We had a great time touring the park. Great exhibits and interesting stories! A unique park. Loved it!
Defined as a “discovery of the arts in the woods”, Michigan Legacy Art Park, amazes me every time I venture there. In the quiet of the North forest where the Park lives, I can reflect on the big sailing ships that once moved passengers and freight along the Great Lakes shores. Sails mounted on telephone size poles, juxtapose in the trees as ‘Five Needles’.
And, I always stand for a while at “Table and Chairs’ where my mind creates stories around them. Did a house decay around them, a fight of some sort left them akimbo, or were they just discarded?
In Discovery Grove I look for the words on stones moved around to create short poems. And I admire the artworks and stories hung there, done by children reflecting their field trip or classroom Art Park experience.
Perhaps my favorite sulpture is ‘Fallen Commradel’ a two thirds skeleton of a P-15 World War II fighter plane. It may be my favorite because it reminds me of my Dad, a B-17 Navigator Bombidier. It reminds others of the Tuskegee Airmen who flew the fighter. One bomber pilot I spoke with at our first Legacy Gala fund raising event where we honored the airmen, said that you were pretty sure you were going to get home if you saw the Red Tails on your wing.
My other favorite piece is the ‘Frog’. It was one of the first pieces in the Park along with the massive Sawpath Series David Barr, park founder created. Since those first few pieces, the Park, over 25 years later, boosts so many others, nearly 40 in number.
But back to the ‘Frog’. I love it because as you enter the Park it causes almost every child to stop and laugh. Sometimes they hug the big metal shape. And ‘that frog’ has now become their first adventure into art appreciation.
I first experienced the Michigan Legacy Art Park when David Barr, the founder, invited me to accompany him on a trip up to the park to do some late fall seasonal maintenance work. I jumped at the opportunity, and was enthralled by his passion for the mission of the park, and his vision for it in the future. I have been involved and enthusiastic in some manner ever since. I encourage everyone to pay it a visit, and experience its unique setting and approach to public art for yourself.
Michigan Legacy Art is a wonderful place to visit. I'm not just saying that because I have artwork in the park. I've been to other outdoor sculpture parks and this one is special. I think one reason this is that the art is set along two miles of heavily forested trails. This reflects Art Park Founder David Barr's vision of the sculpture being placed in a natural setting that reflects the environment, where events in Michigan history took place that inspired them.
I first visited the art park with my mother in 1997. It had only been open two years and had about 12 sculptures compare to the over 50 now there. I was particularly attracted to an epithermal work by Will Cares that consisted of a series of arched branches and a metal sculpture by Michael McGillis. As we walked the trails I kept envisioning figures on trees. After our visit, I contacted the art park and found out how to submit a proposal. My proposal was accepted.
I would be creating "Logging Camp" an environmental installation that involved me returning to the park once a season for a few days for a year. I would create outlines on trees of men who worked in Michigan's logging industry. In the fall they would be made with leaves, in the winter with snow, in the spring clay slip, and in the summer with a black walnut dye, I would make myself.
When I went to the Park in the fall to start the first phase David Barr was there to welcome me and Michae McGillis was there to take photos of me working! That made me feel very special. David was always very supportive of me and other artists. He was ready to help in any way that was needed. I think he must have also been an exceptional educator as well as an artist.
My year working in the park went well. But as expected the seasonal artwork vanished. I asked for and was given permission to maintain three of the back walnut lumberjacks on trees on a permanent basis.
Since then I've created three more artwork in the Park. I always enjoy walking the trails and seeing how my work looks in different seasons. I particularly like seeing "Logging Camp" in the fall when the dye has begun to fade. It suggests as I hoped it would the logging industry of the 1800s fading into memory. I am also happy to know I will be back in the spring with an ever-expanding number of volunteers repainting the figure. I hope you will visit the Art Park and take a look at my artwork.
As a retired educator and trail guide for the past three years at the Michigan Legacy Art Park, I have the joy of working with school groups and introducing them to the natural environment and compelling sculpture throughout the Park. For many students it is their first encounter with environmental art and its interpretation. Witnessing their enthusiasm, reactions, questions and connections they make to Michigan history, its environment and the elements of art and design engages them in a unique and authentic learning experience.
A small group, hands-on activity concludes their visit and helps to enhance the learning experience for them.
Both printed and on-line supplemental resources are available for teachers, students and all guests that will help to augment and extend their visit to the Park.
At a time when many schools are cutting budgets for field trips, a meaningful, sensory rich learning experience for students is truly precious. The MLAP Education Committee provides grants for entrance fees and transportation to offset the expense for many school groups.
The Michigan Legacy Art Park is a genuine treasure and a valuable resource for its many neighboring schools and visitors!
The Michigan Legacy Art Park in Thompsonville, MI is 25 years old this year. For all these years, this unique art park, which is open 365 days of the year sunrise to sunset, has provided a peaceful, natural environment for learning about Michigan history through sculptures, poetry stones, and nature (topography, trees, rocks, etc.). An amphitheater in the middle of the woods showcases "summer sounds" concerts during summer months for the enjoyment of hundreds of visitors. "Discovery Grove" provides educational programs for children ages 5-18 who come from far and wide. Collaborative learning programs with other local nonprofit organizations are ongoing. Hikers and runners love the Art Park because of the extraordinary peacefulness and beauty of its trails. This is a wonderful and meaningful organization for adults and young people.
The Michigan Legacy Art Park is a treasure and one of my favorite places to hike with my children. We appreciate its safety, serenity, beauty, and the joy of exploration and discovery we experience on every visit. Sculptures are seamlessly interwoven throughout and seem to arise almost organically among the majestic forest and beautiful rolling hills of the park. Interactive exhibits, which honor children’s need to move and to touch, fire their interest and curiosity. Signage throughout the park makes it easy to navigate and informative placards provide both context for the artwork and questions to spark further inquiry. Guided tours, educational programming, volunteerism, and outdoor concerts in the whimsical forest amphitheater offer novel opportunities to experience and enjoy. You will find this place richly nourishing to mind, body and spirit alike, a feast for the senses in every season. It is truly a gem!
A hidden gem! The setting + beautiful art = a unique experience. We love the history, reminds us of many things that make Michigan special. Thank you for the great work you do!
The Michigan Legacy Art Park is such a treasure in northern Michigan. The property has beautiful hiking trails, a wide variety of plants and wildlife, and a stunning collection of large-scale artwork featured throughout the park. Every time I visit the property, I discover something new. And I love the way the artwork and park views change throughout the seasons. The organization is always finding creative ways to engage the community, whether through classroom visits and school tours, live music concerts, weddings, or community events at the park. MLAP is one of my favorite nonprofits to support in northern Michigan!
Michigan Legacy Art Park has something for everyone. If you're a nature enthusiast, active outdoors person, passionate artist, or history lover, this place has it all. Not only do you get the chance to enjoy the hiking trails and artwork year-round, the Art Park has an amazing Summer Concert series every July. They bring people of all ages together for a totally unique outdoor concert experience. You feel like your miles away from the outside world in your own private venue. They also give back so much to students in our community! The Art Park offers transportation grants to ensure schools can attend one-of-a-kind field trips, and they're constantly developing new materials for educators. The Art Park is so much more than just an art gallery or hiking trail... families come here to make memories for generations.
I am so proud to represent the Michigan Legacy Art Park and the amazing work that they do to honor the legacy, history and environment of Michigan and its artists. The curated art gallery in the outdoor setting provides an opportunity to connect with nature while enjoying art and culture. I encourage everyone I know (statewide and beyond) to visit the Art Park when they visit Northern Michigan!
Before I joined the organization as a staffer, I was just a huge fan of this unique and compelling public space, something unlike anything else I'd experienced with artworks. When you're looking for an outdoor adventure you can do solo, or with friends or family or dogs, the Art Park should be top of your list. The refuge and beauty this place offers should be supported and protected for another 25 years into the future.