ALGOMA, Wis. — Clay on Steele has been in business in Algoma for a little more than 20 years.
It’s part of a burgeoning arts scene in the community of 3,200 people on the lakeshore.
Both the business and the developing arts cluster is getting a little more exposure as Algoma enters its second year of welcoming Viking cruise ships to the community.
“It’s turned out to be a pretty big deal for the community,” said Mark Kolinski who owns the gallery and studio with his wife, Ellen Levenhagen. “We’re a small town, so, we’ve really worked hard to accommodate them, make them feel at home and make sure what we present is vibrant small community.”
Viking started regular stops in Algoma last summer, no one knew what to expect.
“We were surprised at how many people ended up staying for the afternoon instead of going off on an excursion,” Kolinski said. “They were walking around our town, looking at the murals on the walls, visiting the shops, going to restaurants and coffee shops and our pubs and wine venues here.”
The cruise line is making eight stops in the city starting Wednesday.
Ships moor just off the coast in Lake Michigan and visitors are ferried to shore. There they are met by people like Rosemary Paladini, the executive director of the Algoma Area Chamber Of Commerce.
“We do see business pick up on those days as well, but it’s also seeing those visitors come back,” she said. “That’s what we want. We want them to enjoy it so much they would like to come visit again.”
Many of the guests will head out on excursions to surrounding areas during the stop. Others will stay.
“They’re seeing what we have to offer for both attractions as well as outdoor activities. They’re going charter fishing here. They’re doing beer and wine tasting in town,” Paladini said. “ It’s great for our community to get that exposure, but it’s just not Algoma, it is the Door peninsula and Brown County as well getting that exposure.”
Businesses like Clay On Steele see the stops as both a short-term and long-term benefit — and spotlight — for the city.
“The only thing we really change is that when the cruise days are here we make sure that our doors are open a little bit earlier,” Kolinski said. “We’re a gallery and a studio. We’re here working regardless, so, it’s always nice when we get visitors.”