ARTIST SAYS ‘YES!’ TO MICHIGAN

For Immediate Release

ALBION — Artist Maggie LaNoue has taken Michigan’s economic plight to heart and said, “Yes!” to Michigan in her own unique way.

Maggie plans to promote the great beauty of Michigan through pen and ink drawings of many points of interest. Her drawings include well-known vacation spots like Mackinac Island, Harbor Springs, and Traverse City, plus historical renderings of places like Marshall, Birmingham, and Pentwater.

A collection of note cards, post cards, and prints entitled “A Tour of Michigan” is being prepared for distribution to outlets across the state.

“Michigan is a very beautiful state and I think it’s only a matter of time before the economy improves,” Maggie said. “By promoting the state’s beauty, I may be able to encourage tourism here. Michigan has a lot going for it that other states don’t have like an abundant supply of fresh water and many picturesque beaches and harbors.”

As soon as she could pick up a crayon, Maggie’s gift as an artist became apparent. Her parents recognized her talent for drawing horses while she was a youngster and decided to cultivate her skills with classes at the Corcoran Art Gallery in her native Washington, D.C. Throughout school, Maggie took classes in art. Artistic expression has always been her first love.

After graduating from Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Md., Maggie entered Albion College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in visual arts. She graduated cum laude in 1976.

Despite her excellent credentials and some summer job experience in art with the U.S. Army, Maggie was unable to find an art job after graduation. In order to earn a living, she turned a part-time cook’s job into a full-time job making pizzas and waiting tables at an Albion tavern and put her career on the back burner. Maggie’s art became a side order for the time being.

One evening in the fall of 1979, Maggie was waiting on a couple who owned the local bookstore. It was somewhere between a couple of beers and a medium pepperoni that the bookstore owners suggested they would like to sell a card of downtown Albion. Little did they know this industrious table hop was an artist. They put the proverbial bug in Maggie’s ear and short weeks later, Albion Cards was born.

That first drawing of snow-covered Superior Street in downtown Albion sold nearly 5,000 cards in one Christmas season and through one outlet. Within a year, a signed limited edition print of the street scene was sold out.

Because of the initial success of the Superior Street drawing, Maggie found her niche in pen and ink illustration. She also discovered something very important to the development of Albion Cards.

“Everyone loves scenes of their home town,” Maggie said, “and every community has something distinctive about it. Michigan has many interesting, friendly and historical communities. The pen and ink medium comes natural here.”

In September of 1981, Maggie left the tavern and began working full time at Albion Cards. She operates the business out of her home.

Her “Tour of Michigan” collection numbers about 20 drawings and all work in the collection is copyrighted.

As part of her plan to promote Michigan, she will allow some communities to use her work in conjunction with promotional campaigns to encourage tourism and economic growth.

Maggie plans to expand her state collection gradually to include more of Michigan’s beautiful sites.

Communities currently featured in her tour include Albion, Birmingham, Franklin Village, Harbor Springs, Traverse City, Petoskey, Mackinac Island, Marshall, Manitou Island, Pentwater, Leland, and Paw Paw.