Grab a blanket or lawn chair and head to the outdoor amphitheater at the
Michigan
Legacy Art Park in Thompsonville, where the bluegrass band Detour stokes up the stage at 7 p.m. on July 23 in this one-with-nature setting.
Make sure you allow plenty of time beforehand to stroll at least some of the magnificent grounds of this nonprofit park inside Crystal Mountain -- the fulfillment of one local artist's dream in which art, history and nature become one.
In 1988 sculptor David Barr proposed a "place of harmony to contemplate art, history and nature." Now more than 40 major works of art line 1.6 miles of hiking trails that wind through a hilly, wooded 30-acre preserve. Each juried work pays tribute to Michigan's history and natural resources.
Pull into the parking lot off Mountain Side Drive and view the first of Barr's five Sawpath Series sculptures, based on the progression of the Golden Mean, seen in the spiral of pine needles and the nautilus. Grab a map at the kiosk entrance and start walking. Bill Allen's galvanized steel and copper Frog shimmers in the light, and across the way, Sandra Osip's bronze spiral, Unravel. Some of the works, like Barr's Stockade Labyrinth, are there for climbing and exploration. Others, like David Petrakovitz's Mysterious Traveler, a totem made of found industrial steel, is for sheer contemplation amid the exquisite quietude. Stand in awe and just listen. Take in the towering trees, the light filtering through, and revel in the moment.
Afterward, head back to the stage for some original contemporary bluegrass. Admission is $10 per adults and free for children under 17. New this season are picnic baskets for two that you can pre-order with a salad-and-sandwich dinner and wine and pick up near the amphitheater before the weekly concerts.
Writer: Patty LaNoue Stearns
Source: Michigan Legacy Art Park
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.