Interlochen Center For The Arts

Established in 1928 by Joseph E. Maddy, Interlochen Center for the Arts is located on a 1,200-acre (490 ha) campus in Green Lake Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, near the eponymous community of Interlochen.

 

Early settlement

Beginning in the late 19th century, European settlers began logging and fishing industries in the area, and founded the small village of Wylie, one mile south of the present-day community of Interlochen. Due to the prospering logging industry in the area, the Manistee and North-Eastern Railroad (owned by the Buckley and Douglas Lumber Company of Manistee) extended its line northeast from Nessen City and arrived between the lakes in the fall of 1889. Similarly, the Chicago and West Michigan Railway extended its line north from Baldwin on its way to Traverse City in 1890. The two lines crossed in current-day downtown Interlochen where a depot and interlocking tower were located.

Interlochen State Park, immediately adjacent to campus, is the first state park organized by the state of Michigan, established in 1917 and opening in 1919 (Mackinac Island was originally a national park before becoming Michigan's first state park in 1895).

School history

In the 1920s, the Music Supervisors National Conference called upon conductor and educator Joseph E. Maddy to assemble talented high school musicians from around the United States to form the National High School Orchestra. The orchestra met in 1926 in Detroit, and the orchestra was asked to reconvene in 1927 and 1928.

In 1927, Maddy and fellow music educator Thaddeus P. Giddings incorporated the National High School Orchestra Camp, and began searching for ideal locations, eventually narrowing it down to sites in Maine and Michigan. Maddy was invited by Interlochen businessman Willis Pennington to tour his hotel and summer camp properties, adjacent to Interlochen State Park (Camp Interlochen and Camp Penn Loch, for boys and girls, respectively). Maddy chose the site, and, in 1928, the first season of the National High School Orchestra Camp convened.

In 1944, Maddy purchased Camps Interlochen and Penn Loch, absorbing them and the National High School Orchestra Camp into his new Interlochen Center for the Arts.

In 1963, WIAA, Interlochen's public radio station, signed on for the first time. Originally broadcasting eight hours per day, it grew enough within a decade to become a charter member of National Public Radio. Interlochen Public Radio became a network in 1989 with the addition of WICV. Interlochen bought contemporary Christian station WDQV in 2005 and converted it into a third satellite for the eastern portion of the market, WIAB.^{[citation needed]}

Recent history

In 2006, Katalyst Media filmed a reality TV pilot for MTV at Interlochen Arts Academy. Afraid that an MTV show would ruin Interlochen's distinguished reputation, a large group of students resorted to protesting and trolling the Katalyst Media film crew in order to prevent Katalyst Media from filming viable footage. Student efforts were successful, as a pilot never aired.^{[citation needed]}

In 2020, M-137, the highway connecting Interlochen Center for the Arts to US 31, was decommissioned by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Upon the roadway's handover to the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, the roadway was renamed to the "J. Maddy Parkway", after the institution's founder.

Interlochen Center for the Arts is the umbrella organization for summer program Interlochen Arts Camp, arts boarding high school Interlochen Arts Academy, National Public Radio (NPR) charter station Interlochen Public Radio, performance series Interlochen Presents, adult arts program Interlochen College of Creative Arts, and online arts program Interlochen Online.

Interlochen Arts Camp

The Interlochen Arts Camp is the original educational institution created by Joseph E. Maddy.

Interlochen Arts Academy

Interlochen Arts Academy is a pre-professional arts boarding high school, founded in 1962 by Joseph E. Maddy. The school offers seven arts majors in creative writing, dance, film and new media, interdisciplinary arts, music, theater, and visual arts.

Ninety-six percent of graduates are accepted into one of their top three colleges.^{[better source needed]}

Interlochen Online

Interlochen Online began during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now a main educational pillar for the institution. The program offers private lessons and group courses in all seven of Interlochen's arts area: Creative Writing, Dance, Film & New Media, Interdisciplinary Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Plus, Interlochen Online offers private, college advising to those interested in pursuing conservatory or arts-focused higher education.

Interlochen College of Creative Arts

Founded in 2004, Interlochen College of Creative Arts offers non-degree granting arts programs and continuing education units for adults 18 years and older.

Interlochen Public Radio

 

Interlochen Center for the Arts is home to Interlochen Public Radio (or IPR), a National Public Radio member station that broadcasts a signal to most of the lower peninsula of Northern Michigan as well as parts of eastern Wisconsin. Two listener-supported stations broadcast to northwest Michigan: Classical Music 88.7, 88.5, 94.7 and 100.9 FM; News Radio 91.5, 90.1 and 89.7 FM. Broadcasts include arts programming, news and culture from around the world, as well as local and regional news. IPR was a charter member of National Public Radio.

Founded in 1963, Interlochen Public Radio or WIAA was envisioned as an extension of the "Music From Interlochen" program which ran on the NBC radio network. The Music From Interlochen Program informed a wider audience about the activities at the then-named National Music Camp and the nascent Interlochen Arts Academy. The station was slow to catch on in its early years and some considered shutting down the operation. Interlochen Public Radio went on to establish itself with two service channels: one for music and one for news.

In 1993, Interlochen Public Radio reportedly had one of the highest rates of per capita contributions of any public radio station in the United States. The station's classical music service is broadcast from their main tower at WIAA 88.7 FM in Interlochen, along with WIAB 88.5 FM in Mackinaw City, and W234BU 94.7 FM in Traverse City. In 2000, IPR began offering a separate news service on WICA 91.5 FM in Traverse City and later added WLMN 89.7 FM in Manistee and WHBP 90.1 FM in Harbor Springs.

• National Medal of Arts: In 2006, Interlochen Center for the Arts was named recipient of the National Medal of Arts, one of the highest honors bestowed by the President of the United States and National Endowment for the Arts on individuals or institutions that have contributed substantially to the growth and advancement of the arts. Interlochen president emeritus Jeffrey Kimpton received the award on behalf of Interlochen Center for the Arts from President George W. Bush in an Oval Office ceremony.
• Presidential Scholars in the Arts: Interlochen Arts Academy is a perennial front-runner among American high schools in its production of Presidential Scholars in the Arts, having produced more recipients of the award than any other school in the nation.

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  The Osterlin Mall
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  The Stone Hotel overlooking Green Lake
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  The Maddy Administration Building
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  The Fine Arts Building in 2018
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  Interlochen's Kresge Auditorium, an open air amphitheater, named for S. S. Kresge.
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  Interlochen Historical Marker
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  United States Army Herald Trumpets at Interlochen in 2010

Notable alumni include:

• Boal, Dean (August 1998). Interlochen: A Home for the Arts. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-10882-4.
• Browning, Norma Lee (1992). Joe Maddy of Interlochen. Contemporary Books. ISBN 0-8092-3907-8.
• Feild, Thom (August 2006). Pine Nuts - Recollections of Summers at Interlochen. Thom Feild Design LLC. ISBN 0-9786677-0-0.