My Pontiac Story: Karen Jorgensen of Pontiac’s Little Art Theatre

Karen Jorgensen calls it “progress noise:” the loud percussive chunks of power tools clanging off the walls of an indoor space. It might not be the most pleasant sound to most, but to Jorgensen, it’s music to her ears.

Jorgensen and her partner, both in life and in business, Robert Karazim, are in the midst of transforming 47 N. Saginaw in downtown Pontiac into Pontiac’s Little Art Theatre, or The P.L.A.T. It’s an impressive undertaking, and Jorgensen and Karazim aren’t missing a beat.

The 149-year old building was most recently a law firm, but you wouldn’t know it. The renovations are completely transforming the space into Pontiac’s latest arts center, built for live theater, music performances, fashion shows, art openings, and whatever else the couple sees fit for the P.L.A.T. The Green Room, a small sitting and concession area, is located in the front of the building.

They’ve purchased furnishings that are period-appropriate for the Victorian-era building, including mohair chairs and colorful leaded glass doors. Those doors were purchased south of Cleveland. The 140-year old matching set will serve as the signature background for the P.L.A.T. stage, with a space built behind to backlight the colorful leaded glass.

From the custom-cast ornaments on the outside of the building to the wheelchair ramp leading to the stage, no detail has been ignored..

Jorgensen and Karazim bought their home, a live/work space a few storefronts down the block from the P.L.A.T., in 2012. They’ve since become enthusiastic Pontiac boosters and founded the Canvas Pontiac public art competition. Jorgensen takes pride in sweeping the street outside her door herself, and even organized a group of volunteers to drive around the city and tag every broken streetlight for replacement.

It’s a seemingly unlikely development for Jorgensen, who is a medical case manager by day, and on, call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that’s what she likes about it.

“There are so many things that I didn’t think were going to happen. But that’s the great thing about life: You don’t know. You just have to keep yourself open. Sometimes those skills you learn in life, you go, why did I do this? And then, all of a sudden, ten or fifteen years later, you go, thank goodness I had this experience and that experience and I met that person,” says Jorgensen.

“And now it’s all falling into place.”

Metromode asked Jorgensen about her unlikely path and her place in Pontiac.

Q: What do you love most about Pontiac?

The people. The people are incredible. I feel like this is my big family. And I’m not leaving. They’re stuck with me. It’s funny, because I was born in Detroit and when people ask me where I’m from, I say Pontiac. And they’re like, really? Yep, this is my home. This is it.

Q: Why did you move to Pontiac?

I moved to Pontiac because there was a great opportunity here. All kinds of potential. It’s a great time to buy real estate because it’s probably at the lowest it will ever be. In a short period of time, I’ve already seen the value of our property rise, and it’s only going to continue because we have a lot of people that are finally seeing the benefit of being here.