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BELLAIRE - With the purchase of property in Forest Home Township last Friday, Brad and Amanda Kik are one step closer to fulfilling their dream, and citizens of Antrim County are one step closer to having an organized artist residency program in their county.

Brad and Amanda founded the Institute of Sustainable Living, Art and Natural Design (ISLAND) several years ago, setting up a business plan that through various phases will end in a place for artists to come work and live sustainably.

Both the Kiks come from different places and different backgrounds, but when they met their goals seemed to lock together.

Brad, who besides working for ISLAND full-time does some graphic design and carpentry, was working in New Zealand for a conservation trust. He was trying to help protect the rainforest and was learning how to make cob houses and ovens and utilize solar power.

But he realized that he was putting all his energy into New Zealand, and a lot of work was needed in this field in the U.S.

"I set about to create an organization doing similar work," he said.

Amanda in the meantime was involved in the artistic community in Los Angeles, Calif. for eight years.

She had a connection to Antrim County because she had come to Torch Lake growing up, and she decided to leave the city and move to Bellaire.

"I wanted to live here but still be connected to the arts in some way," she said.

Brad and Amanda met in 2004 and realized their goals were in step with each other.

"As a culture we need to move toward sustainability. That won't happen without a cultural shift and that cultural shift won't happen without art," Amanda said.

They started ISLAND in May 2005 and were married a few months later.

Revving up for Phase II
ISLAND's eventual goal is to establish a residency program, where professional artists can apply to come with a scholarship or a fellowship to focus and concentrate on their work. ISLAND hopes this can be open to a variety of different kinds of artists, from painters, to sculptors, to writers and performing artists, but also people focused on natural design, land planning or sustainable building.

But, before they get to that point, there's a lot of leg work.

The first phase of the project before acquiring property was based on building an avenue for art in the community through holding events at public and rented spaces.

Among them is a monthly event called Art 180 sponsored by the Parkside Arts Council, where local artists showcase their work and network with others at Short's Brewing Company.

They are also starting an eight-part series on Art, Film and Philosophy at Moka in Bellaire.

They've sponsored and organized various workshops on topics ranging from making cheese to making environmentally-friendly homes.

But, now that they've closed on a piece of property, a 9.2 acre parcel off of Orchard Hill, ISLAND is moving into phase two, which they call the development stage.

"We're starting with a vacant piece of land," Amanda said. "We're building from the ground up."

In this phase, the Kiks want to continue and increase the events and workshops while developing their land for the future.

They visualize being able to live off the land in ways, having some animals and a garden. They also anticipate their homes will be built using green practices and plan to use solar power.

Over the next few months they will be surveying the land, working on site design, small building projects and more. Progress and updates on the land project are shared on ISLAND's website through interactive maps, diaries, videos and links.

"The edge of something great"
The Kiks want their residence to be a place that nurtures art and design, but one of the most important things they see for the artists who come to work here is their involvement with the community.

"We don't want to hole up on the hill with a bunch of artists," Brad said. "We want to integrate this stuff with the community."

The Kiks believe an organization like ISLAND can have a strong influence on a community such as Antrim County, and they say they've found that every step of the way.

Brad also noted this organization, and this sort of movement, might be more common in other cities and areas, but is new to this county.

"We chose (to live here) because it's beautiful, but we quickly realized we could make a bigger impact here," Brad said.

When the Kiks talk to people in the community about these things, they have found a lot of interest in the project.

"People have always been hungry to the idea of living closer to the land and being more selfsustaining," Brad added. "We'll talk to people about heating, cooling, making cheese. People get really excited and want to hold events about it. There's a sense that there's people that can't get enough of it."

The Kiks also noted this area is complementary to their program and ideals because it has a lot of family farms, a strong local food network, and artistic and musical organizations nearby.

In Antrim County, the Kiks talked about all the people they've met who are artists of a sort, some underground and some more active. Their programs have been supported through many donations by those in the area. Farmers, musicians, local chefs among others have showed enthusiasm about the direction of ISLAND.

"When we're working here we feel like we're on the edge of something great," Brad said.

To learn more about ISLAND or stay updated on the development of the land visit www.artmeetsearth.org.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-5338523.