As an elementary art teacher, Craig Hinshaw said he was just doing what he loved, creating art.
“I’ve been proud to hear some of my former students come back and tell me that what they’re doing now is because of what I did,” he said. “I love what I do and it’s an honor to have been paid to do it and share what I’m passionate about.”
Hinshaw, now retired, hasn’t stopped, continuing to work as the artist-in-residence for Lessenger Elementary School in Madison Heights, where the children have taken on a special art project that incorporates the theme of being kind to nature on ceramic tiles. These tiles decorate the school’s courtyard, which Hinshaw has turned into an oasis.
“The students are making art, great art and, in a small way, it will be a drop of oil that will ripple out,” he said.
The project at Lessenger Elementary School is being funded, in part, by grants through the Michigan Council for Arts & Culture Affairs (MCACA). In 2015, $9.7 million was awarded to 481 grants out of the $12.5 million that was requested from a total of 607 applications.
These programs included requests to fund operational needs, help support arts related projects, make capital improvements and fund arts in education.
Supporting the arts is an important part to any economy and is shown to bring in and retain talent for the local workforce, said Sarah Gonzales Triplett, director of public policy for Creative Many Michigan, an organization that works to support economic initiatives and policies for the arts.
“The arts and culture draw talent,” Gonzales Triplett said. “Where there is a strong creative sector, the local economy flourishes. The arts promote entrepreneurship and encourage investment from the public and private sector.
“The arts make a place where people want to live and raise a family.”
A creative economy contributes a significant amount to the state’s economic health, according to Creative Many Michigan. In a report compiled by the organization, of the more than $595 million in annual expenditures by the nonprofit creative community in 2012, almost $200 million supported salaries for 25,900 people. These same organizations contributed more than $15 million in the employer portion of the payroll tax.
The arts and cultural destinations have also shown growth and value to the state’s economy, generating $2.5 billion in state tourism revenues for 2012.
The Henry Ford in Dearborn welcomes visitors from across the globe as a museum and cultural experience with its ties to Michigan’s history and automotive industry.
In the last two years, MCACA has awarded grants to The Henry Ford to provide operating support. About 65-70 percent of The Henry Ford’s budget comes from earned revenue, such as ticket sales, catering and retail operations.
“We have a variety of earned revenue streams, but that doesn’t cover the full cost of running the place so we run on gifts, contributions and grants,” said George Moroz, special assistant to the president at The Henry Ford. “These grants typically fall between $50,000 and $60,000 and they do provide the help we need during years when donations and assistance is low.”
A big focus of The Henry Ford is innovation and entrepreneurialism, placing those as fundamental virtues of the state’s reputation and past. These traits are often highlighted by various activities, programs and exhibits.
“The grant funding helps us promote these ideas to the young people that visit The Henry Ford,” Moroz said. “We think it’s important to emphasize those concepts at a young age so our young people get in the mindset of creative problem solving and to take that with them for the rest of their lives.”
Aside from supporting cultural institutions, another benefit to promoting the arts in a community is breathing life into something that might have been forgotten, Gonzales Triplett said.
“Artists serve as change agents,” she said. “They are powerful and passionate and can resolve community issues. If you look at the Lansing area and look at Old Town, the arts and culture really came in and helped revitalize the local businesses.
“They came in and looked at what they had and made an effort in redevelopment. Now, in the community you see beautiful sculptures and they have a unique signature to them and some of the best restaurants in the area are down there now.”
That’s just what Hinshaw has been doing with the courtyard at Lessenger Elementary School.
Barren and empty, Hinshaw, who had retired from the school, thought something should be done with the site so he installed a koi pond. After that, the decision was made to adopt a rabbit that could live in the courtyard.
Then, after the retirement of a popular teacher known for keeping animals in her classroom, the decision was made to make a ceramic tile mural that would express the message of being gentle with nature.
This initial concept was at first given to a select couple of grades. The following year, the entire school crafted ceramic tiles to serve as murals in the court yard.
The MCACA grant, as well as donations from the community, has been assisting with what Hinshaw has needed to transform the courtyard into a place where art and nature collide.
“Mr. Hinshaw is just an innovative thinker,” said Michelle Charron, a fourth grade teacher at the school. “It’s our job to teach these children to think and to be innovators and to see connections. The courtyard allows the students to enjoy art and nature and to reflect on their experience and generate ideas.”
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John Bracey is the Executive Director of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). MCACA strengthens arts and culture in Michigan by increasing its visibility; supporting arts education; encouraging new, creative and innovative works of art; and broadening cultural understanding.
