Artists Market Announces Support for SEE-North and Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra

The Northern Michigan Artists Market is joining forces with two outstanding local community organizations -- NorthWings of SEE-North and the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra -- and we are giving you a chance to help them out too.

NorthWings of SEE-North provides safety, care and a home for injured and imprinted raptors (prey birds like owls and hawks) as well as conducting excellent educational programs offering first hand experiences with and information about raptors.

The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, made up of retired professionals, community leaders, doctors, community college professors, talented amateurs and accomplished student musicians, performs concerts throughout the Northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Both of these organizations make an amazing contribution to Northern Michigan and they deserve support from all of us.

SEE-North had to give up their Downtown Petoskey location on Pennsylvania Park a year or so ago and have been reorganizing their finances and services. They now have a great facility in the woods on the grounds of Boyne Highlands where their very special birds now have a new home and are anxious for you to go visit them. For the last year or so, the Artists Market has helped continue the presence of the birds in Downtown by inviting them to mingle with the public in our store during community events such as the Open house and, recently, Wonder Weekend.

We have a particular affection for SEE-North because one of our best friends, Northern Michigan Artists Market artist Joanne Cromley, (pictured here with one of the SEE-North owls at the Artists Market for last year's Wonder Weekend) who makes the exquisite woven tapestries hanging in our store, has worked for the last year or so guiding them through their reorganization. Congratulations to Joanne and everyone at SEE-North for the beautiful new phoenix (er, raptor) that is arising from the traces of the past.

This week, the Artists Market started selling NorthWings of SEE-North t-shirts (in a full range of sizes for kids and grown ups). The shirt sales raise much needed money to support the birds and the organizations educational activities. While you are at the Market, you can make a contribution or sign up for a NorthWings of SEE-North membership. They are currently revising their website and I will add a link here when they get it done. UPDATE: You can now visit the new (and beautiful) SEE-North website.

The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra has developed an ambitious concert schedule filled with fine chamber music over the last several years. Bob Pattingale, the orchestra's volunteer administrator, walked into the Artists Market a few days ago with a stack of DVD's of their 2007 concert, A Carnival of Animals. The concert features the well-known piano duo Yuki and Tomoko Mack who are Japanese born Michigan residents. The DVD's are now sitting on our main desk and are available for sale. More info about the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra is available on their website, where they would be happy to let you sign up for a membership.

The Northern Michigan Artists Market has a long tradition (considering the fact that we are now all of five and a half years old, that is) of supporting community cultural and arts organizations. In addition to the Orchestra and SEE-North, we have been working with the Bergmann Center of Charlevoix, Michigan, in its service to individuals with developmental disabilities. For quite a while we have been selling the beautiful Lovelights, glass mosaic candle holders made in their workshop.

Over the last couple of years, we have helped raise money for a number of other community organizations by selling their products. These worthwhile groups include:

• Jordan River Arts Council -- They have a delightful gallery in East Jordan, Michigan, where they offer numerous workshops, classes, exhibits and performances. We sell their beautiful cookbook, Flavors and Visions
• Odawa Institute -- They work to revitalize Anishnaabemowin, the language of the Odawa Indians, and the Anishnaabe culture. We sell their map of Little Traverse Bay area labeled in Anishnaabemowin.
• Univ of Michigan Residential College German Language Program -- We have sold their calendars to help support their annual trip to Germany.

Please join us in supporting these groups and the other wonderful organizations that make the Petoskey area such a great place to live or visit.