Heading into peak summer tourism season, downtown Traverse City remains busier than ever – with several new public art installations planned, new and returning events in the works, and a proposal under consideration to expand downtown marketing and community engagement.

Public Art
Colorful murals, banners, and bulbouts are just some of the creative upgrades downtown visitors will see under public art campaigns led by the Traverse City Arts Commission (TCAC) and other groups.

TCAC – a city board tasked with promoting arts in the community – recently partnered with Britten to fabricate and install new banners on West Front Street near North Peak Brewing Company. The banners, designed by local artist Justin Shull, are part of a project called “Fresh Perspectives of Downtown” intended to replace some of downtown’s uniform street banners with creative works from different artists. Up to 30 banners could eventually be replaced along West Front Street. Shull, who responded to a TCAC request-for-proposals (RFP), works in both traditional paint and digital media and “frequently explores urban and suburban settings” in his artwork, he wrote in his proposal.

TCAC members and volunteers also recently painted the bulbouts at the intersections of Front/Pine and Pine/Boardman. The bulbouts – curb extensions that feature posts and other barriers designed to slow vehicle movements on turns and increase pedestrian safety – were installed last fall when the traffic patterns were reconfigured on Pine, Boardman, and State. The bulbouts are now painted in bright, eye-catching colors designed to improve the aesthetics of the spaces and make them more visible to drivers.

The TCAC board has selected Traverse City artist Katherine Corden from among 20-plus proposals to create mural work on the restroom building at Bryant Park. Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) COO Harry Burkholder – the city’s staff liaison to the TCAC – says a contract is being finalized with Corden now, with work planned to be completed by the end of August. The artist will receive $6,000 in compensation, with materials covered by the TCAC. Corden pitched a beach scene “painted from a perspective that appears as though you are looking through the building,” with loose brush strokes and color blocking “to complement the surrounding nature while also brightening and adding interest to the building.”

The TCAC is also exploring installing more public artwork in the Eighth Street corridor area as part of a “North Boardman Creative District” initiative to brighten the neighborhood, building on the success of public art installed along the Boardman Lake Trail Loop in partnership with TART Trails. That will be an ongoing initiative that could feature multiple future projects, according to Burkholder. TCAC is also discussing holding a mural festival in downtown Traverse City in 2024, and is working on plans to install artwork in at least on city park per year on a rotating basis – with Bryant Park serving as the kickoff this year. TCAC has also launched Paint it Forward, a mini-grant program that provides funding – up to $3,000 annually – to local nonprofits to assist with installing community artwork within city limits.

The TCAC isn’t the only entity working on public art downtown. The Old Town Playhouse announced the launch this week of “At the Corner of Art & Culture,” a new project designed to bring “local art to the façade of the building at Eighth and Cass streets,” according to the announcement. Funded by a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and matching grants from OTP donors, the project invites artists to submit proposals for artistic designs to be featured on the building exterior highlighting the themes of drama/theatre, music, dance, painting/art, literature, and film.

“When complete, these dynamic works will help the outside of the building match the magic that happens inside,” OTP wrote. “This artwork will enhance the downtown area and position OTP as a beacon of art in the community on a gateway to downtown.” The call for artist submissions is open now through August 5.

Events
Several new and returning events are on deck downtown for the remaining weeks of summer.

In honor of the Traverse City Pit Spitters hosting the Northwoods League’s Great Lakes Division All-Star Game Tuesday, the Pit Spitters and TC DDA are partnering to host an “All-Star Game Scavenger Hunt.” The event kicks off at 10am today (Friday) and runs through Tuesday at 5pm.  Participants can visit the DDA offices at 303 East State Street to pick up a scavenger hunt card, then look downtown to find the 12 businesses participating in the Great Lakes Division-themed contest. Completed cards are returned to the DDA and entered into a grand prize drawing for a Pit Spitters 2024 suite for 12 people and ‘Downtown Bucks’ from the DDA.

Two long-time popular events will return on August 4 – one for the first time since 2019. The downtown Street Sale will take place from 8am to 9pm on the 100 and 200 blocks of Front Street. Merchants can participate in the event for free provided their Downtown Traverse City Association dues are current. The street will close for set-up beginning at 6am.

Also on August 4, the first of two Friday Night Live events will take place for the first time in four years, with the second event to follow on August 11. The events, scheduled for 5pm-9pm, will follow a “little bit of a new format,” according to DDA Downtown Experience Coordinator Abby Taylor. “Both of these evenings will feature seventeen nonprofits with activities for all ages, food vendors outside of the restaurants, and local musicians.” The Accidentals will perform on August 4, while JazzNorth and Hearts & Bones (a Paul Simon tribute band) will perform on August 11. Music will be staged by the intersection of Front and Cass. The events are free and open to the public.

The DDA is also continuing to host events in the new Rotary Square to introduce people to the park at the corner of State and Union ahead of a planned community visioning process for its long-term design. The Traverse Symphony Orchestra will play its last concert in a three-event summer series in the park on July 31. Conducted by Kevin Rhodes, the show – which offers both free lawn seating and reserved tickets for purchase – will feature the music of film composer John Williams (Star Wars, Jaws, Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark). The concert is at 7:30pm, with opening violin and cello performances starting at 6pm.

The DDA will also host two Movies in the Square on August 15 and 22 – filling a gap in free public movies following the cancellation of the Traverse City Film Festival and its popular Open Space screenings. Based on a public vote, the DDA will show Moana on August 15 and Top Gun: Maverick on August 22, with both movies starting at 9:15pm. Popcorn, candy, and drinks will be available for purchase. Playa Bowls and Water's Edge Sweet Tooth will also sell smoothies and treats at the screenings. 

DDA Marketing & Communications
Finally, TC DDA board members will vote today (Friday) to spend up to $120,000 on a contract with consulting firm Bright Spark to develop a “comprehensive and multi-phased” communications strategy and plan for downtown. Work will include creating customized content and outreach materials for different stakeholders and audiences, providing an overview of the “history, value, and future goals of the DDA,” explaining DDA financing tools like TIF, facilitating media coverage on the future of downtown, developing public presentations on key issues, and creating a “strategic communications plan that effectively connects with stakeholders and serves to advance the DDA’s goals and objectives,” according to the proposal. Bright Spark was one of three firms that responded to a DDA RFP with a bid of a $10,000 monthly retainer, with the contract to last from July 2023 to June 2024. The costs will be covered by TIF 97 and Old Town TIF funds.

Pictured (clockwise from left): New banners on West Front Street, TSO summer concert in Rotary Square, TCAC volunteers painting the Front/Pine bulbout