Arts + Culture

The Art of Discovery

Artist Veta McFall’s work is a dialogue with the unknown Article by Emily Klimas | Photography by Stacy Anderson The air in Veta McFall’s studio doesn't just hold the scent of drying paint. It carries the electric hum of a woman who has broken her own mirror. For a decade, McFall was a master of precision. Within her studio, she was the architect of the exact, creating pristine portraits that captured the anatomy of an eyelash and the exact grain of dog fur. "I was a master of the outer...

Home + Design

Building Beauty Together

Ann Arbor Gardens founder Crystle Partington has spent two decades transforming landscapes — and building a collective of craftspeople along the way Article by Lindsey Dodge | Photography by Stacy Anderson It’s a crisp, early spring morning, and Crystle Partington has just arrived at one of her current job sites: a stunning Craftsman-style renovation perched along the Huron River. Split boulders create organic steps up toward the cedar-shingled home, guiding visitors through a landscape that...

Life + Culture

Dedication Hope Family

The Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance provides comfort in the present and advocacy for the future Article by Emily Klimas It starts with a whisper. A subtle shift — persistent bloating, unexpected fatigue, a sudden change in routine that’s easily dismissed. But when that whisper becomes a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the resulting silence can be deafening.   In 2009, Pam Dahlmann’s mother heard those devastating words. Despite a family history of the disease, her symptoms had been...

Life + Culture

Thriving at Every Stage

Get to know speaker, workplace culture strategist, and author Michelle Silverthorn Article by Michelle Silverthorn The Work I Do I’m a keynote speaker and workplace culture strategist who helps organizations build environments where people feel they belong and can thrive. I’ve delivered two TEDx talks, written  Authentic Diversity , and I’m working on my second book about reinventing yourself at every stage of life and career.   From the Caribbean to Michigan I grew up in the Caribbean...

Shopping

From the Heart

For more than 100 years, Lewis Jewelers has helped people stay connected to the moments that matter most Article by Lindsey Dodge | Photography by Stacy Anderson Jewelry often marks the moments people remember for the rest of their lives: engagements, anniversaries, graduations, and gifts that become family heirlooms. For more than a century, Lewis Jewelers has helped customers celebrate those milestones, making the Ann Arbor jeweler part of generations of family stories.   While the store...

Home Services

A Legacy of Craftsmanship on Morton Ave

In the historic neighborhoods of Ann Arbor, homes often carry stories that span generations. For one residence in Burns Park, that story has a unique recurring theme: a partnership with Rochman Design Build that spans two different families.Having completed two significant projects for the home’s previous owners, the team was invited back by the new family to write the next chapter. This deep familiarity with the home’s "bones" allowed for a kitchen addition that feels less like a renovation and...

Life + Culture

When the People Make the Place

The quiet leadership behind Sesi Motor’s enduring legacy Article by Maria Karpiel | Photography by Stacy Anderson Walk inside the doors, and you’ll feel it. Talk to someone who works there, and you’ll experience it. Ask someone who purchased a car there, and you’ll hear it.   Things are different at Sesi Lincoln, Mazda, and Volvo.   Not louder. Not flashier. Just more deliberate and intentional. Nearly 80 years after opening as one of the original Lincoln-Mercury dealerships—backed by...

Life + Culture

Hold Them Close

Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor ensures families are never far from their hospitalized children Article by Emily Klimas Picture this: it’s late within the hospital walls. Children feel the anxiety of nightfall—not of sleep, but of separation. Of watching parents leave amidst the unknown. Of leaving a sibling behind in the hospital. A family with an infant hospitalized at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital huddles beside two LED lamps. They carry one lamp to the window and their toddler...

Life + Culture

Small-Town Charm, Big-City Energy

Ashley Schafer of the Main Street Area Association connects downtown with the community Article by Ashley Schafer Vibrant. Welcoming. Connected. As Executive Director of the Main Street Area Association, I work to keep Downtown Ann Arbor vibrant, welcoming, and connected. From signature events to business advocacy, my role focuses on supporting local merchants while creating experiences that bring the community together year-round.   Creating Experiences on Main Street From Galentine’s...

Arts + Culture

Center Stage

Shining a spotlight on Midwestern stories, talent, and voices with Jeff Daniels and The Purple Rose Theatre Company Article by Rebecca Voigt A theater is so much more than a building. It’s a home for artistic exploration, a place where old friends and strangers come together for a communal experience that’s new every time the house lights dim and the curtain rises. It’s a place that transports audiences to a different world through the story unfolding onstage. A place to laugh, cry—and learn...