arts Jaymie Depew

One of the newest Munising murals, located on the bathroom building at Binsfeld Bayshore Park, pays homage to the area’s Fourth of July celebration that takes place at the park.

designs over the years.

Since then, the Chamber and DDA — which has three full-time and a handful of seasonal employee — has implemented Munising welcome signs that are changed in the summer and winter months, a historic photography walk, several large murals depicting Munising’s history and culture, and two art alleys. One alley features 75 different pieces from local artists and the other features 12 large panels depicting the area’s maritime history. The office also helped obtain funding for an art park in Grand Marais after Reynolds worked collaboratively with a group there to make it happen.

The most recent project consists of six murals that were installed on the bathroom building at Binsfeld Bayshore Park in Munising this summer. All of the murals pay homage to the city dock and park, focusing on popular happenings that have taken place there over the years. Murals located on the west side of the building showcase the history of boating in the area. The installations on the east feature popular events that take place at the park, such as Pictured Rocks Days, the Concert in the Park series and Fourth of July festivities.

“The main thing I like about them is that they highlight different things the community is proud of. They all represent something about us and tell a story,” Reynolds said. “We will continue to add more installations that tell stories about the greater Munising area and the things we’re proud of in the upcoming years.”

While many organizations found themselves coming to a screeching halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chamber and DDA have taken advantage of discovering ways to become more productive than ever before.

“Being able to meet virtually during the pandemic with our graphic designer has made us more creative,” Reynolds said. “I don’t think people know how long it takes to brainstorm new ideas, but being able to hop on a virtual platform to hash them out has been extremely effective.”

The office’s designer, Mike Stockwell of Cranking Graphics, located in the Keweenaw Peninsula, is responsible for creating a lot of the panels found around Munising, with Signs Now of Negaunee being the company to install them.

“They’re great to work with, and we have a wonderful working relationship,” Reynolds said.

While Alger County is home to just shy of 10,000 residents, the Pictured Rocks park reported a visitation of 1.2 million people last year. The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the process of wrapping up a two-year road construction project along Munising Avenue/M-28, which has entailed creating multiuse paths and more sidewalks, which, according to Reynolds, has also helped to increase walkability within the city.

“I think we’re a good example of what small towns are capable of, by working together and being creative,” she said. “You have to think outside the box. Whether it’s expanding the gardening around town, creating more installations, or silly things like matching colored trash cans and bike racks. Every year we incorporate something new, and you can’t do it over night. It’s taken a lot of time and planning to get where we are today.”

For more information about art and culture projects in Alger County, visit algercountychamber.com/arts-culture.

About the author: Jaymie Depew is the communications and special project assistant of the Munising Downtown Development Authority, Alger County Chamber of Commerce/Greater Munising Bay Partnership, and Munising Visitors Bureau.