Macomb County is a great place to explore – it has premier parks, traditional downtown areas, freshwater environments, more than 150 non-motorized trails and art all around their communities.
Art is everywhere – whether it’s a mural on the side of a building or a sculpture in the middle of a park. But how often do you stop to really check it out? Use Make Macomb Your Home’s art map to celebrate the beauty in the 27 communities in Macomb County.
“Public art inspires; it builds community,” says Megan Ochmanek, an senior communications specialist who works on the business outreach and communications team with Macomb County. The digital map serves as a way to “highlight all of the great public art that we have here in our communities.”
We also spoke with former Executive Director of the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, Phil Gilchrist about how families can make the most out of enjoying public art in Macomb County.
“The art map is a great place to start,” says Gilchrist. Although the Anton Art Center has PDF copies that show some of the art, the digital art map online seems to be the most accurate – because it keeps getting updated.
Since being started in 2018, the art map has increased to more than 150 pieces of artwork and it continues to grow larger.
Navigating the map
“The art map is a really functional tool for the community,” Ochmanek says. “It’s so easy to pull it up on your phone.”
The different art types at the public art locations are architecture, mural, sculpture, photography, painting, past exhibits and other. They are all color coordinated and have a different decal for each. They are also set up by community and show the boundaries to make it easier on the user looking for a particular city or area.
If you are browsing through the categories and come across an interesting work of art, simply click on it to read more about it, including the name and artist (if known) and the location. Once you’ve located a few cool pieces of art you’d like to see up close, schedule an afternoon to head out in the community with the family to visit them.
“The art map is a great resource for residents and visitors alike,” she added. “You can get out and explore Macomb County, from Eastpointe at our southern end, all the way up to Romeo.”
All about discovery
“Public art in general is a great way to get out of the house,” says Gilchrist. “People love doing selfies with the art they find.”
He explains that just because it isn’t on the art map, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real art.
“Keep your eyes out for public art in unexpected places,” he says. “Some public artwork is easy to catch, like the golden circle on Hall Road – not all sculptures, murals and public art work are as easy to find though.”
Involvement with the DIA
Although the Detroit Institute of Arts is in Wayne County, they offer plenty of great opportunities to Macomb County residents to check out their artwork.
“The DIA has a whole slate of things for Macomb County residents including free general admission, free field trips from schools, free bus trips for adults, partner programming,” says Gilchrist.
You can also view art on display from the DIA in the community. Inside|Out 2024 is celebrating its 15th year and will be available until September.
It shows reproductions of the artwork from inside the DIA to communities in Wayne, Oakland and of course, Macomb County. Although the DIA offers these residents free daily admission to the museum, not everyone can make it out to see it. This way, families that may not have the means to travel to Detroit to view the art at the museum, still have the opportunity to see the artwork up close.
Families can view art in Harrison Township, Lenox Township, Shelby Township, New Haven and Washington Township, as well as at Macomb Community College, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and Freedom Hill County Park.
Find some new art to add to the map? Submit the details here.
For more information on living and learning in Macomb County, visit Make Macomb Your Home. Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s A Family Guide to Macomb County.
from Metro Parent https://ift.tt/OupFgzo
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