Groundbreaking ceremony for mural held Oct. 30

(left) Retired Jackson attorney Charles Aymond, former director of the Ella Sharp Museum, addresses attendees. right: (l-r) Janet Meyer, Jackson Public Arts Commission Chairwoman; Alison Watson, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs Program Director; Earl Poleski, State Representative, 64th District; and Vice Mayor Derek Dobies.

Photos by Mary Steinmetz

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Glidden Park Mural Project was held Oct. 30 in Horace Blackman Park in downtown Jackson.

Allegiance Health and Consumers Energy worked with the City of Jackson to cover the costs to remove and house the mural before demolition of the old Consumers Energy headquarters, which once housed it.
The demolition made way for Horace Blackman Park and CP Federal City Square.

The project to build the climate-controlled gallery for the historic mural received a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant in 2014, followed by a $75,000 grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. A $119,000 commitment in the Jackson Public Arts Commission budget was approved earlier this year.

Most recently, CP Federal Credit Union donated $100,000 to the city for the mural project, with the Weatherwax Foundation coming forward to round out the final $50,000 to fund the city square’s construction.

Opening remarks were made by Emcee and TV host Bart Hawley; City Councilman Andrew Frounfelker; retired attorney Charles Aymond, former director of the Ella Sharp Museum; Janet Meyer, Chairwoman, Jackson Public Arts Commission; John Crist, Presdent/CEO, CP Federal Credit Union; and Derek Dobies, Vice Mayor, 6th ward.

Dobies, Crist, Frounfelker, Meyer and Aymond took part in the groundbreaking, along with James Best, Chairman of the CP?Federal Credit Union; Chad Noble, Allegiance Health Foundation President;?Carolyn Bloodworth, Consumers Energy Foundation President; Alison Watson, Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs Program Director; Nancy Robidoux, Weatherwax Foundation?Board Trustee; Sarah Ermatinger, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Board President; and Earl Poleski, State Representative, 64th District.

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