Arts in TC, an Untapped Resource

Guest Opinion

By Shanny Brooke | July 26, 2025

Traverse City and the surrounding region have become a destination for all things food, wine, and breweries. And deservedly so—we enjoy a plethora of dining options which offer locally raised and grown foods, award-winning chefs, and top-notch wines, all of which can be savored with a stunning view of our gorgeous freshwater coastline.

This is a win for both travelers and locals alike, but is also a lopsided view of all we have to offer. From the standpoint of a local, one would be hard pressed to find this same level of support and enthusiasm for art and culture in our region. A visit to any of the TC Tourism pages and you will find the “Top 5 things to do” which unsurprisingly list: places to eat, climb the dunes, visit the wineries, breweries, and beaches.

What could support for art in our community look like? What if TC had a person devoted to bringing awareness to all of the different art-related happenings on a weekly or monthly basis? Places with thriving art communities know the importance that art brings. It creates a well-rounded and more inclusive community, which is something we need now more than ever.

For instance, the impressive Northwest Michigan Arts and Culture Summit brought almost 300 people to TC to participate in art-filled experiences meant to connect artists and creative people in meaningful ways. The attendees frequented our downtown businesses and made a longer stay out of the event, leading to further dollars staying in our community. This was a huge undertaking with the planning/preparation on par with that of our highly publicized restaurant week, but it seemed to go by with little notice from the outside world.

Going forward, imagine how much more successful the arts scene could be with a little help. How about touting with pride our two large nonprofit art institutions? The Dennos Museum under the leadership of Craig Hadley is bringing more compelling exhibits than ever before and focusing on community based programming. Many people are not even aware that we have this cultural and educational resource right in our backyard. And Crooked Tree Arts Center is highly active and hosts a yearly Plein Air painting competition boasting top artists from all over the United States.

These are things which all can use the support of the DDA, TC Tourism, and the community because they make Traverse City a better place to both live and visit.

When I travel to other communities, the ones I like the best have an art-centric character along with a great mix of other things. It creates a warm feeling to see public art and murals front and center and speaks volumes about the city’s commitment to the arts.

Here in TC, Art on the TART project is the primary place to view public art. While the woodland trail setting is lovely, it also seems like Art is being relegated to the trail instead of being in addition to having artwork sprinkled throughout downtown. Afterall, not everyone visits the TART.

What if the TC approval process for new building constructions required developers to devote 1 or 2 percent of their budget to installing a piece of public art to each project? This would be a great way to spearhead this project and offsets the cost. As it becomes harder to access grants through the National Endowment for the Arts, what if local art supporting philanthropists sponsored various public art installations?

I want to bring some attention to a new(ish) art hub: Alluvion Arts, located at 414 East 8th street inside Commongrounds. The moment you approach Commongrounds, you know you are in an inclusive and artistic space where art lives and breathes. Murals adorn the outside by Jamie John celebrating their Indigenous ancestry, along with work by well known mural artist Em Randall.

Under the creative leadership of Jessica Kooiman Parker, world-class programming is being brought to TC. She does a beautiful job of harnessing the freedom to display art which is offered by the multi-levels found inside Commgrounds. The meandering space creates curiosity in visitors as they explore. A wide breadth of curation—including solo exhibits from local artists, to conceptual and collaborative projects including artists near and far—can be found.

Next up at The Alluvion is the “Intercontinental Biennial of Indigenous Art & Culture,” running July 24 through Aug. 31. This traveling collection features over 40 artists and focuses on the concept of Indigenous history and identity. As part of the programming, two workshops will be offered, including a gold leaf application intensive. What a privilege it is to have this brought to our community and an opportunity for artists.

In this current world where uncertainty looms, promoting art and the good it can do for us as a society should be at the forefront for communities. Artists are always going to create—it is what we do—so let it be seen. A visit to The Alluvion is a great place to start.

Shanny Brooke is an artist and the owner of Higher Art Gallery located in downtown TC.