MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Last year, The Center for Arts and Culture added a new event to the Art Week schedule. Daily cultural conversations are now a regular part of Art Week, designed to the public talking about developments in the city.
For many of the artists involved, art week is a time for open conversation with the public. Center of Arts and Culture Director, Tiina Morin, says the cultural conversations hosted during the week started as a way to get feedback about a new project at the center
“We started using artwork really as a platform to engage residents not just about art but using art to talk about other ideas.” Morin says, “Last year we focused on the cultural trail project, and the lake shore. This year it’s the master plan.”
The conversations are intended to create a space to learn and talk about Marquette and its history. Daniel Truckey, director of The UP Beaumier Heritage Center, will be taking part in Fridays conversation called Past, Present, and Future, along with Marquette’s city planner. The focus is on the evolution of the miles of publicly accessible shoreline in Marquette, and its start as in industrial hub.
“It left basically spaces that were not very pretty and in some cases were polluted.” Truckey explained, “There was a decision to really change that, to make them livable spaces for people and for the community. It’s part of the reason why people are attracted to Marquette and it’s beauty is because of the changes that have taken place.”
“The theme is home this year,” Morin says, “most of the art is inspired by the city, and Marquette, our culture, the things that we do, the things that we value”
Morin says these conversations will continue to change as the focus and concerns of the community change, she says the goal is to keep up with what’s important to the city and it’s residents.
The last two conversations of art week are ‘Past, Present, and Future’ at Father Marquette Park (501 S Front St.), Friday at 12:00pm, and ‘Time, Place, Memory’ at The Presque Isle Park Sign, Saturday at 12:00pm.
