Project Name: The Lakeside Cross Walk Art Project
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
DDA or CID
What is the entity’s name:
Lakeside Business District/ Commercial Improvement District
What downtown area or business corridor does it serve?
Lakeside Business District
Website URL
https://muskegon-mi.gov/lakeside-bid-cia
Twitter Handle:
Facebook Handle:
Instagram Handle:
What is the name of the primary contact for this entity’s application/project?
Contessa Alexander
What are their preferred pronouns?
She/her/hers
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Where will your project take place? (please include city/village too)
City of Muskegon: on Lakeshore Drive, between Moon Street to Blodgett Street.
Anticipated project launch date
July 27, 2023
Briefly describe your project idea including your role and any project partners.
The Lakeside Cross Walk Art Project will bring together local artists from the community to provide art for the crosswalks in the Lakeside Neighborhood. We will provide the opportunity to all local artists who will send in their proposals. Their art should celebrate Muskegon by including nuances of
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.
We plan to spend the $5,000 microgrant by dividing between the artists and the supplies needed to accomplish this project. Please see below for details.
1st Artist – $1,000 time and talents
$250 art supplies: including paint, paint brushes, sealant or varnish
2nd Artist- $1,000 time and talents
$250 art supplies: including paint, brushes, sealant or varnish
3rd Artist- $1,000 time and talents
$250 art supplies: including paint, brushes, sealant or varnish
4th Artist- $1,000 time and talents
$250 art supplies: including paint, brushes, sealant or varnish
Total = $5000
The paint brand and type would be up to each artist. This could include either of the following spray paint, acrylic paint, epoxy paint, acrylic markers etc.
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
Reviewed 4.24.23. Confirmed member status. Confirmed artist and will be paid. Confirmed business locations and viability. Confirmed viable project location. LOS is old, updated was sent via email and added to backend application per applicant’s request.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Why does your community need this project?
The Lakeside community needs this project in order to provide a dash of color in the business district, celebrate the Lakeside community, and provide traffic calming along a main street between downtown and the city’s Lake Michigan beach at Pere Marquette Park.
The City of Muskegon has two major downtown district areas that include the Downtown Social District, and the Lakeside District. There are about a few miles that separate the two, both having its own identity, and culture. The Downtown district is vibrant with various art sculptures, murals, and entertainment. The Lakeside is the beach side of town. There are lots of small businesses, restaurants, and other attractions unique to the area. However, there is a lack of lively artwork and eye-catching murals that embodies the uniqueness of this neighborhood. This grant would assist with providing a beautiful, and colorful streetscape for four crosswalks in the Lakeside District. Adding more art would increase the areas attractiveness and add in elements related to the environment and business community.
It is so important for a community to have art that reflects their residents, invites visitors and celebrates the community as a whole. This is what has been missing in this area. This project would provide the funds necessary for artists to showcase the Lakeside District and engage visitors.
Lastly, the Lakeside desires this project in order to provide traffic calming. In the Lakeside District there have been ¬¬¬¬89 vehicle crashes since 2021. According to the Asphalt Art Safety Study: Historical Crash Analysis and Observational Behavior Assessment at Asphalt Art Sites prepared by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2022, “the art itself is often also intended to improve safety by increasing visibility of pedestrian spaces and crosswalks, promoting a more walkable public realm, and encouraging drivers to slow down and be more alert for pedestrians and cyclists, the most vulnerable users of the road.” Bloomberg Philanthropies tracked fresh asphalt paintings on crosswalks and bike lanes in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Bloomberg Philanthropies found the following, surprising information, “50% decrease in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or other vulnerable road users, 37% decrease in the rate of crashes leading to injuries, and 17% decrease in the total crash rate.” This data alone speaks volumes to the importance of including artwork in community crosswalks.
How will you engage your community in this project?
The BID-CIA board plans to engage the community by seeking local artists for this project. The four chosen artists will be from the area and will have great knowledge about the Lakeside District and its history, and will be willing to talk with the BID-CIA, business owners, and residents about what they would like to see portrayed in their community.
Project partners will market this project heavily if awarded the grant funds. Partners and city staff will reach out to our local media contacts to increase the visibility of the project so that we can gain support when it is time to vote. City staff and board members will also market on social media introducing the project to the community.
What do you hope to achieve through this project?
Through this project the board hopes to provide a prouder, safer and more prosperous Lakeside District. A true identity is important for every community. Art helps with establishing that identity that represents its community members and businesses. This project will capture just that and fill the gap that has been missing in the Lakeside area for years.
How will the project celebrate the community’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
The project allows for a variety of artists of different ages, races and artistic styles to inspire the district with their creativity and work. The Lakeside demographics are full of working class, young families with a population of about 3,394 people. The community is predominantly white with a small percentage of Black and Hispanic residents. There are a lot of young and middle-aged families with younger children under the age of 9. However, Lakeside’s visitors bring in more diverse populations with much higher percentages of Black, Asian, and Hispanic visitors than its current residents.
This project will help in celebrating its residents and visitors by including all walks of life in its art. The artists will incorporate families, businesses, youth, cultures, and everything else that sets this district apart from the rest. Artists will also include different languages and sayings that will welcome all.
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 project starts with longstanding business and neighborhood organizations known for completing successful projects. The project also has the formal support of the BID-CIA board as well as a potential financial contribution.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Artist First and Last Name:
Louise Hopson
Artist Website (If Applicable): https://artcatsgallery.com/
Describe the artist’s or artists’ work. This is not about credentials—what do they do as an artist?
Louise is the owner of the Art Cats Gallery. She paints and creates pottery pieces.
How will the artist be involved in this project?
Louise will be the lead seeking and directing artists for this project.
Are there other artists involved in this project?
Yes
What are their names and what sort of art form do they practice?
There will be 4 other artists who each will have their own crosswalk to paint while Louise oversees and provides direction and guidance. Artists have not been selected yet,
How will they be involved in the project?
Each artist will be assigned to a cross walk to paint.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Business 1: Business Name:
Art Cats Gallery
Business 1: Business Type:
Art Gallery
Business 1: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Louise Hopson
Business 1: Physical Location Address
1845 Lakeshore Dr, Muskegon, MI 49441
Business 1: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 1: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
Business 1: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
How will this partner be involved in the project?
This partners is apart of the Lakeside BID and will be leading the artists.
Business 2: Business Name:
Wonderland Distillery
Business 2: Business Type:
Restaurant
Business 2: Business Owner First and Last Name:
Allen Serio
Business 2: Business Physical Location Address:
1989 Lakeshore Dr, Muskegon, MI 49441
Business 2: Twitter Handle (If Applicable)
Business 2: Facebook Page Link (If Applicable)
Business 2: Instagram Handle (If Applicable)
How will this second partner be involved in the project?
This partner is also a part of the Lakeside BID and will be assisting with the marketing of this project,
Do you have additional partners (business, non-profit, etc.)?
Yes
What are their names?
Contessa Alexander, Dave Alexander
What role(s) will they have in the project?
Grant writing, marketing and advertising
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 Muskegon. The staff liaison to the Lakeside BID is also the Development Analyst for the City of Muskegon.
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): Cross Walk Sites
Image 1 (if any):
Image Caption 2 (if any): Blodgett Crosswalk
Image 2 (if any):
Image Caption 3 (if any): Mann Crosswalk
Image 3 (if any):
Image Caption 4 (if any): Moon Crosswalk
Image 4 (if any):
Image Caption 5 (if any): Torrent
Image 5 (if any):
