Sculpture honoring Native culture to be unveiled in Douglas

DOUGLAS — On Thursday, the city of Douglas will unveil and dedicate a new piece of public artwork outside the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center.

Anishinaabe sculptor Jason Quigno's "Seven Grandfathers," an 8-foot tall tower carved from limestone set on top of a black granite base, will be on display for the first time and attendees will have the opportunity to meet Quigno and learn about the Anishinaabe teachings that inspired the sculpture.

The public artwork is the first of three planned sculpture installations this year, funded in part by the Saugatuck Douglas Fennville Arts Initiative. SDFAI offered the communities of Saugatuck, Douglas and Fennville $4,000 in seed money to purchase outdoor sculptures that have a "cultural focus."

Maryjo Lemanski of SDFAI said the group was inspired by the great public response last year to its exhibits focused on minority cultures, including an Art of the People exhibit curated by Quigno at the SDHC that featured the artwork of the Native American peoples that originally lived in the Saugatuck-Douglas area.

Latino sculptor Hector Vega, of Cleveland, has also been commissioned to create a work that celebrates Latino migrant communities for the city of Fennville. That work will be installed at the Fennville District Library and will be the first major public sculpture in the city, according to the SDFAI.

More: Students respond to 'An American Sunrise' with artwork display in Van Bragt Park

More: Holland's Eastcore neighborhood invited to block party, mural festival

Vega's sculpture, proposed to be titled "Reaching for the Stars," depicts a farm worker underneath a totem-like tower of fruit and vegetables, all supporting a child at the top.

A piece is also in the works for the city of Saugatuck, though details are still being confirmed.

"This year has been a real renaissance for the Art Coast," said Lemanski.

Quigno, who lives in Grand Rapids, is a direct descendant of Chief Cobmoosa, also known as the Great Walker, one of the most recognized nineteenth-century Grand River Ottawa leaders. Quigno is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe.

One of Quigno’s most recent commissions is the 9-foot-tall “Aankobiisinging Eshki-kakamigak,” or “Connection to Creation," which is on display at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

“One of my purposes in life as an Anishinaabe man and sculptor is to honor my ancestors,” Quigno said. "My intention is to share a portion of the Anishinaaabek’s beautiful history, our stories and rich traditions in stone."

The unveiling, dedication and public reception for the public sculpture is 6 p.m. July 28 at the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center, 130 Center St., Douglas.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sculpture honoring Native culture to be unveiled in Douglas