A bright yellow, 11-foot welded steel sculpture of abstract birds by Ohio artist Shawn Morin now stands in the traffic roundabout in Saugatuck Township.
“We don't have a traditional downtown. We had to get creative about where we introduced public art.”
Township Manager Daniel DeFranco says the new sculpture is a way to beautify the main commercial corridor.
It was funded in part by a $4,000 grant from the Saugatuck Douglas Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and a $1,000 donation from local art gallery, Capizzo Studio.
“Putting it in a roundabout at this very busy intersection, we thought was pretty exciting. Because it's a roundabout people are actually moving around the sculpture and get to see it from all sorts of angles.”
The title of the piece, “Canary in a Coal Mine,” is rooted in the artist’s concerns about environmental preservation.
DeFranco says it’s a mindset township residents share.
“That's a huge draw to our community. People know that it's a place of natural beauty. The landscapes that people saw in the early 20th century and 19th century are still landscapes that people coming to town today can see for themselves.”
City leaders are holding a dedication ceremony Wednesday morning.
“It's unexpected, it's bright, it's happy, and it's welcoming and I think it gives people a little bit of Saugatuck Township flavor, so we're happy about that.”
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