Beacon Tree sculpture makes debut on new art walk

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The first sculpture along the township’s planned art walk has been installed near Heritage Lake and Garden on the Shelby Township Civic Center Campus.

Commissioned by the Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority Board, the Beacon Tree Sculpture is the first step in creating the new art walk that officials say will connect the cultural landmarks on the municipal campus.

The Beacon Tree sculpture was designed by Detroit-based artists Israel and Erik Nordin, of the Detroit Design Center.

The work, Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority chair Greg Gagnon explained, draws inspiration from the township’s role in the Underground Railroad and the story of the historic Beacon Tree of Spring Hill Farm.

“There’s a history to it that’s pretty interesting, about the Underground Railroad and the slaves looking for the Beacon Tree as their stopover before they went to Canada,” Gagnon said.

According to a township press release, from 1850 to 1864, Peter and Sarah Lerich “sheltered freedom seekers on their journey north, transforming their spring house into a refuge hidden beneath vines. A cedar tree, planted atop the spring, became a beacon for those escaping slavery — a landmark pointing toward freedom in Canada. The new Beacon Tree sculpture honors this legacy, reminding the community that Shelby Township has long been a place of refuge, light, and hope for those most in need.”

“I think it came out pretty nice,” Gagnon said.

The township described the meaning of the sculpture’s features in the press release:

“At its core, the sculpture is deeply rooted in history and hope. A singular torch-like stalk lifts upward toward a stainless steel grid cube, representing a growing community in motion, reaching toward the sky. This upward gesture reflects Shelby Township’s growth — transformation through industry, transportation, and innovation from the early days of the Packard Proving Grounds to today’s advanced manufacturing and robotics firms along Shelby Parkway and beyond.

“The cube itself symbolizes the township’s borders and the many neighborhoods and communities that come together to form Shelby Township. From this grid structure, the abstracted branches of the tree grow and extend outward, reaching to the sky as a representation of the township’s vitality, unity, and shared future. The tree’s stem and base bend with implied motion, symbolizing the township’s path of progress, a road forged from its roots and carried forward into the future.”

The art walk, according to officials, will link the Shelby Township Library, with its Pewabic tile mural, Children’s Tree sculpture, and custom glass donor wall celebrating Heritage Lake, to other features of the municipal campus, including the Andrews Schoolhouse Museum, Historic Hope Chapel, and the train display.

The art walk project is being funded through a crowdfunding campaign by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Shelby Township DDA, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

“When public spaces can combine recreation with public art and a welcoming space, the result is a community gathering space where people want to spend time and commune,” MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz said in a prepared statement. “The new Civic Center Campus Art Walk will do just that, and we are pleased to provide resources for this effort through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $47,000 by Oct. 30 — it was at $29,830 on Oct. 26 — the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. The campaign funding will complete the art walk with the installation of lighting, seating, landscaping, a walking trail and universally designed and barrier-free features.

For project details and to donate, visit patronicity.com/beacon. For questions, email shelbytwpdda@gmail.com or call (586) 419-9900.