Here at the MML Foundation we believe that the next big thing is a million little things – in Trenton, MI that next big thing is composed of a million little stories. The downtown business district is a stage for the rich history of a town built on trade and the vibrant stories of the folks who call Trenton home. The illuminated public art project, installed by Bridge Builders grant partner Trenton Visionaries and Stakeholders, is in no small part a bridging of this history, the very real lives of Trentonites, and an act of placemaking that suggests Trenton is the sum of our parts, the connections of our community. 

 

Trenton Visionaries and Stakeholders is a collaborative of Trenton community members including local elected officials, small business owners, residents, and local art students. Funded with a Bridge Builders Neighborhood Microgrant, the collaborative organized a community build day to install illuminated sculptures on the trees lining the west side of the downtown thoroughfare. Each illuminated sculpture was thoughtfully designed by a local college art student and dedicated to a resident who has impacted the Trenton community. The sculptures are dancing installations of brightly colored butterflies – seemingly at rest in stunning spirals and clusters.   Every detail of these butterfly sculptures represents a local member of the community, from the color to the location, while at the same time embodying the connection of these community members to each other and to the place. 

 

A walk down the butterfly lined sidewalk quickly transforms into an experience of Trenton’s people and history. The overall butterfly theme plays homage to the community building efforts of one small business owner in particular – Ashley Young, the woman behind All About Grace, a shop with local artisan goods and Michigan themed commodities. Young is known throughout Trenton for creating a space for local crafters and artisans to not only sell their goods, but to come together, collaborate, and celebrate their place and community. The parking lot of All About Grace is frequently full not of cars but of people with lively events and festivities. It is no wonder that the icon of a space that unites the community – the butterfly mural painted by a local artist on the side of All About Grace – became the uniting theme of the Trenton Stakeholders and Visionaries Bridge Builders project.

 

The tree directly in front of All About Grace, in the center of the installation, is sparsely adorned with golden butterflies. In much the same way as Young invites community members to coalesce through her space, the tree honoring her child’s battle with leukemia invites passersby to participate in a small moment of collective effervescence. The tree, unlike those surrounding it, was intentionally left nearly bare as an invitation for passersby to come into All About Grace and take a butterfly in the color of childhood cancer awareness to affix to the tree themselves.  

 

In much this same way, every other tree in the installation tells stories of connection and community impact – but the stories don’t stop there. Trenton is in a moment of growth and celebration and the Bridge Builders installation encapsulates the essence of community connection during this moment. The downtown business district is a stage where many narratives of place and belonging are converging. With the butterflies telling the stories of residents, new signage and commons area designations celebrate Trenton’s trade history and new Trail Town status. A parallel art installation will soon go up on the east side of the street to honor and recognize the area’s Native American heritage. Each of these narratives of place and history are enriched by one another – locals and visitors alike are bound to be engrossed in stories they tell and the bridges they create to the community, the past, and the thriving future ahead.