Photo of the Crosshatch property by Amanda Kik. 

Where Art Meets Earth

Crosshatch has a 185-year plan. No, really. From our great-grandparents to our great-grandchildren, we're placing ourselves in the middle of seven generations to understand our place in this place we call home, even as we create the community we crave.

Here's the nickel tour of Crosshatch (née ISLAND) in three phases: past, present and future.

Where we Were

• Founded ISLAND (2005)

• Researched sustainable living movements, artist residency programs and land-based education programs

• Began partnering with our favorite local organizations to hold workshops

• (re)Invented the "Skill Swap" model of bringing the community together to teach and learn hands-on skills (2006)

• Began looking for (and then found!) property, while also decentralizing operations so we could offer programming throughout the 10-county area of northwest Lower Michigan

• Started the "beta test" artist residency program at the Hill House in Mancelona (2010-2017), serving one artist or small group at a time

• Changed our name to Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology (2016)

Where we Are

• Running a few score educational events each year, including the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference and Farm School

• Supporting artists through pop-up residencies, like the Long Memory Project

• Partnering with visionary organizations throughout the region

• Refining and explaining the big picture of our work through writing and public speaking

• Developing the Guilds program, the Chicken Coupe, Preservation Station and other structures for supporting small farmers and homesteaders

Where we are headed

• Develop 50 acres of farmland into Hatchquarters, an ecological farmstead + artist residency program + community space for small gatherings

• Join our community in building 416 Eighth Street in Traverse City, a cooperative development that includes a listening room—run by Crosshatch—to bring great music to Traverse City and support local artists

• Support our community in developing space for social dances, art exhibits, potlucks, classes, and more

• Materialize the concept "art meets earth" through the collaboration of artists, farmers, and ecologists at Hatchquarters

• Continue to offer and expand on programs hosted with partners throughout the region

• Continue to refine and develop our efforts toward building a resilient community culture; passing on the work and the philosophy to the next generations as we reverse the decline of natural systems and build the local places