"A Rich and Immersive Experience in the Arts"

Inside the doubly creative Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue

By Rachel Pasche | March 9, 2024

Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue of Boyne City wears two hats. By day, it’s a popular gallery home to works from Michigan-based artists. By night, it showcases musicians from all around the globe.

Co-owner Robin Lee Berry, a musician herself, admits to knowing almost nothing about running an art gallery when the storefront first opened its doors in 2009. Having created the music for the documentary Young Hemingway: The Path to Paris, her calling was more on the music side of things. Her husband and business partner, Tony Williams, was a furniture maker, and the duo wanted to have a space to sell the furniture alongside artwork from other local makers.

Other Boyne City gallery owners came by to welcome the pair to the neighborhood and industry, and one suggested hosting a concert in the space. The idea “took immediately,” Robin says, and she and Tony set to work organizing the first of many gallery concerts.

The Music

The first show they hosted was a band called Orpheum Bell, based out of Ann Arbor. Robin and Tony originally rented 40 chairs from the American Legion across the street but needed 100 more after people kept calling to say they’d be there.

Suffice to say, that first night was a hit, and that set the wheels in motion. “We were bitten,” Robin says of the feeling after that first concert. “We wanted to come up with ways to make it an incredible experience for everyone involved.”

Willy Porter, musician and friend to Robin and Tony, came to visit the gallery, helping them fine-tune the sound in the store. Speakers in the front and toward the back, curtains where necessary, and the shape of the space all contribute to the impeccable sound and ambiance attendees enjoy at the concerts. “The sound is perfect. The shows aren’t too loud—you hear the music as it’s intended,” Robin tells us.

The gallery concerts seat 150 people, and the shows consistently sell out. The space is starting to gain some (positive) notoriety among performers thanks to more than a decade of successful shows.

“We used to have to source musicians to play here, but now they’re coming to us,” Tony says, “Performers want to play here, so we’re getting emails all the time from their agents, asking to book a show.”

Some of the bigger names include Albert Lee, a guitarist who’s worked with The Everly Brothers and Eric Clapton, and Patty Larkin, a folk musician. But Robin and Tony have a special penchant for the up-and-comers.

“We showcase a lot of artists that the public generally don’t know about, but people love the musicians and can appreciate their talent,” Robin explains. “We really promote climbers in the career stage of their lives. They’re not always stars, but that’s what keeps them interesting and driven.”

That goes double for Blue Mondays. On the “backbeat of the month” (every second and fourth Monday of the month), Freshwater Gallery hosts an open-mic night. There are about 10 regulars who perform, along with others who come in more sporadically.

“We have groups come in to rehearse for an upcoming gig, people come to try their hand at a new piece, and those that just want to practice performing on stage,” Robin says. “It’s a safe space, and it’s a really wonderful community of people who just love music and art. Anyone can come and get up on the stage. We make sure the sound is perfect, give them the chance to perform a few songs.”

No matter who is on the stage, Tony is adamant on one point: “Our success with our concerts especially is due to community. We get tremendous support, great sponsorships, and we work with a lot of local places to make the whole concert come together.”

With top-quality sound, a social 30-minute intermission where food is catered from a nearby deli, and the option to bring your own adult beverages, attending a concert at Freshwater is a music experience unlike any other.

“During the performances, it’s so wonderful to look around at all the art. While your ears are listening to and appreciating the music, your eyes are doing the same around the gallery. It makes for a really rich and immersive experience in the arts,” Tony says.

The Art

The art side of the business is just as special to Robin and Tony.

“When we bring in artists, it’s like we’re inviting them to join the family,” Robin tells us. “It doesn’t matter to us if your art sells immediately or stays on the wall for months.”

Some artists, such as Martha Landis, have made lasting relationships at Freshwater—her artwork, in all its iterations, has been on display since the gallery opened. “Watching Martha’s art transcend and change over the years was really special,” Tony remarks.

Even though running the business keeps him busy, Tony still has some of his work in the gallery. His preferred medium today is what he calls “junk art,” in which he takes commonplace or discarded items and creates works of unique perspective.

When asked whether the gallery promotes the concerts and vice versa, Tony replies both are true. “We have people that come to the gallery and see the posters for the concerts, and then come to the next concert. And we have those that come to a concert and notice an artwork that catches their eye while they’re enjoying the music, and they’ll come back for it.”

At the end of the day, Robin and Tony are happy to be advancing the arts scene across a variety of mediums in Boyne City. Robin reflects on a time when some teenage boys came into the gallery, approached Robin, and said, “I don’t get it. What makes good art?”

Robin was overjoyed at this question. She replied, “Respond to yourself. What brings you joy? What sparks your interest? That’s what good art is, something that stimulates a response.”

The next Freshwater concert takes place in April. Tickets can be reserved by calling (231) 582-2588. Visit the gallery at 217 S. Lake Street in Boyne City.