A Recipe for Abundance: Kalamazoo artists, food vendors, musicians, unite to reimagine community

KALAMAZOO, MI — In response to rising social disconnection and economic instability, a group of local artists and organizers has launched a new event aimed at reimagining community through art, food, and mutual aid. 

The project, born from a simple phone call between two friends, has evolved into a neighborhood-wide gathering that utilizes music and creativity to foster community.

"We began reflecting on how many young people feel unheard and unseen, as though we’re living in a world not designed with us in mind," says Caroline Bissonette, one of the principal organizers. "We asked ourselves, if we could live in the world we want to, what would that look like? 'A Recipe for Abundance' emerged as an artistic expression of that vision. We want to help create the change we’d like to see in the world, and the only way to do that is by starting small."

Fake Baseball will be performing at "A Recipe for Abundance.""A Recipe for Abundance"  will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2025, at the Vine Neighborhood Association, 806 S. Westnedge Ave. The event is free and open to the public, and is supported in part by an Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo grant.

Conversation inspires action

The concept for the project originated in 2023 during a conversation between friends and organizers, artist/photographer Scamehorn, and writer Bissonette (Full Disclosure: both work for Second Wave), as they discussed the impact of war, inequality, and political unrest. 

Members of Airplane Weather who will be performing at A Recipe for Abundance.Rather than focusing on helplessness, their dialogue shifted toward the small ways people care for one another — sharing food, creating art, and offering support in moments of crisis. That spark led to months of planning, research, and collaboration, they say. Alexander Long, Jeff Garland, and the Vine Neighborhood Association soon joined in the organizing.

"In sharing this idea with everyone we’ve met throughout the process, it feels like we’re making our dreams a reality," says Garland. "And what’s most exciting is that our dreams seem to be resonating deeply within our community."

XX Danjor will be performing at A Recipe for Abundance.Drawing inspiration from indigenous foodways (particularly through writings by Robin Wall Kimmerer), community agriculture, and mutual aid networks, Scamehorn and Bissonette say they saw parallels between healthy ecosystems and strong neighborhoods. They studied concepts like Rice Theory, which links cooperative farming to collective social structures, and explored how ideas of scarcity are often socially manufactured.

Their goal: create an event that brings people together to share not just resources, but trust and time. All this in the spirit of activism and with a desire to feed the community through art, food, companionship, and song.

Featured performers include the groups Fake Baseball, Buddahand, Airplane Weather, SamDaPro, XX Danjor, and Blackmagic Media. Wurst of the West will provide food. Food will feature memelas, a popular street food in South America that is made from a corn masa base, topped with crema, queso fresco, Oaxaca cheese, beans, and salsa.

Memelas, a popular street food from South America, will be served by Wurst of the West.Scamehorn will display artwork and facilitate a mutual aid interactive art installation.

"A central focus of the event will be an interactive art installation, designed by Taylor to replicate a Three Sisters garden," says Caroline Bissonette. "The piece will offer neighbors a chance to reflect on the skills and resources they already have, and how they might utilize them to help others. We hope that Kalamazoans will be able to use the piece, and the event as a whole, as an opportunity to connect with one another on a deeper level, to build connection, and to ask for and offer support on a local level."

Seed packet illustrated by Taylor Scamehorn"In companion planting, like a Three Sisters Garden, if you create the conditions and plant the seeds at the right time, the plants will grow with and rely on each other," says Scamehorn. "Activism, like farming, operates in seasons and relies on this stewardship."

Partners at the Vine Neighborhood Association, Blackmagic Media, local musicians, artists, and food vendors all joined in, pooling resources to create an event that offers free meals, performances, clothing swaps, and public speaking opportunities. Organizers intentionally invited artists known for their ability to energize and unite audiences.

​​"This is a divine opportunity to connect with the voices and presence of the community in a meaningful way," says fellow organizer Alexander Long. "Seeing that people are able to dance to good music, listen to raw conversations, and eat delicious food without a barrier to it all. Hopefully, some people get inspired to actualize powerful things from the conversations during this event."

Buddahand will perform at A Recipe for Abundance.Musicians participating in the event are encouraged to speak briefly from the stage about their own experiences with community — whether through the music scene, neighborhood support, or mutual aid. The organizers say they hope these personal stories will help break down barriers and inspire attendees to see themselves as part of something larger than just an audience or crowd.

An antidote to 'convenience culture'

"This project aims to help cultivate that reciprocal relationship and put the idea of a gift economy into action," says Bissonnette. "By offering this project as a gift to our local community, we hope to plant the seeds for a more equitable and sustainable future."

SamDaPro will be performing at A Recipe for Abundance.Central to the project is a critique of convenience culture, which organizers say has eroded traditional forms of community support. In a system that encourages isolation, working people often lack the time, resources, or social trust to rely on one another. The event encourages small, practical alternatives: sharing tools, cooking together, and knowing your neighbors.

"So many people are struggling to make ends meet right now and often feel isolated in their struggles. We hope the event will give the community something to look forward to," says Bissonnette. "A place to gather, share a meal, listen to music, and experience art. It’s also a chance to meet your neighbors and build the human connections that strengthen our community."

Organizers describe the event as part festival, part gathering, part experiment in local resilience. 

"I’m excited to do something that sparks a sense of joy and mutual care within the community," says Bissonnette. "The whole project feels like we’re giving a gift to the neighborhoods and city that raised us, and I hope that we inspire others to see what kind of a difference they can make in their own communities."

By creating a space where strangers can meet and resources can be shared without cost, they hope to lay the groundwork for long-term community building. 

“This isn’t just a one-time event,” Scamehorn says. “It’s an invitation to reimagine what it means to be a neighbor — and a reminder that we already have what we need if we choose to share it.”