Project Name: Village Arts Mosaic: A Tapestry of Community, Culture, and the Arts
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
Municipal Government
What is the entity’s name:
Charter Township of Canton
Website URL
Twitter Handle:
Facebook Handle:
www.facebook.com/cantonfun or @CantonFun
Instagram Handle:
https://www.instagram.com/canton_village_theater/
What is the name of the primary contact for this entity’s application/project?
Jeanette Aiello
What are their preferred pronouns?
She/her/hers
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Where will your project take place? (please include city/village too)
The project will be created in the Shaw Gathering Space at the Village Arts Factory located in the historical downtown Cherry Hill Village. 50755 Cherry Hill Rd., Canton MI 48188.
Anticipated project launch date
July 15, 2023
Briefly describe your project idea including your role and any project partners.
Canton will oversee the grant for the creation of the mosaic, created by three local artists who will participate by expressing their own perspective in the creation of an individual tile, which will then be added to the mosaic to create an piece that showcases Canton’s unique ethnography.
How do you plan to spend the $5,000 microgrant? Please list and explain the items, services, fees, expertise, etc. that you plan to purchase.
Material costs to include tiles, paints, fabrics and other materials to create this piece, Kiln Firings costs, Installation cost to safely mount the mosaic, and Labor/Artist Fees to include the costs of the artists time and professional output.
Will your project require special permits from the community you are in? For example, anything that requires a street closure or installing a permanent art piece will likely require a special permit from your local governing body or zoning board. If your project is funded, the MML Foundation is happy to help you navigate that process. Please note that all applicants must obtain any necessary permits for their projects, if selected for funding.
No
Rachel’s Notes about the Project
Reviewed 4.24.23. Confirmed member status. Confirmed LOS. Confirmed photos. Confirmed businesses exist with viable locations. Unsure of location, doesn’t look downtown or like a business district. Question for jury: does this project activate a downtown or business district within the community?
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Why does your community need this project?
One of Canton Townships main goals is to provide a Welcoming Community to its residents. In doing so, a partnership was built between the Township and the Partnership for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) organization. The Partnership for the Arts acquired the historic Henry Ford Factory in the heart of the Cherry Hill Village, an up-and-coming downtown area filled with history, culture, and arts, and created an Arts Warehouse filled with 12 local small business offering goods and services from dance to pottery to baked goods. The designed mosaic will not only support a collaboration between three of our Village Arts Factory vendors but will serve as a spotlight piece in the Cherry Hill Village downtown area in hopes to draw people from all over to visit and experience the arts hub of Canton.
How will you engage your community in this project?
The mosaic will be a spotlight in the Shaw Gathering Area which is located in the entryway of the Village Arts Factory. This is a community gathering spot open daily to the public and is regularly used to host a wide variety of events and programs. With the new partnership between Canton Township and the Partnership for the Arts, the Cherry Hill Village area has blossomed into a vibrant and active downtown area filled with activities for all ages.
What do you hope to achieve through this project?
We hope with the addition of the mosaic serving as a spotlight in the Village Arts Factory, that the Cherry Hill Village Area will continue to grow as the arts hub of Canton bringing businesses to Canton and residents visiting from all over to appreciate and enjoy all the amenities we have to offer. This project will allow our local artists an opportunity to collaborate and build partnerships with one another while giving the community a visual piece that symbolizes collaboration, diversity, culture, and creativity all while revitalizing the downtown Cherry Hill Village
How will the project celebrate the community’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
The Village Arts Factory is a multi-purpose, studio arts complex in the heart of Canton’s diverse Cherry Hill Village historic district. The Cherry Hill Potters Guild, the single largest art studio at the Arts Factory, is a diverse collection of potters and ceramic artisans that encompasses the full gamut of race, gender, and ethnicity in our community. Each artist will participate by expressing their own artistic perspective in the creation of an individual tile, which will then be added to the mosaic to create an artistic piece that showcases the fabric of Canton’s unique ethnography. By also incorporating other studio artists from the Arts Factory, the Potters Guild will expand the scope of representation beyond pottery and ceramics to also include elements of painting, jewelry making, photography, calligraphy, and the other fine arts. The completed mosaic will serve as a symbolic reflection of Canton Township –- a diverse community that is united by our shared commitment to family, education, recreation, and the arts.
What resources do you already have to make this project successful? Resources could include things like time, partners, expertise, donated goods/materials/space, matching funds, and more. Please approximate the in-kind value if possible.
The project will be completed by artists and arts organizations that are already established at the Village Arts Factory and have proven themselves as successful partners and participants in local arts programming.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Artist First and Last Name:
Jen Christensen
Artist Website (If Applicable): https://www.cherryhillpotters.org/
Artist Facebook Handle
Cherry Hill Potters Guild, Village Arts Factory
Artist Instagram Handle
@village_arts_factory, @cherryhillpotters
Describe the artist’s or artists’ work. This is not about credentials—what do they do as an artist?
The Cherry Hill Potters Guild is a diverse community of clay artists, sharing a love of clay. They spread knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of handmade pottery through classes & community events.
How will the artist be involved in this project?
The Potters Guild will be the lead artist for the Village Arts Factory Mosaic. Jen will be the lead designer and will provide most of the resources for the project.
Are there other artists involved in this project?
Yes
What are their names and what sort of art form do they practice?
Smokey Citrine – Citrine LaCroix – Smokey Citrine specializes in fine arts and jewelry, an artist-duo from Detroit with a passion for creating work that elevates the mind and spirit in some way. They create a wide variety of jewelry and accessories containing pure metals, natural materials, and unique gemstones that are ethically sourced from miners and associate collectors around the globe. They also make leather goods, lifestyle products, herbal teas, and a variety of art that ranges from photography, paintings, and illustrations, to 3D animations and AR/VR experiences.
D & M Art Studio – Sharon Dillenbeck – Sharon and her team offer their knowledge and talents to help children and adults explore their creativity in visual arts by offering a wide variety of classes and workshops to learn the ins and outs of painting and drawing using a variety of tools such as oils, paints, charcoal, watercolor and more.
How will they be involved in the project?
Smokey Citrine will be involved as a consulting and collaborative artist; invited to assist with designing components of the mosaic using their unique skill sets of gemology, jewelry making, and photography.
D & M Art Studio will be involved as a consulting and collaborative artist; invited to assist with designing components of the mosaic using their unique skill sets of oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Business 1: Business Name:
Smokey Citrine
Business 1: Business Type:
Service
Business 1: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Citrine LaCroix
Business 1: Physical Location Address
50755 Cherry Hill Rd., STE. 12, Canton MI 48188
Business 1: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 1: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https://www.facebook.com/smokeycitrine
Business 1: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
https://www.instagram.com/smokey.citrine/
How will this partner be involved in the project?
Smokey Citrine will be involved as a consulting and collaborative artist; invited to assist with designing components of the mosaic using their unique skillsets of gemology, jewelry making, and photography.
Business 2: Business Name:
D&M Art Studio
Business 2: Business Type:
Service
Business 2: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Sharon Dillenbeck
Business 2: Business Physical Location Address:
50755 Cherry Hill, Suite 3, Canton, MI 48188
Business 2: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 2: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https://www.facebook.com/DMArtStudio/
Business 2: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
How will this second partner be involved in the project?
D&M Studios will be involved as a consulting and collaborative artist; invited to assist with designing components of the mosaic using their unique skillsets of oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting.
Do you have additional partners (business, non-profit, etc.)?
No
What are their names?
What role(s) will they have in the project?
Are they located within the same downtown or business district as the project?
Will your local municipal government be involved in the project? If so, how?
Yes. Canton Township will be applying and tracking the grant for this project as well as using the Village Arts Factory, specifically the Shaw Gathering space, as a spotlight location to host events, programs exhibitions and use as a regular community meeting location. Canton Township will use their social media resources to help market the Village Arts Factory by using the mosaic as an enhancement to the downtown community.
Please upload a letter of support on letterhead for your project from your local governing body (mayor, city/village manager, city/village council member).
Click the icon(s) below to view. Note that this may download to your computer depending on the file type.
IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): Village Arts Factory Blank Canvas
Image 1 (if any):
Image Caption 2 (if any): Village Arts Factory Blank Canvas #2
Image 2 (if any):
Image Caption 3 (if any): Village Arts Factory Blank Canvas #3
Image 3 (if any):
Image Caption 4 (if any): Village Arts Factory full wall
Image 4 (if any):
Image Caption 5 (if any): Village Arts Factory full wall #2
Image 5 (if any):
