A New Chapter for EncoreMichigan

James Baldwin once said, “The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the answers.”

I’ve been thinking about that quote a lot recently; what it means, and how it applies to the current moment.  What is our role, as arts professionals, and how do we use our craft to serve society at large? 

Wait, let me pause for a moment, I realize that a lot of you might not know who I am.  So please, allow me to reintroduce myself.  

My name is John Sloan, III and I am a director, producer, writer, former actor, activist, and – as of recently, the new Editor and Publisher of EncoreMichigan.  I moved home, to Detroit, in 2017 after spending more than twelve years in New York and on tour.  I am also a husband, brother, son, colleague, and community member. I love my city, I love my state, and I believe that we deserve a truly rich, robust, and sustainable arts ecosystem.  

Okay, that’s enough about me.  

I’m sure there are questions about the future of EncoreMichigan, and I’d like to take this moment to talk about our vision. 

But first, I’d like for all of us to stop and thank Don Calamia, David Kiley, and the numerous other writers and staff that have grown EncoreMichigan into what it is today.  Their tireless effort and dedication to this state’s performing arts community have been invaluable, and I am honored to stand on the foundation they have laid. 

When David and I first began speaking about this leadership transition, I was immediately excited about the possibilities.  EncoreMichigan (because of David and Don, et. al.) has an incredible history of supporting Michigan’s performing arts community. This history provides the perfect springboard for growth. 

A new EncoreMichigan website will launch this coming January 27th, 2025, and I am so excited to share our plans.  

Next year will also bring a phased roll out of features, including, but not limited to: Weekly Newsletters, Show Calendars, Featured Articles, E-casting, Artist Spotlights, and a Weekly Podcast.  

Our community deserves a robust hub for our work; a homebase that allows for active and intentional community building while shining light on the companies, projects, productions, and individual artists that make our performing arts scene truly unique. This type of infrastructure is vital to our collective success, and should not be reserved just for New York or LA. 

In order to make sure we can implement this roll out effectively, some current operations will shift.  Most notably, EncoreMichigan will not be able to guarantee consistent show reviews for the coming months. Our goal is to relaunch reviews on a phased basis Fall of 2025.   

Reviewing shows is a massive task and responsibility, and what David has been able to accomplish over the last few years has been an incredible lift.  In order to guarantee we can review as many productions as possible, and with the highest level of journalistic integrity, we first need to build our internal capacity. 

In order to do this effectively, EncoreMichigan will now operate as part of our social-impact arm, The GhostLight Arts Initiative (GLAI). This will allow us to receive grant funding, accept tax-deductible donations, and to eventually grow training programs in journalism and arts critique. 

You, our readers, partners, collaborators, and colleagues, have to be able to trust our word.  I will always do my best to be transparent as we build together, and I thank you for your patience and understanding. 

For those of you interested in learning more about our plans, we will be hosting an informational webinar on Friday, January 10th.  We will preview the new website, provide an overview of our phased feature roll out, and answer as many questions as possible.  (put a hold on your calendars now and registration info will be sent out later!)

“The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the answers.”

I truly believe this to be the goal for EncoreMichigan, to use our platform as a spotlight; one with which we can uplift the people, work, themes, struggles, and victories that comprise our community.  

Art, at its best, can do three things: 

Show us Who We Were, 

Show Us Who We Are, 

and Show Us Who We Can Become.  

I am confident that, with your support, EncoreMichigan can continue to grow into a platform capable of accomplishing all of these goals. 

Congratulations to the Wilde Award winners.

Thank you all for being part of our community.