Every day, more than 165,000 Direct Care Workers in Michigan make it possible for people to live with dignity, safety, and comfort. They are caregivers, companions, advocates, and lifelines. And yet, they are too often invisible.
An East Lansing High School classroom buzzed with creativity this week as students participated in a Kaleidoscope Painting Workshop, part of A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden, a statewide public art initiative led by artist Zahrah Resh and Michigan State University’s IMPART Alliance in partnership with AgeAlive.
Before the first butterfly fluttered onto the wall of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, it began as a single sheet of white paper in someone’s hands. A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden is a collaborative, evolving art installation made possible by Direct Care Workers, students, volunteers, and advocates across Michigan.
The Saugatuck Center for the Arts has become the proud pilot site for A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden, a statewide traveling art installation honoring Michigan’s Direct Care Workers. The immersive garden will remain on display through early 2026. Now, the team is actively seeking three new host locations for 2026.
