Lansing artists mourn loss of a friend and a space that offered 'immediate community'

Lansing State Journal

LANSING — The Lansing Eastside Gateway was a "safe place," a haven for free expression, according to local artists who sold their work at the business incubator.

That sense of safety was shattered when a fire broke out at the building in the 600 block of E. Kalamazoo Street early Sunday.

The building was a total loss. It's not clear if the Gateway will reopen.

The fire destroyed handmade products and artworks inside the building, but vendors say that setback was negligible in the face of the death of John Bolan, 43, who worked at the Gateway.

Bolan was found dead inside.

Victor Ruiz of Lansing brings a wreath to hang on the security fence outside of the Eastside Gateway Monday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2019, to honor his brother-in-law John Bolan, who died Sunday morning from a fire at the small business incubator.

"Nobody's focused on the material stuff or the financial stuff," said Bridget Doyle, who sold skincare products at the Gateway. "The loss of life was devastating."

Friends and associates are planning a vigil for Bolan outside the Gateway at 4 p.m. Monday.

The Gateway, billed as a "micro-mall" for local handicrafts, opened in 2018 at the site of a former auto parts store. Roughly 25 vendors leased retail space for a little as $30 a shelf per month.

Tibetan prayer flags, balloons and wicker baskets adorned a fence outside the Lansing Eastside Gateway on Monday, February 4, 2019. John Bolan, 43, died in a fire at the building on Sunday, Feb. 3.

Bolan, who went by the nickname "Johnny," was a sunny presence at the Gateway, said vendor Sarah Evans.

"It's still very, very raw," she said of Bolan's death. "I think everyone lost a fair amount. It's the loss of a permanent space for artwork, the loss of a community gathering space and, of course, the loss of a dear, dear friend."

Doyle credits Gateway owner Yvonne LeFave and manager Patti Akley with creating an "immediate community" at the incubator.

Yvonne LeFave, owner of the Eastside Gateway, looks over the rubble of her small business incubator Monday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2019, at 615 E. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing, after a fire early Sunday.

"I just kind of felt at home there," Doyle said. "It felt like we were creating something new for the east side."

That type of community is difficult to replicate, said Evans, who sold nature illustrations at the Gateway.

John Bolan was found dead at the Lansing Eastside Gateway after a fire early Sunday.

"Being an artist and pursuing that dream of creating things is not really easy in this capitalist world," Evans said. "It really was a special place."

Bolan was a "jokester" with an easy laugh, she said, and he helped make the Gateway feel special.

First-responders pronounced Bolan dead at the scene of the fire Sunday.

It's not clear why Bolan was inside the building, but firefighters had been told someone was sleeping there, Lansing Fire Department spokesman Steve Mazurek said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"(Bolan) was the Gateway's 'left-hand man' as he liked to joke, helping our vendors with setup, maintenance, or just a ready smile and some kind words," LeFave wrote in an email. "We all lost a lot; but Johnny lost the most."

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.

More:

Person found dead after fire at Lansing Eastside Gateway Sunday morning

Lansing community 'reeling' after death of employee in fire at small business incubator