Katie Moore’s love for public art began on a Grand Rapids rooftop where she was installing a big sculpture. Although nothing seemed to go as planned, Moore was hooked. She had found her calling.
“It was very exciting,” Moore says. “I realized I liked this, even though I wasn't good at it. Nobody was good at it. But I realized I want to keep doing it,” Moore says.
“You see the artist's vision and what they want to create, and then you work alongside them as they're creating. And even though you're in the trenches and things aren't going well at times, the end product is so exciting to see.”
Years later, she is playing a key role in supporting artists in bringing their work to life, from downtown Grand Rapids to the Gerald R. Ford Airport.
Artists provide the vision and execution behind public art. But behind the scenes, creative talent such as Moore, Jarran Fountain, and Hannah Berry, founder of the Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, lay the groundwork that makes such artwork possible.
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Courtesy Lions & Rabbits Center for the ArtsBunker Elementary mural ribbon cutting 2024 with Lions & Rabbits' Jarran Fountain.
Problem solving
Moore is the activation manager for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the art project manager for Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Her job is to use art to transform overlooked spaces across the city into urban landscapes that spark conversation and invite public engagement.
“I’m always looking for opportunities to enhance unusual spaces through art,” Moore says. “Public art is accessible – it’s for everyone, no matter where you’re from or what your background is.”
After earning her graduate degree at Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD), Moore initially pursued traditional portrait painting but was drawn to the dynamic and collaborative world of public art. Following an internship at a local gallery where she managed public art installations, she worked at ArtPrize, where she oversaw outdoor installations for seven years as exhibitions manager.
“Everything about public art is problem-solving,” she explains. “From dealing with city permits to figuring out how to crane a sculpture into a park, you have to constantly adapt.”
One of Moore’s main responsibilities is managing an artist grant program, Activate, which funds local public art projects. The program recently supported a mural by artist Reb Roberts that brought life to a derelict retaining wall behind the city’s train station.
“That wall had no love,” Moore says. “Reb’s mural completely transformed the space. It’s now so much more inviting.”
‘It makes you think’
Her passion for art goes beyond beautifying public spaces to fostering a sense of community. Moore points to the shift toward outdoor cultural programming that has taken off since the pandemic, especially with events like the annual World of Winter festival, which showcases large-scale installations from international artists and West Michigan talent.
“It’s exciting to see local artists such as Two Eagles Marcus, who started as a photographer, now creating large sculptures for major events like World of Winter,” she says. “Watching artists grow and find sustainable work is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.”
She believes that public art lets people interact with their surroundings differently. And it’s an effective way to make Grand Rapids a more desirable place to live, work, and explore.
“It’s there for you to experience however you want. Whether you love it or hate it, it makes you think,” she says.
Moore also plays a key role in the art program at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, curating installations that greet visitors as they enter the city.
“At the end of the day, if a project succeeds and the community feels enriched by it, that’s what matters most,” she says.
Inspiration found in small-town garden
Like Moore, Fountain believes public art is about creating a sense of belonging.
Growing up, Fountain was captivated by whimsical art installations in the small town of Alden on the shores of Torch Lake. Gardeners transformed a simple courtyard with unexpected pieces, like flowers planted in toilets. That early fascination planted the seed for a career dedicated to creative placemaking.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that little courtyard and the art it held made me feel connected to the space,” Fountain says. “That’s what public art should do. It should invite people in and create community.”
Fountain got his start as the programming manager at Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, a Grand Rapids nonprofit with a mission to use public art to revitalize communities and provide opportunities for local artists. He’s now going out on
his own.
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Courtesy Lions & Rabbits Center for the ArtsJarran Fountain proudly poses with one of the street drain art pieces he created for Creston.
Armed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in collaborative design and a minor in graphic design from Kendall, Fountain worked on projects in communities from Grand Rapids to Muskegon.
“We’re about creative community development,” Fountain says of his time at Lions & Rabbits. “We believe in empowering artists and using art to create spaces where people feel a sense of pride and connection.”
Including the community
Fountain’s journey into the world of public art started at KCAD, where his coursework in systems design sparked an interest in placemaking. A research project on how to better use alleys led him to Lions & Rabbits, where he interned before joining full-time in 2023.
One of the nonprofit’s recent projects involved designing a mural with fourth-grade students at Bunker Elementary in Muskegon. Fountain is proud that the process ensured the elementary students’ voices were reflected in the final artwork.
“It’s important that public art reflects the people who live there,” Fountain says. “In this case, the kids had as much say in the mural’s design as the adults.”
Lions & Rabbits also offers workforce development programs for artists, helping them grow their skills in everything from painting large-scale murals to managing the logistical challenges of public art projects.
“We’re teaching artists how to navigate city permits, use equipment like scissor lifts, and manage budgets,” Fountain says. “It’s about giving them the tools to succeed in a competitive field.”
Lions & Rabbits’ focus is to center equity in public art.
“Public art has often catered to tourists or wealthy interests,” he says. “We’re working to ensure local artists of color and folk artists have opportunities to create work that is authentic and meaningful to their communities.
“Public art isn’t just about painting walls. It’s about creating spaces where people see themselves and feel connected to their community. That’s what we’re striving for.”
From wedding venue to public arts advocacy
Hannah Berry, the founder and executive director of Lions & Rabbits and a KCAD graduate, has been a leading voice in supporting local artists and fostering creativity in public spaces.
Berry’s journey of merging public art and community advocacy began when she was working in a restaurant and a customer shared an idea with her.
“A regular there owned the building in Creston where we first operated,” she says. “He was going to convert it into a bar, but it was zoned for retail and special events instead. So, we turned it into a wedding venue, filling it with local art we sold to fund public art projects.”
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Courtesy Lions & Rabbits Center for the ArtsHannah Berry, founder and executive director of Lions & Rabbits.
That early success was short-lived due to the pandemic, but her large-scale public art was noticed. When protests over George Floyd’s murder left broken windows that were boarded up, the city of Grand Rapids asked her to paint them as part of the temporary placemaking project, Windows GR. But she felt that artists of color should do the project.
“I knew it wasn’t my place, but I had a network of artists who would love to do it. So, I pulled together a collective and we painted windows, creating 35 murals that year,” Berry says.
Lions & Rabbits transitioned from a for-profit model to a nonprofit, and Berry shifted her focus from weddings to public art. In September 2021, she officially opened the Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, at 942 Barnum St. SW in Wyoming. She closed the Creston venue the following year.
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Courtesy Lions & Rabbits Center for the ArtsHannah Berry of Lions & Rabbits is unafraid to get her hands dirty for public art.
Stretching beyond West Michigan
The name of the nonprofit reflects Berry’s ethos.
“If the lion and the rabbit, despite their differences, can come together, we’ll have equity. That's what we're trying to do — bring together forces that don’t always know how to collaborate.”
The move to a nonprofit structure has opened opportunities for more public arts and partnerships stretching from West Michigan to projects in California and Massachusetts.
"We realized that every city could replicate our model using public art or events to pour back into the arts community. Now, we're focusing on helping other communities build their arts ecosystems, advocating for creatives while developing placemaking strategies."
Lions & Rabbits also helps municipalities and organizations develop their arts and cultural master plans."Our clients range from municipalities needing a full master plan to businesses like gas stations and multi-state dispensaries looking to engage local artists."
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Courtesy of DGRI Katie Moore on-site loading in art installation by Jeffrey Songco (squatting).
Berry's vision for placemaking goes beyond aesthetics.
"We help communities heal and develop a sense of belonging through art," she explains. "Our job is to show them public art isn’t just about beautifying spaces. It’s about who creates it, how much they’re paid, and how it serves the community."
“Our goal is to mobilize communities, teaching them how to advocate for the arts and create sustainable programs,” she says, adding the next two years will focus on ensuring communities have long-term, sustainable public art programs.
"It's about helping them realize their vision and keeping the arts at the heart of it."
From furniture to shoes, from arts to education to even policy creation, design is everywhere you look. Designed in Michigan, a story series coming out of West Michigan, is devoted to sharing the expansive role design plays in Michigan's past, present and future. It is made possible through the support of Kendall College of Art and Design and Landscape Forms.