Clinch Tunnel Refresh, Art Installations, Mural Festival on Deck for TC Arts Commission

The Traverse City Arts Commission (TCAC) is moving forward with several public art projects, including a planned refresh of the Clinch Park tunnel art, two different installations near Boardman Lake, and the return of the Traverse City Mural Festival in 2027.

When installed in 2019, the Mazinaadin exhibition by Colorado artist Bobby McGee Lopez in the Clinch Park tunnel was the largest public art project in the history of TCAC. A partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the installation featured 19 four-by-eight-foot panels displaying Lopez’s digitized mural artwork. The tunnel “was identified as the preferred location because of its proximity to the river and the history of Anishinaabe artwork previously displayed within the tunnel,” according to the city’s Bay Brief.

Since its installation, the exhibition has experienced “normal wear and tear as well as instances of minor vandalism,” according to the city. The reconstruction of Grandview Parkway caused vibrations that impacted the panels, requiring several repairs, followed by the April flooding in which “panels began sporadically separating from the tunnel walls,” according to the city. The attached lighting system has also been deteriorating, with bulbs burned out in some areas and wires exposed in others.

Several panels have subsequently been removed, and due to the condition of others and the deteriorating state of the overall installation, the city plans to soon remove the rest. TCAC recently met with the GT Band to discuss next steps. Lauren Bohac of the TC Downtown Development Authority (DDA), who serves as the staff liaison to the TCAC, says two key issues need to be addressed: the state of the tunnel itself and potential future artwork that could be installed.

The tunnel is under the management of TC Parks and Recreation, so “next steps will be working with Parks on the overall maintenance of the tunnel,” says Bohac, noting those conversations are still to come. Parks would have final say on safety updates like a new lighting system and potential surveillance cameras, which have been suggested by park visitors.

The city will work with the GT Band on “whether an appropriate new location can be identified for the existing exhibition,” according to the Bay Brief, as well as on new artwork. The tunnel installation was always envisioned as a rotating exhibition, Bohac says, adding that the GT Band has expressed interest in having an Anishinaabe artist featured next.

Two new art installations are also on deck near Boardman Lake. City commissioners this month approved an agreement with TART Trails for the installation of Jerry’s Map by local artist Jerry Gretzinger on the Cornwell Sailing Center wall along the Boardman Lake Loop Trail. The hand-drawn cartographic artwork is “composed of thousands of interconnected panels that together form an imagined world,” according to a memo from Bohac. “Each panel is created according to a unique set of rules and chance-based decisions, resulting in an organic, evolving work that reflects both structure and spontaneity. The piece blends elements of geography, storytelling, and systems-based art into a visually compelling and internationally recognized work of public art.”

Through its Art on the TART program, TART Trails will fund the project and coordinate with Gretzinger on its installation, which is targeted for fall/winter 2026, according to Bohac. City Commissioner Jackie Anderson asked about protection from weather and vandalism, since the artwork will be installed outdoors on the wall. Bohac responded that artists are responsible for providing a maintenance plan for their artwork, though TCAC also has funding set aside in its budget each year for ongoing exhibit maintenance. 

Also near Boardman Lake, TCAC is preparing to install a sculpture by artist Ellen Rutt on city property near the corner of Woodmere/Eighth/Railroad along the trail leading up to the Traverse Area District Library. The sculpture – which features geometric elements that are both “playful and elemental,” according to Rutt – is planned to be in place by next July. The $30,000 project is part of an ongoing partnership with TART Trails and other partners called the North Boardman Creative initiative to “contribute to the sense of place and vitality of the corridor through artful placemaking,” according to Bohac.

The installation is one of multiple potential outdoor “gateway” sculptures that could add visual interest along Eighth Street, Bohac previously said. However, one location considered near the entry to Riverine Condominiums was ruled out due to access conflicts with underground utilities. Another potential site could be a new Traverse City Housing Commission development on Eighth Street at the former Copy Central property, but that deal still has to be negotiated, Bohac says.

Finally, TCAC is planning the return of the Traverse City Mural Festival September 10-15, 2027. The first event took place in 2025 and featured a half dozen artists painting murals on buildings along the North Boardman Lake District/Eighth Street corridor. The 2027 festival is planned to focus on the east side of the Eighth Street corridor with a goal of at least five murals installed. An opening reception is slated for the Dennos Museum Center, with a public walking tour of the completed murals planned at the end of the festival.

TCAC plans to issue a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) for artists later this fall. Qualified Michigan artists will be given preference in the selection process, though the RFQ will be open to national artists. Teams of artists may also apply.

Pictured (clockwise from top left): Current condition of Clinch Park tunnel artwork, conceptual rendering of Ellen Rutt sculpture, 2025 TC Mural Festival, example of Jerry's Map on display