Client: Grand Marais Art Colony

Overview

In collaboration with Grand Marais Art Colony Executive Director Amy Demmer and 
Inspired by “Little Free Libraries,” this participatory sculpture provides visitors the opportunity to give and receive inspiration by taking and leaving messages, notes, objects and gifts. The project was funded by a “Great Places Grant” through the Cook County Chamber of Grand Marais, Minnesota. This annual grant program encourages Cook County creatives to propose concepts for public places that build community in Cook County. The site is the outdoor wall of the Grand Marais Art Colony. For 75 years the Art Colony has hosted Artist Residencies, Artist Workshops, Studio Classes and Conferences on Lake Superior’s North Shore.

Goals

The goals for this project were to:
1. activate the primary sidewalk artery used by pedestrians near the Art Colony
2. create a work that asks for viewer participation and inspires hope with the users
3. design/build a sculptural work that can endure activity and wide range of weather extremes

Process

Our thinking was if "Little Free Libraries" encouraged users to give a book, take a book; could that philosophy work for inspiring the community to leave some inspiration for others, and concurrently, take some inspiration home with them. After several days of design work, we came to the idea of a large envelope housing smaller envelope like mail boxes. At the Center is a place to write a note and gift it in a mailbox for a passer-by to pick up. In addition to notes, visitors have left free coffee coupons, personal objects, poems and words of wisdom.