2023 Annual Report
What happened in 2023
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September's 11th annual Alcona Arts Retreat drew 34 students to four classes. The Art for Adults class hosted by artist Gary McKinney continued on Saturday afternoons at the Harrisville library. Summer Art for Kids became part of the after-school and summer school program at Alcona Elementary School, with 35 youngsters signed up. The Grand Art program was absorbed into the after-school program. Kids were offered art lessons twice a week. In addition, IA helped sponsor a two-week series of ceramics lessons for students at Alcona High School, with special instructors. |
The 7th annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat ran successfully in October 2023, with 18 students and five teachers. The Alcona Authors twice-monthly sessions welcomed six aspiring writers during the year. Inspiration Alcona again sponsored the Sunrise Side Wine, Brew & Food Festival in its 29th year. The event, which sold about 800 tickets, also featured live music. Dockside Jams ran a successful summer program at Harrisville Harbor, then moved indoors, first to the Brickhouse Restaurant and then to the Harrisville Arts Council building. |
In late December, Inspiration Alcona won a $88,800 grant to offer after-school tutoring and enrichment classes to Alcona Community Schools students. The resulting program started running in early 2024. The Chalk Art contest at Harmony Weekend drew about 60 entrants and put smiles on many young faces. Inspiration Alcona became a major sponsor of and partner in the Sunrise Side Music Festival held in August, which set another crowd record. IA sponsored a beer and wine tent. From June to September, Harbor Nights delivered its third season, twelve concerts by professional Michigan singer-songwriters for crowds that usually topped 100 listeners. |
2022 Annual Report
What happened in 2022
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September's Alcona Arts Retreat drew 24 students to three classes even though a fourth class had to be canceled at the last minute, disappointing eight more students, when the teacher suffered an emergency. |
The 6th annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat ran successfully in October 2022, with 14 students and five teachers. |
In late December, Inspiration Alcona won a $70,300 grant to offer after-school tutoring and enrichment classes to Alcona Community Schools students. The resulting program started running in early 2023. |
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The Art for Adults class hosted by artist Gary McKinney continued on Saturday afternoons at the Harrisville library. |
The Alcona Authors twice-monthly sessions welcomed 10 aspiring writers during the year. |
The Chalk Art contest at Harmony Weekend drew a record number of entrants and many smiles on young faces. |
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Summer Art for Kids enrolled 28 young artists in two one-week sessions. Alcona Elementary's Brooke Green led the first week. Detroit ceramicist Ricky Blanding taught the second. The Grand Art program had to switch to Alcona Elementary School from the Senior Center because the center was closed for covid precautions. The kids lost the fun of working with the seniors. |
Inspiration Alcona took over the Sunrise Side Wine, Brew & Food Festival. The event sold 918 tickets, the biggest event ever held by Inspiration Alcona. Dockside Jams ran a successful summer program at Harrisville Harbor, then moved indoors, first to the Brickhouse Restaurant and then to the Harrisville Arts Council building. |
Inspiration Alcona became a major sponsor of and partner in the Sunrise Side Music Festival held in August, which set another crowd record. From June to September, Harbor Nights delivered its second season, a dozen concerts by professional Michigan singer-songwriters for crowds that usually topped 100 listeners. |
2021 Annual Report
What happened in 2021
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The fourth annual Alcona Small Farm Conference scheduled for February 2021 had to be canceled because of covid. |
Although we tried to offer virtual versions, the after-school guitar and ukulele lessons were victims of covid all year. |
The Grand Art program that links senior citizens and schoolchildren in art projects was also closed down by covid. It resumed early in 2022. |
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The Art for Adults class began in February but had to shut down in mid-March. It resumed briefly twice as covid rules changed, then returned for good in April 2021. |
The Alcona Authors writing group was also able to resume, with interruptions for covid waves, during 2021. |
Dockside Jams' summer outdoor series was able to run 17 dates from June to September. |
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The new Harbor Nights concert series held 14 Friday night performances at the outdoor pavilion above Harrisville Harbor. In August, Inspiration Alcona sponsored the first Bay to Beacon half-marathon. |
Summer Art for Kids moved to Alcona Elementary School for the first time. Because of covid feats, the annual Alcona Arts Retreat had fewer students than in the past, but it was an artistic success. |
Inspiration Alcona became a major sponsor of the Sunrise Side Music Festival held in August. The annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat also returned after taking 2020 off for covid. |
2020 Annual Report
What happened in 2020
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The 2020 Alcona Small Farm Conference featured Zingerman's Bakehouse managing partner Amy Emberling as the main speaker. The January event was the third annual. |
Also in January, the Scheer Genius Diversity Circus performed for Alcona Elementary students, emphasizing respect for others no matter how different. |
After-school music lessons in guitar and ukulele were running as usual until mid-March 2020, when covid issues suddenly ended them. The lessons will return in September 2021. |
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The after-school Grand Art program also shut down in mid-March for covid concerns. These art sessions for kids and senior citizens together will resume in September 2021. |
The new Art for Adults class began in February but had to shut down in mid-March. It resumed briefly twice as covid rules changed, then returned for good in April 2021. |
Dockside Jams' summer outdoor series was able to run from June to September under then-current covid rules and drew over 1,400 people to 15 concerts. It had to shut down for the cold months but resumed June 1, 2021. |
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A special summer outdoor concert featuring Detroit singer-songwriter John D. Lamb drew almost 100 people. |
Summer Art for Kids also fell victim to covid. |
The annual Alcona Arts Retreat and Lost Lake Writers Retreat had to be cancelled because of covid restrictions. |
2019 Annual Report
Plein air artist Richard Jordan demonstrates just down the hill from the Lost Lake Woods Club lodge at the 2019 Alcona Arts Retreat.
What happened in 2019
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The new Dockside Jams weekly open-mic music sessions drew more than 1,000 people to play and listen. |
In February Inspiration Alcona began the weekly Grand Art sessions for elementary kids and senior citizens. |
Guitar and ukulele lessons for Alcona Schools students went from alternate weeks to weekly sessions. |
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The second annual Alcona Small Farm Conference was held in January. |
The eighth annual Alcona Arts Retreat was held in September. |
The fourth annual Lost Lake Writers Retreat was held in October. |
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In June and July, Summer Art for Youth featured new teacher Brooke Green. |
Check the past events page on the website for more events held in 2019. |
Yearly Trends
Local Programs Attendance
Inspiration Alcona's first goal is to serve the people of Alcona County. In 2015, approximately 450 people came to one or more of the local events in the charts on this page. In 2022, that number has grown to approximately 3,800. This reflects both the growth of original programs and the introduction of several newer and very popular events. Dockside Jams and the Harbor Nights concerts are major drivers, along with the new-to-IA Sunrise Side Wine, Brew & Food Festival and the similarly named but unrelated Sunrise Side Music Festival.
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Visitor Programs
One of Inspiration Alcona's goals is to bring new people to the county to see all we have to offer. Outsiders are welcome at any of IA's events, of course, but three special events are designed specifically to attract visitors: the Alcona Arts Retreat in September, the Lost Lake Writers Retreat in October and (beginning in 2018 and continuing to 2020, before covid shut it down) the Alcona Small Farm Conference in February. Starting in 2022,the Sunrise Wine, Brew & Food Festival also draws crowds from far beyond Alcona County.
The charts above show, first, that most of Inspiration Alcona's program participants are coming for free. Most of the paid participants come to one or more of the special events.
The larger number of paid participants in 2017 and 2018 come from fundraising through special dinners for the first Alcona Small Farm Conference in early 2018 and related subsequent events. The increase in 2021 reflects Inspiration Alcona's partnership in the Sunrise Side Music Festival, a ticketed event. The 2022 increase is boosted by the addition of the wine fest.
The charts above show, first, that most of Inspiration Alcona's program participants are coming for free. Most of the paid participants come to one or more of the special events.
The larger number of paid participants in 2017 and 2018 come from fundraising through special dinners for the first Alcona Small Farm Conference in early 2018 and related subsequent events. The increase in 2021 reflects Inspiration Alcona's partnership in the Sunrise Side Music Festival, a ticketed event. The 2022 increase is boosted by the addition of the wine fest.
Where the money comes from
Inspiration Alcona's income model is to earn money from its retreats and the farm conference and use that income to match grants that bring in more cash.
The sharp rise in donations in 2017 and 2018 reflects a successful crowdfunding effort to begin the Alcona Small Farm Conference. The 2022 increase reflects the cash assets that two programs brought with them when they came under Inspiration Alcona's control.
The sharp rise in donations in 2017 and 2018 reflects a successful crowdfunding effort to begin the Alcona Small Farm Conference. The 2022 increase reflects the cash assets that two programs brought with them when they came under Inspiration Alcona's control.
How the money gets spent
As you can see in the first chart, most of the money Inspiration Alcona spends goes directly to its programs. On average, about 85 percent of all expenses goes to programs.
About 64 percent of all program money goes to pay instructors. The largest totals go to the teachers and speakers at the two retreats. But we pay $30 to $75 an hour to local artists and other local instructors for their work in lesson series designed for Alcona residents. We generally pay $500 and expenses to Harbor Nights performers.
Other program expenses include snacks for participants, opening and closing gatherings for the retreats, class supplies (especially for youth programs) and venue charges.
Because Inspiration Alcona relies on earned income and grant funds, it does little fundraising. What little is done is done on volunteer time and so costs next to nothing. Because Inspiration Alcona is an all-volunteer group, no money pays salaries.
About 64 percent of all program money goes to pay instructors. The largest totals go to the teachers and speakers at the two retreats. But we pay $30 to $75 an hour to local artists and other local instructors for their work in lesson series designed for Alcona residents. We generally pay $500 and expenses to Harbor Nights performers.
Other program expenses include snacks for participants, opening and closing gatherings for the retreats, class supplies (especially for youth programs) and venue charges.
Because Inspiration Alcona relies on earned income and grant funds, it does little fundraising. What little is done is done on volunteer time and so costs next to nothing. Because Inspiration Alcona is an all-volunteer group, no money pays salaries.
