Traverse City News and Events

Michigan Legacy Art Park Founder Dies

Aug. 29, 2015

David Barr, founder of the Michigan Legacy Art Park at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, passed away yesterday at the age of 75.

“We are all so very sad to have lost David today,” says Renee Hintz, MLAP’s executive director in a release. “He was such a compassionate friend and a great mind – a person who when he talked, you just hung on every word and let it sink in and become a part of you. I can truly say I am a better person for having known him. He created a body of work – sculptures, reliefs, books and the Art Park – from which great lessons about humanity can be learned. And I know just how proud he was of how the park has grown and the plans we have for the future.”

Barr had a dream to create a place which told Michigan's history through art. He has eight sculptures within the 30-acre park, including "Big Two Hearted," created in 2000 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s birth.

Comment

DDA Updates: Riverfront/Hannah Park Projects, Board Changes, Downtown Events

Read More >>

North Ed Board Selects 5 Candidates in Search for New Superintendent

Read More >>

Two Arrested After Fife Lake Township Crash

Read More >>

Woman Killed, Man Hospitalized in M-72 Crash

Read More >>

City Eyes Next Segment of TART Trail Extension

Read More >>

Downtown Traverse City Announces New ‘Free Outdoor Entertainment Series’ For Spring 2025

Read More >>

Cherryland Humane Society to Break Ground on $3M Expansion

Read More >>

City Approves Two-Way Pilot Extension, Sewer Bonding, Land for Housing Project

Read More >>

Is America's Next Major Defense Contractor In Traverse City?

Read More >>

Your Winter 2025 Restaurant Guide

Read More >>

Making The Call: School Leaders Discuss Tough Decisions As Snow Days Mount

Read More >>

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Leelanau County Man For 36-Year-Old Cold Case Murder

Read More >>

Housing Project, TIF Policy, Two-Way Streets, Sewer Bonds on City Agenda

Read More >>

Groundwork Center Launches Public Survey For Long-Gestating Passenger Rail Project

Read More >>