DIRECTORY Artist Categories

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Troy Graham

Actor; Author/Writer; Composer; Musician; Performance Art; Performer and Writer; Poet; Producer; Teacher/Instructor; Vocalist/Singer

Troy Graham, otherwise known as Great Lakes Graham, is a folk singer-songwriter, poet, and children’s entertainer from Marquette, MI. Musically, Troy is most recognized for his original foot-stomping Irish and folk music and as a storytelling songwriter with a flare of bluegrass, old-time and gospel roots. Troy is always creating and has independently recorded over a dozen plus different music albums and has published poetry in four books. Most recently his book, “Freshwater Mermaids,” can be previewed on Amazon. His passion is encouraging youth and leading interactive poetry workshops along with musical performances for all ages. You will find him playing at libraries, schools, festivals and other concert series.

Niikah Hatfield

Artisan; Author/Writer; Ceramist; Dancer; Maker; Mixed Media Artist; Multiple Art Forms; Musician; Performance Art; Vocalist/Singer

Emerging from the wilderness, Niikah is an artist & singer-songwriter from the north woods of Michigan. Dancing between reality and the ethers, her work is in constant conversation with the world. She grew up on a small family farm near the coast of Lake Superior, and between homeschooling, wandering through the woodlands, and working in the fields, she gained a deep appreciation for the cycles of life, hard work, and a deep connection with nature. After studying Ceramics at Northern Michigan University and abroad in Romania, Niikah started Niik Creative Co. in 2020. The small studio, located on Presque Isle in Marquette, is the heart of a thriving business with a mission to bring unique and creative home goods that inspire presence in everyday life. The thread that emerges amid the breadth of her creative endeavors is one of deep inquiry into the interconnectedness of all things. Laced with a desire to better understand the world we live in, her creative expression becomes a way of life. Leaning into the experiences that make up life is the nectar of living, and art is the medium.

Steven Hughes

Graphic Artist; Illustrator; Mixed Media Artist; Painter; Photographer; Teacher/Instructor

Steven Hughes, who goes by the artist name Primary Hughes, is best known for his colorful acrylic portraits, having shown in numerous pop-culture and illustration-focused gallery exhibitions in California and New York. As an artist residing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Professor of Illustration at Northern Michigan University, he can often be found exploring the natural landscape along the coast of Lake Superior with his plein-air kit. His painting and illustration work revels in the interplay of light and color, and the emotional impact in quieter moments of determination, thoughtful reflection, and preparation for a thing that must be done. View more of his work on Instagram or his website, primaryhughes.com

Charli Mills

Author/Writer; Storyteller; Teacher/Instructor

Charli Mills grew up out west, once winning a rodeo trophy for tying a goat. She’s the executive editor of The Congress of the Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology (Vols. 1 & 2) and her writing has been featured in Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine, Keweenaw Now, BadRedhead Media, NaNoWriMo.org, The U.P. Reader, and on stage as a guest storyteller with the Red Jacket Jamboree. Charli writes women’s fiction, recovering forgotten voices from the fringes and frontiers, including the Copper Country. In 2014, she founded an international literary community at CarrotRanch.com, hosting weekly 99-word story challenges. She provides outreach to rural communities, libraries, and veterans to make literary art accessible. She coaches writers in a unique cohort program, leads nature writing workshops and retreats, and teaches college English at Finlandia University. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing.

Philip Rice

Composer; Director; Musician; Performance Art; Performer and Writer; Poet; Producer; Teacher/Instructor; Vocalist/Singer

Philip Rice (b. 1988) is a Northern Michigan-based composer, poet, and community organizer. He holds a DMA from Michigan State University and an MM with distinction from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. In 2015 he was a winner in the American Prize for orchestral composition, and a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould Awards. He has authored two poetry collections and edited the anthology “Thoreau at Mackinac” in 2017. He founded “Voicing Poetry,” a special collaboration with the Michigan State University College of Music and the MSU Center for Poetry in 2014. He currently serves as the Program Director for the Mackinac Arts Council, and sits on the executive boards for Straits Pride and the Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance. He lives on Mackinac Island.

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