A last 'hurrah' for Marquette's Art Week

This summer’s Art Week in Marquette will serve as the finale of the 10-year event.

Begun in 2015, the festival’s mission was to grow and empower a vibrant community through arts and culture. “Its purpose was to catalyze growth, collaboration, and increased community engagement in the arts. That goal has been successfully achieved,” according to a city memo.

The Office of Arts & Culture will now focus on year-round efforts that build deeper, more lasting connections and better integrate arts and culture into the fabric of Marquette’s daily life. 

“One of the greatest things about Art Week is that our staff gets to see it unfold as the community is inspired and hops in the driver's seat, something we're thrilled to fully embrace year-round in the seasons to come,” says Amelia Pruiett, communications and marketing coordinator for Marquette Community Services and Office of Arts & Culture.

The Marquette Office of Arts & Culture is seeking project proposals that tell the community’s arts story. Art Week 2025 is scheduled for June 23-28.

What’s happening: This summer marks the final year of Marquette’s Art Week, completing a 10-year run. From its inception in 2015, Art Week has grown from an extension of the annual Art Stroll into a dynamic festival showcasing the creative depth of Marquette’s arts community. In the past decade, Art Week has hosted more than 330 events and involved nearly 500 artists and 90 local businesses and organizations, fostering collaboration and creative engagement across the city. 
COVID reset many events in 2020, Art Week included, Pruiett says, “and we took a hard look at the role of Art Week, how it serves the community and how it ties into the city’s masterplan. Essentially, its mission was accomplished."

City of Marquette Office of Arts and CultureRosewood Walkway installation and the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic during Art Week.Proposals: Artists and organizers have until Friday, March 7 to submit proposals for Art Week 2025 that focus on the theme “stories.” In celebration and reflection on the Art Week accomplishments of the past decade, projects might explore the Marquette community through personal, historical, cultural, or imaginative narratives. Proposals may also revisit successful past Art Week projects to honor the festival’s legacy.

How is this work funded: Thanks to support from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, funding is available for projects that align with Art Week’s mission. Applicants may request up to $400 in financial assistance. 

Beyond Art Week: While Art Week has been one of the Office's most visible events, it is only a small part of the scope of the office’s work, Pruiett says. The work of the small staff — Arts & Culture Manager Tiina Morin, Communications Coordinator Amelia Pruiett, and our Programs Coordinator Tristan Luoma (whose duties are split between City Arts & Culture and City Senior Services) includes public art and exhibits, cultural trail coordination, resource and grant management, partnered program support, cross-departmental work, community consultations and creating connections.

City of Marquette Office of Arts and CultureCommunity Art Project by Marlene Wood.Building on success: As the city and its arts community grow beyond the week-long event, Pruiett says, the focus will shift to broader, systemic initiatives to support the creative sector with the original goal intact —to grow and empower a vibrant community through arts and culture.  “Looking forward, we see the opportunity to support partners year-round and carry forward the best bits of Art Week,” Pruiett says, “now authentically woven into the fabric of our community.”

What’s next: The event’s legacy will live on through the connections and inspiration it has cultivated. “In the coming months,” Pruiett says, “partners and community members will be invited to participate in shaping the direction of the next decade of arts and culture in the Marquette community.”

To take part: For information about City of Marquette Art Week 2025 and to submit a proposal, visit www.mqtcompass.com/artweek or contact the City of Marquette Office of Arts & Culture at (906)228-0472 or email Arts and Senior Services Program Coordinator, Tristan Luoma, tluoma@marquettemi.gov

Rosemary Parker has worked as a writer and editor for more than 40 years. She is a regular contributor to Rural Innovation Exchange and other Issue Media Group publications.