sitting together and said,  “You are my people. I knew coming here that I would be heard.” 

Artists returned to their home studios to create work based on this experience and the stories they heard. This event will highlight the work they’ve created and some of the stories told along the way.

The Long Memory Project’s (LMP) mission is to cultivate the passing down of our community’s stories. Not just the ones considered worthy enough to make headlines and history books, but the small acts of courage, action, good governance and community building—the songs, poems and stories that help us understand where we came from, who we are, and what we envision for our future—both regionally and beyond.