Community Foundation Unveils Public Art Piece In Grove Park
MIDLAND, Mich. — Community members gathered in Grove Park in Midtown on Tuesday night to celebrate the unveiling of a public arts project — a metal origami-style crane on a tall post in the park’s southwest corner.
‘Together We Fly’ was an event featuring the work of artist James W. Ardis, who was present. The event, which was organized by Public Arts Midland, a committee of the Midland Area Community Foundation, also included food trucks, live art creation, kids activities, and a lantern send off.
“Cranes symbolize hope. This is a great piece of public art, which is so important to communities and is a beautiful piece to bring us all together,” said Midland Mayor Maureen Donker who spoke on stage at the event.
Midland Area Community Foundation President and CEO Sharon Mortensen said that community foundations are “about transforming where you live to be even better, and we live in such a wonderful, vibrant community.”
Ms. Mortensen said that the foundation started a public art committee around two years ago.
“So we brought all the people together that had ideas, and we invited others to come join us, just to imagine what can be and what we would like in our community,” she said. “One of the things that obviously came out of that is this beautiful piece of art you’re seeing tonight.”
The event was part of a larger community project designed to enhance and revitalize Grove Park and the Midtown area in general. The city recently unveiled a preliminary Master Plan for the park in March to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Jim Ardis submitted this design which just absolutely captivated our committee. And it was his dream for it to move and for it to have movement and for that to be a part of what people would enjoy looking at,” Ms. Mortensen said.
Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper. As Executive Editor, he leads the City Paper’s news coverage and editorial team.
Did the plan include poisoning the mulberry trees? On a recent walk through the park we noticed a couple of the trees are withered. 😟. I hope they come back. My husband likes to make jelly and syrup from them.