Glen Arbor Art Association hosts “Talk About Art” with musician Blake Elliott

From staff reports

Singer-songwriter Blake Elliott makes some of her signature music at the Glen Arbor Art Association’s next “Talk About Art” interview, on Thursday, March 13 from 7:30-8:30. This versatile musician writes the music — a rich fusion of funk/blues/indie folk — and the lyrics she sings. Elliott, a Traverse City resident, creates music inspired by the natural beauty of her home and “this big adventure called ‘Life.’” Her instrument of choice is the guitar, and she and Talk About Art host Sarah Bearup-Neal will talk about how it’s helping her make her way through a maze of concert dates and the brave new world of recorded music.

The Glen Arbor Sun recently interviewed Blake Elliott. Here’s what she had to say:

Sun: What stands out about Glen Arbor/Leelanau County for you as an artist?

Elliott: As a songwriter I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the landscape and how inspirational it can be. That’s one of the reasons I moved to Leelanau County nearly eight years ago. Something as simple as a drive down a county road or a gorgeous sunset can draw out a new idea for a song. The intense, contrasting seasons is another. I’m a born-and-raised Michigan girl, so I really need all four seasons. There are rhythms we get into inside each one and then there is the transition period we experience into the next. I love seeing and feeling the change. The community is the other stand-out for me. After attending a night at the Beach Bards bonfire on my last vacation here before I became a resident, I sat on the beach looking out at the water and the stars, thinking about the talented and thoughtful people I had just met and realized that I could call this place my home.

Sun: What is your current artistic muse? What’s got your creative juices flowing right now?

Elliott: Right now I find myself in a place of reflection, so the creative “flow” has felt more like a drip as of late. After a year and a half, my band and I just completed our first album and that has really been the sole focus for me. Writing seems to be at a bit of a stand still, so I’ve been listening to a lot of old music, particularly jazz, blues, and ragtime from the 1920’s and 1930’s. I would really like to create a side project that embraces that look and sound. It might be strange to say, but although I’m only in my 30’s, there is something that feels familiar to me about that period of time in music.

Sun: Other than your art, what are you most looking forward to do while in Glen Arbor?

Elliott: I’m really looking forward to stopping into Art’s Tavern actually! Now that I live in downtown Traverse City I don’t get out to Glen Arbor as much as I would like. There are also some dear friends that I’m looking forward to connecting with.

Sun: Based on what you know about Glen Arbor, how does the art community here enhance the overall experience for visitors/tourists?

Elliott: When people visit this area and have the opportunity to see the art created here and meet the artisans behind it, I think they walk away with a more inspired understanding of what it means to live in this community. We have gorgeous scenery, great food, wonderful wine, and countless other things, but the artists capture a different tangible perspective. Not only that, but the art community extends well beyond just the artists and musicians of Leelanau. There are many people who simply support and enjoy what is created through someone else’s passion. I think that type of connectivity really shows tourists/visitors that we have a strong, vibrant, and viable community on the whole. It makes it enticing to visit and easy to want to stay.