The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 19 • New Moon • October 10, 2026
Octdala 3 • 36" x 36" • Oil, acrylic and silver leaf on plexiglass
Octdala 5 • 36" x 36" • Oil, acrylic and copper leaf on plexiglass
Octdala 8 (Three Wreaths) • 36" x 36" • Oil, acrylic and silver leaf on plexiglass
Tara Austin • Modern Rosemaling
THANK YOU.
photo credit: Wondergold Pictures
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || The gift takes us beyond the moral injunction to do more good deeds and less bad stuff. It opens a different way of searching for meaning: meaning through the pleasure of uncalculated giving, by participating in something that exceeds oneself, by letting go of our own inflated self-importance and the vain illusion that we will be the ones who change the world, all the way to the liberation of being simply “common people” who will work, squander, suffer, love, and die like anyone else. -From Giorgos Kallis' The Gift of Degrowth
What can participation in "the gift" look like? I received two emails the morning of October 7th with tips for one particular practice. Elizabeth Oldfield's How to have 1,500 people for dinner and/or Culture Study's A Dinner Party Pep Talk both offer advice for hosting small dinner gatherings, and I imagine the Crosshatch-hosted The Art of Gathering/community potluck the very next day did the same.
|| 2 || The rosemaled geometry featured at the top of this email is from Tara Austin. Tara was just in Michigan to lead a workshop for the Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival, which features "...traditional arts practitioners from throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Upper Midwest from a variety of cultural backgrounds including our region’s Indigenous peoples and European descendants including the U.P.’s large Scandinavian and Nordic populations."
Tara's artwork links our place and Scandinavia and Boreal plant communities in some really interesting ways. Check out Cultural Connections with Tara Austin: Contemporary Rosemaling for more of her take, including a closer exploration of Octdala 8 (featured up top).
The Weft — News and Events
We’re heartened by a wide-range of expressions of resilient communities and gatherings. Here’s a smattering of regional events and happenings that reflect that diversity, collected for your consideration. Choose your own adventure!
|| 1 || U-Pick Heirloom Apple Conservancy Harvest, Today (Oct. 10th)! An informal harvest gathering and celebration culminating Crosshatch's community orchard trial (explored recently in the WF, Vol. 5, No. 17). 1-4pm, 1/2 mile north of Davock Rd on Buhland Rd, Central Lake.
|| 2 || Ship Yard is on its way back! A program of Crosshatch at The Alluvion, Ship Yard is a way to support upcoming songwriters in our region. The application is free, and accepted artists receive:
-a high-quality audio and video recording (including files for later mastering) of your performance
professional head shots from photographer Tyler Franz
-a high-quality space to perform
-a generous and attentive audience
-lots of technical support
-a $50 /musician stipend (capped at $250/band)
|| 3 || Upcoming Ship Yard performances:
Oct. 13 - MI Sane Asylum + OK serafina
Nov. 3 - Clairvøyant + Thirty Below
Dec. 1 - Handsome Dan and the Hooligans + Meski
|| 4 || Cozy Cottage Felt Embroidery Workshop. Saturday, October 17th, 1-4pm, Grass River Natural Area (Bellaire). Stitching, ornaments, scrap felt, instruction, and more, all at Grass River Natural Area, led by Kim of Fran and Judy. Find more and sign up here.
|| 5 || Fresh Coast Film Festival, October 15-18, Marquette. "A documentary film festival celebrating the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest."
|| 6 || Antrim Writers Series - Lane Regan. Lane (Iliana) Regan is the Michelin-star chef and prior owner of Elizabeth restaurant in New York, which she turned over to her employees in 2020 in order to run the Milkweed Inn Bed and Breakfast in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Their debut memoir, Burn the Place, was longlisted for the National Book Award, the first time a food writer has been nominated since Julia Child. In addition to working as the chef and owner of Milkweed Inn, they earned an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and authored a new memoir, Fieldwork: A Forager's Memoir.
-Reading and Book Signing: Nov. 18, 7-8:30pm, Boston Winery (Elk Rapids).
-Memoir Writing Workshop: Nov. 19, 1-3pm, Grass River Natural Area (Bellaire).
|| 7 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: the Traverse City Design Week 2026 Closing Celebration, Funky Uncle + DJ Ras Marco, Ship Yard Series: MI Sane Asylum & OK serafina, The Jeff Haas Trio feat Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, Big Fun + DJ Ras Marco, The Go Rounds (two nights), and The Alluvion Big Band.
Find more information at thealluvion.org.
sponsored by:
Desmond Liggett Wealth Advisors is a mission-driven, fee-only wealth management company with a simple purpose: to generate exceptional value for the individuals, families, small business owners, and non-profit organizations they serve. Desmond Liggett Wealth Advisors believe in and adhere to triple-bottom-line analysis for portfolio investments, ensuring that they review how a company’s environmental and social values impact its long-term resilience and, consequently, value.
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