As more and more cities and citizens in Michigan are paying mind to the impact that creative professionals have on communities, I suspect that few are hip to what artists and musicians really need in order to do their thing. I’m pleased to share an article I wrote for annarbor.com about SPUR Studios, the Ypsilanti creative community’s answer to an overflowing demand for affordable artist studio space and band practice space in the surrounding Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area.

Most of us have plenty of room in our homes to pursue our creative hobbies. Knitters can throw their yarn into a basket or stick their needles in the crack of a chair until next time. Sure, you had to rearrange your living room a bit to make room for your piano. But what would you do if you found a calling in large-scale metal sculpture making? Are you ready to convert your garage into a studio? What if you don’t even have a garage? Creating art professionally frequently requires more than a few shelves of plastic bins in your closet. 

SPUR Studios is a fun, social “office” space, where artists can store their materials and make a mess, and a loud rock band doesn’t have to worry about noise violations. It is also an instance of Ypsilanti’s creative community becoming stakeholders in the creative economy. I hope you enjoy reading about how SPUR Studios is spurring individual creativity with one eye on the future of Ypsilanti's cultural vibrancy.