Mission

Empower and inspire a diverse community of artists, educators, and entrepreneurs.

Vision

To change the world around us for good through the power of art, innovation, and sustainability.

Diversity

We embrace people from all races, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, abilities, religions, and sexualities as sources of strength through our work as artists, educators, and entrepreneurs. We strive to expand our diverse community by actively valuing individual identities, experiences, ideas, and talents.

Campus

Located in southeast Michigan, our 215-acre campus features miles of walking paths, a pond, expansive fields, a creek flowing through historic woods and 17 buildings dedicated to art, innovation, and sustainability.

Our Organization

What is The Hive Project?

The Hive Project is a creative incubator. One of our projects is Macon Creek, where we bring together hundreds of artists and innovators year-round who share a passion for collaboration and sustainability.

As an organization:

  • We farm roughly 100 acres of land and manage our own drinking and waste water treatment plant.
  • We contribute to economic development by providing local employment and supporting local business.
  • We sustain artists, educators and entrepreneurs (young and old) as holistic creators for generations to come.
  • We strive to create more than half of our own energy consumption through viable eco-friendly sources such as solar, wind and geothermal infrastructure.

We discovered this picture painted on the wall of the historic shop building that was originally a tractor assembly plant.

Campus Tour
Tunnel Tour

Our Story

Why Macon Creek?

For 10 years, we searched for a space that would embrace our vision of a community of art, innovation and sustainability. This place is rooted in teaching, learning, exploring and passionately searching for new ways to do things. It is with sincere joy and genuine love in sharing the rich history of this part of southeast Michigan that we approach our work here.

We started the process of purchasing Macon Creek during a global pandemic and officially acquired the property in May 2021. More than ever, we need some sense of hope and some sense of looking forward. There can never be too much art in the world.

Our Team

Campus History

Macon Creek campus is located on the original homelands of the Peoria, Myaamia, Meskwahki (Fox), Bodwewadmi (Potawatomi) Nations. We acknowledge and honor the original caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the deep history of these lands and seek to make our place in that history, in part, by learning the true and accurate stories of its longest inhabitants.

During the Great Depression, Henry Ford acquired many thousands of acres of farmland in southeast Michigan, collectively known as Quirk Farms. He was interested in soybeans for fuel experiments and testing new designs in an agricultural and private environment. He was also a passionate supporter of education. The American worker, he believed, had lost the use of his hands. In response, Ford opened over 50 boarding and trade schools throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Approximately 215 of these acres south of Saline were established as one of these schools. The original maintenance shop floors, built from unused cuts of dashboard lumber, still remain today. For over 70 years after its sale in 1947, this unique property served as the Clinton campus for Holy Cross Children’s Services (commonly known as Boysville), an organization dedicated to providing hope and healing to boys, young men and their families.

Located in the heart of southeast Michigan.

8759 Clinton Macon Road
Clinton, MI 49236

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