K.I. SAWYER, Mich. (WZMQ) – During the peak fall season, a K.I. Sawyer Park will be full of new colors this week, once a California-based artist completes a newly commissioned pathway mural.
Timothy Robert Smith of Los Angeles is internationally known for the large-scale art pieces he’s stretched through public spaces all over the world, seen by hundreds of thousands of people.
Smith has been working on the K.I. Sawyer installment all week long. He’s covering the pathway with a focus of both worm’s-eye and bird’s-eye views using a theme he designed while researching the area. When interviewed before the project began, he said he expects it to look like something no one had ever seen before.
“Every project that I do, I like to do something different,” he said. “I like to show nature and the environment that people know, from a unique viewing point that nobody’s ever seen before.”
The installment was commissioned by the Marquette County Planning Division, with help from a grant by the Michigan Art and Culture Council. It splits the Silver Lead Creek Greenway Trails and will be easily seen by its visitors for years to come.
Smith says he hopes the rural project can inspire other artists from around the community.
“I really hope it brings a lot of excitement to the area, there are a lot of bright colors to enjoy,” he said. “And then some fine art. I know fine art is in a lot of galleries, but when you see it in a public space, I hope it inspires some people.”
The artwork is expected to be complete by Wednesday. To view more of Smith’s artwork, visit his Instagram page.
