Project Name: Colors of Wyandotte
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
DDA or CID
What is the entity’s name:
City of Wyandotte: Downtown Development Authority
What downtown area or business corridor does it serve?
Wyandotte
Website URL
http://wyandotte.net%20or%20http://visitwyandotte.com
Twitter Handle:
Facebook Handle:
Downtown Wyandotte
Instagram Handle:
@downtownwyandotte
What is the name of the primary contact for this entity’s application/project?
Joe Gruber
What are their preferred pronouns?
He/him/his
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Where will your project take place? (please include city/village too)
Downtown Wyandotte
Anticipated project launch date
July 15, 2023
Briefly describe your project idea including your role and any project partners.
Colors of Wyandotte is a three-part public community art project in that celebrates a Downriver Detroit classic – paint-by-numbers! Presenting (1) the Coloring Book Artist’s Contest, (2) the Wyandotte Coloring Book, and (3) the Wyandotte Color Hunt.
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 entire $5,000 microgrant will go towards the production of the coloring book and the color hunt including artist fees, printing, supplies and materials.
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.
No
Rachel’s Notes about the Project
Reviewed 4.20.23. Confirmed member status. Confirmed artist. Confirmed LOS. Confirmed businesses are downtown and locally owned. Artist will be paid. Additional info as requested by an internal juror:
The Color Hunt is a fun and family-friendly scavenger hunt-styled event. Businesses throughout Downtown Wyandotte will each carry a few (2-3) colored markers/pencils/crayons. Participants will take their new Wyandotte-themed Color-by-Number pages on the Color Hunt, stopping in the various businesses to stop and color their images using the colors available at each store. By the end of the Color Hunt, if participants are successful in visiting all the participating businesses Downtown, they will have a fully completed image.
The distribution of the coloring books promotes continued engagement in the downtown area in several ways. After the Color Hunt, stores will retain copies of the coloring book that they have purchased to distribute/sell to the community on an ongoing basis. The Wyandotte Color-by-number coloring books will become a nice feature available only at brick-and-mortar businesses in Downtown Wyandotte.
We are also working through a few other details that can help generate more sustained activity over time i.e. proceeds from coloring book sales pooled into a community art project fund, and for the production of coloring book v.2 and v.3 etc…
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Why does your community need this project?
Wyandotte is a historically significant and culturally rich community. The City and the DDA help promote a vibrant downtown atmosphere through the effective use of resources, placemaking, historic preservation and marketing. The business owners constantly strive for fun and community-focused experiences that help promote the Downtown area and create lasting memories for their customers, patrons and visitors. Our community needs this project because it helps share the important and lively story of Wyandotte while helping to promote our continued growth and development through arts in a post-industrial era.
How will you engage your community in this project?
We will engage with our community in a variety of different and meaningful ways. Local artists will be engaged to help design and deliver pages for the coloring book. Local business owners and entrepreneurs will be engaged to promote and support the creation of the coloring book and the hosting of the color hunt. Local civic leaders will be engaged to help curate and identify meaningful content for the coloring book and the color hunt. The residents and visitors will be engaged to participate in the color hunt and to take home a copy of the new coloring book. We will engage the public through a combination of print, online and social media platforms, as well as public meetings and in-person visits.
What do you hope to achieve through this project?
We hope to achieve several meaningful outcomes including that creation and distribution of a unique coloring book that celebrates Wyandotte’s special history and culture. We hope to help activate and promote the local artists, business owners, and entrepreneurs in Wyandotte. We hope to provide a fun and entertaining experience for a diverse group of residents and visitors.
How will the project celebrate the community’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
Color-by-Numbers is for everybody! This project will celebrate the diversity of age and ability in arts while also highlighting the eclectic and diverse mix of artists and small business owners in Wyandotte through the creation of the coloring book/pages and the color hunt event.
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.
The City and DDA are actively involved in public space programming, events and promotions in Downtown Wyandotte. More resources will likely come available through business donations, which may approximately equate to $10,000 additional monetary donations and another $5,000 in in-kind contributions.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Artist First and Last Name:
Jeremy Hansen
Artist Website (If Applicable): https://artattheedge.com/about-us
Artist Facebook Handle
Hansen Jeremy
Artist Instagram Handle
@fast_eddie_jh
Describe the artist’s or artists’ work. This is not about credentials—what do they do as an artist?
Jeremy is a passionate and community-focused artist who utilizes multiple mediums of art including paint, murals, storytelling, standup comedy, professional curation and events.
How will the artist be involved in this project?
This entire effort was sparked by Jeremy’s imaginative vision. He will help serve as overall project manager and will co-lead all aspects of this project including artist selection, content curation, event planning and marketing.
Are there other artists involved in this project?
Yes
What are their names and what sort of art form do they practice?
A variety of local artists will be involved who practice photography, painting, graphic design and illustration, to be determined.
How will they be involved in the project?
These artists will have an opportunity to participate in the coloring book contest and by creating custom color-by-number templates to be included in the book and the event.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Business 1: Business Name:
River’s Edge Gallery
Business 1: Business Type:
Retail
Business 1: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Patt Slack and Jeremy Hansen
Business 1: Physical Location Address
3024 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte
Business 1: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 1: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https://www.facebook.com/RiversEdgeGallery/
Business 1: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
@artattheedge
How will this partner be involved in the project?
River’s Edge Gallery will serve as “central command” the lead sponsor and promoter of the event and the focal point of the artist submissions.
Business 2: Business Name:
UPNDOWN
Business 2: Business Type:
Retail
Business 2: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Jenny Atkinson
Business 2: Business Physical Location Address:
3205 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte
Business 2: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 2: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
https://www.facebook.com/upndownwyandotte/
Business 2: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
@upndown_wyandotte
How will this second partner be involved in the project?
Jenny and UPNDOWN will help support the project through promoting and event planning. They will also serve as a primary point of distribution for the coloring book.
Do you have additional partners (business, non-profit, etc.)?
Yes
What are their names?
Glow Fish Studios, Cheryl Zemke Boutique, Little Dotte, Pottery Creations and the Downriver Council for the Arts, and more!
What role(s) will they have in the project?
These downtown businesses and organizations will all join in promoting the project and hosting the event.
Are they located within the same downtown or business district as the project?
Yes
Will your local municipal government be involved in the project? If so, how?
Yes, the City of Wyandotte and DDA already have financial resources dedicated to community programs, special events, arts & cultural projects in the community and will help guide this project at each stage.
Please upload a letter of support on letterhead for your project from your local governing body (mayor, city/village manager, city/village council member).
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IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): GalleryWay – a DDA-led project for public art highlighting Wyandotte’s local wildlife and history
Image 1 (if any):
Image Caption 2 (if any): Drawings from early settlers and French explorers depicting Native peoples, on display at Wyandotte Museum
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Image Caption 3 (if any): Wyandotte’s iconic waterfront in the winter time
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Image Caption 4 (if any): Wyandotte’s Plein Air Paint Out 2022
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Image Caption 5 (if any): Wyandotte Beautification Commission helps plant beautiful flowers along the streetscape – a very important part of Wyandotte
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