ADVENTURE AWAITS

We believe shared arts and culture experiences are powerful sparking points for dialogue, engagement and a stronger sense of community – where we can share and relate on a different level from civic and political life.

Set against the spectacular natural beauty of Autumn, the centerpiece of our work is the design and presentation of a new three-day Arts and Cultural festival offering inspiring film screenings, live music concerts, literature and book readings, visual arts galleries, conversations and keynotes and local beers, wine and food – all presented in unexpected and unusual ways, and uniquely curated to relate to our world in the Great Lakes region.

This once a year adventure takes place in the historic village center of the Old Mission Peninsula and surrounding sites, sacred ancestral lands of The Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi - Anishinaabek peoples.

FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • JOSEPH BEYER

    Joe relocated to his home state of Michigan from California in 2018, after being an executive staffer to the nonprofit Sundance Institute for more than 14 years, lastly as Director of Digital Initiatives where he led strategy, creative development and operation of digital content, social media and special Institute projects. Later he joined The Redford Center as Director of Marketing and Distribution using film projects to advocate for environmental and social impact.

    Since arriving he has been the Executive Director to the Traverse City Film Festival, Director of Audience Engagement and Strategy to MyNorth Media, Executive Director to Michigan Legacy Art Park, and Executive Director to Parallel 45 Theatre. Joe has volunteered locally on the Traverse City Arts Commission Art Selection Panel, the Collection Committee of the Dennos Museum Center, and is a regular contributor to The Boardman Review. He is the founding volunteer Board President and a year-round resident of Old Mission Peninsula.

  • BEN WHITING

    Ben is an award-winning performer, magician, actor and playwright recently turned international keynote speaker and corporate consultant. As an entertainer, he has performed in over 30 countries, had multiple television appearances, and his clients included the likes of Crystal Cruises and Oprah's HARPO studios. Recognizing his passion for helping others, Ben began focusing on leadership development and in 2016, he delivered his first TEDx talk which led to being hired by a leadership development firm.

    Ben now runs his own consulting and creative agency employing magic and entertainment as tools to teach and inspire corporations, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions around the globe. He is a current Board Member of the National Writers Series, Crooked Tree Arts Center, and is chair of the Traverse City Rotary Good Works Committee. He is the founding volunteer Board Vice-President and is a year-round resident of Traverse City.

  • CHRISTAL FROST ANDERSON

    Christal is a Northern Michigan native with a background in nonprofit management, beginning her career locally at Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Traverse. She started in radio in 2007, finding her broadcasting home in 2012 with WTCM, Traverse City’s first station. She is the former host of “Frost & McCarty” on NewsTalk 580 WTCM, as well as the station's current Director of Community Engagement.

    She also hosts “The Foodie Scene,” an online show focusing on regional culinary offerings, and “Road Trippin’,” a travel program presented by Michigan Country Lines magazine.

    Christal is actively involved with many community groups, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center, and is the co-founder of the CherryT Ball Drop New Year’s Eve event. She is a former member of the Board of Governors for the National Cherry Festival, and served on the Boards to Michael’s Place and Parallel 45 Theatre. She is the founding volunteer Board Treasurer and is a year-round resident of Traverse City.

  • BETH MILLIGAN

    Beth is a journalist and head writer for the Traverse City Ticker, an online daily news outlet in Traverse City. She recently served as marketing chair on the board of directors for LGBTQ+ advocacy group Up North Pride and has worked in marketing and PR roles for numerous community organizations including the Traverse City Film Festival, Traverse Connect, Traverse City Winter Comedy Arts Festival, Traverse City National Writers Series, and Porterhouse Productions.

    Beth currently co-hosts a podcast called Breaking the Surface that is part of the Boardman Review Podcast Collective and is dedicated to thoughtful deep-dive discussions on politics, pop culture, philosophy, and current events. She is the founding volunteer Board Secretary and is a year-round resident of Old Mission Peninsula.

  • JORDAN ANDERSON

    Jordan has spent a career in media and storytelling, fueled by his insatiable creative interests and the rapid pace of change in technology and how companies communicate and connect with their fans and users. In 2020 he founded his own creative agency, named Pancake Boy Productions, which conceives and produces multi-platform campaigns in video, audio and social media for companies around the northern Michigan region.

    Prior to launching the company, Jordan was Creative Director to Midwestern Production for over seven years, designing and producing content campaigns for clients and for the award winning array of radio and online outlets. His love and knowledge of music, along with his keen senses to read an audience and room, made him one of the region’s top DJ’s and Music Producer for live events, or as he calls it “Guest Movement Consultant.” His company Mr. Music continues rocking even today.

    He has served as an active founding volunteer to Parallel 45 Theatre and often produces content for local nonprofit organizations and fundraising efforts as an active member of his community. Jordan is a graduate of Central Michigan University where he studied Broadcast and Cinematic Arts.

  • REBECCA GREEN

    Rebecca produced two of the top-grossing and critically acclaimed independent films of 2015, “It Follows” and “I’ll See You In My Dream,” which generated a combined domestic box office total of $22 million. Named one of Variety’s “10 Producers to Watch” and nominated for the Piaget Producer’s Award at the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Green was also a 2017 Women at Sundance Fellow, Creative Advisor for the 2017 and 2018 Film Independent Producing Lab, and the Fall 2016 Allesee Endowed Chair in Media Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. Green holds a B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

    Among other honors, she was recently elected the president of the Producers Union in 2021, which organized independent producers into a formal organization for the very first time. She helped found and lead that effort while she continues to curate her website, newsletters and data reports around producorial issues at “Dear Producer,” an online portal for makers and creators. She is a founding Board Director and a year-round resident of the Detroit area.