Mosaic Main Streets

By Jodie Willobee
Promotion, Arts & Culture Specialist
Michigan Main Street
Michigan State Housing Development Authority

Hello Michigan Main Street communities! I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be a part of this team, this network and these friends! Officially the Promotion, Arts & Culture Specialist for about 4 weeks I am humbled by the quality of work I have seen thus far in the Michigan Main Street communities and just plain excited to learn more about all of you! I spent the last 9 years in the Office of Community Development here at MSHDA overseeing downtown housing and neighborhood revitalization projects across the state. I have always been drawn to the real strength and value that arts and culture add to revitalization projects. And now, here I am able to focus this passion on working with you to help promote your downtowns as the centers of commerce, culture and community life for your residents and visitors alike. I fully believe that the continued health of our MS communities will contribute to the health of our State (I could go on about this but my soapbox gets tippy when I start jumping up and down – perhaps this is a topic for another blog). In any event, I respect that each of your Michigan Main Street communities have unique characteristics, histories and niches – I can’t wait to learn all about them!

For those of you who read Joe’s last blog about surprisingly finding solace in a Detroit taxi driver, I also attended the Creative Cities Summit 2.0 in Detroit last week and was comfortably at the bar he was trying to get to, enjoying martini during all of his mayhem. I was actually fortunate enough to be in on the beginning of planning this event as the Chair of the Entertainment & Experience Committee. Of course, I let out a big sigh of relief when I learned that Joe’s taxi incident had ended well. Never a good thing if your new boss has a bad experience at an event where you are in charge of such things…alas…all’s well that ends well.

But back at the conference I have to tell you – I was inspired daily by the topics of conversation both on and off stage. One comment, made by author Richard Florida, really struck me and had me instantly thinking of your Main Street communities. He said that we need to stop thinking of our communities as melting pots but more as Mosaic Societies! Exactly – Mosaic Societies! We shouldn’t be melting everyone together to be one thing. What if we not only encouraged people to keep their identity, their culture/heritage and their experiences but also found ways to celebrate them?? When I think of a melting pot everything always ends up turning a dingy gray color. But when I think of a mosaic – it is intriguing and captivating with bright colors and distinct character – completely unique and without question a unified work of art. I think this is one way to describe, maybe not all downtowns, but certainly the Michigan Main Street communities!

I simply cannot wait to get to know all of you better, listen to your great ideas, walk more of your gorgeous downtowns and see where I can be of assistance.