Interlochen Center for the Arts and Green Lake Township dedicate J. Maddy Parkway
The newly named road bordering the Interlochen campus celebrates the legacy of Interlochen’s visionary founder.
A street sign for the recently renamed J. Maddy Parkway.
Green Lake Township Supervisor Marvin Radtke (left) and Interlochen President Trey Devey pose next to J. Maddy Parkway.
Interlochen President Trey Devey addresses the crowd at the J. Maddy Parkway dedication.
On Friday, Sept. 24, Interlochen Center for the Arts and Green Lake Township formally dedicated the newly named J. Maddy Parkway.
The brief ceremony at the J. Maddy Parkway Crosswalk included remarks from both Interlochen president Trey Devey and Green Lake Township supervisor Marvin Radtke. Arts Academy brass students concluded the program with a performance of John Philip Sousa’s “The Northern Pines,” a march composed to commemorate Sousa’s second visit to Interlochen in 1931.
The parkway—the 2.5-mile stretch of M-137 that borders the Interlochen Center for the Arts campus—honores the visionary arts educator Joseph Maddy, who founded Interlochen as the National High School Orchestra Camp in 1928. The Green Lake Township Board of Trustees voted to rename the highway in Maddy’s honor earlier this year.
“Thanks to J. Maddy Parkway, future generations of Interlochen students, alumni, and faculty, and staff, as well as our friends in Green Lake Township and all who travel through our community will be reminded of the legacy of this pioneering arts educator, who had a profound impact on Green Lake Township and around the globe,” Devey said.
“Every day we are reminded how fortunate we are to have a community stakeholder, with an international reputation. The talented staff and their gifted students is everyday reminiscent of the ideals Dr. Maddy brought to the shores of Green Lake,” said Radtke. “As stewards of the community, Green Lake Township will continue to partner with Interlochen Center for the Arts doing our part in keeping Dr. Maddy’s vision of a thriving, livable community for all to enjoy.”
Interlochen Center for the Arts and Green Lake Township have maintained a vibrant partnership throughout the institution’s 94-year history. Visitors to Interlochen support local businesses such as hotels and restaurants, and Interlochen participates actively in Green Lake Township civic life. Interlochen co-sponsors a full-time community police officer dedicated to Green Lake Township, and donates 50 percent of its farm-fresh organic produce to the local food pantry at Redeemer Lutheran Church of Interlochen, among many other local initiatives.
“I am incredibly proud of the partnership Interlochen Center for the Arts has with the Green Lake Township community,” Devey said. “This partnership dates back to Interlochen’s earliest days and has only strengthened in the past few years. Together, Interlochen and Green Lake work to enrich the cultural and economic vitality of the region.”