Thursday, March 5, 2020

Designs for new Kellogg Park sculpture and fountain are OK’d

Kellogg Park in downtown Plymouth will be the site of two new installations this year.
A sculpture design from the Plymouth Community Arts Council and the Detroit Institute of Arts was selected by members of the city commission for installation in Kellogg Park this summer while a new fountain design was also approved.
Members of the Downtown Development Authority approved $20,000 for the new fountain during their Feb. 10 meeting and recommended that the members of the city commission enter into an agreement with the Wilcox Foundation to fund the project,
According to city officials, the Wilcox Foundation has pledged $1,021,449 for a new fountain in the park.

Officials also agreed to keep the bandshell on Penniman open during the construction of the fountain in the park this season.
The new sculpture installation will be funded by the DIA through the Partners in Public Art program and the city will be responsible only for maintenance and insurance costs which were described as minimal.
The selection of the sculpture design, unanimously approved at the Feb. 17 city commission meeting, followed a six-month screening and input from several local entities. The DIA funding is generated by the current tri-county millage.
The sculpture will be installed at the east end of Kellogg Park and will be on the east side of Union Street near the Wilcox House in a small triangle of land owned by the city.
The location will not impede or hinder the regularly scheduled and traditional community events which use the park, officials said.
According to the presentation at the meeting, the sculpture will consist of bricks salvaged from the former Daisy Air Rifle factory and a trellis made of metal donated by Detroit Hot Rod. The ornamental barrier around the sculpture is fencing used at the Henry Ford Museum, officials said. It will also include ornamental tiles depicting leaves from local back yards.
The installation is expected to begin this summer.