Of Chicago and Detroit

As usual, my wife and I had a splendid time in Chicago this weekend. Mary participated in the Bucktown Arts Fest, and business was brisk. Clearly her amazing collage photography was the primary reason, and the weather was superb. But it got me thinking about how the Windy City seems to have weathered the economic storm so much better than Detroit, in particular, and Michigan as a whole. Mary and I have worked many art fairs and festivals in 2009, and many which have taken place in Michigan also have been, like the Bucktown event, well-run, rewarding and profitable, including those in Plymouth and Northville. Still, the sheer foot traffic and the way in which people from the Chicago area seemed less concerned about whether they could afford to purchase art -- perhaps one of the first things to get the budgetary heave-ho in down times -- struck me as indicative of the ongoing differences between these regions. Even so, I am seeing a glimmer of hope that an economic rebound may soon be possible here in the Great Lake State. May that continue.