Marlynne Kay Willingham , August 22nd, 2022

Marlynne Kay Willingham , August 22nd, 2022

In this interview, Marlynne Kay Willingham tells the story and creation of her business, Art in Motion.

Detroit Historical Society

8/22/2022

Detroit Historical Society

en-US

Marlynne Kay Willingham

Marlynne Kay Willingham is the owner of Art in Motion, a ceramic studio and gallery, which was founded in 2013.

Lily Chen

Detroit, MI

8/22/2022

1:09:48

Taylor Claybrook

Lily Chen: All right. I'm going to record. So today is Monday, August 22nd. It is around 2 p.m. and this is Lily Chen:. I am conducting an interview for the Hustle Project at the Detroit Historical Society and we are so excited to be interviewing our honorees. So we have one of our 36 here and go ahead and introduce your full name and then spell it out for us.

Marlynne Willingham: My full name is Marlynne Kay Willingham.

Lily Chen: Okay. And you go by Kay?

Marlynne Willingham: Correct. Okay. I go by the name of Kay.

Lily Chen: All right. So that's Kay, like K a y?

Marlynne Willingham: Because there's an E on Marlynne.

Marlynne Willingham: Yes. Okay. So in the exhibit, you'd want to go by Kay?

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. If you want to put the M period. Because he mentioned that during my presentation, that would be fine. But because most people are going to know me by Kay. Okay. Yeah. In this...this journey I've been on.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Okay. So tell us about your business.

Marlynne Willingham: So my business is Art in Motion, a ceramics studio and gallery. It's located on the avenue of fashion, or at least the north end of it. 19939 Livernois, just north of Pembroke. And I offer classes, workshops, parties for all ages. Yeah, it's work experience for those to have a good time working with the clay.

Lily Chen: I'm so excited to have an artist as one of our winners because we have so many cool artists in the city and we have to see that kind of work. But we do. And, you know.

Marlynne Willingham: I'm glad to be a part of the group.

Lily Chen: Yeah, absolutely. So what year was your business founded?

Marlynne Willingham: So my business was founded actually coming up. This September will be nine years. It was 2013, during the Detroit Design Festival.

Lily Chen: Wow. And are you from Detroit?

Marlynne Willingham: Yes, I am born and raised. Still live in Detroit. And my business is in Detroit. Yeah.

Lily Chen: Obviously, your business is on the west side. Are you from the West Side, too?

Marlynne Willingham: I live on the west side. Yes, I do.

Lily Chen: Okay. And tell me about growing up in Detroit.

Marlynne Willingham: Wow. Well, growing up, we tried. I came up, um, during the, uh, I guess you can say the late civil rights era. Uh, watching my parents watch Martin Luther King Pass. You know, John F Kennedy, um, you know, living on the west side. Remember the riots and. And the big tanks coming down the street at that time? You know, I was still young, but I definitely have fond memories of, I mean, say fond memories, the crazy memories of that. But, you know, still was a learning lesson, you know, during that time of, you know, what was really going on in our city, um, how my parents were treated. Um, we shortly moved shortly right after the riots to, um, from a two family flat that was still on the west side near the lodge. I would be called, um, I guess you can say, Martin Park area to the University District. We were the second black family to move on the block, and I was there for, uh, for 49 years. And until I had to, unfortunately, uh, sell my home to keep my business. but I still moved into another home that was just about a couple of miles west. And, uh, it's pretty much the same size house, but I got it for a heck of a deal. And now that house is worth probably what I sold my house for. And that was just really five years ago. So just because of the housing market and how things have changed in our area. Yeah, I, I'm still in a great space, but yeah, I wanted to, to live and grow up in Detroit. I brought my children up in Detroit. I went to private schools primarily up until to high school. And I went to Cass Technical High School and actually I just had my reunion this past weekend. So it last week was. It was a great week to celebrate.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Um, what year were you born?

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, I was born in 1959.

Lily Chen: Okay, so you still a young child when all of that was happening?

Marlynne Willingham: But yeah, but I remember I remember, you know, going to Belle Isle and learning how to skate on the on the little pond at Palmer Park and getting a hot chocolate and and popcorn and feeding the ducks in the summertime. So, you know, those are fond memories that I have of, you know, just being in the city. You know, the areas that many of us, they say that we're afraid to be in that are changing. Those were just basic neighborhoods that that we we lived, drove through, had family there, friends that were in that neighborhood that we had no problem driving through, where now we do have some sound, some hesitation. But I see a lot of changes in the city. I mean, there are one way streets that are now two ways. There are things that are businesses and homes that were in areas that either were burned down or just over the decades had deteriorated and now they are coming back. So those are that's really a good thing to see in the city.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Cass Tech seems like the perfect place to kind of get your hands in.

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, yeah.

Lily Chen: The arts. Everything. The sciences.

Marlynne Willingham: And even though I didn't start in ninth grade, I start in the 10th grade. And I was accepted into class because of my art background. I had to present my portfolio and talk to the department head, and I ended up being the department head assistant until I graduated from from there. Wow. In 1977. So yeah. So that was that was awesome. Were you working for Irvin Berger, which he is very well known department head for cats for for several decades. Ended up when he retired. He was a docent at the DIA. So he was his his reputation and his his encouragement. You know, through my decade well, through my years, I should say, of being a Cass even lived on...I mean, once I graduated.

Lily Chen: Yeah. So you I mean, you were an artist in your teens, I mean, even earlier.

Marlynne Willingham: I was an artist early. And it was funny because even with. Even though I was, you know, in the art, I was in fashion design, I just there was just something that was missing. And I remember him telling me, even when I probably had a parent teacher conferences, something with my mother and him saying, you know, Kay is a great artist, but she's not excellent. You know, she. Okay. Okay. I see.

Marlynne Willingham: So let that be an interview. So but when he said that, I mean, you know, of course, at the time, you know, it broke my heart. But I thought, okay, well, either I really need to, you know, step my game up or I need to change, do something different. So my mother really tried to encourage me to go into business. And, you know, I think it's the old adage, you know, artists are never rich and, you know, listen to your dad. And I'm like, that doesn't seem quite right, but go into fashion if you have a chance. You're I'm in the fashion field. But even still, I still just didn't feel my niche. But I went into the business world and actually I could have graduated from Kassel earlier because of my my birthday's is is in January. But I took some business classes, I did co-op, I got a job. So that really kind of and actually I one. I think it was second place city. Design what I had to come up with an invention. It was perfumes. I had to make a portfolio of what my product would be, and it was a perfume line. And so I came in second place and I won some hats and the shares.

Lily Chen: Wow.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. So and I still today well, you know, now it's no longer Hudsons. It's been several things, but it's target at this point. So. But I still have those shares of stock. Yes. yeah. So so I've had a lot of, you know, great lessons, you know, growing up in the city, even I like I said, I started in private schools, but, you know, ending up in Detroit public school and graduating. And, you know, here I am. Well, since you put my age out there, 45 years later, we had a our reunion this weekend. It was just great, you know, just being around good friends, you know, even after all these decades and looking for four more reunion times together.

Lily Chen: Yeah, absolutely. So it sounds like, you know, even early on you were doing so many different mediums. I mean, I'm hearing fashion, perfume. Were you in ceramics, too?

Marlynne Willingham: So here's interesting. So, you know, once I graduated from high school, I still had I had a job. I was at Northland Mall and it was a store called Peck and Peck. And it used to be here on Michigan Avenue downtown or Washington on Washington Boulevard. And so I stayed in the fashion world. I was into clothing for a while, then started selling shoes. I work for Lord and Taylor, so I went from really clothing to shoes to working for the Kroger Company. And I was the third black female store manager here in Michigan for Kroger's.

Lily Chen: Wow.

Marlynne Willingham: So I've gone from food into the into art, left the Kroger company and adopted two wonderful children. And they are grown adults now. But but yes, I took a class actually at one of their classes when they were in grade school, and I enjoyed it so much. And I said This was fun. I remember doing this, you know, as a kid. And so I went to Pewabic Pottery because it was, it was a ceramics class that they had for adults and took a class there. And in that particular class happened to be a woman who was just starting her job there as director of of education. So I inquired about a job and she led me to to production area to to interview with a woman. And ironically, it was funny because she thought. This is when we were obviously at the same age. And so she started asking me questions in terms of my ability to to do the job because it was production, meaning you're doing the same thing over and over. Can you lift 50lbs. of clay on a regular basis? You... Can you do this? And I was like, well, you know, sure, this comes on. And of course.

Marlynne Willingham: You know, in my forties. So but from there, she turned me back over to to Jerry, who was the director's name, and she said, Well, I'll try you in someone. It that's an education. And so the young lady, her name was Erica. And so come to find out, she also went to Cass Tech. She was, you know, about ten years younger than me. But even still, of course, we shared many of the same teachers and classes. And so it was just, you know, just the fact that we can, you know, gel on that level, that that was good. And she immediately basically hired me basically on the spot and said, well, this was in July, I believe we had talked. Yes. Yeah. And she said, Well, can you come back in September for for uh, for a training session? I said, Sure. And I came and that was literally my first day. And I was with Paul for a good ten, maybe 12 years until I started the business. So I became an after school teacher. That was what I was hired for.

Lily Chen: What year? Where you had, uh.

Marlynne Willingham: 2003...4?

Lily Chen: Okay.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. I'm trying to think how my kids at that time, because they were in school, you know, on a full time basis, meaning, you know, they were in elementary dance, so. Yeah, that must've been about 2004. And so, yeah. So up until I got to, uh, the studio for my own space in 2013, so, but I was there after school teacher then she asked me to do, uh, be a tour guide or docent. So I trained under Meredith and she became, she was her assistant. And, uh, so she took me out and Amy, all the literature, of course, to follow. And so I did the tours, and then along with it, well, some people either had a tour along with doing a tile making session. So that was the full tour process. So either I did one or the other or both, and I became good at it. So I was asked by their...Sandy was I guess she was really in charge of their corporate parties, of course, but they're their corporate events. That was their corporate event planner believe that's was what it was any time any corporations had events there. She was the one that made those arrangements, and so she'd asked me to do the parties for her. So there were many times that I would come and speak in front of large groups there, from different corporate donors to, you know, give them the history of Pewabic, which was wonderful because here I am, an African-American woman talking about a white woman and giving history about her for a passion that she had. That was also mine too. Yeah. So that, that, that was a great feeling. So yeah. So that that's that was my history with Pewabic until I had the opportunity to, uh, a friend of mine in my neighborhood told me about a grant opportunity, a grant initiative to rebuild the avenue of fashion. And so I went to a couple of meetings and I was like, okay, this sounds good. They were talking about doing a, what do you call it, a pop up at the time. And so that was it was rather it was it was called outside of me because it was around this time we started to meet and I guess the paper was going to either be in the fall or the winter, but they had to keep pushing it back for one reason or another. So it ended up being June of 2013. I had a business partner that I was working with then, and uh, so we did the paper had 20 participants and they all did just paint your own pottery kind of projects. And that was great. In theory, that was in one hour. So the, the planner of that who was name was Michael Foresight. And I guess he was also the one really basically in charge of the grant program. So he had you need to fill out an application, you know, for for space because this is something that I think would be really great to have a nice and I said, okay. So the partner night that I had at the time, we were really kind of going our separate ways. And so I took the application, but of course I gave her her own copy to see if that was something she wished to do on her own. So I went back to Pewabic and there was another young lady, Audrey, Audrey Long, who she was the tech there for a while. So in other words, a tech meaning that she worked in the Education Department with, you know, filling them, filling the kiln, teaching some classes, making glazes, all the technical things it takes basically to run the department in the studio, I should say so. But I knew she was having we both were just unhappy in our positions. We were both very, very unhappy with our boss at that time. And I won't say her name because she might... Not there.

Marlynne Willingham: But anyways, so we we filled out the application together and we submitted it and we heard in July we both got a text message that we received the grant or and so we, we, we interested, you know, please give us a call. Your meal is at this, you know, email address this state. And so of course we called each other and cried and it was like, okay, this is real. So that's really how, you know, our emotions started is, was, is, um, is just from a simple grant that, you know, said, okay, let's, let's do this. And we, we both, of course, had to, to leap while it. And uh, it was, it was a long six weeks and getting the studio together and, you know, well, first it was just finding the place, the, uh, the gentleman that we ended up renting from because, you know, initially with the, with the grant, they gave you a template of a studio or a space that you could work with because the whole point of getting this grant was to open a brick and mortar and that money would go towards helping you do that. And of course, if you had have any your own money to invest. But but still, the main point was just to get you get you started. And so initial place that we that we had looked at was was great, but unfortunately someone else had gotten that space. And so it was almost a mad scramble to to finally find a place. But ironically, almost to date is we are speaking, um, 2013, we were signing a lease so it was, you know, crazy, great location. And I was literally in the midst of what is considered the avenue of fashion, because the outer of fashion is really just four blocks from, uh. Was it same as St. Martins to Clarita? So in other words, it's, you know, Saint Martins on the north side, going west to to to Clarita or Margarita. So but anyway, I was in the midst right there at Outer Drive. I thought it was a great space where the east side of the street. There were other gallery spaces that were close. And so I was happy. And, uh, six months in, my business partner walked away. During one of the worst winters that we had had, that 2014 was one of the worst one as we had ever had. So two weeks into the into the storm, we had already been closed down, you know, two or three days here and there because, you know, the roads were closed. You couldn't even get to Livernois or even get to the streets. So it was horrible. But she was just you know, we had had some sometimes in a matter of fact, even before then, we had run in with the landlord finding things that were within the place that were not complete to really run a true business. I mean, something as simple as we had no electricity from the front door to the back door on the south side of the wall. I mean, any any commercial building, even even a residential home has electrical outlets, either 4 to 8 feet. But there was nothing. So that was I think that was it was traumatic for both of us. We really went to the point we were almost at court. He did settle out of court and he agreed to lease, you know, put electricity there because basically he was not in compliance to where his building should have been before we got there, even though we made major, major changes to the building. But um, but yeah. So leading into that, um, you know, her, her, I think she just saw that, um, working a retailer brick and mortar store was really more than she can handle, so she walked away. And so I was left there January 14th on a Saturday with basically nothing on January 11th, because the following weekend was my 55th birthday and we still had a storm. But yeah, so that that was crazy. So at that time, you know, I really didn't have a bunch of classes and really we had a little bit of clientele and that was where we were trying to build, you know, our class level and really trying to be more structured like microwaving. But I soon realized that. I needed to do what was comfortable for myself, which even though I was capable of doing everything, I couldn't do everything because it was just me. And I mean, I'm the person that, you know, even today sweeps the floor, mops, cleans the bathroom, does the trash. But also here I am doing an interview and, you know, getting awards. And somebody asked me I was on the on the computer the other day filling out a grant. So, you know, I'm the person who does it. I'm teaching, you know, today just happens to be the day that I don't have to teach, thank God. But, you know, even you know, I celebrated my reunion over the weekend. I came in Saturday and did two parties and and still had several of my students that were in doing their work as well. So, um, so I still do it all even today and very grateful, very thankful, you know, to still be able to do that and have people, um, receive what they initially asked for, which is when they, so when folks were voting for us for the grants for the, for the initial proposal, they, they had to also say why they wanted this particular business. And the majority said that they wanted something to do in their neighborhood. And I give them that.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's so beautiful to hear it like that. You were so resilient through some serious trying times. Yeah. I mean, I cannot even imagine. What it would have been like.

Marlynne Willingham: It was a lot. You know, there were there were there were days that I said, oh, I can't do this. And then there were days I was like, okay, you got to do this. You got to make this happen. I've had a lot of cheerleaders. You know, even today, I'm still rooting for me, my family. My friends. My God, of course, my community. You know, every person that that I asked, you know, that comes in that's new that I haven't met, I says, you know, how did you hear about me? And and it's always refreshing to say, well, we heard about you through Google and we read your reviews and they say you're an outstanding teacher. It was like, oh, my God, this is you know, and I realize people are saying this about me, but it's still. It's very humbling. Yeah. We're so proud of. I'm so happy. Uh, yeah. You know, I have a sign that's in my in my studio that it's near my desk. And one thing is, is this is your life. Find a passion and pursue it. And so that's what I'm doing. Um, so, you know, my passion, you know, even though when I decided to relocate in 2020 and actually opened literally during the day of the insurrection that was going on at the Capitol and it was funny, my friend, he called, he texted me and he said, you know, well, he said a couple of things, but it was...I need to know what was going on and and.

Marlynne Willingham: I'm like, Oh, I don't know. I hadn't really paid attention. I didn't have a TV there. I'm trying to think how I don't remember what the radio was saying, you know, because I think I was just into my space and getting things cleaned up. And then one of my young students came in and we were talking and she was asking me how things were going as first time she had been there. And so she, uh, um, when she too asked or had asked me too had I seen what was going on. And so she showed me the video or the tape on her phone, and I was like, Oh my God. But, um, but, you know, even something like that, even on that day of knowing that that was going on and yet I was starting, you know, a whole new adventure, a whole new in a whole new space and. I was still happy to be there. You know, as I tell people today, I left the devil and go on to Jesus. Because the what I had to deal with was leaving my old space. Um, even. Even that was drama, you know, dealing with the former landlord. But it was a learning lesson, and it's over. Yeah, I'm over that. And I'm going to definitely do bigger, better things because look at where I am now, a year and a half later and I'm in nine months into the business. And actually I tell folks it's ten months in the making, but nine months getting it done. So, yeah.

Lily Chen: It sounds like you're so much happier.

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, yeah. Even with the tears. Absolutely. Absolutely. And that's why I tell folks I said, you know, if life in it today, I can say, I mean, I'm a happy camper. You know, I'm in a great space. I love what I do. I love the people that I meet. Yeah, I'm good. I'm very happy.

Lily Chen: Yeah... It's it's so hard to hear that you were trying so hard to do this amazing thing and open the studio and. And that you were having all of these horrible difficulties with, you know, this landlord and.

Marlynne Willingham: You know, the landlord was, you know, through the years of being there. He was he was the thorn in the side always. Yeah. But I never let that get me down. And, you know, ironically, I. I have known him. Over half my life... His sister used to work for her. She is the one that got me into management. We're talking 47 years ago. Oh. Um, so when I graduated from high school, I went to Spelman College. I came home and went to U of D. Finish my undergrad there and also took about a year off and then went back and finished my master's. But during my undergrad, I worked for Gantos and Gantos was a very popular clothing store for ladies. And kind of like Ann Taylor for today. So and that's where I got into the shoe department, going from clothing to shoes. And and Deborah was my it was my manager. She had gotten we were at it were working for I was working at Eastland at the time, and she had to have hemorrhoid surgery like crazy. It was Easter and myself and another young lady ran that shoe department by ourselves. The whole, you know, Easter weekend. They had the highest sells with the best inventory control that that department had ever had. So as a result, we were promoted to managers for their new stores. So I, uh, I was promoted to the Renaissance Center. So the Gantos store that there's a Gantos store there. But they wanted to open a shoe department there. And so I was the, uh, the shoe department manager there, and I was a result of working for his sister. Yeah. Um, I was in her wedding. I am technically the godmother to her oldest child. But we have not seen each other, unfortunately, in decades. You know, she left. I left. She went on to still go out. She was still in the shoe business. She was working at a. Oh, I can't remember. This place was on Eight Mile and the calendar. Anyway, but it was kind of like a rust belt. So what was what were those community selling spots?

Lily Chen: Mm hmm.

Marlynne Willingham: But anyway, so, you know, I knew of her brother very well because my husband, who also worked at the Renaissance Center for Sibley's Shoes at the time we just dating, we took our wedding pictures, our engagement pictures at his studio. So I knew of him very well and felt comfortable initially, you know, renting from him, even though, you know, he was he was a tough cookie. And, you know, he set in his ways and what he expected and demanded from his commercial renters. So but, you know, he gave us a deal. He gave us well, there were several they had to rent from him at the last minute. And now I see why he had issues, because every single one of his buildings had had problems. Even today one of the businesses. So they ended up being for ladies that for black females that won the grants that all have brick and mortars. And we were very well known. We stood out there in several, you know, commercial spots here and there about us publicity, you know, saying, you know, that we are the first for black and still there. But unfortunately, ironically. But one left. Well, I should say the partnership separated right before COVID and she continued, the other partner continued. The business, of course, changed the name and then she ended up closing last year to us. But the three of us technically are still there. And one of them, Yvette Jenkins with Love Travel's Imports. And she, too, was one of the applicants that was she was also here Thursday taking video of me. Thank you, Yvette she, too, is still with me. So she was renting from me at the other space and she now rents for me and the space that I'm in to get right now and love travel. As I said, love travels in is her business. But Good Cakes and Bakes is the other female black owned businesses further down the street in the actually in the heart of what they call Avenue of fashion. And April is doing exceptionally well. I mean. Ah yeah. You know she's and and you know she too also had and that makes a difference. She had the resources, you know, to really help her. She had parents, she had she had a spouse. So she had those things to fall back on that many of us did that. So when you have the those kind of resources that that support level to back you up, that can really, really make a difference. So, of course, you know, that pushed her into, of course, getting more grants and, you know, being where she is today and nothing but kudos for her. And she's doing yeah, she's doing very well. I'm proud of her too.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Those are yeah. Those sweets.

Marlynne Willingham: They're yes. They're good.

Lily Chen: Causing all my dental issues.

Marlynne Willingham: they're good. They're good. Yeah.

Lily Chen: Um, wow. So let's take it back. So you went to Spelman.

Marlynne Willingham: Spelman College for. I went to Spelman College for two years upon graduation. And you just took a liberal arts. You know, Major, I still studied art there, but I really wasn't happy being there, even though I had family there. Um, I just I just wasn't happy to be in it, I guess either away from home and just being at that space. Plus, my aunt, my parents also had separated and were in the process of a divorce at that time. So I'm sure that was perhaps part of, you know, my feeling some kind of way. But I came home and went to U of D before it was Mercy, I tell folks that gate around, I helped build that.

Marlynne Willingham: But yeah, I went to I went to and studied business there and graduated, took a year off, you know, just to work full time and get some money together and and find a job that would pay for my graduate school because I knew I really wanted to go to graduate school. Yeah. Um, Art was, you know, it was really on the background and it was just something I maybe collected and enjoyed, but nothing that I personally pursued. I have to say, I really that was a long break. I was physically doing my art up until I started working for Lobby.

Lily Chen: Yeah. What did you get? Your master's.

Lily Chen: And so my undergrad is in marketing and management and my graduate degree is in management, management and psychology.

Lily Chen: Okay.

Marlynne Willingham: And people are always like, so where does the art thing come in? Well, you know, that was what I did in high school. And this is also my passion. Yeah. So I've I've always loved arts, you know, even as growing up as an adult, you know, going to different shows, you know, with my mother or my friends. Um, you know, exhibitions of art has always been in the, in my heart and my, my mother in her early days and in college used to model for Charles McGee. And he's well known sculptor and artist, of course he's gone on to glory. But, um. Growing up, we we used to have lots of pieces of his work in our home, lots of consignment pieces that they used to display. And of course, they had their parties and events that were there at our home. People would see it and of course, oh, they would buy it. And of course we get another piece to hang on the wall. So that was always great, you know, to have a new piece of art in the house. And to see it move on to somewhere else. But I also took classes from him as a child at Gallery seven, which is right across the street from Marygrove next to Lou's Deli. So every day I pass there, you know, kind of get my little high five to him. Even though his daughter April has said, I think his design Studio six is just right up the way. So we also stay in contact as well.

Lily Chen: So it sounds like I mean, even though you didn't go to school for our. It's been part of your life. Your whole.

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, my whole life.

Lily Chen: My whole life. Yeah. Yeah. And you have such a you have such a Detroit story because you, you know were at Pewabic. And that kind of was at the start of your ceramics journey.

Marlynne Willingham: That to me, yes, that was the start of ceramics journey for me. Because even though, you know, drawing was a big part of my life, you know, growing up and even though when I took classes from Charles because I was a child, I was I mean, we're talking eight, nine, ten, 12 years old. Yeah. But drawing really became a thing because, you know, my parents brought me here, went to, you know, the DIA, I went to the Children's Museum, Cranbrook, you know, so my parents really, you know, exposed me to the arts, you know, coming up. But yeah, ceramics really kind of as I said, when I took their class at my kids school and I thought, oh, this was fun. I remember doing this. And so when I went to visit, you know, the studio lobby, I walked in, I looked around and, you know, I had a chance to, you know, go upstairs and, you know, see their their studio. They sit, they offer classes to adults. And I said, oh, this is something I could do. And and so I did. And and then when I inquired about a job, I figured, well, why not? This would be perfect. Doing something that, you know, you know, and, and I never thought I would thought about production, even about teaching. I was thinking about the retail spot because in the gallery they had the gallery space in front. I said, Well. I've got tons of retail experience.

Marlynne Willingham: Behind me and it's funny even later on. I there was a job posting that came up, a push for a retail position, and I applied for it. And the, the young ladies there, they interviewed me and they it's funny. I just remember their mouths just kind of being wide open because, you know, they're asking me all these questions and I'm answering them. But they did not realize the kind of experience that I had. And so I was really overqualified, not only for the job, but probably even more than they were. So and they basically told me that, like, you know more than us I said, well, you know, you know about the clay, the art world. They said, Now it all applies. And it does, you know, from clothing to shoes to food, it all falls into place. You know, even though I was the third black female store manager with the Kroger company, you know, there were different job positions. I started with them. I started out as a assistant manager, and from there I was the gift service manager. That was after my mom had passed. And actually this is the anniversary for a week of that happening to. But but yeah, I was a service manager with them. So the most gifts services I had over million dollars in sales for the year for the season that I was there. So that got me calls too. They wanted me to be a store manager, so I went into deli manager, deli merchandizing. So I was the deli merchandizer for a few years, worked for a great Merchandizer and his assistant, which just recently I've caught up with my old assistant, my old boss through, through Instagram. So that's, that's, that was great. But we had great times at Kroger's merchandizing and I used to open and close new stores. We won several awards for, you know, higher sales and opening a deli merchandizing was the list, as I said, was the department that I was in charge of. So I would be in charge of training folks, or at least getting people trained, putting people in place with other trainers to be trained. We've done photoshoots. So pretty much everything as far as opening and closing the store. But under the food arena, if you think about it. Yeah.

Marlynne Willingham: So. I've have had an interesting, fun background.

Lily Chen: Yeah. I mean, it's so weird because. You think it's, like, eclectic, but then you you reflect and you're thinking, wow, all of these things got you to where you are today. And, you know, because you run your own store, it's all relevant.

Marlynne Willingham: All relevant.

Lily Chen: You know, something that I think. Like as a shock to artists is that you have to be a business person to write.

Marlynne Willingham: And, you know, and I think that's the part that is, is where they I guess you have to weigh the scales out. I have more of a business background, so that's what I run. Now, even though I can teach the art and show the art, display the art. My business background helps me get the art done. Yeah. And you know, I have made all the greatest decisions. I mean, that one was just started with a business partner and we technically hadn't put it in paper that we were business partners, which is why it was so easy for her to walk away and be. We literally were in the midst of signing our papers. I mean, so we were in the right direction. You know, we wrote all of the things down that, you know, who was going to do what? Who was responsible for this? But actually getting it done, we had not done that. So it was just easier for her to, you know, to walk away. But. It's made me think because even now people say, well, you know, have you thought about another business partner? Sure. It'll be great to have somebody to have to work. You know, you go clean a bathroom. You know, you go for that interview or, you know, you order those supplies or, you know, whatever you make that decision. But I haven't found that if someone asked me literally this weekend, had I thought about expanding my business maybe to Oakland County, I said, hell no. As It's not just because it's Oakland County as is. I wanted something in the city that was my first initiative because we didn't have anything like this really in the city. I said, But now as as I said, Honey, as if as I said, I'm old as you know, old meaning that, yeah, I could retire, but I still have it in me to make it. I said, But I'm not trying to work that hard. I'm not trying to, you know, you know, you, you know, go and find another place, you know. Then it's managing that space and it's managing people, other people and what they can do to run the business because it's going to still have my name on the door as is even now when I leave and have somebody, you know, run my business for day or afternoon or it's even recently this summer I've had a couple of weekends, folks running my business and I'm like, Oh...My pins and needles about everything. And there's some things that, you know...They got right and there's some things that they didn't get right. But I had to still put my hope and my trust and my faith that that they would do is. I would do. But to take that to another level in a whole nother space, I, I don't feel the need. You know, I just and this isn't the first time, but this is like is it the most recent time that somebody literally asked me to do that? And I said, No, honey, I just I don't have to. And I really I don't I mean, it'd be great to, you know, to have a multimillion dollar business. Yeah, that be fine. But, you know, there's a lot that goes along with that, too. There really is. And, uh, at the stage that I am with my life, I'm happy. I really am. I'd like to have a little more money. But that's coming. That is coming. And I and I feel it. I know it's it's here. But the recognition, that's the money right there. It's it's everything. Yeah, it's everything.

Lily Chen: So I heard you talk about a few different aspects of your business. I know that you teach and you teach both children and adults.

Marlynne Willingham: Yes.

Lily Chen: And, um, you also make your own works of art and that you sell them as well. Is that right?

Marlynne Willingham: So I teach our ages. The majority of the students that are with me now are adults. My I run an independent really independent study classes is what I have a for a six, eight week class. My current class for week is normally 160. It's a special a hundred bucks. So I have a lot of folks that sign up for that and they repeatedly sign up for the same class. So it's one continuous motion which is great. I have actually three of my regulars are special needs and all gentlemen from the ages of 34 to 54. Um, they're all hand builders, but they have experienced everything so far, which is good. So I, at this point, I try to allow them to do what they would like to do. My other independent students, some are a little bit high production, and then there's others that are just wanting to, you know, experiencing something that they hadn't done before and experience that craft and build on it. The students that I primarily work with, um. I just finished camp from this past summer. I had five weeks of camp from ages 7 to 16. The mid-range for most of them was about 8 to 13. It was great. My one week where I had ten of them in one week, I was like. Oh my God. I forgot what it looks like to have young ladies. And they were all girls that age.

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, my goodness. It was it was interesting. But we got through the week. They all make wonderful projects. And it was it was they were actually working with the clay because during when I when I do camp, it's it's strictly a clay project. We're not, you know, painting projects that are previously made by someone else. They are actually producing their own pieces, finishing and glazing them as well. So they're really understanding the whole glaze ceramic process. And that's what I try to teach to anyone that comes and the entire ceramic process from the beginning when the clay is wet to when it's actually gone through the kiln last kiln firing and it comes out as a ceramic piece. In other words, when it's wet as clay, you drop it on floor, it sticks, you drop it. Once it comes back, it's going to shatter just like glass because that's what it is. So that yeah, I really enjoy it. You know, my teaching as far as my my own art, well, I haven't really made anything that I would really call a production piece. It probably really, since I've had the business, I just haven't had that opportunity to do that. I think there is probably a few pieces, but they're really sitting on a shelf waiting for me to glazed them because I haven't been able to get back to them. What I do showcase when I'm teaching my wheel throwing. So I a lot of people that's been the latest craze is a lot of people wanting to come in and have what I call a ghost moment. And so where they are, you know, they're getting on the wheel just like the movie, learning how to throw. And so I've been working. That's been the big, big thrill for especially this last year. And so the pieces that I that I make as my test model or my demo for them, I've been keeping those. And so I actually use, I do a sponge method, which is a double glazing, I should say, to to put glaze to apply the glaze to them. So it kind of has a different effect. And so that's really what I have. I can say if I actually have some pieces, those are my actual pieces that I that I can say that I'm doing on a regular basis. But I think my works of art are the students that come in every, every day. Yeah. And, you know, to see, you know, what they produce.

Lily Chen: Yeah, it's a great feeling. That's amazing. So, I mean, you are part artist, part educator, part businesswoman, right?

Marlynne Willingham: That's funny to hear. Yeah. Thank you. Say that again...Part artist, part teacher, part. Business owner. Yeah, that's a good title. And I know my parents, my legacy, they would be proud of me. Yes, yes.

Lily Chen: Of course.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. My father was a dentist, so he was a business owner and my mother was an educator. So she she was, uh, was a teacher as well for Detroit Public Schools, but ended up as supervisor at distributive education. So, yeah, she. They would both be proud.

Lily Chen: Cool. That's very cool. Um. So, you know, obviously, ceramics is kind of your main business.

Marlynne Willingham: Yes.

Lily Chen: Are there other mediums that you that you love to enjoy or just, you know.

Marlynne Willingham: Of course. Everything. I still enjoy clothes, but there's no need to buy a bunch outfits anymore because my hands and my feet are constantly in the clay. Jewelry is probably the next biggest thing that I really enjoy. Yeah, I've been working with my cousin who we've collaborated on doing a start out as a jewelry party for her to promote her business. And I think about two years. And we said, well, you know, why don't we do a jewelry ceramics party? And folks will come to my house and, you know, make great food and good drinks. We'll eat out of my fine china. And and and we'd have we enjoy, you know, buying art all day. And so I had we invite our friends to come by and family. And it was it was a day, you know, an afternoon just to hang out. It was always the Sunday before Thanksgiving and we'd call it. We had to take a bit of a break last last year. Yeah, I think last year was my first year. It's really my second year. So I think we did it the, the, the year after we were able to open up. So I guess that was 20, 2020. Yeah. But we still were, it was limited. I think that's what we did. We didn't really did it by appointment and last year I opened it up a little, you know, because I was in my new studio. So that worked out nicely this year. I'm not sure what we're going to do. Yeah, I'm sure we either will do the same thing or not. But it's been 20 years since we've been doing that. Um, you know, I guess you can say having it my new studio I really don't have. Uh, an opportunity, just really, as I said, to sell my things...Because I don't have really much to sell. But the few things that I do have and, you know, knowing that that time is coming up, I try to, you know, at least point out, you know, the projects that are mine. But my main thing is really just to expose my business to the, you know, to the event, help my cousin with what she's doing, even though that's just a side business... that she's actually engaged in. But yeah, you know, I still, of course, draw my newest passion that I'm really enjoying is pouring, acrylic pouring and another one of my artist friends and also an instructor that I've been connect that I've connected with Deborah Brown. She's a she's a force I've work with with acrylic and doing pours with her. So that's been fun. We've had a couple parties at my studio and folks just love it. You know, you get dirty, but you know it's painting and you're pouring. So you just have to have, again, the the right tools to make it happen. So so yeah, I still enjoy all works of art. I even tell people when they come into my space these, oh, I have no art ability and I have no experience, no, I have no artistic beliefs that there's a Picasso. And I saw I says, you know, you think about the way you're dressed, your haircut, your glasses, your makeup, your nails, the kind of car you drive, the house you live, the way it's decorated. I said, All that is you and what you are in terms of as an artist, what you like. I said. So there's an artist in me.

Lily Chen: Yeah. One of the fun things that I've heard from artists in the ceramics is that they always say, you don't realize how heavy clay is.

Marlynne Willingham: Very heavy.

Lily Chen: Clay. Yeah. Tell us about some fun parts of the business, including, like working with Clay or working with people.

Marlynne Willingham: Well, I it's funny you said that. So the fun part for me is working with the clay. And even so, as I said when I first had my interview and and Jane says, why are you going to be able to lift 50lbs of clay? And I'm like, Oh. Sure, I got it. No problem that that'll be no problem. Until I think that first or second delivery even I was in education. You know, Kay come help us unload the clay. You know, we need it for education, too. Oh, sure. I got a back brace because I thought, oh, my God. Because, you know, they we were getting. I'm average, maybe a couple thousand pounds. Clay So that was several boxes of clay to be moving. And, you know, we'd have a assembly line and we were all back, front, back, front, each other. So, you know, but it's still there twisting movement. Oh, my goodness. So but from there, I made a few heavy pieces. That I do remember even having to help load them in the kiln because...My, uh, my instructor said, k, you always push the limit. And I did. I love doing that. And that was the fun part because I was having fun. I had, you know, I didn't care what kind of glaze I use. Oh, I did. But you know, the outcome. I was never afraid. I always made my lemons into lemonade and even the pieces that, you know, didn't come out that great. Somebody else loved it. Oh, you did? This is wonderful. I wanted I want to buy them. You know, you can have a no, I got to give you something for it. Okay. So but yeah. There were there was several fun pieces that during my days of pull ups that were that were crazy that I had, you know, I I'm still very fond of. And at this point, I really only have one large piece that is still at my space. And it started out as as an umbrella holder. But then, of course, as I was making it and moving it around, I thought, Oh. This is really heavy. I got to do it. So I decided to make it a planner. And, you know, I did a nice, great glaze application to it, so I still have it. And right now it's just on display in my in my space. And and folks look at is like that's a really big piece. I, I...Know, I know. But yeah. You know, and I was one that did like to work. If the clay was a big, you know, where you press the kiln right up to the top, it was making things very. Fragile. I'll say and it's funny because even now when I tell my students, I said, Fragile doesn't make it better. It just... Thin. Thin doesn't make it better. It just makes it fragile. One clay, I guess you could say technique is working with paper clay because it's very much like porcelain. It's a very soft clay. We can really stretch it. So if you think about probably be your grandmother, maybe your great grandmother's pieces that were those cute, thin, fragile, delicate pieces, they were probably made of porcelain and, you know, they had the gold trim. Those are very thin. So that's the kind of work that I like to work with because I still like to see the delicacy of the clay, even though I like to see the dramatic parts of the clay as well. When you have your points in your lines, sculpturing is is fine. I'm you know, I had one of my first young sculptors when I started the business, Austin Brantley, who you've probably heard of. He's been at the days young up and coming, young sculptor, but he had his first sculpting class of adults. And funny enough, we were all old enough to be his grandparents, but he held to eight classes with us. I had a good friend of mine that did some modeling at the Scarab Club in Wayne State. That was our new model, but it was fantastic and that really kind of made me think, Oh, I really enjoy sculpturing. But, you know, working with Charles McGee, you know, he was more of a, you know, abstract sculptor and welder. And and those are the things that I learned, you know, as a young child that I still today really enjoy. So if you think about the I just I still enjoy all aspects of art, but but sculpturing. I love it. Abstract. I love it even more. Yeah.

Lily Chen: Amazing. So, um. Tell us how you got your business name.

Marlynne Willingham: So Art in Motion is my personal name. Um. When I decided to start. Well, okay, after really taking classes at Co-op and I thought, oh, you know, well, say okay, you know, you could sell your work, you could do this. I said, Yeah, but if I do this, I gotta go with the name. We got to do this, I got to get an LLC or INC or something. So I said, Oh, I could do this. You know, I was at home, I was divorced, but I says, you know, I could make this happen. So I did that with another friend. And matter of fact, I saw both of them who were part of my initial incorporation. We sat together and looked up some names and I thought about the kind of art that I was making at the time, and I felt that my art had motion to it. And of course it was art. You know, I could say something. Oh, it's ceramics, but. I thought, well, if I decide to do other things, paint or, you know, do jewelry or in other words, another medium of art, I still want to have that that emotion. Basically, I was really still thinking about the kind of art that I was making with ceramics at the time, and it had motion to it. So we we went through this series of names that were listed and that was not taken. And so I registered for it and had my name declared is official. So, you know, went through the registration with, you know, with the state and registered to be a incorporation, had my board members and got my articles of, you know, whatever they call it, clarification, whatever declaration and boom art motion. Um, I had my first initial business card made from a very good friend that I grew up with as well. And I just heard from her literally today. And she, too is she's she's a graphic designer and she lives in Ann Arbor and actually Ypsilanti. So but at the time she was living in Ann Arbor. So I took. I think I had some pictures. I oh, I know. I took a piece of my artwork to her and she says, Why don't you make your business card part of your art and make your signature part of your art? And I thought, Hmm, yeah. So I started thinking about that and reminds you, and that's where, where the M comes in because m kw if you just actually just take the K out of the M W if you put a line across it, it's art. In motion. I am. So my initial card has my signature for art, emotion, and also my actual art signature that I put on all of my pieces since. Since I can remember. So that is how I got my name. And then, of course, as the business came about, the official brick and mortar, because my name was registered because I had actually had a bank account or maybe we nobody I think we ended up opening it. Oh, yeah. We opened up a side aside. I had a bank account, but we opened up another account and then Jason to the account that I had with the actual name our emotion and register that and bam, here we are today. Art in Motion is...My personal art ame for my own work.

Lily Chen: Yeah. Okay.

Marlynne Willingham: We just added on ceramic studio and gallery. Yeah, of course. To make it what it is today. Yeah. So if you could make one wish come true for your business, what would that be? Difficult questions. We can skip the emotional question. I know. I know. You can skip it. No.

Marlynne Willingham: Come back. No. I would say. Wow. Well, you know, that's interesting because I'll say this. The young lady that I had the interview with at Pewabic, is no longer at Pewabice because she's with Tech town. And she's been actually very helpful, even with Tech Town with helping me just even in this last year or summer, get my information to change my website because the person that helped me with the website, I was not it started with Tech Town couldn't get in touch with him. And, you know, he's he's blown up himself. Hodge Flemings, thank you very much. But he was working with with WordPress and they came in to ask if, you know, I wanted a website saying that 47 or 49% of minorities do not have websites. And I thought, wow, that's crazy. So of course, I said, Well, we got to do that. So I got my website up, but it really had made added opportunity to make any major changes. So of course, once I moved, I wanted to, you know, step my game up. And so I finally got a hold of him, made the changes. But one thing I did mention to her with my interview with, with, with talking with them is I would love to have quick. Merchandizing my store. So yeah, I would I would say probably in my gallery space, even though I'm known very much for my classes, my gallery space is maybe about 10% of my business. And so I would really like to expand my gallery space. Bring in other known artists. And even more than anything, I say do my own work. Yeah, I just haven't even done my own work. And I've even been asked. If you thought about closing the gallery down or just doing your own work. I was like, Yeah. And even when I was with Pewabic, I was even asked to go into their their artist's studio. They had, you know, besides their original. Gallery studio where they showcase just Mary Chase's work, the original work. They have a I can't remember what they're calling it now, but they have a gallery, a creative art gallery studio just for outside artists. At the time that I was there, they were showcasing about 80 artists, really from around the world. And so I was asked because of the kind of work I was doing, if I would be interested in showcasing some of my stuff. So I'm there, but I'm just not there. So that that would probably be my ultimate dream. Yeah. To be able to. To do my own thing, showcase my own work, and then also have other well known artisans as well as blobby in my space.

Lily Chen: Yeah. It's so beautiful to see that, you know, even after all this time, you still have a lot of love. Yeah. And there's such a big part of your journey. I mean, we love product. Yes. I take advantage of their student membership.

Lily Chen: Good for you. It's good for you. $25.

Marlynne Willingham: Can't beat it. Can't beat it.

Lily Chen: And student memberships, they just get me through everything. Um. All right, so I only have two more questions, three more questions for you. So one is, what does hustle mean to you? Hmm? Well.

Marlynne Willingham: The generic term, no. Yeah. I guess, you know, as I think about my father and I think when I initially the information was sent to me, you know, you think of a hustler's like, you know, what, what can you do and do well and get over, you know, it's good, bad or indifferent. You know, that's one way to look at it. But then I remember my father, you know, many quotes telling me, you know, life is hard, but it's fair. Grow or die by my act. I think like when I graduated from high school telling me, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So to me, the hustle is is getting it done. You know, it's the success. You know, at the end, it's a trail of your hustle, whatever that is. I tell people with the clay is the one medium you touch. You change. The cars we drive, start with Clay. Yeah. The house we live in, the place you work starts with clay. The ground we walk on has clay underneath it.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Marlynne Willingham: Clay.

Lily Chen: Yeah. That's such a beautiful connection to who we are as people and the earth that we stand on.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. You know, even, you know, you even think about your own mortality, you know? You kno2, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You're going to go back into the clay. Yeah, you're going to go back into the clay world. And it's funny because I. I recycle my clay, as most artists do. And so the smell of it is, you know, people say, well, what is that smell? It smells horrible. Like, you know, like you have the smells like that. And so I say this because, you know, think about it. You've touched that clay. What's on your skin? It's your hair, your the your skin peeling. All of those things go back into the clay. However, even the recycled clay is still good clay because it's good to rebuild and make something new.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. So.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. Love the clay.

Lily Chen: I know, I. I feel like I'm feeling all these emotions about art and. And. Yeah, and. Ceramics is kind of this beautiful thing because you are so connected to the earth. So connected to the world.

Marlynne Willingham: Yes, yes, yes. Um, yeah, I like I said, it's is the one, one medium you touch, you change it. When I tell people that, they always kind of look at me and I say, wow, I should think about when you draw, you need a pen, you need the paper, you know, or if you're painting, you need to paint. You need the brush. You need the canvas. You know, but with Clay, you just get your hands dirty and.

Marlynne Willingham: You know, that's it.

Marlynne Willingham: And it's funny, even when teaching folks, you know, and and even with little people, you know, when they first touch the clay for the first time, you know, they're always hesitant or or it's cold. And I said, it's not going to hurt. You know, it's not going to hurt you. You know, you can rub it on your skin even, you know, it's great treatment, you know. Even for your skin. So. So is that tough? Okay. It's okay.

Lily Chen: Yeah. What about the word hustler? What is Hustler mean to you? Oh. Going back to.

Marlynne Willingham: The word hustle, hustler is the one term for that person that is getting the job done no matter what it is. And as I said earlier, in terms of the hustle, good, bad and indifferent, you know, the hustler to me is the one is the leader that makes it happen. And if you're a good hustler, a good leader, a good inventor, a good person, a values and morals, again, you'll get that job done.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Marlynne Willingham: Yeah. So I thought, yeah, that's a hustler.

Lily Chen: Yeah. So the last one is a fun question. You know, your hustle became your full time job.

Marlynne Willingham: Oh, gosh, yes.

Lily Chen: So do you have a new side hustle?

Marlynne Willingham: Oh. So, yeah, my. My hustle is my job full time. Love it. You know, people say, would you go back to corporate America only for the money. But I know...It. Maybe getting my hair and nails and now maybe a massage done on a regular basis. But my side hustle would would still be my hustle. I still think I would do is as I'm doing today. And even now, you know, in this last week with so many wonderful things happening in my my world and my journey and folks saying, hey, you have really stood the test of time to make your hustle, make your passion work. You you haven't given up. You didn't look back. You stayed true to who you were. You love what you do and and have no regrets. And to me, that that's the true, true, true ideal of being a good hustler. Knowing the hustle. Getting it.

Lily Chen: Yeah.

Marlynne Willingham: Making it. Finding your passion and pursuing it.

Lily Chen: Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you for talking to me today. I'm going to stop this recording.