Meet Dwayne Hayes | Executive Director at KickstART Farmington

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dwayne Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dwayne, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Our mission at KickstART Farmington is to build community through the arts and we believe that art, whether it be visual or literary art, music, dance, or theater, can develop our understanding of what it means to be human, what it means to live in a particular place and time, and inspire us to create a better world.

This guides what we do, from the Greater Farmington Film Festival screening “good films for a better world”, to the Farmington Author & Book Festival “celebrating the diversity of Michigan’s stories and storytellers”, to the exhibitions we host in our gallery space.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Though I’ve always created art and have taken classes in drawing and filmmaking, along with writing and publishing, my focus has primarily been to curate and present the work of others. KickstART Farmington started as a literary arts nonprofit, publishing a magazine of European writing called Absinthe. This led to events with writers and translators, film screenings and festivals, and showcasing artwork by contemporary European artists.

My interests gradually became more focused on how the arts impact local communities and Absinthe ended up at the University of Michigan, where it is still published. The literary non-profit evolved into KickstART Farmington and we’ve been committed to building community through the arts.

I still write and publish work occasionally (and slowly work on paintings and dream about making a feature film someday) but my primary focus is on the value KickstART Farmington can bring to our community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’re fortunate to have many great places to visit in the Farmington/Farmington Hills area and a visit would certainly include coffee at one of our newer coffee shops (Ground Control, Apothecary, Blue Hat), lunch at a great downtown restaurant (we have too many to name), a walk around Shiawassee Park and Heritage Park, catching a film at the beautiful Farmington Civic Theater, checking out an exhibition at the KickstART Gallery, grabbing a drink at one of our fantastic breweries and restaurants, strolling the Syndicate, and shopping the downtown shops. On a Saturday, a visit to the Farmington Farmers and Artisans Market is a must, too.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
KickstART Farmington has been successful because we’ve had the support of a dedicated and hard-working group of board members and volunteers over the years, along with having mentors and guidance from area arts leaders, and the unwavering support of family.

Website: https://kickstartfarmington.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickstart_farmington/

Twitter: https://x.com/kickstART_farm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KickstartFarmington

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5LuF_sU6cwQPAzEmxupFFg