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Famous Photographer Visits Saugatuck/Douglas

Internationally acclaimed photographer Vincent J. Musi, whose work is frequently seen in National Geographic Magazine, has just completed a two week photographic assignment for Michigan's Beach Towns Association in conjunction with the organization’s efforts to gain certification of U.S. Route 31, "The West Michigan Pike", as a Michigan Heritage Route.

Musi, who is also a contributor to Time, Newsweek, Life, Fortune and The New York Times Magazine, arrived in Saugatuck on July 08, 2008 to begin a 15- day photographic excursion that would take him from the dugout of The Douglas Dutchers Vintage baseball team in Douglas, Michigan to the kitchen table of 103 year old Saugatuck artist Sylvia Randolph. According to Felicia Fairchild, President of Beachtowns Association and Executive Director of the Saugatuck-Douglas Visitors Bureau, "We wanted to launch this historic route in an unprecedented and powerful way. We wanted to create buzz, curiosity and excitement about this project throughout the region. But most importantly it was our objective to create an enduring photographic retrospective that would link this historic route from our past to our present and to our future." She added, “We sought out Mr. Musi because of his vast body of work and his artistic and thought- provoking style."

For more than 25 years Mr. Musi has photographed diverse subjects including Traveling Route 66, The Lewis and Clark Trail, Life Under Volcanoes, Illegal Immigration and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. His most recent story on Animal Intelligence captured the cover of the March 2008 issue of National Geographic Magazine and he just returned from a month in Italy where he was on assignment for the publication.

Musi, considered one of the nation’s finest photographic essayists, believes that pictures are meant to convey the essence of a particular subject. He has done a number of features on vanishing cultures and has a special interest in covering cultural subjects that are tied together by history. During his visit to Saugatuck he was struck by the anti big box feel of the lakeshore and the predominance of businesses owned by private individuals and sometimes owned by several generations of the same family. He observed, “There is real treasure here in the history, people and communities that needs to be documented and preserved. I only scratched the surface.” Regarding his travels along the Pike he added, “The journey is just as important as the destination and even though much of the original West Michigan Pike doesn't’t exist any more, the spirit and soul of what made it special still does.”

Mr. Musi shot 7000 images during his two-week stay. He now faces the task of narrowing his selection of photos to 40 exhibit-quality prints that will go on exhibition in museums throughout the state. He plans to return to Beachtowns in November to launch the exhibit and give a public presentation on his experiences visiting Saugatuck-Douglas and traveling "The West Michigan Pike." His visit will be made possible through grants from the Michigan Humanities Council, Holland-Zeeland Community Foundation, the Frey Foundation, the Tri-Cities Museum, The Grand Haven Community Foundation and the Muskegon Community Foundation, through the efforts of Sandra Clark Director of the Michigan Historical Department. The idea for the West Michigan Pike Heritage Route is the result of a grant from Preserve America and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to develop a cultural tourism initiative in Southwest Michigan. 

For further information contact Felicia Fairchild, Executive Director
Saugatuck-Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau at (269) 857-1701 or (269) 857-5895