COMMUNITY FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES AND CITY PROJECT INFORMATION DURING ART WEEK 2024
The City of Marquette will host a variety of informational and community engagement events during City of Marquette Art Week 2024, held June 24-29. These events will offer an opportunity for City residents and community members to learn about and offer feedback on several City initiatives and capital improvement projects including the Community Master Plan, Shoreline Cultural Trail, Future Cultural Trailhead and Center, City’s Public Art Program, and the new Peg Hirvonen Band Shell.
Public Feedback Opportunities:
- Community Master Plan Final Public Review. Tuesday June 25, the final community feedback sessions prior to finalization and adoption of the City’s Community Master Plan will be held at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM at the Citizens Forum at Lakeview Arena (401 E Fair Ave)
- Community Engagement Sessions for the Cultural Trail project. Thursday June 27, at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, community members of all ages are invited to review and offer input on the signage, sites, and stories proposed for the City’s Cultural Trail at Marquette Harbor Lighthouse Park (300 N Lakeshore Blvd)
- Peg Hirvonen Band Shell: Concept Design & Presentation. Saturday June 29, from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, AWH Architects will present and engage the public with design proposals for the new Band Shell at Presque Isle Park. This session will be followed by the Art Week closing concert event by City Band and Friends.
Engagement and Information Events:
- Public Art Bike Tour – Tuesday June 25, 1:00 PM – 3:00PM, Meet and start at Hurley Park (240 Mesnard St.) for a four-mile tour of City public art and upcoming projects.
- Downtown Public Art Walking Tour – Wednesday June 26, 1:00PM – 3:00PM, Meet and start at the “Natural” mural outside of Zero Degrees Gallery (525 N Third St.), stroll down Third street, through downtown, ending at Father Marquette Statue, and learn about public art along the way.
- Midwest Art Conservation Center Presentation: Restoration of the Father Marquette Statue – Wednesday June 26, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Father Marquette / Lions Lakeside Park (501 S Front St)
- South Cultural Trail Bike Tour – Friday June 28, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Bring your bike and depart from the Carp River Kiln (1074 S Lake St.) explore the future Cultural Trail sites and stories along the way, ending at the Seven Grandfathers Public Art Installation Site (base of the new Spear Dock Piers, 400 block of S Lakeshore Blvd.)
- Innovation in 21st Century Urban Parks & Trails – Friday June 28, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Provisions MQT (401 S Lakeshore Blvd.) Matt Tucker, Urban Ecosystems, will present on innovative public spaces and influences for the Cultural Trail design.
- North Cultural Trail Bike Tour – Saturday June 29, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Bring your bike and depart from the Seven Grandfathers Public Art Installation Site (base of the new Spear Dock Piers, 400 block of S Lakeshore Blvd.) explore the future Cultural Trail sites and stories along the way, ending at Presque Isle Park (1 Peter White Dr.)
- People of Marquette: Community Conversation – Saturday June 29, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, join us at the Presque Isle Ice Cream Store Pavilion (1 Peter White Dr.) to discuss the role of diversity in a community through the lens of the People of Marquette Portrait Project.
These events are part of the City of Marquette Art Week (June 24-29), a celebration of community through free arts and culture events. For a full list of Art Week events visit: https://www.mqtcompass.com/blog/art-week-2024/art-week-2024-event-schedule/
These projects would not be possible without an involved community and generous partners. City staff are grateful to collaborate with countless organizations and individuals to ensure that these initiatives align with the community’s values and contribute to sustainable and sensitive growth.
About the Community Master Plan: The City of Marquette is updating its Master Plan. This important document provides a long-term vision for Marquette and guides future policies based on data and community input. The process began in 2023 and in its final review period with the last day to submit public comment as Thursday, July 18 prior to final changes and adoption by the City Commission. https://marquette-master-plan-bria2.hub.arcgis.com/
About the Shoreline Cultural Trail: The Shoreline Cultural Trail will honor and preserve our community’s diverse cultural heritage, history, and environment from the mouth of the Carp River to Presque Isle, through public space design, public art, and interpretive signage. This project is led by the City of Marquette Office of Arts and Culture in cooperation with Tribal, arts, environmental, cultural, economic, and educational institutions. Over $200,000 in grant funding has been secured for the development of story markers and content. The City has heard from a multitude of perspectives via listening sessions with organizations and individuals to select stories, signage, and sites; now, those stories, signage design and sites will be reviewed with the general public on Thursday, June 27 during Art Week. www.mqtcompass.com/culturaltrail Major partners in providing and securing funding for this project includes Superior Watershed Partnership & Land Conservancy, Michigan Native American Heritage Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, Marquette Public Art Commission and Innovate Marquette Smart Zone.
About the Future Cultural Trailhead and Center: The City Office of Arts & Culture has received over $1.2 million in state grant funding for the revitalization of the former chamber of commerce and surrounding park spaces at 501 S Front St. The building will become a new Cultural Center and Trailhead that will house the City Offices, rentable public gathering space, rentable meeting room, and an informational entryway for locals and visitors. The entire surrounding park will be reimagined with improved accessibility, green infrastructure, public restrooms, wayfinding and site design. www.mqtcompass.com/future-city-cultural-trailhead Major partners in providing and securing funding for this project includes Superior Watershed Partnership & Land Conservancy, MI Economic Development Corporation RAP Grant, and MI Department of Natural Resources Spark Grant
About the City’s Public Art Program: Marquette Public Art Commission serves to ensure the documentation of City owned art, develop resources for private-public art, manage the City’s public art fund, and design and commission a variety of projects in scope and scale for the Marquette community. The City’s Public Art Collection is available to the public throughout town and is listed on the Public Art Directory. More can be found at www.mqtcompass.com/publicart
About the Peg Hirvonen Band Shell: The Presque Isle Park Band Shell was decommissioned in 2022 due to structural failure. The City of Marquette has received a generous gift of $1,000,000 from the Ray and Peg Hirvonen Foundation for the design and construction of a new band shell at Presque Isle Park, The Peg Hirvonen Bandshell will be constructed in Summer 2025. AWH Architects have been contracted to design and construct the new structure, they will present initial design concepts to the general public for feedback on Friday June 29th during Art Week. www.mqtcompass.com/band-shell
