Finding a thriving art culture in a small town can be difficult for many people who are interested in relocating from a major metropolitan area. Some people want to find homes where they will raise children in towns where people know each other, the crime rate is tiny, and the air is fresh and clean. The difficulties in making this transition can occur because cities offer an upscale, vibrant lifestyle not usually found in smaller towns, where art and entertainment  are often traded for rural living. Chelsea, Michigan is one town that has created a niche for itself as a small rural town with a flair for the arts. Not only does Chelsea offer cozy shops, cafe’s, restaurants, a walkable scenic downtown, good schools, and of course the adorable teddy bear factory, but it also offers theatre and art.

As noted in the Jackson Citizen Patriot, The National Endowment of the Arts visited Chelsea to tour the Purple Rose Theatre and the River Gallery as part of a much larger six month long tour of cities in the United States.

The National Endowment of the Arts chairman calls Chelsea ‘a poster child for everything we’re talking about at the NEA’ “It’s inspiring to be in this community and see how the arts are an engine for vitalization,” Landesman told community leaders gathered for a roundtable discussion today at The Common Grill. “That’s something I can take back to Washington.”

Landesman made Chelsea part of Art Works, a six-month national fact-finding tour intended to highlight the role of the arts in communities. Most of the stops on Landesman’s tour have been much larger cities than Chelsea, which has a population of about 4,000. He used the opportunity to announce a new research publication that focuses on how people outside major metropolitan areas participate in the arts.

If you are interested in relocating to Chelsea and would like assistance in finding the right home, please contact Steve Wickland. Chelsea offers many new homes, land for construction, and older homes for sale at affordable prices.