Vicki Beyer, a member of the Lake County Artist Collective, likes colorful rainbow trout, but she said she may swap this mural image for a brown trout due to its historical significance to Baldwin. Paintings of scenes in nature by Lake County, Michigan artists are part of a mural project planned for an exterior wall of the Baldwin Business Center building. Courtesy photo.
By Pat Stinson
Vicki Beyer is fascinated by trout.
“As a teen, I was impressed that the trout were trickier to catch, and we had to sneak up on them,” Beyer said, adding, “and they would give a good fight.”
The Lake County artist recently chose to paint a rainbow trout for its “natural elegance, beauty and history” as her contribution to a mural project being planned by the Lake County Artist Collective.
The collective recently approached the Village of Baldwin Downtown Development Authority, which gave the project a green light. Lake Osceola State Bank donated the wall space.
Two other instances of outdoor public art in Baldwin include the recently commissioned metal sculpture of the “world’s largest brown trout,” by Michigan artist Ivan Iler, and a recently repainted mural on the south wall of the building housing Jones Homemade Ice Cream, both places located along Michigan Avenue, (M-37).
This latest mural will brighten either the northern or western exterior wall of the Baldwin Business Center building, which is also located along Michigan Avenue in the village’s business district.
Artists in The Lake County Artist collective include Lisa Boerema, Elizabeth Heckler Cambridge, Sharon Woodward, Vicki Beyer and Pamela Tripp Simmons.
The panels will be painted with exterior-grade, artist-quality paint and will have a protective top coat.
Tripp Simmons explained that Lake County lacks a centralized arts organization that can provide overall arts expertise as well as assistance for grant-writing, funding and programming.
“In lieu of this, it is sometimes necessary for individuals to be the catalyst to bring art to the public,” she remarked.
“As artists, we recognized the importance of having art and creativity in our lives. We feel there is always room for more art in everyone’s life and so we thought the mural project would be a way to bring art to the public.“
Tripp Simmons said the group is “excited about how the community is embracing the arts,” citing the brown trout sculpture, downtown landscaping and framed artwork found inside area businesses.
“Community art projects add color and interest to areas that would otherwise go unnoticed,” she explained, adding: “Art in the community is a visual treat for locals and tourists and attracts customers to downtown businesses and, in turn, increases the local economy.
“I want people, who are not from the community, to know the hidden beauty of Lake County and that we are much more than statistics and a passing impression,” she said. “It is hoped through our art that people will learn more about our community.”
According to Tripp Simmons, the DDA will act as fiscal sponsor for the Lake County Artist Collective, and this arrangement will allow supporters of the project to make tax-deductible donations.
Anyone interested in making a donation is asked to make their check payable to the Village of Baldwin DDA and mail to: Village of Baldwin D.D.A., P.O. Box 339, Baldwin, MI, 49304.
“We appreciate the enthusiasm we have received so far,” Tripp Simmons said, “and this is just the beginning!”
Follow the mural project on FacebookHERE
Meet the Mural Artists
Lisa Boerema
www.artbyhisdesign.com
As an artist, I want to inspire others, as well as myself, to experience creation in new ways. I find a peace and connection to my Creator through being in and exploring nature in various forms, including the arts. Whether my artwork consists of high realism or expressionistic landscapes, I am participating in the process of seeking new angles and avenues to experience life. My desire is that, through my artwork, others may experience the energy and spirit of growth and adventure that I find in creating it.
Sharon Woodward
https://sharonwoodward.com
I am an artist who likes to work in a variety of mediums. I love clay. I enjoy painting, adding fabric, jewelry, embellishments, and found objects to my work. Color, symbol and pattern play an important part in my work, and reflects the richness of the cultural diversity I experienced as a child growing up in a multicultural neighborhood. As an adult, I continue to study art, music and read novels from many cultures, and these influences constantly find their way into my art.
Pamela Tripp Simmons
https://www.facebook.com/pamelatrippgallery
I’ve participated in juried shows in several states. Working with pastels, I enjoy the depth of color and texture that can be achieved while leaving tiny gems of color between layers, strokes and marks. My mixed media pieces most often have elements of nature incorporated in the design. Sometimes I juxtapose the “pretty” with negative undercurrents found just below the surface in nature and in life. In all my artwork, it’s the discovery that fascinates me.
Vicki Beyer
https://beta.artprize.org/vicki-beyer
I have always felt a deep connection to nature and enjoy being able to capture the beauty that surrounds me. Growing up the third of eight children in rural Michigan, I spent much of my childhood climbing trees and being outdoors. I work primarily with oil and acrylic paints, but love experimenting and playing with other mediums as well. My work has shown in several Michigan galleries, and I’ve won multiple awards in juried shows. My works can currently be purchased at Artworks’ Painted Turtle Gift Shop in Big Rapids as well as Red Tree Curiosities in Baldwin.
Elizabeth Heckler Cambridge
Owner, Red Tree Curiosities, Baldwin
redtreeart.com
Eli Heckler Art
I’ve been using trees in my work as symbols of both strength and fragility; they cling to the earth while constantly reaching to the sky. They’re also reflective of the state of our environment and the balance I feel we need to find; they stand as barriers to and often victims of “progress.” In my paintings, I opt for abstraction. I like to distort perspectives to block, or manipulate, the implied space deeper in the interior; you must look beyond the first impression to see what might be revealed if you look hard enough.
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