April 18, 2025 • 29 mins
In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Charles Burke, the President & CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Charles joined us on the program to discuss his unique and inspired journey to his current position as President and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Since becoming president and CEO in February 2023, Charles has led the wildly popular destinations to new heights, including achieving the highest annual attendance in the organization’s 30-year history and welcoming its 15 millionth visitor.
Meijer Gardens has been recognized as the Best Sculpture Park in the United States by USA Today’s "10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards" in 2023 and 2024 and consecutively named one of the Best Places to Work in West Michigan, further solidifying its reputation as a cultural landmark of international acclaim.
Charles brings a strong vision of accessibility, transparency, and creativity to every aspect of Meijer Gardens and he was a has a very compelling personal and professional journey to this position.
We talked about his background and passion for music, and the arts.
We also talked a year-long celebration recognizing 30 years of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and the powerful legacy created by Fred and Lena Meijer.
Online: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Charles joined us on the program to discuss his unique and inspired journey to his current position as President and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Since becoming president and CEO in February 2023, Charles has led the wildly popular destinations to new heights, including achieving the highest annual attendance in the organization’s 30-year history and welcoming its 15 millionth visitor.
Meijer Gardens has been recognized as the Best Sculpture Park in the United States by USA Today’s "10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards" in 2023 and 2024 and consecutively named one of the Best Places to Work in West Michigan, further solidifying its reputation as a cultural landmark of international acclaim.
Charles brings a strong vision of accessibility, transparency, and creativity to every aspect of Meijer Gardens and he was a has a very compelling personal and professional journey to this position.
We talked about his background and passion for music, and the arts.
We also talked a year-long celebration recognizing 30 years of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and the powerful legacy created by Fred and Lena Meijer.
Online: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly program designed to win form and enlighten on
a wide range of public policy issues, as well as
news and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It's West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. Thank you so much
for tuning in and we welcome you into this Sunday morning.
This program our full program. I'm really excited because whenever
we get to go on location, I kind of get
geeked up for just the whole experience. We are at
Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park here for a lot
(00:37):
of reasons, but really have a wonderful opportunity to sit
down in the office of Charles Burt, President and CEO
of Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park, one of truly
the world's premiere destinations for art, culture, horticulture, and shall
we say music, because the fifth Third Bank Summer Concert
Series is coming up Tuesday evening Music Club Concert Series.
(00:59):
Charles walk into the program.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Thanks so much. I'm so happy to be here and
looking forward to diving in.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
We have hot coffee for this conversation, so we're geared
up We're ready to go. You have just started your
third year here. You came here in February of twenty
twenty three. You were in Detroit, and I got to
tell you this. I'm embarrassed, having grown up in West Michigan,
been in Michigan my whole life. You were president and
(01:27):
CEO previously to this position as President's CEO of Myer
Gardens at the War Memorial in gross Pointe Farms, which
is a fascinating organization that you took to another level.
It's a wonderful historic building on the shores of Lake
Erie and Lake Saint Clair, Lake Saint Clair in gross
Pointe Farms. Yep, but I want to go way back.
(01:50):
I promised you we weren't going to do it. This
is your life, Charlesburg. But I want to go way back.
You have professional training in music. Youduated from college and
became a teacher, and you were a band director. Did
I get that right?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I was.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I helped you. I have a to agree in band conducting,
but also orchestral conducting.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, so just.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Waving my arms about and while and crazy ways to
create music and experiences. And yeah, I have a weird
and wonky background. And I think it's I'm just so
grateful that I had that music background because it allowed
for me to really dig in and understand how to
practice hard and apply all of that to all the
(02:33):
great things that are going on here at Meyer Gardens.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, but you're more than that. You're actually a creative,
musically talented person with great acumen for the nonprofit world,
leadership skills, and a lot more. And we'll unpack that
later on. But I want to go back to the
music thing because I told you before we turned on
the microphones this morning. I'm a band nerd, very proud
band nerd from Greenville High School. I got a shout
(02:57):
out Keith Hudson, our band director. But that being said,
where did the music bug come from in you? Was
it parents?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah? It was my parents.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So my father was in the Army band Pershing Zone
Army Band in Washington, d C. Cool and it was
a choice in the seventies of his draft number came
up and it was either serving there or serving in Vietnam.
And he was fortunate enough to be talented to be
in the Army band. So I grew up on the
steps of Arlington Cemetery, on the steps of the capitol,
(03:27):
going to concerts and having that existence.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And it was really quite special.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
My mother was a music teacher as well, and they
were both very active in the church in terms of music,
so piano was not a negotiable thing that I couldn't
not participate. I was a boy soprano, if you could
imagine that, it was tiny tim and I was in
an opera in the fifth grade. I chose to play
(03:54):
flute in the eighties because two reasons. James Galway was
all the rage in the classical music world, and I
thought his Annie Song and Pink Panther was very nerdly
cool at that point. But also that's where all the
girls were and in the in the flute section, and.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
That worked out. Frankly. There was a strategy, Yeah, there was.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
And the girl I sat next to in high school
who happened to be first chair and I was second chair.
We've been married now close to thirty one years, so
wonderful my long term strategy worked out, and she's put
up with me for all those years.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I know we had challenges in band. Did you ever
challenge her her first year?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yes, but I always seem to lose, and I've learned
over the years of a survival you don't challenge, but no,
we had challenges. And I grew up in a band
program and the band director was mister c John Cassa Grande,
who was kind of the infamous guy in the Washington,
DC area, and just world class product and everything, and well,
(04:57):
that instilled a real sense of excellence.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And you were a conductor at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
you were seeing your director of education orchestral conductor. So
there's a teaching component in your heart as well.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, I think it's really a wonderful thing to see something,
whether it's music or art or nature, to see kids
discover that for the first time and see that light
bulb go off, and help nurture that and curate that
environment at the DSO, I had a weird job where
I was in charge of all the youth orchestra programs.
(05:31):
Grew that program into having more than a thousand kids
per week come through Orchestra Hall and really helped develop
midtown Detroit with everything. But at the same time, I
was part of the education team, teaching, designing programs access
for kids to really have music in their life in
(05:52):
every day You've been here a little over two years,
starting your third year here at Meyer Gardens for Myer
Gardens and Sculpture Park. In your tenure so far, you've
helped Myer Gardens achieve the highest annual attendance in the
thirty year history here fifteenth million visitor recently welcome, which
(06:12):
is pretty amazing. USA Today ten Best Reader's Choice Awards
in both twenty three and twenty four best sculpture Park
in the United States, by the way, and named one
of the best places to work in West Michigan.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
But before you decided to come here, you were in
the Detroit area. You were watching what was happening in
Grand Rapids. I'm sure, yeah, far absolutely What specifically drew
you other than this wonderful, amazing place, Frederick Meyer Gardens.
What drew you to West Michigan.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, there is you know, we spent almost twenty
five years of our life in southeastern Michigan, and there
is a lore and there's a certain amount of mythology
on the west side of the state of specific Grand Rapids,
where there's great things going on, and frankly, my wife
and I wanted to be part of that. We spent
(07:06):
a lot of time going to Holland Douglas to Saga
Tak and then we would stop and go to the
Electric Cheetah or Lafonsei Galleries and invariably go to the
Christmas Trees here or the butterfly exhibition with our children.
There's a lore to the west side of the state,
and I think, Frankly, you know, the community here and
(07:32):
the leadership at the community and the filmthropic community has
clearly aligned in resources and investment that it's unique in
the United States. And I just we all wanted to
be part of that. And then layer on top of
the cherry. On top of that is this place on
(07:52):
the Beltline. The Frederick Myer gardis a sculpture park where
fred and Lena truly gave a gift for all of
us and to be part of that stewardship and you
know all those accolades you just talked to. Frankly, I'm
just standing on the shoulders of giants Bred and Lena
and Betsy and you know all the staff that's been
(08:13):
here for years and years and years. It's just it's
a truly remarkable place that we just want to get
the word out and invite people to come and be here.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Hard to believe. There are still people haven't visited.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, yeah, and it is hard to believe. When we
started with our latest holiday show, Enlightened, we started doing
some advertising in southeastern Michigan in Detroit and people again
seeing that light bulb go off and go, I had
no idea that this was here and that we want
(08:45):
to change that narrative. We know that within a three
hour radius there's more than ten million people, and right
now people are looking for those places to be where
they can be community. They have access to our they
have access to nature concerts. This is just a tremendously,
tremendously beautiful institution that the world really needs to know
(09:10):
more about.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And it's expanded multiple times. But I want to go
back to something you said about how unique West Michigan is.
If you think of the people who had visions of
what this city could be, what this space here on
the beltline and Leonard belt Line and read for the
whole area here, remembering when it was a golf course,
(09:33):
there was nothing here. But it's also hard, thirty years
later even imagine a time when the gardens were not here.
But you ever stop and just ponder that vision of
Fred Meyer. To look at that, and obviously there were
dreams that a lot of people planning, a lot of
people who had passion for what this would become and
(09:54):
wanted to plant that flag here. But it's really truly
amazing that it happened years ago and it all came together. Yeah,
it helps when you have Fred Meyer was hard to
say no to. Yeah, Yeah, but I mean, that's that's
quite a thing when you look at it.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Yeah, I think about it, and there is something I
think in the secret sauce of grand Rapids, of these bold, fearless,
courageous titans, and you know, Fred's one of those, and
I never had the blessing to meet him, frankly, but
you know, to think about, hey, here's a plot of land.
It was going to be a store, Let's transform that
(10:32):
into a place for sculpture collection. Let's add gardens to
this less and vest and maybe we don't know where
it's going, but let's just go on that journey of
saying yes and why not.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
And there's not a lot of people like that on
the planet.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
And I think that's the same tenacity, the same boldness
that obviously he built the Meyer brand and Meyer stores
with But then you think about Peter Weggy's of the world,
do you think about the divorce Van Andel's of the world,
you think about the courage of president for There's just
(11:10):
there's something unique to this area of doing what's best
for the greater good and giving back not in incremental ways,
but in massively transformative ways. And that's a tremendous legacy
to give not only your children, your grandchildren, but the
(11:32):
next thirty forty to fifty years from now. And I'm
grateful for that.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Charles Burke is with us on West Michigan Weekend here
on our iHeartRadio, President and CEO of Frederick Meyer Gardens
and Sculpture Park. You can learn more. In fact, we're
coming into probably one of the most wonderful times of
the year here, springtime and of course summertime, music, things
(11:57):
in bloom, art, sculpture, and so much more. And we're
going to touch on some of those things. But you
used a word that is truly spot on, that is transformative.
Those contributions de Vos, Vanandelweggy, the Meyer family, the Seci
is just it's almost like those people were here for
(12:18):
a reason. Ford Gerald R. Ford really amazing to have
all of us here in West Michigan. But you can't
rest on those laurels. You've got to be Ford thinking.
You've got to look at five years, ten years down
the road. We are going to unpack a lot of
the thirty year anniversary happenings which are noteworthy and important
(12:43):
that our listeners know about. But let's look in that
portal or that crystal ball, whatever you want to call it, Charles,
five and ten years down the line. That long term
planning is critically important for any successful organization. It's how
the gardens got they are today. What are the thing
some of the important things that come to mind for
(13:05):
you and your team?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, I think that, And we are going through a
long range planning process right now to really organize our
work for the next decade two decades. I think looking
at where society is in humanity is right now. You know,
when we are hearing every day about chaos and society
or large language models or AI all of that, I
(13:30):
think there's a question of where can humanity just come
and be and have the simple joys of life and
connect as a family, intergenerationally with other communities and let
your hair down, so to speak. You know, as we're
taping this, it's the Fred and Dorothy Victor butterflies are
blooming and we're seeing five six seven eight thousand people
(13:51):
per day, all with the goal of going into the
Lenamire Tropical Conservatory to see butterflies. Talk about the most
simple idea that is creating a memory that those little
children or teenagers will have with their parents. It's a
common space and that in many ways is the antithesis
(14:12):
of the negativity we see in humanity right now. So
how do we respond to that coming to a live
concert event, having a quiet walk, seeing Desuvo or a
Lieberman or a Rodin in our sculpture park and those
are all framing structures that are all under the umbrella
(14:35):
that Fred and Lina left us with. We want to
do everything with a spirit of joy and every aspect
of our work. We want to be world class in
every core idea of our operations. And then we want
to be welcoming to all people from all places that
they see themselves in this space. So we're thinking about
what do we do on the campus, how are responsive,
(14:57):
how do we use technology, how do we not use technology?
Speaker 4 (15:02):
And then how do.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
We grow our presence in the region and in the
heart of the country. So I think we're well positioned
and to really be a beacon of light and hope
for West Michigan and again for Michigan itself and for
the heart of this country.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I think it's really important to add that as a visitor,
as a member, every time my wife and I go here,
just the interaction with volunteers, with staff, it's truly superb.
One of the things I like to remind our listeners about,
(15:41):
especially for those who have older family members or a
person with a disability, there is a few places in
North America that are as accessible and as easily reachable
as Frederickamara Gardens in Sculpture Park, and that took a
lot of planning, a lot of foresight to really think
about that, which I think is truly wonderful. But I
(16:04):
want to go back to something you said about just
the simplicity in a It seems like if you spend
any time on social media or in the national news sites,
it seems like a pretty ugly world right now. With
the simplicity of just taking a walk in the gardens,
going into the conservatory, the butterflies are wonderful. I remember
the first time I went in there, I felt like,
(16:25):
and hundreds, if not thousands of people who experienced this,
you just feel like you've been transported to another place.
Because in the winter time it's warm, it's humid, or
it's tropical, it's just beautiful. But so many people are
telling us how important it is to be present, to
disconnect from that device that's constantly notifying us in our pocket,
(16:49):
and then there's not a better place to do it.
My favorite spot is the Japanese Gardens. You just seem
to feel your blood pressure level.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Drop a little bit.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah, I don't know you do you you and your
wife have a favorite spot or you have a favorite
But well.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I'm fortunate. I get to walk around every day and
I have the best job in the world to do that.
I think for us, uh evening strolls around the sculpture
Park and being able to you know, peek in and
just see the late sunlight. And that's something where we
want to expand that in the futures. Where where can
people come in the evenings after work, Where can they
(17:26):
come in the early morning.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
We we love that. I have to be honest with you.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I love coming to the concerts, whether it's a Tuesday
Night evening club or the fifth Summer Concert Series. I
just it's such an intimate experience, it is. And to
be up close and personal with our concerts like this year,
with you know, having Chaka Khan or Smokey Robinson who
(17:52):
are coming and you know they're they're right there in
your front, you know, right in front of you, and
it's a really wonderfully intimate experience. The Japanese Gardens is amazing.
But I'll be honest with you, one of the things
I get the most pleasure out of in this very
room in my office. On the other side of us
(18:12):
is the PNC Courtyard, a curiosity courtyard. It's an indoor
playscape gallery for young children. And I heard, I hear
the squeaks and giggles and attired, exacerbated parents and grandparents.
And in the middle of January, when there's not a
lot to do, this is a place of respite. And
(18:34):
then you can tell when it's nap time. You know,
it gets real quiet around eleven thirty or the crankiness
level goes up and everybody ends up going home. So
it's there's something for everybody here, and that's the joy
in all of this.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We're talking with Charles Burke, President and CEO at Frederick
Meyer Gardens in Sculpture Park here in Grand Rapidsmyergardens dot org.
You just mentioned the summer concert series, which is truly
one of the wonderful parts of summer in West Michigan,
the Tuesday evening music clubs. Shout out to the Frederick
(19:12):
Myergarden's member services team, because now is the time to
get that membership. You can take in all those Tuesday
night concerts and of course a really great lineup from
Chaka Khan, as you said, just Smokey Robinson, Jason isbel
is on there. You've got a really wonderfully diverse group
of musicians. And there is something I think you mentioned it, Charles.
(19:35):
People are just happy. It's laid back, it's summertime. Yeah,
there's music, there's food, there are adult libations and non
adult livenations. So it's a little bit of everything you need.
And it's just if I may say so, it's one
of my favorite things to do in the summertime and
just to enjoy music and a great place to do that.
(19:58):
The performers and seem happy. Yeah, in that spot.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I'm saying, we love coming back here. And you know
I've heard stories. You know, Lyle Lovett was our first
in the Amphitheater. There of you know, performers taking a
break and walking through the gardens as they're getting ready
to take the stage and taking photos themselves. It's it's
a tremendous space. And you know, think about the entire
(20:25):
Amphitheater is a garden, it's not just an amphitheater, and it's.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Got artwork all the way around.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
As a matter of fact, we're going to be for
this concert season unveiling a brand new work in the
Amphitheater Plaza by a tremendous female sculpture artist, Ursula then
writing's art and this is a twenty foot bronze piece
right in the Amphitheater, has a lattice top and in
many ways it'll serve as a torch that will appall
(20:51):
everybody to this area. So that's being installed as we
speak as part of our thirtieth anniversary and our commitment
to growing the sculpture collection. So uh, tremendous, tremendous, tremendous
for community to have that commitment to find and performing arts.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Being named Best sculpture park in the country for the
third straight year by USA Today. That's quite an accolade,
But it's also a challenge to you and your team
right as well. So you just mentioned how to up
the game a little bit, right, right right. Is it
as simple as.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
That, Uh No, but it's a It's also as simple
as making sure that this community, you know, says very
loudly that they they love us, and you know, it's
a wonderful accolade, and you know, and we're very grateful
for all of that, but you know, the real metric
of success for us in any given day is that
(21:44):
smile that we get from a volunteer when you walk in,
that that quiet hello from our you know, our staff.
We just want to make sure, you know, every single
hour is filled with that.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Spirit of joy.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
And if we do all that correct, the accolades will
come down the line. But it's a fun little moniker
to place below our signature and our emails.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
And I think there's something important to say on this
radio platform with multiple stations people tune in right now
all over West Michigan, all over Michigan, and as the
podcast all over the world. There's something about in fact,
you mentioned you spoke to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
a couple of years ago in the fall. You talked
(22:31):
about using art as a place to remember, a place
to build community, a place to build bridges with communities.
And I think i'd love your take on this. I
think a lot of people who might think they're uncomfortable
with art until they're surrounded light and just let it
kind of permeate them.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Have you ever exprest me?
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
And I think coming from the symphony orchestra background of
you know, the you know, the terror of not knowing
when to clap or anything, all these kind of social
issues that you said, Yeah, I mean, I mean, we're
all human beings and we all just want to experience
different things. And I think we've all learned coming out
(23:11):
of you know, those dark COVID years, that life is
short and to expose yourself, even to have has a
hint of uncomfortableness at first. And we are really focused
on breaking down that wall of accessibility from you know.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
The smells that you have to the.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Food that's here. It's not about high art and it's
only for an elite few. Uh, It's it's really art
for everyone. That's why there's a diversity of offerings in
our our our exhibition program. We have an exhibition program
right now going on called Busted, where you know, it's
(23:53):
a conversation with the community about what who deserves to
have a bust in what material? Right sounds very esoteric
and academic and pillared. Well, we have Kermit the Frog
in there, we have Sam the Eagle in there. You know,
so there is something for everybody with a little hint
of a wink and a smile. I mean, you've got
(24:15):
to remember fred Meyer. Frederick Meyer was the guy who
would go around with a purple ticket and has joy
and Lena having this joy of watching families be So
this is truly a place of happiness.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
For the world to experience. I do need to put
a plug in for Busted. I have really experienced that.
It's truly wonderful. Whimsicle is a great word to describe it, right. Yeah,
for those who might not think you appreciate busts, if
you see Busted, you will here at Frederick Maergarden. Also,
as this conversation is airing on the radio, you've got
(24:54):
about ten days left for the butterflies or butterflies are
blooming ex ghibbit. I thought in my second cup of
coffee would be enough for me to get through. Butterflies
are blooming bread and Dorothy for fictor.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, we love alliteration and we love the names here.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yes, that's about the best alliteration you can do with
the wonderful people bringing us the butterflies exhibit. But just
a full year of celebrations. I have to ask real quickly.
You had mentioned Fred and handing out the Purple cowcards
and the Myer stores. Do you like to go incognito
into the gardens and just walk around and observe?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I do, But I also like to come and honestly,
I love to come and eat in the cafe and
we've you know, just just kind of be a patron
and you know, I it is funny to kind of
if you wear a baseball hat, people kind of look
at you a double way or something. Yeah, but it's
just a great place. I mean, I can't think of
(25:57):
a better place on the planet to want to spend
my personal time, my professional time. And it's just I mean,
my heart is so full when I'm here, and I
know that I represent hundreds and thousands of hours of.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
People who feel the same way.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, Charles Burke, President and CEO of Frederick Meyer Gardens
and Sculpture Park. We've covered a lot of ground. It
is a year long celebration celebrating thirty years of this
amazing place, ten years for the Japanese Garden, constantly evolving, improving,
adding things on new sculpture. I've got a couple of
minutes left, little under two minutes. What else should people
(26:38):
know about? We've covered a lot of ground. Anything I
didn't ask you about you wanted to share with our listeners.
I think it's really important when you have a young
person in your life, whether it's a four year old,
eight year old, twelve year old, get your school to
come here on a field trip, come here on a
Sunday afternoon, come for some of our program into the
(26:59):
lead of Meyer Children's Garden, which is celebrating an anniversary
as well. It's so important to instill that sense of
experience and family time or just community time with young
people from an early start. We plant this seed now,
it will grow twenty thirty years from now, and those
(27:21):
children being here from all walks of life, all mobilities,
all accessibilities, just makes us all better as an institution
and as a region. And that's what my hope would
be is to get more children, more young people, more teens, tweens,
and young professionals here, whether they know better.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Or not like mine.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Yeah, but we got to get young people here. They'll
be better for us, for all of us in the
future by being exposed to this, and.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Also expose them to music.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
A Tuesday evening music club, so many Sunday afternoon strings,
Sunday after new strings. There's so many things that people
think they don't like until the experience them live.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I would wholeheartedly agree. And this needs to be a
Tapas menu of experiences.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
That's everyone that's wonderful at Tapas Menu, Art, sculpture, music,
the whole nine yards, as they like to say. Charlesburg
President CEO Frederick Myergardens and Sculpture Park. I had about
thirty more questions, but we'll do that another. Yeah, yeah,
that's right. Absolutely, Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Thank you, you're great.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
He's been our guest on this entire edition of West
Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. Remember everything we talked about and
then some Myergardens Dot org, including membership Myergardens dot org.
That's our program. We'll catch you again next week. Right
here on this iHeartRadio station you've.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly program designed to win form and enlighten on
a wide range of public policy issues, as well as
news and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It's West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. Thank you so much
for tuning in and we welcome you into this Sunday morning.
This program our full program. I'm really excited because whenever
we get to go on location, I kind of get
geeked up for just the whole experience. We are at
Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park here for a lot
(00:37):
of reasons, but really have a wonderful opportunity to sit
down in the office of Charles Burt, President and CEO
of Frederick Meyer Gardens and Sculpture Park, one of truly
the world's premiere destinations for art, culture, horticulture, and shall
we say music, because the fifth Third Bank Summer Concert
Series is coming up Tuesday evening Music Club Concert Series.
(00:59):
Charles walk into the program.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Thanks so much. I'm so happy to be here and
looking forward to diving in.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
We have hot coffee for this conversation, so we're geared
up We're ready to go. You have just started your
third year here. You came here in February of twenty
twenty three. You were in Detroit, and I got to
tell you this. I'm embarrassed, having grown up in West Michigan,
been in Michigan my whole life. You were president and
(01:27):
CEO previously to this position as President's CEO of Myer
Gardens at the War Memorial in gross Pointe Farms, which
is a fascinating organization that you took to another level.
It's a wonderful historic building on the shores of Lake
Erie and Lake Saint Clair, Lake Saint Clair in gross
Pointe Farms. Yep, but I want to go way back.
(01:50):
I promised you we weren't going to do it. This
is your life, Charlesburg. But I want to go way back.
You have professional training in music. Youduated from college and
became a teacher, and you were a band director. Did
I get that right?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I was.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I helped you. I have a to agree in band conducting,
but also orchestral conducting.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, so just.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Waving my arms about and while and crazy ways to
create music and experiences. And yeah, I have a weird
and wonky background. And I think it's I'm just so
grateful that I had that music background because it allowed
for me to really dig in and understand how to
practice hard and apply all of that to all the
(02:33):
great things that are going on here at Meyer Gardens.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, but you're more than that. You're actually a creative,
musically talented person with great acumen for the nonprofit world,
leadership skills, and a lot more. And we'll unpack that
later on. But I want to go back to the
music thing because I told you before we turned on
the microphones this morning. I'm a band nerd, very proud
band nerd from Greenville High School. I got a shout
(02:57):
out Keith Hudson, our band director. But that being said,
where did the music bug come from in you? Was
it parents?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah? It was my parents.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So my father was in the Army band Pershing Zone
Army Band in Washington, d C. Cool and it was
a choice in the seventies of his draft number came
up and it was either serving there or serving in Vietnam.
And he was fortunate enough to be talented to be
in the Army band. So I grew up on the
steps of Arlington Cemetery, on the steps of the capitol,
(03:27):
going to concerts and having that existence.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And it was really quite special.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
My mother was a music teacher as well, and they
were both very active in the church in terms of music,
so piano was not a negotiable thing that I couldn't
not participate. I was a boy soprano, if you could
imagine that, it was tiny tim and I was in
an opera in the fifth grade. I chose to play
(03:54):
flute in the eighties because two reasons. James Galway was
all the rage in the classical music world, and I
thought his Annie Song and Pink Panther was very nerdly
cool at that point. But also that's where all the
girls were and in the in the flute section, and.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
That worked out. Frankly. There was a strategy, Yeah, there was.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
And the girl I sat next to in high school
who happened to be first chair and I was second chair.
We've been married now close to thirty one years, so
wonderful my long term strategy worked out, and she's put
up with me for all those years.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I know we had challenges in band. Did you ever
challenge her her first year?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yes, but I always seem to lose, and I've learned
over the years of a survival you don't challenge, but no,
we had challenges. And I grew up in a band
program and the band director was mister c John Cassa Grande,
who was kind of the infamous guy in the Washington,
DC area, and just world class product and everything, and well,
(04:57):
that instilled a real sense of excellence.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And you were a conductor at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
you were seeing your director of education orchestral conductor. So
there's a teaching component in your heart as well.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, I think it's really a wonderful thing to see something,
whether it's music or art or nature, to see kids
discover that for the first time and see that light
bulb go off, and help nurture that and curate that
environment at the DSO, I had a weird job where
I was in charge of all the youth orchestra programs.
(05:31):
Grew that program into having more than a thousand kids
per week come through Orchestra Hall and really helped develop
midtown Detroit with everything. But at the same time, I
was part of the education team, teaching, designing programs access
for kids to really have music in their life in
(05:52):
every day You've been here a little over two years,
starting your third year here at Meyer Gardens for Myer
Gardens and Sculpture Park. In your tenure so far, you've
helped Myer Gardens achieve the highest annual attendance in the
thirty year history here fifteenth million visitor recently welcome, which
(06:12):
is pretty amazing. USA Today ten Best Reader's Choice Awards
in both twenty three and twenty four best sculpture Park
in the United States, by the way, and named one
of the best places to work in West Michigan.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
But before you decided to come here, you were in
the Detroit area. You were watching what was happening in
Grand Rapids. I'm sure, yeah, far absolutely What specifically drew
you other than this wonderful, amazing place, Frederick Meyer Gardens.
What drew you to West Michigan.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
You know, there is you know, we spent almost twenty
five years of our life in southeastern Michigan, and there
is a lore and there's a certain amount of mythology
on the west side of the state of specific Grand Rapids,
where there's great things going on, and frankly, my wife
and I wanted to be part of that. We spent
(07:06):
a lot of time going to Holland Douglas to Saga
Tak and then we would stop and go to the
Electric Cheetah or Lafonsei Galleries and invariably go to the
Christmas Trees here or the butterfly exhibition with our children.
There's a lore to the west side of the state,
and I think, Frankly, you know, the community here and
(07:32):
the leadership at the community and the filmthropic community has
clearly aligned in resources and investment that it's unique in
the United States. And I just we all wanted to
be part of that. And then layer on top of
the cherry. On top of that is this place on
(07:52):
the Beltline. The Frederick Myer gardis a sculpture park where
fred and Lena truly gave a gift for all of
us and to be part of that stewardship and you
know all those accolades you just talked to. Frankly, I'm
just standing on the shoulders of giants Bred and Lena
and Betsy and you know all the staff that's been
(08:13):
here for years and years and years. It's just it's
a truly remarkable place that we just want to get
the word out and invite people to come and be here.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Hard to believe. There are still people haven't visited.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, yeah, and it is hard to believe. When we
started with our latest holiday show, Enlightened, we started doing
some advertising in southeastern Michigan in Detroit and people again
seeing that light bulb go off and go, I had
no idea that this was here and that we want
(08:45):
to change that narrative. We know that within a three
hour radius there's more than ten million people, and right
now people are looking for those places to be where
they can be community. They have access to our they
have access to nature concerts. This is just a tremendously,
tremendously beautiful institution that the world really needs to know
(09:10):
more about.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And it's expanded multiple times. But I want to go
back to something you said about how unique West Michigan is.
If you think of the people who had visions of
what this city could be, what this space here on
the beltline and Leonard belt Line and read for the
whole area here, remembering when it was a golf course,
(09:33):
there was nothing here. But it's also hard, thirty years
later even imagine a time when the gardens were not here.
But you ever stop and just ponder that vision of
Fred Meyer. To look at that, and obviously there were
dreams that a lot of people planning, a lot of
people who had passion for what this would become and
(09:54):
wanted to plant that flag here. But it's really truly
amazing that it happened years ago and it all came together. Yeah,
it helps when you have Fred Meyer was hard to
say no to. Yeah, Yeah, but I mean, that's that's
quite a thing when you look at it.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Yeah, I think about it, and there is something I
think in the secret sauce of grand Rapids, of these bold, fearless,
courageous titans, and you know, Fred's one of those, and
I never had the blessing to meet him, frankly, but
you know, to think about, hey, here's a plot of land.
It was going to be a store, Let's transform that
(10:32):
into a place for sculpture collection. Let's add gardens to
this less and vest and maybe we don't know where
it's going, but let's just go on that journey of
saying yes and why not.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
And there's not a lot of people like that on
the planet.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
And I think that's the same tenacity, the same boldness
that obviously he built the Meyer brand and Meyer stores
with But then you think about Peter Weggy's of the world,
do you think about the divorce Van Andel's of the world,
you think about the courage of president for There's just
(11:10):
there's something unique to this area of doing what's best
for the greater good and giving back not in incremental ways,
but in massively transformative ways. And that's a tremendous legacy
to give not only your children, your grandchildren, but the
(11:32):
next thirty forty to fifty years from now. And I'm
grateful for that.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Charles Burke is with us on West Michigan Weekend here
on our iHeartRadio, President and CEO of Frederick Meyer Gardens
and Sculpture Park. You can learn more. In fact, we're
coming into probably one of the most wonderful times of
the year here, springtime and of course summertime, music, things
(11:57):
in bloom, art, sculpture, and so much more. And we're
going to touch on some of those things. But you
used a word that is truly spot on, that is transformative.
Those contributions de Vos, Vanandelweggy, the Meyer family, the Seci
is just it's almost like those people were here for
(12:18):
a reason. Ford Gerald R. Ford really amazing to have
all of us here in West Michigan. But you can't
rest on those laurels. You've got to be Ford thinking.
You've got to look at five years, ten years down
the road. We are going to unpack a lot of
the thirty year anniversary happenings which are noteworthy and important
(12:43):
that our listeners know about. But let's look in that
portal or that crystal ball, whatever you want to call it, Charles,
five and ten years down the line. That long term
planning is critically important for any successful organization. It's how
the gardens got they are today. What are the thing
some of the important things that come to mind for
(13:05):
you and your team?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, I think that, And we are going through a
long range planning process right now to really organize our
work for the next decade two decades. I think looking
at where society is in humanity is right now. You know,
when we are hearing every day about chaos and society
or large language models or AI all of that, I
(13:30):
think there's a question of where can humanity just come
and be and have the simple joys of life and
connect as a family, intergenerationally with other communities and let
your hair down, so to speak. You know, as we're
taping this, it's the Fred and Dorothy Victor butterflies are
blooming and we're seeing five six seven eight thousand people
(13:51):
per day, all with the goal of going into the
Lenamire Tropical Conservatory to see butterflies. Talk about the most
simple idea that is creating a memory that those little
children or teenagers will have with their parents. It's a
common space and that in many ways is the antithesis
(14:12):
of the negativity we see in humanity right now. So
how do we respond to that coming to a live
concert event, having a quiet walk, seeing Desuvo or a
Lieberman or a Rodin in our sculpture park and those
are all framing structures that are all under the umbrella
(14:35):
that Fred and Lina left us with. We want to
do everything with a spirit of joy and every aspect
of our work. We want to be world class in
every core idea of our operations. And then we want
to be welcoming to all people from all places that
they see themselves in this space. So we're thinking about
what do we do on the campus, how are responsive,
(14:57):
how do we use technology, how do we not use technology?
Speaker 4 (15:02):
And then how do.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
We grow our presence in the region and in the
heart of the country. So I think we're well positioned
and to really be a beacon of light and hope
for West Michigan and again for Michigan itself and for
the heart of this country.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I think it's really important to add that as a visitor,
as a member, every time my wife and I go here,
just the interaction with volunteers, with staff, it's truly superb.
One of the things I like to remind our listeners about,
(15:41):
especially for those who have older family members or a
person with a disability, there is a few places in
North America that are as accessible and as easily reachable
as Frederickamara Gardens in Sculpture Park, and that took a
lot of planning, a lot of foresight to really think
about that, which I think is truly wonderful. But I
(16:04):
want to go back to something you said about just
the simplicity in a It seems like if you spend
any time on social media or in the national news sites,
it seems like a pretty ugly world right now. With
the simplicity of just taking a walk in the gardens,
going into the conservatory, the butterflies are wonderful. I remember
the first time I went in there, I felt like,
(16:25):
and hundreds, if not thousands of people who experienced this,
you just feel like you've been transported to another place.
Because in the winter time it's warm, it's humid, or
it's tropical, it's just beautiful. But so many people are
telling us how important it is to be present, to
disconnect from that device that's constantly notifying us in our pocket,
(16:49):
and then there's not a better place to do it.
My favorite spot is the Japanese Gardens. You just seem
to feel your blood pressure level.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Drop a little bit.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah, I don't know you do you you and your
wife have a favorite spot or you have a favorite
But well.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I'm fortunate. I get to walk around every day and
I have the best job in the world to do that.
I think for us, uh evening strolls around the sculpture
Park and being able to you know, peek in and
just see the late sunlight. And that's something where we
want to expand that in the futures. Where where can
people come in the evenings after work, Where can they
(17:26):
come in the early morning.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
We we love that. I have to be honest with you.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I love coming to the concerts, whether it's a Tuesday
Night evening club or the fifth Summer Concert Series. I
just it's such an intimate experience, it is. And to
be up close and personal with our concerts like this year,
with you know, having Chaka Khan or Smokey Robinson who
(17:52):
are coming and you know they're they're right there in
your front, you know, right in front of you, and
it's a really wonderfully intimate experience. The Japanese Gardens is amazing.
But I'll be honest with you, one of the things
I get the most pleasure out of in this very
room in my office. On the other side of us
(18:12):
is the PNC Courtyard, a curiosity courtyard. It's an indoor
playscape gallery for young children. And I heard, I hear
the squeaks and giggles and attired, exacerbated parents and grandparents.
And in the middle of January, when there's not a
lot to do, this is a place of respite. And
(18:34):
then you can tell when it's nap time. You know,
it gets real quiet around eleven thirty or the crankiness
level goes up and everybody ends up going home. So
it's there's something for everybody here, and that's the joy
in all of this.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We're talking with Charles Burke, President and CEO at Frederick
Meyer Gardens in Sculpture Park here in Grand Rapidsmyergardens dot org.
You just mentioned the summer concert series, which is truly
one of the wonderful parts of summer in West Michigan,
the Tuesday evening music clubs. Shout out to the Frederick
(19:12):
Myergarden's member services team, because now is the time to
get that membership. You can take in all those Tuesday
night concerts and of course a really great lineup from
Chaka Khan, as you said, just Smokey Robinson, Jason isbel
is on there. You've got a really wonderfully diverse group
of musicians. And there is something I think you mentioned it, Charles.
(19:35):
People are just happy. It's laid back, it's summertime. Yeah,
there's music, there's food, there are adult libations and non
adult livenations. So it's a little bit of everything you need.
And it's just if I may say so, it's one
of my favorite things to do in the summertime and
just to enjoy music and a great place to do that.
(19:58):
The performers and seem happy. Yeah, in that spot.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I'm saying, we love coming back here. And you know
I've heard stories. You know, Lyle Lovett was our first
in the Amphitheater. There of you know, performers taking a
break and walking through the gardens as they're getting ready
to take the stage and taking photos themselves. It's it's
a tremendous space. And you know, think about the entire
(20:25):
Amphitheater is a garden, it's not just an amphitheater, and it's.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Got artwork all the way around.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
As a matter of fact, we're going to be for
this concert season unveiling a brand new work in the
Amphitheater Plaza by a tremendous female sculpture artist, Ursula then
writing's art and this is a twenty foot bronze piece
right in the Amphitheater, has a lattice top and in
many ways it'll serve as a torch that will appall
(20:51):
everybody to this area. So that's being installed as we
speak as part of our thirtieth anniversary and our commitment
to growing the sculpture collection. So uh, tremendous, tremendous, tremendous
for community to have that commitment to find and performing arts.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Being named Best sculpture park in the country for the
third straight year by USA Today. That's quite an accolade,
But it's also a challenge to you and your team
right as well. So you just mentioned how to up
the game a little bit, right, right right. Is it
as simple as.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
That, Uh No, but it's a It's also as simple
as making sure that this community, you know, says very
loudly that they they love us, and you know, it's
a wonderful accolade, and you know, and we're very grateful
for all of that, but you know, the real metric
of success for us in any given day is that
(21:44):
smile that we get from a volunteer when you walk in,
that that quiet hello from our you know, our staff.
We just want to make sure, you know, every single
hour is filled with that.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Spirit of joy.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
And if we do all that correct, the accolades will
come down the line. But it's a fun little moniker
to place below our signature and our emails.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
And I think there's something important to say on this
radio platform with multiple stations people tune in right now
all over West Michigan, all over Michigan, and as the
podcast all over the world. There's something about in fact,
you mentioned you spoke to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
a couple of years ago in the fall. You talked
(22:31):
about using art as a place to remember, a place
to build community, a place to build bridges with communities.
And I think i'd love your take on this. I
think a lot of people who might think they're uncomfortable
with art until they're surrounded light and just let it
kind of permeate them.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Have you ever exprest me?
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
And I think coming from the symphony orchestra background of
you know, the you know, the terror of not knowing
when to clap or anything, all these kind of social
issues that you said, Yeah, I mean, I mean, we're
all human beings and we all just want to experience
different things. And I think we've all learned coming out
(23:11):
of you know, those dark COVID years, that life is
short and to expose yourself, even to have has a
hint of uncomfortableness at first. And we are really focused
on breaking down that wall of accessibility from you know.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
The smells that you have to the.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Food that's here. It's not about high art and it's
only for an elite few. Uh, It's it's really art
for everyone. That's why there's a diversity of offerings in
our our our exhibition program. We have an exhibition program
right now going on called Busted, where you know, it's
(23:53):
a conversation with the community about what who deserves to
have a bust in what material? Right sounds very esoteric
and academic and pillared. Well, we have Kermit the Frog
in there, we have Sam the Eagle in there. You know,
so there is something for everybody with a little hint
of a wink and a smile. I mean, you've got
(24:15):
to remember fred Meyer. Frederick Meyer was the guy who
would go around with a purple ticket and has joy
and Lena having this joy of watching families be So
this is truly a place of happiness.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
For the world to experience. I do need to put
a plug in for Busted. I have really experienced that.
It's truly wonderful. Whimsicle is a great word to describe it, right. Yeah,
for those who might not think you appreciate busts, if
you see Busted, you will here at Frederick Maergarden. Also,
as this conversation is airing on the radio, you've got
(24:54):
about ten days left for the butterflies or butterflies are
blooming ex ghibbit. I thought in my second cup of
coffee would be enough for me to get through. Butterflies
are blooming bread and Dorothy for fictor.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, we love alliteration and we love the names here.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yes, that's about the best alliteration you can do with
the wonderful people bringing us the butterflies exhibit. But just
a full year of celebrations. I have to ask real quickly.
You had mentioned Fred and handing out the Purple cowcards
and the Myer stores. Do you like to go incognito
into the gardens and just walk around and observe?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I do, But I also like to come and honestly,
I love to come and eat in the cafe and
we've you know, just just kind of be a patron
and you know, I it is funny to kind of
if you wear a baseball hat, people kind of look
at you a double way or something. Yeah, but it's
just a great place. I mean, I can't think of
(25:57):
a better place on the planet to want to spend
my personal time, my professional time. And it's just I mean,
my heart is so full when I'm here, and I
know that I represent hundreds and thousands of hours of.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
People who feel the same way.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, Charles Burke, President and CEO of Frederick Meyer Gardens
and Sculpture Park. We've covered a lot of ground. It
is a year long celebration celebrating thirty years of this
amazing place, ten years for the Japanese Garden, constantly evolving, improving,
adding things on new sculpture. I've got a couple of
minutes left, little under two minutes. What else should people
(26:38):
know about? We've covered a lot of ground. Anything I
didn't ask you about you wanted to share with our listeners.
I think it's really important when you have a young
person in your life, whether it's a four year old,
eight year old, twelve year old, get your school to
come here on a field trip, come here on a
Sunday afternoon, come for some of our program into the
(26:59):
lead of Meyer Children's Garden, which is celebrating an anniversary
as well. It's so important to instill that sense of
experience and family time or just community time with young
people from an early start. We plant this seed now,
it will grow twenty thirty years from now, and those
(27:21):
children being here from all walks of life, all mobilities,
all accessibilities, just makes us all better as an institution
and as a region. And that's what my hope would
be is to get more children, more young people, more teens, tweens,
and young professionals here, whether they know better.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Or not like mine.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Yeah, but we got to get young people here. They'll
be better for us, for all of us in the
future by being exposed to this, and.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Also expose them to music.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
A Tuesday evening music club, so many Sunday afternoon strings,
Sunday after new strings. There's so many things that people
think they don't like until the experience them live.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I would wholeheartedly agree. And this needs to be a
Tapas menu of experiences.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
That's everyone that's wonderful at Tapas Menu, Art, sculpture, music,
the whole nine yards, as they like to say. Charlesburg
President CEO Frederick Myergardens and Sculpture Park. I had about
thirty more questions, but we'll do that another. Yeah, yeah,
that's right. Absolutely, Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Thank you, you're great.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
He's been our guest on this entire edition of West
Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. Remember everything we talked about and
then some Myergardens Dot org, including membership Myergardens dot org.
That's our program. We'll catch you again next week. Right
here on this iHeartRadio station you've.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio
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Dateline NBC
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