Denno’s Museum Center NW Michigan Exhibit
Posted by Troy | Filed under News, Traverse City
I’m lucky to be one of only five artists to have multiple pieces included in the Denno’s Museum Center regional artist showcase.
It was interesting to see the diverse styles represented in the show and wonderful to be among so many talented individuals who call northern Michigan “home” at the opening this past weekend. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: art, Denno's, Traverse City
New Project: Traverse City Maker’s Market
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Good, Traverse City
Early this summer my friend Kelly & I agreed to join forces on the totally awesome event that she dreamed up and founded in 2010—Traverse City Maker’s Market.
It’s been a whirlwind few months (since these things generally take a year of planning), which involved the two of us collaborating on a new website, recruiting over one hundred applications from awesome artists and crafters from all around Michigan, planning and promoting the coolest new thing in Traverse City.
This Saturday—October 22nd—the event finally arrives! (RSVP on our Facebook event page)
We’ve got 25 of the coolest vendors from around the state, plus a half-dozen amazing food & beverage vendors (including hand-squeezed brats!) and local musicians providing a great backdrop for us all day.
(plus some pretty sweet event merch too!)
October is a wonderful time to visit northwest Michigan – come on up this weekend for Maker’s Market!
PS. After-party at Right Brain Brewery is gonna be insane in the membrane.
Here are a few products from our vendors that I’m definitely looking forward to checking out:
Tags: maker's market, tcmm, Traverse City
Strong Odors Art Exhibit: Opening Party July 16
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Beer, News, Traverse City
Illustration by Troy DeShano
I’m excited to announce my exhibit opening at Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City next weekend!
All the work is already up, so you can stop by anytime to check it out, but I’d really love it if everyone could come to the opening next Saturday night!
If you are anywhere near Traverse City or even in Grand Rapids or lower Michigan wondering what to do for fun next weekend you should definitely make the trip up to beautiful Traverse City! Nothing’s better after a long day at the beach or hike along the dunes than a hand-crafted brew from Right Brain Brewery!
My reception will be from 7-9pm so please stop by and say hello and hopefully you or a friend can go home with some radical new artwork for your walls.
TCFF John Huges Posters behind the bar
If you’ve never been to Right Brain then you’ve been missing out! Each beer is hand-crafted with the same kind of TLC that we visual artists know is required to create something that we can be proud of. The atmosphere is really fun and relaxed—way cooler than a bar with no big-screen TVs in sight!
Come support local art and just have an awesome Saturday evening at Right Brain!
Let me know if you can make it by Likeing the event on Facebook.
Here’s the details
Right Brain Brewery July Artist Reception
- Date: Saturday, July 16th
- Time: 7-9pm
- Place: Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City’s warehouse district. (map)
More on Right Brain and the Artist Reception
- RBB’s July Artist Reception announcement
- RBB on Facebook
Never miss out on Strong Odors news!
If you haven’t signed up for my email newsletter yet, do it today. I offer regular contests, giveaways and other big announcements like this one that you’ll never want to miss. Sign up now!
Tags: art, Beer, original illustration, shopping, Traverse City
Return of the Fudgies!
Posted by Troy | Filed under Humor
Illustration by Troy DeShano
Kind of an inside joke for all my NW MI neighbors.
This is the time of year when hungry hordes rise like the undead from the grave known as lower Michigan to swarm our streets.
It’s an eclectic group — some are donned in red hats; others in rat-tails and stars-n-stripes bikinis.
Yet others come via sea-and-wakeboard beefily shouldering cases of MGD with nary a sleeve in sight—they manage to communicate with a series of grunts, palm-slapping and innuendo.
But it’s not brains they crave… it’s homemade fudge.
Only the bravest or most desperate of locals dare leave our bunkers…
On this day I salute you Traverse City citizens who brave the streets crawling with fudge-smothered phantoms in the hopes of seducing them into purchasing a tye-dyed t-shirt… you gotta find some way to feed your babies after all.
Godspeed!
Tags: original illustration, Traverse City
Breathe Owl Breathe: Magic Central and Live at Higher Grounds
Posted by Troy | Filed under Music, Traverse City
I’ve seen Bob Dylan a few times… once even at the front of an 80,000 member crowd at ACL 2007.
I’ve also seen Sufjan in a performance that I unavoidably describe with the ultra-corny cliché ”life changing.” (sorry)
But I must say that this past Sunday’s performance by Breathe Owl Breathe at my favorite local coffee roastery was my first real folk concert.
Tags: Breathe Owl Breathe, concerts, Music, Traverse City
Traverse City Walk for Autism
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism, Traverse City
I’ve been involved with the Northwest Michigan Autism Resource Network for the past 4 years.
The tricky part about an autism community/support group is that everyone is so busy with their own kids (babysitters are rarely an option) that meetings are difficult and volunteer involvement has to be spread thin across a lot of people.
I wish I could be involved more, but the least I can do is create some cool designs for ARN from time to time…
(like the logo and the art-show poster and a few other pieces)
This year I got to do this super-fun poster for our first Autism walk fundraiser that features some iconic halloweenie costume characters.
(and for some reason reminds me of that Neil Young lyric “Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me”)
Help us out!
I’m trying to raise $500 for my Autism Walk team. ARN has been such a great resource to me over the past few years and I would love to help them do more for the NW Michigan community.
If you’ve enjoyed the writing or illustration or whatever on Strong Odors and you’d like to show your appreciation, would you consider supporting us in this event?
Just visit the ARN website to donate via PayPal and mention “team Gideon” in the comments section.
Thanks!!
Join Us
Do you live in or around Traverse City? How about Petoskey or Benzonia or another northwest Michigan town?
Come on out on October 30th and walk for autism! You can download the registration form and support-raising forms on their website.
See you there!
Tags: ARN, Autism, Traverse City
Traverse City Maker’s Market
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Traverse City
This past weekend was the very first indie craft fare to come to Traverse City—Maker’s Market.
It’s kind of surprising that it’s taken this long actually, TC is known to have a good art vibe and a great community of young adults who are attracted to more indie style.
(of course we’re also “up north” which means a gun show might fare better than a craft show)
But better late than never and it’s finally here, thanks to the initiative and gumption of my good friend Kelly and a few of her compadres.
Seems like the gloomy weather contributed to a merely moderate turnout for the inaguaral event, but based on the caliber of both the organizers and this year’s vendors, this event has a lot of promise for the coming years.
I wasn’t able to participate (a sad but wise decision from earlier this hectic summer) but hopefully next September I’ll be there with some radical prints (like maybe this or this or this), some t-shirts or some of my handmade lingerie for plus-sized men. (ok, I haven’t started work on that one yet)
Or maybe Noël and I can share a table where she can set up some of her handmade purses, etc.
Anybody have a chance to visit the Maker’s Market? What were your favorite finds?
Stay up-to-date on Maker’s Market announcements by becoming a fan on Facebook.
Check out Kelly’s Etsy Shops
The Best Things – vintage kitsch
kngo – awesome embroidery and prints
Beloved Vintage – vintage clothing & accessories
Tags: art, Traverse City
Spikehorn Meyer
Posted by Troy | Filed under Travel, Traverse City
I discovered Spikehorn Meyer this week in an old travel-film clip my grandma sent me
It’s really cool to see mid-century footage of my home here in Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes, but Ol’ Spikehorn steals the show.
He seems like a guy I’d want to know… or maybe even a guy I might have become…
Spikehorn said that the company of bears was much preferable to that of other people… he might be right, but I guess I’m lucky that I haven’t yet become so cynical about people that I’ve taken to avoiding them altogether…
I was hoping to check out the biography from my local library, but I haven’t had time… each nugget of information I scrounged up online just made Spikehorn more and more interesting though…
like when he made national news in 1945 after sending wires to Truman, Atlee and Stalin announcing a personal offer of $50K for the capture of Adolph Hitler.
I like him…
Photo from Don Harrison’s Up North Memories Flickr collection. I thought some color might give it a little life.
Tags: Travel, Traverse City
Handmade Baby Cardigan and Other New Items
Posted by Troy | Filed under Fashion
I think this Baby Cardigan from Buckets of Moonbeams is really super-fantastic.
I keep trying to get my wife to raise her prices, but she thinks anything she creates should be affordable to anyone… not just the super-rich.
(we define super-rich as anyone with a regular salary)
I think that is quite honorable.
She’s been working like mad on custom orders lately, so new items in the shop have been delayed until now. If you’re interested in a custom order (like a sold shop item or color variation) you can contact Noël via her Etsy shop.
All her new items are super-cool, beautiful and well-constructed.
Check them out today before they are gone!
Tags: buckets of moonbeams, etsy, Traverse City
Haunted State Hospital
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Traverse City
It is starting to smell like winter outside.
So I took advantage of some unusually nice weather and shot some photos at Grand Traverse Commons.
The old state mental hospital.
Some say it is haunted.
Tags: ghosts, original photo, Traverse City
