Legacy Gala

The Legacy Gala is the signature fundraising event in support of Michigan Legacy Art Park. This highly anticipated gathering brings together art enthusiasts, philanthropists, community leaders, and friends of the Art Park to celebrate and contribute to the mission. The event features fine dining, live music, and a silent auction full of art and local experiences.

Jason Quigno—a distinguished contemporary sculptor and member of the Saginaw Tribe of Chippewa Indians—will be presented with the 2023 Legacy Award for his accomplishments as an artist.

Interview with Jason Quigno

What does “legacy” mean to you?

The word legacy brings to mind how some of the Anishinaabek elders held onto our language, teachings and our cultural ways despite all that was against them, their families, and communities with colonization and genocide. They held on and passed that knowledge down in secret through the generations. Because of their actions, today many Anishinaabek Communities are reclaiming those ways… our language, our ceremonies. I’m forever grateful for them because despite all the odds against them, here I am today able to take those cultural values and ways and put them in stone. Through monumental stone sculpture I hope to carry on the legacy of strength and resilience of those elders who went through so much to pass on our Anishinaabek ways.

When you stand before one of your untouched blocks of stone, what do you see in your mind’s eye?

When I first get a block of stone I look at it, feel it and think how old it is—how many millions of years old. I feel this sense of awe and gratitude that I’m able to work the stone, and sometimes I look and think, “Oh shit, what did I get myself into.” lol.

What emotional response do you imagine someone has when they encounter one of your abstract works?

I don’t know what emotional response people feel when viewing my works. I do know I try to convey a sense of beauty, peace ,serenity and balance. Part of my practice is while working on a piece, I try to put those feelings in the stone—in hopes the viewer will sense those things. Those feelings go into all my work.

In your own words, how would you say your art has evolved over the years?

In the beginning I did more representational with the stylized animals and figurative. Then at some point I had to change it up to more contemporary non-representational forms while instilling those Anishinaabek values. As an artist I got to keep moving and evolving, so I change it up every now and then.

Who are some people—artists or otherwise—that have inspired you?

Alan Houser , Isamu Noguchi , Constantin Brancusi, Norval Morrisseau, Jimi Hendrix

Weeping Willow

An “impossible” shape with philosophical, mathematic, and scientific applications, the Möbius Strip is known to symbolize infinity, eternity, and duality. The shape has been central to theoretical math and inspired the field of topology.

For sculptor Les Scruggs, the one-sided shape has become a common motif in his work, including his sculpture in the Art Park collection, Weeping Willow. He describes the sculpture as it’s own subject—one that must be observed in 360 degrees. It compels the viewer to move around in order to take it all in.

So it is strategically installed within Sanctuary, a structure designed by David Williams as a place for introspection, to consider the existence of nature, or perhaps—as the artist intended for this piece—the nature of existence.

New Permanent Sculpture

Gateway to Black Eden is a monumental project that will add depth to our collection. For this piece, we have commissioned artist and Kresge Arts Fellow, M. Saffell Gardner to create a site-specific work inspired by Idlewild and the African-American resort experience of the early 20th Century.

The project not only includes the sculpture itself, but an original composition of spoken word and music created by Marion Hayden and Melba Joyce Boyd will accompany the sculpture and be accessible to the viewer via QR code.

MAE, Dawnice Kerchaert

resident artist

The Art Park Collections Committee has selected Dawnice Kerchaert as our 2023 David Barr Artist in Residence. Her work stood out in the selection process for the way in which it explores the textures and forms of nature.

Kerchaert says her residency—set to take place this October—will be inspired by the fall leaves in the park.

Michigan Blue

Around 2,000 wooden rounds reclaimed from fallen branches in the park have been distributed to creative folks across the state, and will be assembled into a massive community art project organized by our Education Director (and Art Park artist) Patricia Innis with assistance from local artist Dewey Blocksma.