Old Art Building’s Blue Lantern Tea series counters information malaise
Judy Frederick, Sara Hartley and Barbara, Burkhardt—the heart and soul of the Blue Lantern Tea Series. Photo by Katie Dunn
By Katie Dunn
Sun contributor
“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.”
Those are the prescient, portending words of Gertrude Stein, the American 20th century expatriate, novelist, art pioneer, and culturalist extraordinaire. Her words are still deeply salient—a century later.
Divisiveness is easy currency—globally, nationally, locally. Ostensibly, digital public platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter (“X”), and Instagram encourage and foster human connectivity. In reality, however, those online forums equally—if not more so—reap dissension, discord, and ultimately, a deep sense of isolation. We have become, regrettably, media saturated and disconnected.
The Leelanau Community Cultural Center at the Old Art Building (“OAB”) in Leland, most fortuitously, has provided a counterpoint — an antidote of sorts — to this malaise: the Blue Lantern Tea Room (“BLTR”) program.
The BLTR program is a reimagination of the historic, communal salon experience. The salon, traditionally, was a gathering of diverse individuals at the behest of a female host. Its fundamental purpose was intellectual stimulation, the exchange of ideas, and authentic communality. Typically, conversation revolved around such matters as culture, the arts, literature, science, music, and politics. Engagement, conviviality, and personal edification were its most defining characteristics—seemingly, the antithesis of the virtual social sphere.
It was OAB Program Director, Sara Hartley, who ingeniously committed to resuscitating this storied institution at the OAB. Hartley collaborated with OAB Program Committee Chair, Barbara Burkhardt, and Judy Frederick, former OAB board member. The salon has a singularly feminine legacy. Fittingly, these three dynamic women now govern over its recreation here in magical Leelanau County.
Hartley’s inspiration was the history of the OAB itself, and one of its most prominent founders: Allie Mae Maro. Indeed, the history of the OAB and the salon phenomenon are very much intertwined. The OAB was established in 1922 through the efforts of the Walter T. Best Women’s Club, led by Maro—Best’s widow and one of Leland’s iconic matriarchs.
Maro was roundly acclaimed as a most gracious and generous host. Best, himself, was a talented, charismatic magician whose nom de guerre was Edward Maro, “Prince of Magic.” Before Best’s untimely death in 1908—he succumbed to typhoid—the couple toured the Lyceum circuit together.
Best and Maro were renowned for hosting salon entertainments at their estate home on Lake Leelanau. (Remarkably, Frederick’s Leland home is situated on the historic Best-Maro property.) The duo deliberately and meticulously invited creative types to spur thoughtful conversation, making their gatherings particularly compelling. In 1923, Maro opened The Blue Lantern Tea Room where lunch and afternoon tea were served. Victuals were foundational to Maro’s tearoom, but there also was a prominent salon component to that venue.
The BLTR program honors the legacies of these two intricately linked, venerable salon experiences.
“In looking into the history of the Old Art Building, I became acquainted with Allie Mae Maro, founder of the Walter T. Best Women’s Club which fundraised to build this beloved space. So many area historians and OAB members were eager to share traces of her story, which included owning and operating The Blue Lantern Tea Room north of town in the 1920s. Given Allie Mae’s fondness for salon-style entertainments in her home, and providing refreshments and hospitality to guests in her tea room, we wanted a way to honor her and her history here,” Hartley explained. “This seemed like a really beautiful way to invite our year-round residents into their community space to share intimate moments with area artists. It’s something more difficult during the summer season when things are more hectic. Winter, in many ways, is perfect for gathering and reflecting over a cup of tea.”
The roots of the salon experience are somewhat obscure, but likely, its nascency dates to the early 5th century B.C.E. with Aspasia of Miletus. Aspasia was the beloved companion of Pericles, a Greek statesman and military general during the Golden Age of Athens. As a woman, she was an unlikely—and, oftentimes vilified—scholar and philosopher whose intellectual influence distinguished her in Athenian culture, as it was deeply patriarchal. Aspasia, nevertheless, established an informal school of rhetoric and thought. It served as an academic center for young women in Athens, and its enduring value is immeasurable.
Aspasia’s salon legacy, predictably, never lost traction. It subsequently percolated through the centuries, most notably in Renaissance Florence where two sisters-in-law—Isabella d’Este (1474–1539) and Elisabetta Gonzaga (1471–1526)—presided over gatherings of artists, writers, philosophers, musicians, and other esteemed figures.
From there the salon phenomenon migrated to 17th century France during the Enlightenment Period—again, at its helm was a prominent woman: Catherine de Rambouillet (1588–1665). Her salon served as an intellectual hub for the Parisian intelligentsia to civilly discuss social, political, literary, and artistic topics.
The Salon then most notably manifested itself during the interwar years of early 20th century Paris at the direction of the inimitable Stein. She was the epitome of the Renaissance woman. It was Stein who so poignantly, and indelibly, described Europe’s post-World War I expatriate community: “You are all a lost generation.”
To mitigate that severe sense of detachment, directionless, and desolation—to which Stein was acutely attuned—were her Saturday evening assemblies at the home that she shared with her partner, Alice B. Toklas. There, at No. 27 Rue de Fleurus in the Montparnasse neighborhood on the Left Bank of Paris, luminaries of the likes of Henri Matisse, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Sherwood Anderson were reliably in attendance. Rigorous discussion and the cross-pollination of ideas were the reigning forces of Stein’s salon. It was an intellectual, artistic, literary incubator—the ramifications of which have no metrics.
The BLTR program is a brilliant revival of Stein and her predecessors’ salon tradition—providing an opportunity to build more intelligent and thought-provoking discussions in the Leelanau community.
“We are trying to bring artists and their audience into a more intentional community with each other,” Hartley said.
The series itself is comprised of five events, from January through May. It is an anthology of sorts—connected, yet, likewise, individualized. Refreshments are also very much a part of the BLTR salon experience.
“We offer three courses—savory, sweet, and digestif. It’s largely based on the idea of a high tea, but it’s really about us providing food that is part of the experience. [The] small bites [are] thematically linked to the program,” Hartley shared.
The first installment of the BLTR salon concept was on Jan. 14, titled “Art as Renewal,” which featured Anne-Marie Oomen and Robert Vivian. Oomen and Vivian are writers deeply tied to Leelanau County, working both independently and in collaboration. They shared with attendees how the act of creating art can contribute to a sense of renewal for both the creator and the audience, and it was a resounding success.
“Anne-Marie and Robert did a beautiful job reading some of their pieces and conversing with each other and with the audience, about the concept of renewal and creating art. They talked a bit about catalysts like grief and loss, and also about how making art changes you, how the process itself is so important to them. The conversation carried on a little past our scheduled end-time, but everyone was so invested. It was really quite a lovely afternoon,” Hartley said.
The Sunday, Feb. 11, edition of the BLTR program—which was sold-out—showcased a concert and conversation with renowned composer and performer, Matthew Cochran, music students from the Interlochen Arts Academy, and Interlochen Public Radio’s Kate Botello. Again, the program was enthusiastically embraced by those in attendance.
Next to follow will be “Bon Appetit”—an operatic biography of Julia Child. An actual transcript from Child’s celebrated chocolate cake recipe will be mellifluously recited by nationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Lindsey Anderson of Traverse City. That event is slated for both Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10.
On Sunday, April 14, the BLTR salon will showcase “She Does Shakespeare,” where local female actors will reinvent famous Shakespearean scenes and monologues intended exclusively for males. Shelby Lewis is directing this theatric event; she has a wealth of experience in adapting the Bard for modern audiences. Lewis and her cast will address and examine the challenges, and gratification, of reimagining gender spheres.
Finally, the BLTR series will culminate with “Spring Madrigals” which involves a selection of vocal music from the Leland Public School Honors Choir.
The BLTR program has been especially relevant, given its timing. The series falls on what are generally considered quieter—even darker—months. The BLTR program then is not simply intended to be only thought-provoking and esoteric, but just as significantly: comforting. It is meant to provide a warm, communal embrace.
“We are finding that the programming at the OAB is shifting to offering significantly more opportunities all year round. Summer is a very busy time for the OAB, and historically, there was a lot less happening from January through Memorial Day. That is no longer true! The community is eager to have offerings throughout the year,” Burkhardt said.
Considering its warm reception, Hartley believes that the BLTR program will likely become a permanent part of the OAB’s curriculum.
“It’s selling really well, and people seem excited about it…We’ll have to see what happens, but we’re already looking at the 2025 calendar and starting to dream,” Hartley shared.
The internet can never serve to replicate the authenticity of lived human interaction. Happily, the folks of Leelanau County Cultural Center have most certainly produced a vibrant alternative to social media with the BLTR program. And in doing so, the legacy of Maro lives on.
“Allie Mae was a trailblazer! She was a landowner, a business owner, she ran for public office. Her whole story includes many obstacles and tragedies, but also so much perseverance and strength. Her focus was always on being hospitable and supporting the arts and culture. She was a bit of a Renaissance woman, and I think she struggled in her time to fit the ‘role’ of a woman. Reading some of her letters, I don’t think she really knew the long-term she was having—the legacy she was leaving,” Hartley enthused.
