September signals the start of the annual salmon run as the days turn shorter and the water turns cooler.
Sportsmen and anglers flock to the Sleeping Bear Dunes region to fish bays and inlets and wade in the Platte and Betsie Rivers.
Oliver Art Center in Frankfort has organized an exhibit all about fishing to highlight northern Michigan’s love affair with the fish and the fight. If you need to pass the time while your hubby tries to reel in the big one, or you want to learn more about the region’s rich fishing history, check out these activities.
HOOKED: The Art of Fishing
HOOKED: The Art of Fishing features work by 25 artists and includes paintings, sculpture, mixed-media pieces, and vintage lures. The exhibit runs through October 4 and many of the works are for sale.
Oliver’s staff members wanted to display more art and connect with the community. They hope The Art of Fishing lures in a new crowd.
“It’s a fun exhibit,” says Tamara Hoffbauer, executive director. “We really wanted to explore something we have a close connection to and what a great way to encourage people who might not come in to come in.”
The exhibition is not in the main gallery space, but fittingly fills up the Fisher Room and streams out into the hallway.
“We thought it was time to make as much use of the space as possible,” says Julie White Pierce, gallery and program director.
The HOOKED exhibit offers something for every kind of fishing enthusiast. The show includes a wide variety of art, including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, jewelry, handmade decoys, mixed-media collage, and fish leather art.
Local artists featured include Judy Jashinsky of Arcadia, Andrew Jagniecki of Onekama, Dani Knoph of Boyne City, Rachel Liebler of Beulah, and Hank Feeley of Glen Arbor. Other artists include Robin Wilaband-Snow, Steve Kline, and Emily Galassini. The first piece that sold was made by Oliver Art Center’s summer intern, Marina McCormick.
“What I love about this particular show is the creativity to the prompt,” Pierce says. “We wanted to see what people would come up with, and they did not disappoint us.”
The exhibition also highlights vintage lures by Makinen Tackle Co., which made lures during the 1940s and employed local women in nearby Kaleva, Michigan. Another display showcases BenzieJo Decoys, a Benzonia-based business owned by Fred and Jo Anne Campbell. The Campbells make fish decoys, chainsaw carvings, wind chimes and more.
Artist Emily Galassini will teach a two-day fish leather making class on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. Visit oliverartcenterfrankfort.org for more information.
Platte River State Fish Hatchery
If you prefer an immersive experience, September is a perfect time for a peaceful float on the Platte River. You can cast a line or relax and watch for waterfowl. It’s also the best way to see the salmon running up the river.
The Platte River State Fish Hatchery off US 31 is free and open to the public. Grounds are open every day from dawn to dusk and hatchery buildings from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The fish hatchery produces Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon, coho salmon and walleye. The Platte hatchery is considered the birthplace of the Great Lakes salmon program and home to the state's only coho salmon production facility.
It’s a sight to see the fish swimming near the weir as the adult salmon return to spawn from mid-September to late-October. The public is welcome to watch! The Platte River State Fish Hatchery also offers educational facilities, birding opportunities, and trails which are open to the public.
Fishtown Art Shanty
A fall M-22 road trip isn’t complete without a stop at historic Fishtown in Leland. And visiting artist Bob Batchik of Sylvan Lake is featured at Fishtown’s Art Shanty until Sept. 30.
Batchik has devoted his craft to fish, creating realistic trophy fish carvings, oversized fish carvings, custom carved signs, and wood furniture. He has a fine arts degree from Northern Michigan University and background as a professional graphic designer.
Batchik started carving fish as a hobby 25 years ago which led to his own business, Sunfish Woodworks. Batchik learned about the Art Shanty opportunity through another artist he met at Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids.
“I fished as a hobby and continued to grow the business and quit my corporate job to do this full time,” he says. “I am passionate about fishing, about the fish, and the environment that fish live in.”
He considers himself a traditionalist at heart, using only hand tools such as draw knives, spokeshaves, gouges, and chisels to create his art. The planes and facets left behind by the tools show that the art is uniquely hand carved.
Fishtown Preservation organized Fishtown’s Art Shanty, a pop-up art space that is open until Oct. 14 and features a new artist each week.
The Art Shanty is located in the addition off the lower level of the historic Ice House. Invited artists and crafters get to be a part of the Fishtown community during their weeklong exhibit.
Other artists include: Oct. 1-7, Hickory Nut Farmstead, handmade baskets made with willow and other species; and Oct. 8-14, Hannah Anema Art, artwork inspired by interactions with the natural world.
For more information on fishing in the region, visit Fishing | Sleeping Bear Dunes or Fishing - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (U.S. National Park Service).
Marla R. Miller is a freelance travel writer who enjoys exploring the Sleeping Bear area. Visit her website at marlarmiller.com.