Our Stories
The stories shared here reflect the many paths that lead people to Macon Creek. Each member arrives with their own craft, curiosity, and lived experience, adding another thread to the fabric of this evolving creative community. As these voices gather over time, they reveal something larger being built here – a place where creativity, collaboration, and belonging matter. These stories celebrate the power of imagination, making, and shared experience to bring people together and shape a vibrant community for today and the future.
Katherine & Jon
Silly, Ambitious Art
Our names are Katherine and Jon. We met in 2020 and immediately hit it off, bonding over our shared love of silly, ambitious art. Silly, ambitious art requires space and lots of it. But that is a problem for people like Jon and me, because we’ve always lived in smaller spaces.
Eventually, our art really scaled up when we decided to take on the build of a 26-foot geodesic dome. After creating our materials list, we looked around our current space and realized we needed to expand, as our setup wasn’t going to cut it.
That realization is what pushed us to find a new workspace. We found our way to Macon Creek through a friend’s recommendation, and it quickly became clear that it was exactly what we needed. It offered not just space, but possibility. 24-hour access, a fully equipped workshop, and most importantly, a community that was open to supporting artists with their space and resources.
We signed up for a cubicle and began working our day jobs in the Hive. After hours, we’d head over to the workshop and work on the dome.
For those unfamiliar, building a dome is quite simple: it’s the same steps repeated over and over again. So it’s not hard, it’s just time-consuming. We thought we’d finish in a single season, but we were wrong. What we expected to take months stretched across Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2022. We paused for the winter, then picked it back up in Spring 2023.
Through it all, the workshop at Macon Creek fully supported us. It is a fully equipped workspace with all the saws you’d need. It has a full exhaust system along with all the bits and bobs we needed along the way. Not to mention the ample space we had to store the ever-growing pile of triangles we were building.
Then, in December 2023, something unexpected happened. Macon Creek facilitated a connection with a local landowner who was looking to sell their property. They connected us to the seller, and before we knew it, we were making the biggest investment of our lives: purchasing 11 acres in Macon Township. The following fall, we finally assembled the dome on our property.
Since then, we’ve continued to grow our lives in Macon. We’ve built a fence, started small-scale farming and slowly shaping the property into our own vision of art and sustainability. We haven’t yet built our home on the property, but we already feel like we belong here. We already feel connected to the community.
None of this would have been possible without Macon Creek. What started as a search for more space became something much bigger. They didn’t just provide resources, they opened doors. They connected us to people, to opportunities, and ultimately to the land where we’re building our future. And for that, we’re incredibly grateful.
Chad & Paula Wagenschutz
The making of CPW Farms LLC…and our partnership with Macon Creek
Chad Wagenschutz was born and raised in Macon Township, where he developed a love for farming at a young age. His family farmed the land and operated a local grain elevator until 1989. After high school, Chad left the farm to attend Western Michigan University, where he earned a degree in Business Management while working construction for his father’s business.
In 2009, Chad found his way back to his roots and his true passion—farming. He returned to work at the old family elevator and homestead, now known as John Marion, Inc. Today, he remains a dedicated employee, focusing on crop production and continuing his family’s agricultural legacy.
Paula (Young) comes from a large family that grew up on a small hog farm on the outskirts of Manchester and Ann Arbor. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that she discovered her passion for agriculture when she began working for Crop Production Services (now Nutrien) in Saline. Over 11 wonderful years, she gained valuable knowledge and built lasting friendships within the farming community. After several meaningful years balancing work and family, she stepped away for a time to focus on raising her three daughters.
In 2014, Paula began working at John Marion, Inc., further deepening her roots in the local agricultural community.
Their love story began through their shared connection to agriculture. Chad and Paula became acquainted through their workplaces, and when the time was right, their lives blended. Chad took on one of the greatest roles of his life—becoming a proud stepdad to Paula’s three daughters: Peyton, Mallory, and Karsyn.
Chad’s deep desire to farm led to leasing a few hundred acres and establishing CPW Farms LLC. Over the years, they have been fortunate to farm ground for the Hive Project for nearly five years and now grow corn and soybeans across 300 acres in Washtenaw and Lenawee counties. Chad handles the “dirty work” in the fields, while Paula manages the bookkeeping and grain marketing behind the scenes—truly a partnership in every sense.
As a family, they cherish the beauty of planting and harvest seasons. While the girls may have outgrown earning ten cents per rock picked from the fields, every now and then they still enjoy delivering dinner to Chad during long days in the tractor—continuing the simple traditions that make farm life so special.
“What makes The Hive special is Macon Creek’s genuine commitment to supporting artists—and in our experience, they truly live that mission. We feel supported, encouraged, and inspired here in ways that go beyond just having a desk. The Hive isn’t just a co-working space, it’s a meaningful asset to the creative community, and we’re grateful to be part of it.”
Erica Hampton
Project Director, Firewatch Studio
“Macon Creek grows from a simple belief: when people are given space to create, listen, and work side by side, something larger than any one of us begins to take shape. That’s how community is built, and it’s how the future finds its footing.”
Founder, Macon Creek
“Everyone is an artist” is more than a tagline. It’s a recognition that the visual, creative, and performing arts are part of our every day lives, and everyone is touched at some point in time by the vulnerability of a friend, a family member, a coworker, or a complete stranger whispering, “Here, I made this…” We are nudged to actively listen and to embrace creativity as an essential human practice.”
Founder, Macon Creek
BECOME A MEMBER
Our members reflect the many paths that lead to Macon Creek – artists, educators, makers, and neighbors who believe creativity belongs in everyday life. Their work and stories shape the spirit of this community.
Becoming a member offers opportunities to connect through events, workshops, performances, and shared creative experiences across the campus. Members enjoy invitations to special programs, opportunities to engage with artists and educators, and a meaningful role in supporting a growing arts and land/purpose-based community in southeast Michigan.
There are many ways to be part of Macon Creek – by creating, participating, volunteering, or supporting the work that happens here. If this kind of community speaks to you, we invite you to join us.