The Sunset Project

Five Years and Counting! Earlier this month, The Sunset Project hosted its fifth annual Brighter Horizons Fundraising Event, celebrating five years of impact across Northeast Michigan. A special thank you to the nearly 175 attendees, who helped us raise more than $30,000 in support of our mission to make Northeast Michigan a better, more vibrant place for all. To see more photos, and learn more about the night, visit the link in our bio! 📸: @liam.kieliszewski #community | #nonprofit | #northeastmichigan

Our favorite day of the year! The 2026 Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant is now open and accepting applications from Northeast Michigan-based creatives age 16-23. Whether you're pursuing a creative career or exploring a new interest, our team looks forward to seeing your submissions! For more information, and to submit an application, visit the link in our bio today. #creative | #community | #northeastmichigan

We're just a few weeks away from our 5th Annual Brighter Horizons Fundraising Event - have you bought your ticket yet? Join us May 2 at The Depot on Fletcher St. in Alpena, Michigan, for an incredible night celebrating five years of The Sunset Project and our impact across Northeast Michigan. Tickets are selling fast, be sure to get yours while you still can! To learn more, and to secure your spot, visit the link in our bio! #creative | #community | #nonprofit

Always a great time with our friends at over at The Boardman Review! This week, we celebrated the launch of their Spring Issue, which included samples of the stories from our recent Local Creative Highlights Series written by Alpena natives Bret Hauff and Karl Williams. To learn more about @boardmanreview , and our involvement in the issue, visit the link in our bio. #creative | #community | #nonprofit

The 5th Annual Brighter Horizons Fundraising Event is less than one month away - have you got a ticket? Join us May 2 at The Depot on Fletcher in Downtown Alpena for a special night as we celebrate five years of The Sunset Project and our mission towards a better Northeast Michigan. To learn more and to buy your tickets, visit the link in our bio today. #creative | #community | #nonprofit

In our Spring Issue, @sunsetprojectorg is reshaping the narrative of Northeast Michigan through highlighting and supporting its growing creative communities 🌿 Co-founders Gavin MacDonald and Nick Poli will be at our Spring Issue Release Party on April 8th @ 6pm @nocturnalbloombrewing to talk about their story and what the organization is up to currently. We hope to see you there! 🍻 To read more about the Sunset Project’s incredible work taking place in Northeast Michigan, make sure to purchase a copy of the Spring Issue today at the link in our bio ✌🏼 Here is an excerpt from the story: “When we launched the Local Creative Highlight Series, we hoped to find just a couple of individuals doing unique and creative things. We thought, if we could even highlight one, that it would be a step toward helping people see the creative potential Northeast Michigan had to offer. What we found, nearly five years and more than fifteen stories later, is that not only are there more than meets the eye, but they’re all part of a larger community of like-minded creatives. (...) These stories drove home the point that the uncertain view of what this place could be has never come from a lack of potential, but instead, a lack of visibility. At The Sunset Project, we’re committed to changing that narrative by continuing to tell these stories, and support the individuals behind them.”

COMING SOON! Just one more month until the 2026 Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant Cycle opens for applications - will you be submitting? For more information, visit the link in our bio. #creative | #grant | #mentorship

The Brighter Horizons Community Maker Space is BACK for year three! Since 2024, during our Brighter Horizons Fundraising Event, we've offered past grant recipients the opportunity to showcase their work, promote their businesses, and bring exposure to the incredible creative talent across our region. This year, as part of our five-year celebration, we're expanding the space to also include select businesses and creative partners — all coming together to highlight what makes our community so special. Interested in learning more? Come see for yourself on Saturday, May 2! Tickets are available now at the link in our bio. Interested in learning more? Come see for yourself on Saturday, May 2! Tickets are available now through the link in the comment below. #creative | #community | #event

Our Fifth Annual Brighter Horizons is on the...horizon...so no better time to highlight our incredible community of last year’s sponsors! The continued support from these local businesses not only helps bring our event to life, but also directly supports our mission towards a better Northeast Michigan. From all of us at The Sunset Project, we can't thank you enough! Interested in being a part of this amazing group? Visit the link in our bio today. #community | #nonprofit | #fundraising | #event

🎉 Special Announcement! 🎊 This week, The Sunset Project Team was recognized as a Friend of Education by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Alpha XI Chapter of Alpena. It's an honor to be seen by such an incredible group of former educators, all of whom have made lasting impacts in the districts of Northeast Michigan. We can't thank you all enough, and look forward to continuing our impact in schools across the region! #nonprofit | #award | #community | #education

Save the Date! The Sunset Project invites you to the 2026 Brighter Horizons Fundraising Event, celebrating five years of our mission towards a better Northeast Michigan. Please join us for an unforgettable night as we reflect on the projects, partnerships, and people that have helped shape our impact since 2021. For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, please visit the link in our bio. #community | #event | #celebrate

Had the joy of driving through the beautiful U.P. of Michigan last month to visit Alpena. Saw some old Yooper friends in Eski on the way, eh 😊 Our film Language Back was a finalist in the Sanctuary Selections competition at Thunder Bay Film Festival. While we didn’t win, I met so many super nice filmmakers and organizers… that it felt like a win. Big thanks to Nick, Gavin, Stephanie and all the organizers at Thunder Bay Film Fest, Sanctuary Selections and NOAA for supporting the arts. 🎥❤️ @visit_alpena @sunsetprojectorg @tbiff_alpena