Art, place, and community come together at the Good Hart Artist Residency. For ten years we have welcomed artists from around the world to Good Hart, a small town near the shores of Lake Michigan. We offer visual artists, writers, and composers at all stages of their careers the time, space, and support to focus on their art. Hidden along a scenic heritage route known as the Tunnel of Trees, and surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Michigan’s sand dunes, inland lakes, and wetlands, artists can take inspiration and solace in the environment, creating art that is rooted in place and in harmony with nature. The Good Hart Artist Residency believes that a more compassionate and interesting world is created through cultural exchange and the power of artistic communities; we strive to bring a diversity of art and artists to Good Hart, and foster connection between artists and the local community through open studios, performances, and collaborations.
Art
The Good Hart Artist Residency welcomes visual artists, writers, and composers. The residency provides time and space for visual artists, writers, and composers to create, as well as full room and board to allow residents time to focus on their creative work.
Place
Good Hart is a very small town located on M-119, a scenic heritage route referred to as the Tunnel of Trees in Northern Michigan. The area’s natural beauty includes the Lake Michigan shoreline, sand dunes, inland lakes, and coastal wetlands. This unique region is home to state parks and forests and more than 25 publicly accessible preserves.
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Community
The Good Hart Artist Residency believes connecting people from different backgrounds and cultures feeds creativity and creates a more interesting and compassionate world. We strive to bring a diversity of art and artists to Good Hart. We welcome the community to meet the visual artists in scheduled Open Studio Saturdays. Also, resident artists, writers and composers connect with the local community by collaborating with one of our nonprofit partners to provide a community art event. These offsite events include educational workshops, public performances, artist talks, art shows, and events with local schools.
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.