A place for Creatives
A growing arts community
In the past decade, Michigan’s Forgotten Coast has become a destination for art tourism as well as a place artists come to work.
The Port Austin area is leading the charge on this front, but many other communities have come to embrace public art, live music, art film, and arts events.
For more information & links to local art communities, projects, and events click here.
Exhibit at the Bee Barn in Port Austin
Abundant affordable space
We realize that careers in the arts aren’t always the most monetarily profitable…but that’s not why we do it, is it?!
Good news! There’s a lot of affordable property around these parts. You can find affordable homes with large outbuildings, great basements, or interesting attic spaces to create your work.
Alternatively, you can find commercial real estate for creating or displaying your work….many also have attached housing!
If you’re lucky enough to have a lucrative career in the arts, we do have some great exclusive lakefront communities with onsite amenities as well.
Downtown Deckerville
Inspirational
Lake Huron is a major inspiration…but wait…there’s more!
There’s natural beauty all around us in the woods, the marshes, and the rivers. The vast & diverse farmland of the area also provides a great amount of inspiration for artists.
There is a large wildlife population…whitetail deer, beavers, raccoons, and the birds….omg the birds. Bald eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, barn owls, snowy owls, seagulls, swans, cranes, geese, ducks, hummingbirds, migrating songbirds, and so many more. If you’ve never been up close with a bald eagle in real life you’re missing out!
If you’re like me, you also get inspiration from the dirty, industrial landscapes too. As a big manufacturing area, we’ve got plenty of those. Both the current operations and the decaying relics of industries and farms past. Some are being rehabbed into cool new things but there’s plenty that haven't been touched in years.
Snowy owl over Lake Huron : Photo by Karen Murphy
Solitude when you want it
There’s nothing more “at the end of the world” feeling than Michigan’s Forgotten Coast in the heart of winter. The wind whipping on a frozen Lake Huron. The tourists are mostly gone. The sun sets early. People are snuggled up in their homes. It’s a fantastic time to focus on your projects!
If you get lonely, there are plenty of people around with which to socialize. In fact, the winter may be the best time to get some “community feel”. We’ve all done this for years…we get it…and we always find ways to come together. In fact, our communities continue to grow the amount of winter events in the area.
Beyond the solitude of the winter months, there are so many places to get away from people and focus on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast. Grab a kayak and hit the water. Visit one of our fantastic state, county, or local parks and take some alone time in the woods or on the beach. Visit our Dark Sky Preserve or find a secluded spot and watch our glorious night sky. There are plenty of options for solitude!
Harbor Beach Lighthouse on Lake Huron
Learn more about living & working on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast
Lake Huron is by far the biggest asset to the communities of Michigan’s Forgotten Coast. She provides drinking water, outdoor water activities & tourism, feeds our crops, provides habitat & food for our wildlife, and moderates our weather…there’s a lot to Lake Huron.