The Warren (An Artists Collective) And Madcap Coffee To Open Late Spring In Leland

Soon three local artists — also friends — will be sharing a revamped storefront in the former Rustic Roots space at 106 N. Main in Leland. Right next door, Grand Rapids-based Madcap Coffee Company has begun its northern Michigan expansion (in what was the beloved Blue Boat coffee shop) and will be bringing its trademark hospitality to Leelanau County year-round. Here’s more buzz from Leland:

Painter/designer Kristin MacKenzie Hussey (pictured) lives and works in Leland, a town that she says is incredibly supportive of its local makers and artists. Bolstered by this knowledge, “plus the past two years and that feeling of isolation,” has made “connecting face-to-face with the community more of a priority,” she says. So Hussey, along with Leland’s Kelsey McQuown, a jewelry designer, and another (silent-for-now) partner have signed a lease in Leland Courtyard to open The Warren.

“It is a collective with three Leelanau makers and artistic brands coming together at this new retail space, plus the occasional guest pop-up,” explains Hussey.

Hussey has been creating custom wedding stationary with her company Sable & Gray for eight years, and in November 2019 made the move to Leland with her young family to launch Kristin MacKenzie Design featuring her watercolor prints. In the past year, her lighthearted, nostalgic fine art landscapes along M-22 and other iconic county locales really took off, and will be a focus in the new collective.

She shares, “I’ve been in the community, but kind of behind the scenes, so I am looking forward to being more outward-facing.”

McQuown creates hand-twisted filigree jewelry — using an ancient metalworking technique with a modern aesthetic — under the brand Kelsey Grape. Her latest work is inspired by the organic patterns along the waters of the Great Lakes region and Leelanau County in particular. Before she and her husband moved to Leland in 2017 to create a home and more permanent studio location, “I used to do about 25 art shows a year, going from the East Coast to the West Coast, from LA to San Francisco to Seattle to Portland,” she says. “Being stationary and settled here is great. It’s a welcoming, calming thing.”

Right now, both Hussey and McQuown are selling their work online and in other galleries. And while they look forward to what they will learn being able to interface with the public, to keep a steady pace making art they also plan to hire a team to run the day-to-day operations at The Warren. Says McQuown, “coming together as a group allows us a little more flexibility to maintain our own creative time.”

The mystery partner — a current business owner in the county — will join the collective with her own curated vintage collections and pottery. Renovations are now underway. The group is aiming for a Memorial Day weekend opening. Adds Hussey, “Doing this as a team, I have no fear. It’s an opportunity to work with my friends, be a part of the community, and put our artwork out there. And I think all three of us really love where we live.”

Meanwhile, Grand Rapids-based Madcap Coffee Company has announced its acquisition of Blue Boat in Leland. Madcap’s operational support, equipment, and branding will be introduced to the space, and a “reopening is now targeted for Memorial Day weekend 2022” shares Josh Weichhand, Madcap Coffee’s chief marketing officer.

Prior to Madcap’s acquisition, Blue Boat had been a wholesale partner of Madcap Coffee Company, with the café owned and operated by Leland resident Susan Kurnick. She developed Blue Boat into a brand recognizable (for its bright blue cups!) and for service that benefitted from regular barista training and coffee education with Madcap.

“When I made the decision to sell, they were the logical choice to buy Blue Boat,” shares Kurnick. “I’m so pleased to pass this torch and welcome the brand into Leland and our small business community.”

Madcap’s new year-round locale in Leland becomes the coffee roaster’s fourth café location in Michigan, which Weichhand shares is part of Madcap’s focus on owned retail locations, intimate café footprints, and broader wholesale distribution in northern Michigan.

The company’s choice to expand first to Leelanau was a natural, Weichhand tells the Leelanau Ticker. “Madcap is obsessed with hospitality and our sourcing philosophy shares a kinship with wine. We see Leelanau as a natural fit for our brand and product, which emphasizes quality, terroir, direct relationships with our producers at origin, and the entire global value chain from bean to cup. We see Madcap sitting quite naturally alongside the incredible food, wine, and agriculture in Leelanau – and we’re thrilled to be joining the community.”

Demo at the café has started with construction soon to follow. Weichhand notes that Madcap has yet another exciting project in the works that will mean more “good things ahead” in Leelanau.

Photos: Kristin Hussey, who is opening The Warren with two local partners this May; Madcap Coffee, also opening late May to serve the Leland community year-round.