By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Several major pieces of art may soon adorn Muskegon’s downtown as part of the revitalization of the 23-acre former Muskegon Mall site. As historic buildings are renovated and new buildings replace the demolished mall, the Downtown Arts Committee, part of the Downtown Muskegon Development Corporation, wants to bring new life to the city through outdoor art.
“We realize how important public art is in a community,” said Committee Chair Pat Johnson. “We want our downtown to be friendly, so people will want to live there.”
The roundabout at Third and Western Streets is the setting for a sculpture commissioned from Richard Hunt. Hunt currently is working on several ideas, Johnson said. A summer unveiling is planned when the sculpture is finished and set in place.
Several sculptors also are under consideration for a life size statue of entrepreneur and city father Charles Hackley, which will be placed at Third and Clay.
“The community only has a bust of him, and we're going to do a lifelike statute,” Johnson said. “We want it to be very friendly, maybe even sitting.”
A modern white sculpture by well-known artist James Clover has been at SPX Corporation for several years. The piece will the centerpiece of a new park in front of the Post Office on Morris Street. An interactive children’s fountain, a raised stage for lunchtime performances, and seating will invite visitors to linger and play.
“We have lots of other ideas, but we're committed to funding these and finishing them,” Johnson said. “We have an engineering firm looking for other places to put sculpture amid the condos and buildings going up. It's a new effort, a new beginning for us.”
Source: Pat Johnson, Downtown Arts Committee
Deborah Johnson Wood is Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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