Episode 21: Michael Marks; From Woodstock To Haines

Send us Fan MailA kid in Queens watches planes at LaGuardia, runs a small-time “slug” hustle on coin machines, and then gets stopped cold by a store owner and a furious mom. Years later, that same kid hitchhikes across America at 16, goes to Woodstock, and somehow ends up getting paid to draw Bert and Ernie for Sesame Street. Michael Marks’ story is one of those rare life arcs that connects real cultural history to the day-to-day work of building community, and it all lands in an unexpected place: Haines, Alaska.We talk through Michael’s path from art school and CalArts to commercial illustration, then into teaching and arts education programs funded through grants. From there, he becomes Santa Clarita’s first cultural arts coordinator and helps build concerts in parks, public art, festivals, and the unglamorous but essential systems that make events safe and possible. He also shares what it was like during the 1994 earthquake, when “arts department” gear like canopies, chairs, and supplies instantly turned into emergency response infrastructure.The conversation comes home to Haines: why he and his wife fell for Southeast Alaska, how fishing changed his idea of living well, and why he keeps saying yes to local boards and volunteer work. We dig into Elder Rock Lighthouse restoration and the push to open it to the public, plus the ongoing effort to keep the Chilkat Center active, from performances to a Steinway-focused concert, all while facing real challenges like travel logistics, film licensing costs, and even finding a piano tuner.Subscribe for more long-form conversations, share this with someone who loves arts and small-town stories, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.