Crowdfunding campaign launched for the ‘Clare Art Sculpture Walk’ project in downtown Clare

LANSING, Mich. – Clare will be home to a series of rotating art installations as part of the creation of an Art Sculpture Walk in Clare's Downtown Arts and Culture District. This effort will be made possible through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Clare County Arts Council announced today. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $25,000 by September 23, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/clareart.

“The Clare Art Sculpture Walk will not only provide a place to gather and spend time, but will also showcase the art of local artists and highlight the creativity in the region,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Michele Wildman. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

The Art Sculpture Walk in downtown Clare will become a space for year-round outdoor public art and sculpture exhibits with a round of new sculptures added each year. This effort is being led by the Clare County Arts Council in partnership with the city of Clare, Middle Michigan Development Corporation, and many local businesses, to establish an outdoor art sculpture walk throughout downtown Clare. The Art Sculpture Walk builds upon the area’s grassroots community art project Clare's Art Alley, and is an opportunity to showcase some very talented artists from across the Midwest.

This campaign will provide funding for the art walk creation, site prep, and artists’ stipends. Once the walk is complete, a People's Choice Voting will be held to allow people to vote for their favorite sculpture. The top People's Choice Sculpture may be purchased through the Clare County Arts Council to be permanently displayed at a location within the City of Clare. This will gradually grow the permanence of art across the city while providing an art and cultural experience.

“The Clare County Arts Council is pleased to participate in the Public Spaces Community Places program alongside Patronicity to raise funds needed to push the Clare Art Sculpture Walk the final distance to launch the outdoor art venue in Downtown Clare,” said Carol Santini, president of the Clare County Arts Council. “We are so thankful that Michigan Economic Development Corporation has agreed to match up to $25,000 of our fundraising efforts. This display will be accessible to all and will offer some exceptional interactive art experiences for visitors to Downtown Clare.”

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which local residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of July 30, 2021, MEDC has provided more than $8.9 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 285 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with $10.3 million raised from 49,527 individual donors.

“Return,” a sculpture by artist Jeff Best, is a permanent fixture at the Clare Depot

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.