Marine City will be joining a few St. Clair County cities participating in an art project highlighting the importance of keeping storm drains clean.
Friends of the St. Clair River representative Lydia Nicholas, an environmental field technician, attended the Marine City Commission’s June 16 meeting to talk about the Thumb Coast Storm Drain Art Project.
“Our Thumb Coast Storm Drain Art Project is a new public art initiative with an environmental message,” Nicholas said. “Murals painted on sidewalks and streets bring awareness to the connectivity between storm drains and rivers. A painted storm drain reminds us that what goes into the drain ends up in our river untreated.”
She said artist designs reflect the messages of keeping the water clean, with messages like “Only Rain in the Drain,” “Be the Solution to Pollution” and “We’re All Downstream.”
“When people make the storm drain to river connection, they are more likely to help keep those storm drains clean,” she said. “Dozens of youth and adult artists are bringing their art to life at 25 storm drain locations in Port Huron, St. Clair and Marine City. They have already begun the active painting in St. Clair.”
Nicholas said she and some city officials walked along Water Street on June 14 to select the eight best visible safe storm drain locations for the eight winning mural designs.
“We are proposing storm drains that are on public property, like in front of the parks and beaches,” she said, noting that all the locations are on the east side of Water Street and not located in front of businesses. “We provide our artist with fluorescent safety vests while painting and orange cones and (the department of public works) has offered barricades if needed to keep artists safe.”
She said the timeline for the painting is July 20 to Aug. 3, with the goal of having the project done before Maritime Days so the murals will be part of the festivities.
Jason Stier, River Rec Teen Zone chairman and Riverview East High School principal, is the advisor on the project and providing all paint and supplies.
“At the end of this project, we’re going to make an interactive website with all the storm drain locations and artist information that people can pull up and look at online or visit in person,” Nicholas said.
Commissioner Brian Ross asked if the paint will be nontoxic. Nicholas said it will be.
Commissioner Lisa Hendrick asked how long the murals would last.
“We’ve been in communication with a few other communities who have done a project like this before,” Nicholas said. “They have had theirs upwards of three years now and they’re still looking good. We may go in and reapply sealant periodically to maintain the upkeep, but the idea is now that they are painted, people will want to take ownership of these drains and help keep them looking nice and clean.”
City Manager Holly Tatman said DPW Superintendent Mike Itrich said he would make sure any of the crack sealing that needs to be done in those areas is done prior to the painting.
City Attorney Robert Davis noted that he liked one of the designs that had a mussel theme.
“We’re really excited about that one because people come from all over to do research on mussels to Marine City and our rivers here,” Nicholas said. “There’s a couple of really great youth artists, 11, 12 years old, who have designs that were chosen and they’re being paired with a mentor to help them expand their artistic abilities.”
She said in the two-week window that artists will be painting, they can come in and paint on their own time, though she is requesting an idea of their schedules that can be shared with the DPW.
Commissioner William Klaassen asked how big the murals would be. Nicholas said the most Friends of the St. Clair River estimated was about 2 1/2 feet on either side of the storm drain and up the length of the sidewalk.
“However, I know our artists are flexible on that, depending, and I know that there was a couple of locations in which Mike suggested only painting on the street due to sidewalk repairs, and so that will be some of the smaller designs,” Nicholas said. “But from our experience working with these artists so far, they have been very flexible on adjusting their designs to accommodate what the city needs.”
Mayor Pro Tem Jacob Bryson made a motion to approve the storm drain painting project by Friends of the St. Clair River. The commission voted unanimously in favor of the motion. Commissioner John Kreidler was absent.
