Arts Market Survey - Mount Clemens, MI

In early 2019 the Downtown Development Authority contacted Artspace, a national nonprofit leader in the field of affordable creative space development, about an artist housing reuse concept for the historic St. Joseph’s Sanitarium and Bath House Building. This initial conversation resulted in the City of Mount Clemens inviting Artspace to formally explore the feasibility of creating an affordable mixed-use live/work facility in its revitalizing downtown. The Anton Art Center joined the conversation and rounded out the local, collaborative stakeholder group.

A series of focus group meetings with local leaders, artists and community members were held in April 2019, setting the stage for this next big step, a Creative Space Needs Survey of creative people. Survey respondents’ input will help the stakeholder group and Artspace determine if there is enough interest to warrant further investment in the concept and, if so, what types and how many spaces should be planned, what amenities to include, and what “affordable” really means to local artists, creatives, and makers.

If you are engaged in creative efforts and consider your work, product, or practice to be a form of art, craft, a cultural or creative expression, or heritage preservation, then we probably will too. Many creatives don’t even think of themselves as artists. A member of the creative sector:

(artists, “creatives”, arts educators/administrators, people who “make” things, and those who keep alive cultural practices)

• Has a sincere commitment to their creative-based work
• May make things that are artistic, creative, functional or all of the above! (woodturners, milliners, potters, writers, leather workers, artisanal foods/craft beverages, painters, performers, photographers, jewelers, floral arrangers, stylists)
• May be engaged in any creative/artistic/cultural pursuits including visual/performing, culinary, literary, musical, administrative, educational work or practices
• May or may not make any income form their creative-based work (or may or may not aspire to)
• May or may not create or practice full time (or may or may not aspire to)
• Has or is developing a body of work or is actively training, practicing, and/or making
• Comes from any and all walk of life

This study is made possible with the generous funding and support of the Community Foundation of SE Michigan and DTE Foundation. The City of Mount Clemens, the Anton Art Center, Downtown Development Authority and Macomb County’s Department of Planning and Economic Development are critical partners and are represented within a steering committee of volunteer community members helping to lead this effort. This project would not be possible without this dedicated local stakeholder leadership group.

The survey is developed and owned by Artspace.

The greater the response to this survey by a diverse group of artists, makers and creatives, the more useful the information will be. We need your help in getting the word out broadly and encouraging others to participate.

Please forward the survey link www.ArtspaceMountClemens.org to your friends and colleagues and share it in your social networks.

This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete, and:

• Is for everyone in the arts/maker/creative sector who currently or would like to live or work creatively in Mount Clemens.
• Is easiest to view on a large screen (computer or tablet) but is optimized for a smart phone
• Is confidential. Your private information will NOT be shared with other organizations and responses are maintained anonymously. Data is analyzed in the aggregate only.

If you would like to receive occasional updates about this project, you can sign up at the end of the survey.

If you experience any technical difficulty while taking the survey or you have any concerns or questions about survey items, please contact Teri at Artspace