Project Name: Living and Loving Our Village of Laurium
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
Municipal Government
What is the entity’s name:
Village of Laurium
Website URL
Twitter Handle:
Facebook Handle:
https://www.facebook.com/villageoflaurium/
Instagram Handle:
What is the name of the primary contact for this entity’s application/project?
Ian Lewis
What are their preferred pronouns?
He/him/his
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Where will your project take place? (please include city/village too)
Village of Laurium Downtown
Anticipated project launch date
July 22, 2023
Briefly describe your project idea including your role and any project partners.
The Village of Laurium is looking to beautify our downtown through murals, which would be painted by local artists that live within our community and region. My role as the Village Manager would be to make sure that the murals reflect on the history of our community and the mining days.
How do you plan to spend the $5,000 microgrant? Please list and explain the items, services, fees, expertise, etc. that you plan to purchase.
The micro-grant would be used to purchase materials needed to paint on the structures that the Village and its partners have deemed to be good locations for murals to be painted. More specifically the money would be used to purchase supplies such as paint, brushes, trays, sealer, drops cloths, rollers, and to also pay the local artists for their time and talents to design and complete the murals.
Will your project require special permits from the community you are in? For example, anything that requires a street closure or installing a permanent art piece will likely require a special permit from your local governing body or zoning board. If your project is funded, the MML Foundation is happy to help you navigate that process. Please note that all applicants must obtain any necessary permits for their projects, if selected for funding.
Yes
Rachel’s Notes about the Project
Confirmed member status. Worked with applicant to resubmit. Confirmed business locations. Confirmed LOS.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Why does your community need this project?
Our community’s infrastructure is deteriorating and the outside of the buildings throughout our downtown district are becoming incredibly outdated. Therefore, the village and its planning committee want to rejuvenate the community through some positive changes, while still making sure that our community’s history is not forgotten going into the future. We believe that this can be accomplished through murals and reflecting on our history as “Copper Country.”
How will you engage your community in this project?
We will engage the community by holding a community group session and by asking the community to provide picture or memories of how the Laurium community used to be. Furthermore, we will ask the Keweenaw National Historical Parks organization to provide the artists with some historical pictures that they have in their archives.
This will provide the artists with the resources needed to create the murals.
What do you hope to achieve through this project?
The Village looks to start a trend a revitalization within our downtown and throughout our community. Our council and planning commission believe that if we show the community that we are trying to improve the image of our downtown, then the other surrounding businesses will follow our lead. As the new village manager, I want to reflect back on our community’s rich history dating back to the mining days and bring our past into the future. I believe this micro-grant can help start our village on the path of downtown revitalization.
How will the project celebrate the community’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
This project will reflect back on the history of “Copper Country” and the Laurium community. After the mines closed, our community was left with fewer jobs and a lack of hope or guidance. However, our community has a lot of SISU, which is an old Finish word that means to overcome adversity and to preserve through the tough times. Everyone in our community understand what SISU means and everybody embraces it. Therefore, I think it is appropriate to pay tribute to not only the mines and the mine workers, but also the culture that helped build our communities here in Laurium and the “Copper Country”.
What resources do you already have to make this project successful? Resources could include things like time, partners, expertise, donated goods/materials/space, matching funds, and more. Please approximate the in-kind value if possible.
We have local artists and business owners that are on board with the idea of creating murals throughout our downtown. Therefore, we have the time, the artists, the expertise, the space, and the community partners that could help make this project happen.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Artist First and Last Name:
Paige Blain
Artist Instagram Handle
@paigedolly
Describe the artist’s or artists’ work. This is not about credentials—what do they do as an artist?
Paige is a trained artist who specializes in traditional painting, portraits, figures, animation design and has done multiple large-scale murals as well as set painting for theaters and venues.
How will the artist be involved in this project?
Paige will be the main artist in charge of the overall design, execution and point person for recruiting other local artists in the area to participate in the project.
Are there other artists involved in this project?
Yes
What are their names and what sort of art form do they practice?
We will be offerin gand reaching out to other local artists in the area to join in and do a collaborative 3 part piece. Upon being awarded the grant, the final selections will occur of which artists will be offered the opportunity. We will be offering this project to other artists specializing in painting and mural work.
How will they be involved in the project?
We hope to divide the mural up into 3 distinct sections; past, present and future. Each section will be designed and executed by 1 artist, with overall theme and visions being overseen by Paige Blain.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Business 1: Business Name:
Salon 1281
Business 1: Business Type:
Service
Business 1: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Amy Schneiderhan
Business 1: Physical Location Address
434 Hecla St. Laurium, MI
Business 1: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 1: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https;//www.facebook.com/salon1281
Business 1: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
How will this partner be involved in the project?
Amy used to be on the Village Council and was head of the beautification committee. She has been an integral force in getting art and beauty in to the downtown area. She will be a valuable asset in support and community involvement.
Business 2: Business Name:
Miller’s Recreation
Business 2: Business Type:
Restaurant
Business 2: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Loralee Miller
Business 2: Business Physical Location Address:
309 Hecla St. Laurium, Mi
Business 2: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 2: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https://www.facebook.com/millerslanes/
Business 2: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
How will this second partner be involved in the project?
The owner, Loralee Miller, has graciously offered to provide pizza’s to the artists as they are working on the mural.
Do you have additional partners (business, non-profit, etc.)?
No
What are their names?
What role(s) will they have in the project?
Are they located within the same downtown or business district as the project?
Will your local municipal government be involved in the project? If so, how?
Yes, the mural that we would like to complete would be on one of two municipal buildings. The village manager has approved the use of some DPW equipment that would help support the painting of the mural if we were to be awarded the grant and decided on putting a larger mural on the side of The Village Hall.
Please upload a letter of support on letterhead for your project from your local governing body (mayor, city/village manager, city/village council member).
Click the icon(s) below to view. Note that this may download to your computer depending on the file type.
IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): The Village Hall on the Main street of Laurium
Image 1 (if any):
Image Caption 2 (if any): Looking down Hecla St. the mainstreet of Laurium.
Image 2 (if any):
Image Caption 3 (if any): The garage doors of the Village Hall where the 3 part mural would be placed.
Image 3 (if any):
Image Caption 4 (if any): The side of the Village Hall, another possible location of a mural.
Image 4 (if any):
Image Caption 5 (if any): The other direction of Hecla St, a continuation of our downtown main street area.
Image 5 (if any):
