When Chuck Marshall first launched GIG – The Art of Michigan Music, it was with a simple but powerful question: Why isn’t the art of music itself celebrated as fine art?
“I was inspired to create GIG because, as I got into photographing local music, I met a ton of exceptional visual artists who were crafting amazing artwork for gig posters, album covers, cd booklets, t-shirts, you name it,” Marshall said. “There are so many avenues for a traditional visual artist to display their work at a gallery, so why isn’t the visual art of music represented?”
This year’s GIG is Saturday, November 8, from 12-11pm at ART 634, 634 N. Mechanic St, Jackson.
The seed was planted nine years ago with a curated exhibit at the Ann Arbor Art Center. That show featured legends like Mark Arminski and Doug Coombe alongside emerging names.
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“Years passed, and I often got asked if I’d do GIG again,” Marshall said. “Then, in 2023, I was talking with Steve Girbach and John Mooneyham of Manchester Underground Music and Art, and they mentioned how much they had loved the GIG exhibit, and if I ever wanted to do it again, they would help.”
In 2024, GIG returned as a full-scale art exhibit, market and networking event at ART 634 in Jackson. The mission hasn’t changed.
“Our mission remains the same as when I first did the curated art exhibit way back in 2016: showcase the visual artists in the Michigan Music scene,” Marshall said. “They are often behind the scenes and not fully recognized for their creations, and I want to put them in the spotlight.”
A festival like no other
While most Michigan festivals focus on either music or traditional visual arts, GIG is one of a kind.
“GIG—The Art of Michigan Music Visual Experience is completely focused on the visual art of music,” Marshall said. “We also do not charge our artists a table fee (like many art exhibitions or fairs), and the artists keep 100% of any sales commissions. They are free to sell any of their work, but our exhibit is exclusively music-related art: posters, concert photography, album art, etc.”
This year expands the vision with video art.
“This year, we are also including Akuro Productions to showcase one of the videographers involved in the music scene,” Marshall said. “In addition to the art exhibit and market, we offer education sessions designed to support visual artists in areas such as brand promotion, advertising, grants and more. These sessions are also open and free to anyone, with topics that can be applied to musicians and other small business owners.”
Giving artists their due
Marshall is clear that GIG’s heart is in spotlighting the unsung creatives who shape how music looks and feels.
“Our focus with GIG is not on the musicians and bands, but on the visual artists,” Marshall said. “While we definitely want to support Michigan music and highlight the fabulous music made in our state, the mission is to showcase the visual artists. Our annual event is meant to bring attention to these visual artists and celebrate their creativity.”
That mission continues year-round through GIG’s nonprofit foundation.
“We also produce a monthly newsletter, where we share information about the annual event and news about visual artists,” Marshall said. “I do my best to scour the media looking for Michigan visual artists and share what they are up to. It isn’t perfect, but we are doing all we can to let everyone know who these visual artists are and show off their talents.”
Students and emerging talent
This year, students from Jackson College’s Graphic Design program will have a presence. For Marshall, that’s personal.
“We felt that education was a critical addition to our mission,” Marshall said. “I remember starting in photography and not really knowing anyone in the field, especially when doing concert photos. I thought it would be great to incorporate students to allow them to meet some working professionals while also being part of something fun.”
Education and networking
The afternoon programming aims to empower artists with tools they can use.
“I hope that attendees come away with either new knowledge or new contacts or both,” Marshall said. “This year, we have added a graphic design and photography panel. The hope is that visual artists can share ideas and learn from each other. We also have a session on building your elevator pitch and the art of real-world networking.”
Marshall believes that face-to-face conversations matter more than ever.
“I think social media has run its course, and people are looking for in-person connections,” Marshall said. “I hope this networking session will help folks do that. Our other session is on social media and online advertising. It can be extremely challenging and frustrating to get your brand out there on the internet. Hopefully, the session on advertising will help folks break through.”
Live music as celebration
Though visual art is the star, GIG also features a night of live music to close out the day. This year’s lineup includes Paper Lanterns, Mazinga, and Carbon Decoy.
“I’ll be honest, it is music I want to hear,” Marshall said. “Each of these local bands is creating interesting and exciting original music. The live music is incorporated to celebrate at the end of the art exhibition, and I think these bands will do one hell of a job in capping off a great event.”
Adapting the format
After last year’s multi-day format, the team opted to compress everything into a single day this fall.
“Primarily feedback from our visual artists and money,” Marshall said. “The multi-day format broke things into parts. The feedback was that it would be nice to put the art market and the exhibit together. We liked that idea, and since we were incorporating those pieces, we determined that we could put everything on in one day.”
Collaboration and community
None of it would be possible without support from collaborators and sponsors.
“We have been very fortunate to find people and businesses that believe in our mission and want to help us out,” Marshall said. “Finding sponsors, especially this year, has been brutal. However, a few businesses and individuals have been willing to help us out. Some of our sponsors are back again for the second year, which is very gratifying.”
Marshall also acknowledges the media that have helped spread the word.
“The biggest challenge has been finding sponsors and getting the word out,” Marshall said. “I’m always shocked at how many press releases we share and what little response we get. I’m so very thankful for those media outlets, such as Current Magazine, that are interested in learning more about what GIG is and why we are doing it. I also realize that it isn’t intuitive as to what GIG is all about.”
Looking ahead
Even as he plans the current edition, Marshall is thinking about the next five years.
“I’d love to see GIG grow in such a way that we could offer stipends to all the visual artists who are part of the event,” Marshall said. “There is a significant cost incurred for an artist to take their art to an exhibition or fair. We’d love to raise enough money to try to offset that. This year, we are incorporating college students, and I’d love to see that grow and feature students from around the state.”
His ultimate vision is to see GIG spread across the state.
“Right now, logistically, we are keeping GIG in southern Michigan, but we want GIG to be known as a statewide institution,” Marshall said. “Who knows, if we can share the idea with others in various cities around the state, perhaps others can run with the idea and organize a GIG visual art event in their city. It would be awesome to see GIGs in every city showcasing the amazing local artists in their region who are making the posters, the album covers, or taking those incredible concert photos.”
Event details
- When: Saturday, November 8, 2025 — 12-11pm
- Where: ART 634, 634 N. Mechanic St, Jackson
- Highlights: Free art exhibit & market, student involvement, educational panels, networking, food trucks, and live music by Paper Lanterns ($15 cover), Mazinga and Carbon Decoy
Marshall concludes “If I can, I’d like to recognize the awesome folks in our planning team who do so much to help put on our annual event: Brenda Marshall, Lori Stratton, Annie Capps, Steve Girbach, John Mooneyham, Berkeley Tistle, Chrissy Hughes and Jena Hovey.”
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
