A Place Called Home
Thank you!
Our event and auction have come to a close. Thank you to all our visitors, volunteers and donors. And congratulations to our auction winners from this event! Winners will be contacted over the next few days about how to collect their items. If that’s you, then stay tuned! Donations can still be received by clicking here.
New City Neighbors welcomes you to a place called home.
1115 Leonard St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
June 25th, 11am – 7pm &
June 26th, 10am – 5pm
Drop by or sign up to reserve a time!
After receiving word that we needed to relocate our base of operations, we have been blessed with a beautiful home as the new site of our farm, offices, and programs. Our new home is a farmhouse right in the Creston neighborhood! But, we have some renovations to do before we can move in.
Our upcoming farmhouse tour is a fundraiser that will allow supporters like you to walk through our new space and learn about our plans moving forward. Included in the tour are historical points of the property and exciting opportunities to contribute to our work. Donations will garner the chance to receive gift cards to local restaurants, supporting our next chapter and other amazing businesses. We are also hosting an online auction of some incredible artwork from local artists: Hwa-Jeen Na, Mary Milroy Marin, Alfield Reeves, Gene Sampson, Edward Kloote, Robin Long, and the floral designs of three-time Art in Bloom winner, Mari Ignatoski of Ginko Studios. You’ll be able to see their work during the tour and make auction bids right on your phone. The link to the online auction will be released near the launch of the tours.
We can’t wait to share our next steps with you! Partner with us in our mission to empower youth to reach their full potential as we take up radical hospitality in our neighborhood. Sign up for the tour by clicking the above button. Or just drop on by!
We’re excited to see you!
*Please note that the farmhouse is an active construction site and may be difficult to walk through for a guest with mobility challenges. Part of our fundraising is to make the house accessible to all and ADA compliant.
Hwa-Jeen Na
Hwa-Jeen Na is a portrait photographer and film director based in Michigan. His projects focus on exploring definitions of identity through personal anecdotes and cultural influences.
Mary Milroy Marin
After living and teaching in the Virgin Islands for 14 years, Mary returned to Michigan with 3 young children in tow. A few decades of work in a corporate setting supplied her with the skills to now create the monthly Grand Valley Artists newsletter and maintain the Grand Valley Artists website, a local artist group of which she is a member.
Alfield Reeves
Alfield Reeves is a freelance editorial, wedding and portrait photographer residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is originally from Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa and picked up photography during his sophomore year at Western Michigan University.
His work not only captures the complexities of people, but aims to inspire people to look beyond the surface of themselves and others. His work also empowers & showcases black & brown people, sheds light to truth and encourages self-reflection.
Gene Sampson
Gene Sampson has been an artist and pastel painter for the past twenty or so years. Her primary focus has been on pastel still lifes. She is particularly interested in the hand-crafted items of “yesteryear”, and she enjoys coupling the textures found in old doilies and tablecloths with the shiny surfaces on fruit and ceramic and glass pieces. Gene’s goal is to evoke a feeling of nostalgia in the viewer and allow thier to appreciate the beauty that she finds in these old pieces.
Edward Kloote
Edward Kloote is a member of Grand Valley Artists, a Creston Neighbor and a long-time supporter of New City Neighbors. He has worked in art framing for many years and has been creating his own artwork since the 1970s. Edd has also been involved with the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts. His mediums include pencil, woodcuts and acrylic paints. When it comes to describing his own work, he’d rather let the art speak for itself.
Robin Long
You can find Robin’s photography hanging in buildings all over Grand Rapids, including the Hilton Garden, the downtown Embassy Suites, and Macy’s at Woodland Mall. Her work is also found at the Marriott Courtyard in Holland and Mercy Health Muskegon. Her photography features a passion for landscapes, nature, and old barn. She frequently travels to Michigan’s upper peninsula, sometimes staying up all night to photograph the northern lights.
Mari Ignatoski
Mari Ignatoski has been a florist for about forty years. Her love of flowers began early, when she was a child, assisting her Bushia, her Polish grandmother, in their garden. Mari started her own flower business, Ginko Studios, in 1993. She was the first Art-In-Bloom winner with the Grand Rapids Art Museum in 2010, and has since won two more times. In her spare time, she enjoys pottery and painting flowers. She has been artist and Michigan resident all her life.
Would you like to volunteer?
A lot of little hands help life a heavy load. We’d love to have you volunteer for our event. Click the button to lend a hand!
New City Neighbors has shown me what a truly kind, encouraging and happy work environment looks like and I hope to continue working here for years to come.
Being in a diverse environment, getting to learn different things about different people and building new relationships… I used to be a self centered person, but being here has opened up my eyes and my heart to different people.
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