KALAMAZOO, MI — One woman’s simple desire to add a public sculpture to her neighborhood has become a campaign to create a little park for public leisure. The instigator is Jane Schelhas, a 30-year resident of Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood and an artist who makes metal sculptures.
Not long ago, she donated money to the Edison Neighborhood Association (ENA) and stipulated it must be used to help pay for the installation of a sculpture in a public place. The ENA knew just the place, a small plaza in front of The Creamery apartment building at Portage and Lake streets. The plaza has a 10-foot-diameter, concrete planter, and Hollander Development Corp., owner of the three-story, 48-apartment building, always intended to install a sculpture there.
So the neighborhood association made a plan to raise $20,000 to buy a large sculpture and pay for its installation. (The sum must be raised by Aug. 17. Tax-deductible donations can be made at patronicity.com/edison. Nearly $4,500 has been raised as of July 15.) The association also investigated getting a matching grant and learned that one could be given by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC). However, that agency insists there must be more than a lone sculpture.
Mike WenningerThis is the plaza that can be a pocket park.…