The Market at Saugatuck Center for the Arts hosts an array of vendors – from local farmers with home-grown produce, to hand-crafted gifts, to fresh-cut flowers. We had the opportunity to catch up with David Setzke, the owner of Green Koi to chat about why he loves the Markets at the SCA.
Tell us about why Green Koi chose to support the Saugatuck Center for the Arts:
One of our missions at Green Koi is to support other local businesses. On top of the SCA being a great organization, the arts have always been very important to my business partner and me. From a young age, I always felt drawn to utilize art to express myself.
Another significant factor has been the welcoming environment I always feel at the SCA. As a gay man, I have always deeply appreciated having a safe space to be freely oneself.
Green Koi is an artistic expression in itself, we created something out of what was an eyesore in the community, now it’s something to be proud of. The SCA gives that same thing to the community. We both are giving an opportunity to the people in this community to experience something that they may not have had access to otherwise.
What makes the SCA Markets unique and different from other markets that you have attended?
Throughout the last two years, I have visited the Market at different points in the pandemic. In these times where things were dark and confusing, the SCA provided a comfortable safe space that could almost seem “normal”. The ability to pivot and navigate through different restrictions while still bringing joy to the community sets them apart.
What is your favorite find at the SCA Markets so far?
Isabel’s Pizza. It’s the best wood fire oven pizza I have ever had in my life. I went to the Market all the time, just for that pizza.
I also have a soft spot for fresh flower bouquets. I used to be a part owner in a flower shop business, and I know how much hard work and dedication someone put into growing those flowers, selecting those specific ones for the bouquet, and arranging it all.
Tell us about how your business relates to the artisans and farmers at the Markets:
We’re growing a crop that takes a lot of care and nurturing to bring to flower, pass stringent testing requirements, and then it goes through a rigorous and creative process to become a final product and make it to our shelves. A lot of love goes into this – the growers and artisans that are behind these products are a rare breed of passionate individuals.
Green Koi is the premiere provisioning center catering to the West Shore community. The Koi fish is sacred in Japanese culture. It represents the magical, the eternal. Their intention is to create a rare experience, one of transformation, and of heartfelt joy. From the moment one enters the store to interactions with the care team, to taking the product home, guests will raise their expectations of what a provision center can and should be.
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