Ypsilanti Citizen Community Sidetrack

Volunteers prepare for Ypsi PRIDE Day
By Mark Tower
May. 13, 2010   ·   7:09 a.m.

Volunteers and W.H. Canon employees plant flowers in Depot Town while Ypsilanti resident Mike Labadie repairs the planter's brick work on Ypsi PRIDE Day last year.

Each year, residents in and around the city of Ypsilanti carry on a tradition started by a group of community members enrolled in a city leadership program, a sort...read more

Bicycles zoom as flowers bloom
By Citizen staff
Apr. 30, 2010   ·   2:11 p.m.

Riders from last year's spring ride come in after a long trip. Bike Ypsi’s 2010 Spring Ride and Festival is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday at Recreation Park (1015 Congress Street).

The weather has turned, the trees are budding and the flowers are popping out of the ground; time for a cruise through town. But don’t be so quick to hop in the...read more

Sheriff Clayton visits Ypsilanti Township
By Mark Tower
Apr. 29, 2010   ·   12:59 p.m.

Ypsilanti Township resident Kathleen Hanadel takes notes as her and other residents attempt to asses WCSO services Tuesday evening at a community forum held at the township's community center.

About 50 Ypsilanti Township residents gave the Washtenaw County Sheriff Office their input about law enforcement in the community Tuesday evening.

The information...read more

Savoy taking shape as live music venue
By Dan DuChene
Apr. 17, 2010   ·   2:38 p.m.

Local funk band Third Coast Kings play in Ypsilanti's newest live music venue, Savoy, Friday night.

Ypsilanti's newest concert venue is preparing for its grand opening weekend April 23, more than a month after its soft opening March 13.

Formerly Club Divine,...read more

Arts Alliance hosts Web site launch party
By Mark Tower
Apr. 15, 2010   ·   2:02 p.m.

The Arts Alliance, a local organization supporting arts and cultural activity in Washtenaw County, is launching a Web site that offers local artists of all kinds a place to post detailed profiles and notify visitors of events in the art community.

The Arts Alliance, a local organization supporting arts and cultural activity in Washtenaw County, will host a Web site launch party at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the...read more

Local photographer raising funds for Ypsi Project exhibit

Ypsilanti resident Nicholas Beltsos his grandson Demetrios were photographed by Project Ypsi photographer Erica Hampton during a bike ride she took Monday. A former EMU economics professor, Beltsos and his family moved to Ypsi from Dearborn in 1967. Photo by Erica Hampton

Ypsilanti resident Nicholas Beltsos his grandson Demetrios were photographed by Project Ypsi photographer Erica Hampton during a bike ride she took Monday. A former EMU economics professor, Beltsos and his family moved to Ypsi from Dearborn in 1967.
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Series of local portraits to be on display – if the money comes through

By Adrienne Ziegler
Apr. 20, 2010    ·    2:20 a.m.


Ypsilanti has many faces, and Erica Hampton wants to share a few of them with you.

Over the past year, Hampton created the The Ypsi Project, a series of portraits of people who live and work in Ypsilanti.

She’s photographed everyone from Mayor Paul Schreiber to local artists to Eastern Michigan University students to people just hanging out in Depot Town. Her project has amassed more than 120 photos for the gallery exhibit she plans to hold at the end of May.

But she needs a little help. In order to make the exhibit a reality, she has to raise $2,400 towards the cost of printing the photos and renting the exhibit space.

So far, people have pledged $1,758 to The Ypsi Project through the Web site, Kickstarter. Unfortunately, if Hampton doesn’t reach the $2,400 fundraising goal by Friday evening, she won’t receive any of the pledged money. The entire amount needs to be pledged to the project by this Friday, April 23 at 7:14 p.m.

“The way Kickstarter works, if you don’t have every penny pledged, then you don’t get any of it,” she said.

The Ypsi Project started in January 2009, when Hampton completed school. She graduated from EMU with a minor in fine art and a concentration in photography, and was looking for full time work.

She started out by taking a photo everyday, and not just portraits.

“I wanted something to keep myself busy. I was looking for work and everything, and I didn’t want to stop taking pictures,” Hampton said.

As time went on, the project narrowed to just portraits. She learned that she loved finding out about people and what brought them to the community.

“Doing this project, I’ve met so many cool people and just really seen how amazing everybody here is,” she said. “There’s a lot going on here, more than you think. There are all kinds of people.”

With every portrait, Hampton writes a little bit about the individual to accompany the photo.

“I try to find out how they came to Ypsi, why they stayed, why they’re here and what they like about Ypsi,” she said. “Everybody from all walks of life has been so nice. It’s been really eye-opening, and I just wanted to share that.”

Hampton also plans to publish a book of all her local photos. The book will be available when the exhibit opens.

Hampton aims to hold the exhibit at 216 West Michigan Ave., in the former VG Kids storefront.

If you’d like to make a pledge to The Ypsi Project, visit the Web site at www.YpsiProject.com. Pledges can be as little as $1.



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