Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization Receives a $10,000 Creative Ideas Award from Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

Photo courtesy of Riverfolk.

Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization has been awarded a $10,000 Creative Ideas Award by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Riverfolk sought the award to continue their September-through-May Live Music Series in the historic Blacksmith Shop located at 324 E. Main Street.  These concerts present Michigan performers, and pair the concerts with local southeast Michigan food and drink vendors.

The next concert in the series will be presented January 23 and feature Cut Time Productions, a group out of Detroit that is redefining classical and symphonic music by presenting in non-traditional venues. To keep posted on upcoming events, visit Riverfolk’s Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Riverfolk.

The Blacksmith Shop, currently owned by the Historical Society, had been one of Riverfolk’s venues for presenting successful benefit concerts for its Cultural Art Strings division. The charming, historical and intimate landmark with wonderful acoustics offers a memorable experience. The musicians that have played in the space are eager to come back.

The good news came on the eve of their second concert this year presenting Sel De Terre, one of Manchester’s Cajun Bands. Led by fiddler, local resident and violin maker Peter Lynch with Emily Slomovitz on fiddle, Steve Rohs on guitar, Jacob Warren on bass, and John Reiser on accordion. Dance Instructor Mark Stoltz was on hand to teach a few lessons and encourage the audience to get our of their seats. The house was packed with 45 in attendance and standing room only!  Audience members came from as far away as Okemos, Hillsdale, Commerce, Dearborn, Plymouth, Canton and Ann Arbor. Food and drink included samplings of Seafood Gumbo, Bistro Bread, and Key Lime Pie from Ann Arbor’s The Quarter Bistro specializing in Cajun and Creole Food, with some additional offerings of Spiced Pecans, Cranberry Pecan Bread Pudding and a non-alcoholic “Hurricane” mocktail donated by Board Members.

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation recently completed a market study to report on the economic impact the arts and cultural events have on local economies. The resulting data found that on average, people who attend arts and culture events, spend an additional $27 in a local economy above and beyond the price of the event.  (You can read more about it here.)  In order to encourage organizations that are focusing on generating economic impact, the AAACF put out a “Call for Ideas” to award a total of $30,000.

For Manchester to receive a third of the amount allocated for this expansive project is quite an honor. Riverfolk reports that the entries were quite competitive according to the AAACF representative Katie Van Dusen who informed them of the award. Riverfolk looks forward to being a part of the answer that will spur our local Manchester economy and appreciates the opportunity afforded to them by the AAACF. Although all of the remaining concerts through April have been booked, Riverfolk is welcoming requests from residents that would like to see a favorite local group presented.

Photo courtesy of Riverfolk.

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by Fritz Swanson

Fritz Swanson has written for The Believer, the Christian Science Monitor, Print Magazine, McSweeney's, Esopus, LSA Magazine, and The Mid-American Review. He serves as a trustee on the Manchester District Library Board. He's the designer and publisher of The Manchester Mirror.

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