Art, place, and community come together at the Good Hart Artist Residency. Since 2013 we have worked to welcomed artists from around the world to Good Hart, a small town near the shores of Lake Michigan.
Art
Art is a profound driver of social change and a powerful source of community and connection. The Good Hart Artist Residency is committed to the creation and sharing of art through holistically supporting and nurturing artists, writers, and composers at various stages of their careers. The residency provides time and space, as well as full room and board, to allow residents to both focus on their creative work as well as rest and be inspired in the ways that best serve their practice.
Place
Place connects us to the landscapes, histories, and cultural practices that shape our lives. The Good Hart Artist Residency is located in the small town of Good Hart, Michigan, nestled along the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan on the Tunnel of Trees, a scenic heritage route. Sandy and rocky beaches, forested sand dunes, and nature preserves are close at hand, as well many sites of local history and cultural significance. The residency treasures its unique location and is committed to facilitating connection between it and the resident artists.
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Community
Community provides the foundation upon which we create a more compassionate, interesting, and resilient world. The Good Hart Artist Residency is committed to connecting people from different backgrounds and cultures by bringing a diversity of art and artists to Good Hart and engaging them thoughtfully and purposefully with the local community. Events include onsite Open Studio Saturdays, as well as offsite educational workshops, public performances, and artist talks done in collaboration with local nonprofit organizations such as schools, nature conservancies, arts centers, and more.
Our Story
Art has always held a vital place in our lives here in Good Hart. When the last of our children left the nest, we found ourselves with an underutilized studio apartment and knew that we wanted to create a space that could host and support emerging artists. As our children were growing up we hosted multiple exchange students, always feeling that we received far more than we gave, and as the parents of artists––and creatives ourselves––we see the importance of art and creative expression every day. We knew we wanted to create a home for artists from near and far, and in 2013 first established the Good Hart Artist Residency program, in partnership with Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, Michigan.
After four great years and countless artists, we decided to expand the program in 2017 in order to partner with additional community organizations and support a variety of artists at all stages of their careers. We see art as a driver of social change and a powerful source of community and connection. Through local collaborations and partnerships, resident artists share the power of their work by collaborating with local education, activism, non-profit and conservation efforts through workshops and presentations. We strive to foster meaningful connections between artists and the local community and environment, and most importantly, to offer our artists a chance to share their creative work with a greater audience.
In 2018, we began construction on a new artist residence and studio facility, which was completed in June of 2019. This new residence allows us to host artists, writers, and composers year-round, and to offer a unique residency experience for parent artists. We support artists at every stage of their career by providing a quiet, secluded, and comfortable space, great food, and the time to immerse themselves in the creative process and in the scenic landscapes of Northern Michigan. Seeing, making, and interacting with art and artists inspires us to do more good in our lives and in the community. We look forward to what the future holds for new artists and art in Good Hart.