In the Media
A tiny REO Town theater that began with a dream
Lansing State Journal: Vickki Dozier, April 2017
"REO Town has great energy to it, it has a little bit of grit as well as signs of progress," Allen said. "There’s kind of a wonderful blend between the old and the new and it all still very much feels like hard working people living in the city of Lansing. It's not too polished but it has amenities. It's also a diverse neighborhood and that’s something that I really enjoy being a part of."
Entrepreneurs encouraging events, art and community in their spaces
Capital Gains Media: Caitlin Munch, August 2016
The Robin Theatre has become home to many shows, from Comedy Coven nights to storytelling shows. “It’s the dream. It’s not without its challenges, but it’s the dream,” says Rogers when asked about his entrepreneurial endeavors. “We both have day jobs, and have, at times, held more than one job,” says Rogers, “[That’s] part of being an entrepreneur, diversifying your income...”
Grand REO-pening
Lansing City Pulse: Ty Forquer, July 2015
Lansing’s newest performance art space opens this weekend with a debut celebration at the Robin Theatre Friday and Saturday. The new theater space is the brainchild of Dylan Rogers and his wife, Jeana- Dee Allen. Locals may recognize Rogers as the ring master in charge of the musical circus known as the Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle. The duo purchased a REO Town storefront last year, which they have transformed into a space dedicated to performing arts...”
REO Bravado: Lansing’s fastest growing cultural district gets a new preforming arts space
Lansing City Pulse: Allan I. Ross, October 2014
For the last three years, Dylan and Jeana- Dee Rogers have been artistic dynamos in the community. He’s the founder/bandleader of the Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle, an eye-popping 16-piece gypsy-folk group that play concerts and festivals throughout mid-Michigan. She’s the education director at REACH Art Studio, which works with schools, neighborhood organizations and businesses to keep visual art front-and-center in mid-Michigan. “We’re cheerleaders of Lansing,” Dylan Rogers said. “But there is a ton of talent here that doesn’t always get seen...”
Saying "Thank You" To Michigan: Teens at REACH Studio Art Center and guest artists unveil “Thank You, Michigan” mural on East Side building
Lansing City Pulse: Jordan Bradley, August 2013
Michigan has been through the wringer. With bankruptcy in Detroit and a mess of an economy statewide, it’s clear the state could use a pick-me-up. So teenagers at REO Town-based REACH Studio Art Center decided to give something back to the city of Lansing with a mural dedicated to the state’s offerings. It’s hard to miss while traveling eastbound down Michigan Avenue...
Choosing Lansing: Dylan Rogers and Jeana-Dee Allen
Capital Gains Media: Allison Monroe, March 2013
The home of Dylan and Jeana-Dee Rogers reflects their many hobbies and passions. A "Happy Michigan" sign hangs above their couch. Their refrigerator is in their dining room, displaced because of the DIY renovation of the wood floor in the kitchen. A display case of pipes hangs by the door and almost everything in the house is "thrifted."
The happy, Michigan couple is becoming quite well known around the area for their many contributions to the art and music scenes in Lansing...
Program Profile: Teen Open Studio
Michigan Nightlight: Veronica Gracia-Wing, November 2012
REACH Studio Art Center has a number of arts programs for Lansing children. At its free Teen Open Studio, young adults cultivate an appreciation for developing partnerships and building community through creative art expression.
Michigan Nightlight: In your view, what makes your program innovative, effective or remarkable? Education Coordinator Jeana-Dee Allen Rogers: Teen Open Studio (TOS) connects teenagers with the community. REACH students come from all over Greater Lansing and find common ground in the arts...
Reaching and Teaching At-risk Youth
ArtServe Michigan: Kate Tykocki, April 2012
A photojournalist by training Jeana-Dee Allen Rogers left Lansing after college to work at newspapers around the state. “It was an extremely dark time in my life. I photographed a lot of crime – homicide, suicide, fire – and in that whole period of that time, I would say 80 percent of the violent crimes I documented were committed by [young people] 15- to 25-years-old,” shared Allen Rogers. “I often asked myself what if these kids had been given greater access to resources. What if they felt more connected to their community by taking pictures or creating art or just having these resources where they could come together?”...
Program Uses Art as an Outlet for Kids with Relatives in Prison
The Lansing State Journal: Kathryn Prater, July 2010
As 15-year-old Alexus Thurmond posed for a photo in the stairwell of Gardner Middle School, she thought about whether she might want to sen the picture to her mother's boyfriend, who's like a father to her, she said. Since he went to prison several months ago, Alexus has regularly sent him letters and photos of herself, her mother and siblings.
"I just tell him everything so he will know that we're doing good..."