ArtPrize 09-Open Water no.24 by deviant_anomaly

ART PRIZE 2009-0032 by RichardD72

AND THE WINNER IS... by rkramer62

DETAIL FROM WINNERS CANVAS by bitsorf

The first-ever ArtPrize in Grand Rapids has ended with Open Water no. 24, a 6' x 19' oil painting by Ran Ortner being chosen as the winner by public vote from 1,262 artists who exhibited at 157 venues across the city. A former pro motorcycle racer, Ortner will receive a quarter of a million dollars for his finish. The Freep reports:

Ortner said he was stunned by his win. “Wow. Exhilarating, captivating, ridiculous. Can’t get my head around it.”

It means a lot to him that those choosing his work were not professional art critics but people who were moved by his work. “There’s been a heart connection here,” he said.

And it has been good for those who voted, Ortner said. “All of a sudden, those who know nothing about art have an opinion that matters,” he said. “It really has a life larger than anything anybody anticipated.”

ArtPrize 2009 Winners

1. Ran Ortner – Open Water no. 24
2. Tracy Van Duinen – Imagine That!
3. Eric Daigh – Portraits
4. David Lubbers – The Grand Dance
5. Bill Secunda – Moose
6. Nessie Project – Nessie on the Grand
7. John Douglas Powers – Field of Reeds
8. Sarah Grant – The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art
9. Jason Hackenwerth – Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress
10. Michael Westra – winddancer 2

You can get some more links to coverage at Who won ArtPrize? on the ArtPrize blog and stay tuned to absolutemichigan.com/ArtPrize for news about ArtPrize 2010!

Check out this video below for some scenes from the Winners Celebration - the close of this dance number is really impressive!

More videos can be found at ArtPrize 2009 Absolute Michigan.

ART PRIZE 2009 by RichardD72

Michigan has taken the national stage with one eye on the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids and the other on it's burgeoning and award winning wine industry which gaining credibility amongst wine experts and wine lovers. This is truly a positive and a definite 180 degree flip from most of the national news our state receives as of late.

ArtPrize garners national attention in the New York Times

The New York Times reports on the competition and the overwhelming positive response and impact on Grand Rapids in their article Eyes on the ArtPrize by Micheline Maynard. The article also takes note of several of the exhibits including some of the final top 10 entries. The winner of ArtPrize drew over 1,200 artists and has had about 32,000 people register to vote on the works. The winner will be awarded 250,00 with a minimum of $7,000 for the nine runners-up.

No matter who wins, the 17-day competition has spurred a lively debate in Grand Rapids, a city of about 200,000 with a tradition of interest in art. It is home to several museums and a college of art and design.

“Every conversation I’ve had here for the past two weeks has been about art,” said Dustin Dwyer, a correspondent for Michigan Radio, a public radio network, who is based in Grand Rapids and has reported on the competition since its inception earlier this year. “From that perspective, it’s a success. But are we rewarding good art? That’s up for question.”

Be sure to check out Absolute Michigan on Location - ArtPrize and the Absolute Michigan's ArtPrize 2009 Page.

Michigan wine continues to gain ground as a world class product

The 45th parallel yielding good wine from Michigan, ABC reports.

Other national news regarding Michigan wines and wine trails

Off the beaten wine trail: Explore four emerging regions - USA Today

Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan: The state's 56 wineries are spread across Michigan along four wine trails, but most of the best grapes are grown near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and its bays.

Exotic vacations may be closer than you think: Napa Valley-esque wine tastings - CNN

If it's wine you want, find an alternative to Napa Valley in Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Here you'll discover more than 850 acres of land and more than 20 wineries for your choosing.

The area offers tastings and gourmet meals, and Kantrowitz says, "The region is particularly known for its great pinot blancs."

The new Napa Valley: Taste one of Obama's favorite wines at this Michigan winery - Examiner.com

The rumor is that Michigan is soon to become the new Napa Valley. With climate changes potentially affecting the California coastline, Napa vineyard owners are looking to Northern Michigan to grow their grapes.

Part of the appeal of Northern Michigan is the colder climate on the 45th Parallel where grapes for rare ice wines flourish. For more information on why wines do so well along the 45th parallel, read the Chicago Tribune’s story on this region.

Best North American Wine Destinations - Digital City

8. Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City lends itself to making Baco Noir and Cabernet Franc, thanks to grapes that grow near the shores of Lake Michigan, offering a unique climate. The rest of the state's wines come from Michigan wine country, where you can also find rare fruit and ice wines.

According to Michigan Wines - The Official Website of Michigan's Wine Industry:

Michigan's wine, grapes and grape juice products and related industries ...

... produced nearly $790 million of total economic value to the State of Michigan in 2005

... paid more than $42 million in state and local taxes in Michigan, and an additional $42 million in federal taxes

... account for more than 5,000 jobs across the state, for a payroll of more than $190 million

Check out their collection of photos of Michigan's vineyards and wineries.

Herbert Jeffries has acted, sung, even ridden--his way to the top of the entertaining world.

In the 1930s, when white singing cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers carved out names for themselves, Jeffries decided there should be black cowboy films* especially since there had been many African American cowboys in the American west.

Born in Detroit in 1911, Jeffries raised money for his first feature film. Playing the part of Bob Blake, a fearless singing cowboy, Jeffries became this country's first African American film hero when Harlem on the Prairie opened in 1936. Nicknamed the "Bronze Buckaroo," Jeffries did all his own riding and performed all his own stunts. After starring in three more cowboy movies, Jeffries left movies to start singing with Duke Ellington's orchestra. With that band as his backup, he recorded "Flamingo," which sold fourteen million copies and propelled him to the top of the jazz world.

After running a club in France for a decade following World War II, Jeffries returned to the United States where he continues to perform. In 1995, at the age of eighty-three, Jeffries recorded a Nashville album of songs entitled, The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again).

Among his many awards and recognitions, Jeffries earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to one observer in 2004, "The man is a marvel. In appearance and in voice, he seems a person half his age. . . . His voice sounds stronger now than it has ever been."

Here's Herb Jeffries singing Happy Cowboy in the 1938 movie "Two Gun Man From Harlem":

For more about Jeffries, check out herbjeffries.com. To learn more about other important African Americans in Michigan, order the book African Americans You Need to Know or subscribe to Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids by calling (800) 366-3703 or visiting www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

"We've extended our efforts to stay connected with travelers. Social media allows us to get the Pure Michigan message out to potential visitors on other platforms," commented George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, a business unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "It opens another line of communication with travelers."

In addition to the most popular state tourism Web site, michigan.org, visitors now have other means to stay up-to-date on Michigan tourism deals, discounts and events.

Connect and get the inside scoop on where the fish are biting, what greens are running fast and how you can make your visit Pure Michigan at the newly launched blog, Pure Michigan Connect. Read about bloggers' experiences along the nation's longest fresh water coastline or experience at a small town celebration. Take a minute to comment on the blog posts, or submit one of your own.

Follow @PureMichigan on Twitter for the latest events and breaking news, along with some fun behind-the-scenes information on all the things going on with Michigan tourism. Search hashtags #puremichigan, #MIevents, #MIdine, #MIgolf, #MIfish, and #MIwine, for all the latest.

Join the Pure Michigan Fan Page on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the latest events in Michigan and talk to others with the same love for Michigan. The fan page is another great resource for planning a trip.

In addition, visitors can now enjoy all the photos from the Pure Michigan Photo Contest on Flickr, or watch all of the Pure Michigan commercials on YouTube.

Michigan.org continues to be a source for Michigan travel information, featuring more than 12,000 attractions, events, hotels, resorts, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses.

Travel Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, is the State of Michigan's official agency for the promotion of tourism. Travel Michigan markets the state's tourism industry and provides valuable visitor information services.

Each summer, Mother Nature brings us hot, humid days and nights that barely cool off. Thankfully, Michigan-born businesses offer some relief in the form of sweet, refreshing treats.

Photo credit: Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm at the Faygo Plant, October 2006 (Photo Courtesy of the Granholm Leadership Fund)

FAYGO

There’s Faygo, which has been making its colorful pop in Detroit since 1907. Started by Russian brothers Ben and Perry Feigenson, Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works first offered drinks in fruit punch, strawberry and grape flavors. These flavors were inspired by frosting recipes that the men created when they worked as bakers. In 1921, the Feigenson brothers shortened the company name to Faygo. Faygo’s Web site has a more detailed history and recipes for adding Faygo to everything from ribs to cauliflower soup. Looking for some entertainment while you enjoy your pop? Check out the Faygo Boat Song (You Tube link) and the Faygo Kid (You Tube link). These old commercials may bring back some memories!

VERNOR’S

Are you in the mood for something a little less sweet? Perhaps you’d like a glass of ginger ale. Detroit pharmacist James Vernor invented Vernor’s ginger ale in the 1860s. With a close eye on quality, Vernor’s went from being sold only at a fountain in Vernor’s pharmacy to gaining fans in new markets in Ohio and New York. Now owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., Vernor’s tells its story on the Vernor’s Web site. For a more indepth look, take a look at Lawrence L. Rouch’s The Vernor’s Story: From Gnomes to Now, a 2004 Michigan Notable Book. The Images of America series has published Vernor’s Ginger Ale by Keith Wunderlich, complete with factory photos, promotional images and shots of the company’s one-time mascot, the gnome. Both books are available at the Library of Michigan.

Cover to The Vernor's Story by Lawrence L. Rouch

POP VS. SODA

Not sure if you should call these drinks pop or soda? Check out The Pop vs. Soda Web Page, which shows that Michigan is clearly a green state. (On the site’s interactive map, green represents people who use the term “pop,” as opposed to “coke” or “soda.”)

Faygo Root Beer Takes Top Honors

Absolute Michigan would like to add to the article and point out that Bon Apetit has named Faygo Old Fashioned Root Beer as their favorite Root Beer.

Old-fashioned root beer is the newest restaurant drink trend—suddenly, it's on menus everywhere. What sets these sodas apart is that they're caffeine-free and usually sweetened with cane sugar, not corn syrup: Think root beer returning to its roots. Style varies from sweet to dry and from mild to zingy. The satisfying and complex flavors can come from cinnamon, vanilla, sassafras, ginger, licorice, cherry—and even wintergreen to balance out the sweetness.

They describe Faygo Old Fashioned Root Beer as being "Dry and crisp, with a frothy head, a good bite, and a long finish."

A list of performers is listed on the Show Attractions page. Unfortunately, the schedule is not solidified until the morning of the air show to allow for security, safety, weather or operational concerns.

For a historical perspective and Michigan's role in it check out A Story of Airpower from World War I to the 21st Century by By Philip Handleman Historian, Selfridge Base Community Council.

Wikipedia has a slew of great info on the Selfridge Air National Guard Base

The Detroit News has a preview piece about the air show titled Tech will be really high at Selfridge air show (click to read the entire piece)

A jet just like the one Karns used Wednesday and more than 100 other types of aircraft, including the KC-135 refueling jet, the A-10 Warthog attack jet and F-16 fighter jet, will either fly over Selfridge or be on display during the air show.

In addition, the U.S. Air Force precision flight team, the Thunderbirds, will demonstrate more than 40 aerial maneuvers.

A major theme for the 2009 show is technology, said Lt. Anthony Lesterson, a spokesman for the 127th Wing.

To that end, the latest in military equipment will be on display along with an exhibit from NASA, he said.

The 127th Wing and the show's organizers are expecting as many as 200,000 spectators.

It also looks at the proposed elimination of the Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries (HAL). In a move that lies somewhere between shortsighted and Visigoth, Michigan's Governor has proposed eliminating HAL to save - drum roll please - 2 million dollars. As columnist Jack Lessenberry notes in his essay Saving Our Past from Politicians, that's roughly 1/10th of one percent of the money that is necessary to close our budget gap:

Our state has its own great library too, the Library of Michigan in Lansing, which has been around, in one form or another, since before we became a state. It contains 5.6 million priceless books, documents and records, all in a wonderful building in Lansing.

Any citizen can use the library and check out material from it. Additionally, thanks to federal matching funds, the state library system is able to subscribe to online databases that allow Michigan residents to access a vast array of resources from across the world.

...(Governor Jennifer Granholm) has issued an executive order transferring control of the library to the Department of Education. And that‘s not just a meaningless bureaucratic procedure. Along with it comes dramatic cuts, and a real chance that the library’s extensive collections will be scattered.

James Seidl, who directs a consortium of 49 libraries on southern Michigan was deeply appalled. “Distributing or removing these collections destroys 180 years of collecting, cataloging an preserving materials,” he told the Toledo Blade last week. (read article)

...What that would probably do is end all arts grants funding in the state, which means we would lose matching federal funds as well. The state librarian would be fired. The popular Michigan History magazine would stop publishing. The library would also stop allowing patrons to check out books, which, as respected Lansing columnist Susan Demas noted ironically (read her column), is sort of why libraries exist.

Michigan residents enjoy countless benefits from HAL. I strongly urge you to join the Save the Michigan Dept of History, Arts & Libraries Facebook group and share the link with your friends and urge them to apply some pressure to your Michigan representatives. History is a treasure that we hold for our children and as Jack notes, the lesson of Alexandria is too important to ignore.

So we present to you:

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town brought to you by the fine folks at the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. Consider organizing one in your area!

About Be A Tourist In Your Own Town

Fifteen years ago, the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau created this event to increase community awareness of it's attractions and the tourism industry's impact on the area. So once again the doors are open for you to explore culture and creativity in mid-Michigan.

As Lansing celebrates its 150th anniversary, take this opportunity to enjoy attractions that highlight both Lansing’s unique history as well as its innovative and progressive future. This year they have included old favorites such as Impression 5 Science Center, Potter Park Zoo and the Michigan Historical Museum, and added new hot spots like the FRAG Center, MSU’s Breslin Center, WKAR Studios and taste the new “Capital City Sundae” ice cream flavor at the MSU Dairy Store. You can view a complete list of the participating places to go and things right here.

How it Works:

For only $1 you can purchase a “passport” which allows you FREE admission to more than 60 area attractions, local businesses, and special activities on May 30, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. **Ages 3 and under do not require a passport. Get from place to place with CATA. For only 50 cents you will receive a stamp which will allow you to ride the Be A Tourist routes for the rest of the day for no extra charge.

Check out a slideshow of the Lansing area from the Absolute Michigan Flickr pool!

inducement by powerbooktrance

Yesterday the city of Grand Rapids announced the ArtPrize, a competition open to artists of all kinds from around the world that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. The display and voting will run from September 23 - October 10, 2009:

“It’s time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public. ArtPrize will be a celebration of art, design, and innovation that will bring artists and the public together like never before,” said ArtPrize creator Rick DeVos.

The city of Grand Rapids will become art gallery. ArtPrize art works and performances, professional and amateur, will be exhibited at hundreds of venues, all within a three-square mile area in Grand Rapids’ downtown riverfront district. The city has offered up parks and bridges for outdoor venue displays. Scores of businesses will convert lobbies and public space for displays.

They are holding a town hall meeting on Monday (Apr 27) to explain the ArtPrize and you can view the press conference with Rick DeVos announcing the competition from mLive.

Last "Everything" at Tiger Stadium by RichKD

Tiger Stadium from Wikipedia

Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) is a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The stadium is nicknamed "The Corner" for its location on Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Boulevard. Many in the metropolitan Detroit area feel that the stadium serves as a living metaphor for the city.

On April 20, 1912, Navin Field was opened, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. The intimate configurations of both stadiums, both conducive to high-scoring games featuring home runs, prompted baseball writers to refer to them as "bandboxes" or "cigar boxes".

The folks behind Save Tiger Stadium tell us:

The reports of Tiger Stadium’s demise are greatly exaggerated. For over a year The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has been quietly working on a plan to preserve the entire playing field and a significant portion of the beloved old ballpark. This is a plan the Detroit City Council approved last summer because we don’t want to build a monument to honor Detroit’s baseball history, we want to keep it.

What would a birthday be without song? So we present The Corner by Ben Hassenger

The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society will co-sponsor simultaneous 100HA events on both April 3rd and 4th with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kingman Museum of Battle Creek as part of the International Astronomical Union’s “100 Hours of Astronomy” celebration by inviting the public to take a closer look at what’s up there --- way, way, way up there. This event takes place just when the Moon goes from First Quarter to Waxing Gibbous, good phases for early evening observing. Saturn will be the other highlight of early evening observing events.

Using much more sophisticated and technical equipment than Galileo had in 1609, society members and museum staff will point their telescopes to provide views of the moon, the vast plains called Maria, chains of mountains and craters. Further east, the planet Saturn will come into focus, revealing the rings that remained a mystery to Galileo.

Eric Schreur, the museum’s planetarium coordinator, said the free stargazing will begin at 8 p.m. on both that Friday and Saturday, and continue until people’s eyes grow tired of the celestial sights.

The concept of “100 Hours of Astronomy” is derived from the fact that, beginning on the evening of April 2, backyard stargazers around the world will set up their telescopes to give public audiences the chance to look up close and personal skyward.

As the earth turns into its shadow, observers in different cities will keep a continuous watch on the night sky until four days have elapsed. Major observatories around the world will participate by streaming webcasts to audiences in distant cities.

Throughout the four-day period, somewhere around the earth a telescope will be aimed into the night sky.

Another IYA goal is to have millions of people viewing the night sky through telescopes of their own.

Some people have telescopes buried in a closet or garage. The Telescope Amnesty Program invites people to bring them to IYA events, including those at the museum, where experienced stargazers can demonstrate how to set them up, or tune them for better performance.

Computers in the 1950s by Seeking Michigan

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries has launched the Seeking Michigan Web site (www.seekingmichigan.org), a growing collection of unique historical information that - through digitized source documents, maps, films, images, oral histories and artifacts - creatively tells the stories of Michigan's families, homes, businesses, communities and landscapes. The site also employs the latest Web technologies and social media.

Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center, says that the thrust of Seeking Michigan is to move the archives and library experience out of the buildings and into people's lived. "We want to give visitors historical content and, whenever possible, the context for that content," she explained. "For K-12 educators, there's also a 'teach' page that links up with related resources and grade-level content expectations. Seeking Michigan is definitely a big boost for those who already have an interest in our state's history, including scholars, authors, genealogists and publishers," she said. "What we're very excited about is the prospect of introducing new generations of Michigan residents to the Michigan they thought they knew and helping them forge connections with our state's remarkable past."

With plans in place to add much more material, Seeking Michigan currently includes:

• More than 100,000 pages of Civil War documents
• Approximately 10,000 photographs
• A variety of Michigan sheet music
• Lots of old video!
• Roughly 1 million death records, indexed for easy searching by name, death date, location and age
• A rich section about Michigan's 44 past governors
• Works Progress Administration data (circa 1936-1942) about land and buildings throughout rural Michigan
• Oral histories with notable Michigan residents

Check it all out at seekingmichigan.org!

Star Trek: The Experience by Ralph Krawczyk Jr
Ralph's Trek slideshow

David Coates has produced a great preview (be sure to watch in high-quality) of the Star Trek exhibit at the Detroit Science Center. It opens tomorrow (February 14) and runs through Labor Day 2009:

The show will cover about 12,000 square feet on two levels. Visitors will be able to wander around a replica of the original Enterprise's bridge or the transporter room from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (and have your picture taken). They can see re-creations of the Guardian of Forever set from the classic episode "City on the Edge of Forever," along with Capt. Picard's quarters. Or ride one of two flight simulators. Even the elevator will be decked out.

More about the exhibit in Final Frontier Wednesday: Star Trek in Detroit, Agreements in DC on Absolute Michigan.

Dr. Frost will speak about her book, particularly bout the Blackburns’ experience of freedom and re-capture in Michigan. She will explain the legal debate in Canada that resulted in a refusal to extradite the Blackburns to all but certain re-enslavement. The Blackburn case was the first serious legal dispute between Canada and the United States regarding the Underground Railroad. The impassioned defense of the Blackburns by Canada’s lieutenant governor set precedents for all future fugitive-slave cases.

Mark Harvey and the Archives staff have assembled a collection of legal documents from the Blackburn case that will be on display on the first floor of the Michigan Historical Museum all weekend, Feb. 7-8. These items include copies of affidavits sworn in Louisville by those seeking to regain custody of the couple; copies of warrants issued in Wayne County for the arrest of the Blackburns under the federal Fugitive Slave Law of 1793; and documents sent to Territorial Governor Porter explaining why they were refusing Michigan’s request for extradition. This case helped to establish Canada as the ultimate haven for men, women and children who escaped slavery in the American South.

Copies of "I've Got a Home in Glory Land" will be on sale in the Museum Store and Dr. Frost will be available to sign copies of her book following the presentation.

The Lansing City Pulse has a feature interview article with Dr. Frost in the Feb. 4, 2009 edition.

You can click over to see events & exhibits in Michigan relating to Abraham Lincoln, including the cool " This Week in the Life of Lincoln" feature and an essay contest. Check out a video of Lincoln's only Michigan appearance, on August 27, 1865 at a rally for the first-ever Republican presidential candidate, Charles C. Fremont, in Kalamazoo:

Untitled by susiej35

The Detroit News takes a look at what Governor Granholm is likely to propose in tonight's State of the State address to address Michigan's $1.6 billion deficit. It's not pretty:

Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants to eliminate the 160-year-old Michigan State Fair, slash elected officials' pay by 10 percent and slim down state government from 18 departments to eight.

The proposals, to be outlined in her seventh State of the State address Tuesday, underscore the gravity of Michigan's budget crisis, and the impact of the national recession on this state...

Lt. Gov. John Cherry will lead a year-long commission charged with reducing the number of state departments in future years, but Granholm will propose scrapping the 226-employee, $52.2 million Department of History, Arts and Libraries this year.

Michigan public television stations will broadcast the address and the Detroit Free Press will be streaming the State of the State online.

Tune in here at 6:30 or so tonight and we'll be live-blogging the State of the State and hope you'll add your comments to the mix!

Rarely seen interior images of fifty cozy summer cottages and narratives provide a portrait of a special place and state of mind evoked by summer cottage living on beautiful Glen Lake. These cottages are viewed against the backdrop of early summer resort life in northern Michigan the first half of the twentieth century. Dietrich Floeter’s duotone photographs and author Barbara Siepker’s captivating historical narratives include personal anecdotes on each cottage. The cottage is shown in its glory and reveals its importance in the lives of its owners and the broader community. In total they document the essence of these wonderful old cottages as well as life and time of bygone years.

These rich cottage images have been captured with care and reverence by Traverse City photographer, Dietrich Floeter. His intention choice of a wide view camera replicates the type and style of camera that would have been used during the time period of the early resort era. Floeter has captured their essence through close attention to light and detail which he has meticulously set up and framed. Floeter has been a commercial photographer for twenty-three years, specializing in architectural, industrial and aerial work.

A few articles of interest include Historic Cottages of Glen Lake on the Glen Lake Association website, Siepker’s book remembers historic cottages on the Glen Arbor Sun website and Glen Lake Book Wins Big on MyNorth.com. You may also want to check out this slideshow of Glen Lake from the Absolute Michigan flickr pool.

If you want more information or would like to purchase this Michigan Notable Book visit The Cottage Books website, which is owned by author Barbara Siepker.

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

From the era of European exploration to the beginning of the Civil War, the Straits of Mackinac were a crucial link in the westward water transportation system of the United States. As the primary route to Lake Michigan and the Mississippi Valley, the Straits were a highway for the fur trade, a hotbed of military outposts, and one of the first settled areas of Michigan. Later, the natural beauty of the Straits, and particularly of Mackinac Island, led to the popularity of the area as a nineteenth-century tourist destination. A Picturesque Situation uses documents, maps, drawings, and prints to illustrate the unique history of the Straits from 1615 to 1860.

Beginning in the seventeenth century, Native Americans, soldiers, missionaries, traders, explorers, and scientists recorded their impressions of the Straits of Mackinac in letters, reports, diaries, books, and legal and financial documents. Military officers noted fortifications and topography, surveyors mapped boundaries, cartographers defined local geography, and travelers sketched scenery and local personalities. All of these rare and important glimpses of Mackinac before the age of the camera are elegantly presented in this oversized, full-color volume. The text of A Picturesque Situation complements its many images by detailing their history and incorporating the words and descriptions of people who visited or lived at the Straits before 1860.

Although much has been written about the history of the Straits of Mackinac, most works focus on narrow aspects of its history. Michigan historians and those interested in life in the pre–Civil War United States will appreciate the broad and striking picture of the Straits painted by A Picturesque Situation.

Published by Wayne State University Press

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

“I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and take care of. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one—and enjoy with his family the blessings of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”—Henry Ford First rolled out in 1908 with an $850 price tag, the Model T Ford was the nation’s first mass-produced, affordable, and versatile vehicle. It made Americans mobile as never before, spurred a revolution in manufacturing methods, and marked a sea change in automotive design and engineering. Just in time for the centennial celebration of the Model T, Robert Casey captures the remarkable story of that car’s history and development and of its long-lasting impact on America. Here are the people who built the Model T and how, the folks who purchased it and why, and the profound technological leaps in mass production and mass consumption that we rightly associate with the Model T. Casey discusses how the car was designed, built, sold, and driven, as well as how owners tinkered with it. He describes the experience of driving a Model T and explains how a few engineering innovations—a one-piece cylinder block with detachable cylinder head, a clever flexible suspension system, the use of lightweight vanadium alloy steel—led to the car’s reliability and popularity and spurred innovations across the motor vehicle industry. Richly illustrated with archival photos from The Henry Ford—many never before published—The Model T is the definitive history of an iconographic piece of American technology.

Robert Casey is the curator of transportation at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. They have a really cool online Model T exhibit with resources for teachers to bring into their classrooms. Jack Lessenberry interviews the author and you can listen to it on Jack's blog - Jack Lessenberry's Essays and Interviews. Also be sure to check out the following articles that appeared in the New York Times, the L.A. Times and on MotorCities National Heritage Area.

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

Mary Ellen Geist decided to leave her job as a CBS Radio anchor to return home to Michigan when her father's Alzheimer's got to be too much for her mother to shoulder alone. She chose to live her life by a different set of priorities: to be guided by her heart, not by outside accomplishment and recognition.

The New York Times wrote a front page story on Mary Ellen on Thanksgiving 2005. It was one of the most e-mailed stories for the month. Through her own story and through interviews with doctors and other women who've followed the "Daughter Track"–leaving a job to care for an aging parent–Geist offers emotional insights on how to encourage interaction with the loved one you're caring for; how to determine daily tasks that are achievable and rewarding; how the personality of the patient affects the caregiving and the progression of the diseases; as well as invaluable advice about how caregivers can take care of themselves while accomplishing the Herculean task of constantly caring for others.

Geist's years in journalism allow her to report on Boomers' caretaking dilemmas with professional objectivity, and her warm voice brings compassion and insight to one of the most difficult stituations a son or daughter may face during his or her life.

Listen to an audio interview with Mary Ellen Geist from 'The Diane Rehm Show' and read the article ""Measure of the Heart" author Mary Ellen Geist talks about her dad's battle with Alzheimer's" on mlive.com.

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

Pewabic Pottery -Detroit by DetroitDerek

Pewabic Pottery is a living treasure and offers visitors an exciting glimpse of a little known part of American history. Founded in 1903 during the Arts & Crafts Movement, Pewabic is nationally renowned for its tile and pottery in unique glazes. Today it is a non profit ceramic art education center which welcomes 70,000 visitors annually.

Photographer DetroitDerek's Flickr page goes on to mention:

Now a Historic National Landmark, the studio and school at Pewabic Pottery first opened in 1903. Their pottery is on display all over the world, including the Louvre in Paris.They are also famous for their special glazed tiles, some are in use at Comerica Park in Detroit with the Detroit Tiger's English D on them, and at numerous Detroit Landmarks.

In addition to their Museum Store Pewabic Pottery's Online Store is offering FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OF $100 OR MORE UNTIL 12/31/08!

Model D has a YouTube vid on the unique pottery that is a great watch.... So watch it!

Other resources to learn more about Pewabic Pottery:
Google timeline - Pewabic Pottery, 1900-2008

Wikipedia - Pewabic Pottery

Pewabic Vessels in the Margaret Watson Parker Collection

National Park Service's Pewabic Pottery page

girl in the D - Detroit's Pewabic Pottery

Check out the Absolute Michigan 2008 Holiday Gift Guide for more great gift ideas!

Star Trek - TOS Bridge Set by tkksummers

The Detroit Free Press reports that:

"Star Trek: The Exhibition" is to make its first Midwest stop at the Detroit Science Center beginning Feb. 14, the museum is to announce today. Tickets are to go on sale Friday, in time for people to buy as Christmas gifts for their favorite Trekkies.

"We are thrilled to be the first Midwest venue for the exhibit," said Todd Slisher, vice president of science programs at the museum. "I think it's one of the major blockbuster exhibitions traveling around the country."

You can learn more about the exhibition (with photos) from TrekMovie.com and though the Detroit Science Center web page on the Star Trek exhibit.

While you're checking out the strange and unusual, be sure to take a trip to the salt mines beneath Detroit via Michigan in Pictures!

Distant frontiers appear to have gotten closer in Washington as well, with the Detroit News reporting yesterday that Democrats in Congress and the White House have reached an agreement in principle on a bailout package. It's clear that the auto industry will have nothing like the free reign of the finance markets, however:

The changes to the plan hammered out Tuesday leave little wiggle room for the automakers, which will have to radically cut costs, restructure debt and negotiate new concessions with the United Auto Workers in a few short months to hold on to the loan money. Shareholders and others are also likely to have to make concessions.

OK, here's a little (low quality) video tour of the exhibition:

Bat by reddeviltj

In Michigan bats - featuring the Iron Mountain Bat Mine, Edward Vielmetti introduces us to the Millie Mine, a critical hibernating and breeding location for up to 50,000 bats - one of the largest known concentrations of bats in the Midwest. He writes that the little brown bat is especially abundant throughout Michigan and is the most seen species. Bats are of course very beneficial due to their propensity for bug eating, but we can't blame folks for being a little wary. Click through to Edward's blog for more about bats and learn much more about bats including how to build a bat house from The Bat Zone at the Cranbrook Institute of Science.

On the last Wednesday of every month, Absolute Michigan has a "Weird Wednesday" - a celebration of the scary and the strange in Michigan. The woman who inspired us and who provides most of the content is Linda S. Godfrey, author of one of the best Michigan books ever: Weird Michigan. She's joined with Michigander Linda Shiel for a new book Strange Michigan: More Wolverine Weirdness - click that link for info on the book and upcoming signings!

High Ground by Ross Sandelius

Probably the scariest thing we have for you today is news that investor Kirk Kerkorian is starting to sell his $1 billion stake in Ford Motor Company. David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor observes "It's reaching a point where we'll have to decide if we’re willing to let the U.S. auto industry fail. It depends on the urgency that the government feels to save these companies." With a total employment of 200,000, a web of many more businesses that they feed and retirment committments to over a million Americans, you have to wonder how the government could not come to their rescue. Still, there are limits to what the US will be able to spend on our economic woes.

That's a tough note to end on, so instead, how about we remind you of our massive Michigan Haunted Houses, Mazes & Attractions page that features all kinds of haunted houses, corn mazes and scary attractions from all across Michigan.

Have something spooky to share? Post it in the comments!

The photo is Yes by Amy Palomar, seen (with so many others) in Exposure.Detroit - dive into the Exposure.Detroit Flickriver.

Amy says that if she could add music, it would be this.

Van Andel Museum by DarrinW

As an autumn evening descends, WGVU and D&W present Food, Wine & All That Jazz, West Michigan’s premier wine tasting event at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Enjoy more than 35 tables filled with over 300 domestic wine selections from Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, New York and other North American wine producing areas. In addition, tempt your tastes with over 25 tables of select gourmet foods provided by D&W foods.

Enjoy these tastes with a backdrop of live jazz by Sheila Landis Trio and The Jim Cooper Trio.

Visitors may make a night of it and reserve a Food, Wine & All That Jazz hotel package at the new JW Marriott or the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

Untitled by Sara Behm

Today is the autumn equinox and fall starts in about 15 minutes (11:44 am), so I hope everyone has a chance pay their official respects to summer 2008.

After last week's Event-a-palooza, this weekend's Four Flags Area Apple Festival in Niles (Sep 25-28) and the American Heritage Festival in Lansing (Sep 27 & 28) might seem like something of an anti-climax.

However, our Absolute Michigan Event Calendar lists a bunch more including the West Michigan Oktoberfest in Grand Rapids (Sep 26-27), the Northern Michigan Lamb & Wool Festival in West Branch (Sep 27-28) which is not to be confused with the Mt. Bruce Station Sheep & Wool Festival in Romeo (Sep 27-28).

Dueling sheep festivals? You can't make this stuff up.

Celebration events are scheduled for Ishpeming, Lansing, and Marquette during September and October.

The Lansing City Pulse has more on this in their feature Anatomy of a Murder, turns 50

The defendant was acquitted of first degree murder 50 years ago. To try him again would be double jeopardy, which is unconstitutional. And your honor — did we mention that he’s a fictional character? Objections overruled.

The people of the state of Michigan will never rest the case against Lieutenant Frederick Manion. It’s way too much fun. In spring 1958, “Anatomy of a Murder,” a quirky, racy, philosophical best-seller by a fly-fishing Michigan Supreme Court justice began a six-month run at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, until something even quirkier, racier and more philosophical — Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” — toppled it in late September.

The following year, “Anatomy” became a full-scale cultural icon, inspiring a hit movie directed by Otto Preminger, with James Stewart, George C. Scott and Duke Ellington in featured roles.

The naughty-pine crime drama also gave Michigan’s Upper Peninsula its headiest (and only) hour of glamour. Author John Voelker (writing as Robert Traver) set the tale in his “remote and raffish” home peninsula, drawing on per sonal experience as a U.P. defense attor ney. A year later, he urged Preminger to drag cast and crew to the shores of Lake Superior, resulting in one of the most off beat and effective location shoots in film history.

The Hollywood wildfire burned out in Ishpeming 50 years ago, but the book and its reputation still tower like old growth.

Also see:
Anatomy of a Murder: JUSTICE EQUALITY A Trip Through Our Nation's Legal Justice System

Anatomy of a Murder at Wikipedia

Michigan's Most Enduring Settlement

Wikipedia's Flint, Michigan page says that some scholars consider the Saginaw Valley, particularly the vicinity of Flint, to be the oldest continually inhabited part of Michigan. The Flint River had several convenient fords which became points of contention among rival tribes, as attested by the presence of arrowheads and burial mounds near Flushing. The region is a microcosm for the development of Michigan, transition from lumbering in the 19th century to carriages at the dawn of the 20th and on to a prominent role in the auto industry where it became the birthplace of the UAW.

Photos from the Region

The photo above is Old Flint HDR by hemicuda8. It's one of a number of photos that can be explored in the Flint, MI group on Flickr. Other groups from the region include Tri-cities Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan and Bay City MI. Some searches you might enjoy include Flint Michigan, Saginaw (and Saginaw River), Midland Michigan and Port Huron.

Sugar & Wind

While the beleaguered auto industry gets much of the regional press, there are a lot of other industries in the region. One of the oldest is sugar. The Michigan Sugar Company's history page says that after loggers had cleared the pine forests in the area, the land was virtually unusable due to the massive expanse of tree stumps left behind and (eventually) sugar beets became the solution. Fast forward 125 years and once again the resourcefulness of folks in the region is being demonstrated. Michigan's Thumb has become the seat

What is there to DO in Flint/Tri-cities?

With its enduring history and a number of wealthy patrons of arts & culture, all kinds of cool cultural attractions have been established in the region. Some of our favorites include the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum in University Center - home to the greatest collection of work from this longtime Michigan resident, the The Castle Museum of Saginaw, the Port Huron Museum and the Frankenmuth Historical Museum. The Flint Institute of Arts features work by Renoir, Cassatt & Wyeth and the Saginaw Art Museum boasts a collection of art and artifacts in excess of 2,500 pieces that 4,500 years of art history. If you never have, a walk through the Dow Gardens is not to be missed.

Hay on the water by Alanna St. Laurent

There's of course plenty of auto & vehicle history at sites like Junction Valley Railroad (Bridgeport - very cool) and Michigan's Own Military & Space Museum. Children (of all ages) will enjoy the Antique Toy & Firehouse Museum in Bay City, Crossroads Village in Flint, Mid-Michigan Children's Museum (Saginaw) and the Saginaw Children's Zoo.

Where do I go for more?

To explore the region, check out the county pages for Arenac, Bay, Genesee, Gladwin, Huron, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, St Clair, Tuscola Counties. You'll also want to see visitflint.org
Visit Saginaw County, Tour Bay City, The Midland CVB and Blue Water CVB (Port Huron).