It has been said that a leader is someone who can turn adversity into advantage. Kevin Schoen’s approach is more specific. He wants to turn adversity into art.
Two years ago, Schoen, president of Lansing-based
ACD.net, planned to restore a 100-year-old warehouse located at 711 Kalamazoo Street in Lansing.
But when the 38,000 square foot warehouse caught fire, nothing could save the old structure. Although the fire department and Schoen’s insurance carrier both conducted investigations, the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.
“This was one of the last old large buildings that hadn’t been redone,” says Schoen. The warehouse was situated between two sets of railroad tracks near Art’s Bar and Dicker & Deal. Unfortunately, because of setbacks required by the City of Lansing, it is not feasible for another structure to be built on this property.
Rather than allow this almost full acre of property to remain an unattractive empty lot, Schoen has a vision of turning the land into an urban art installation. When asked what he has in mind, Schoen refers to the
Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids and the folk art installation known as the
Heidelberg Project in Detroit.
Collaborative ArtThe Heidelberg Project is a community art project started by native Detroit artist, Tyree Guyton, and based on Heidelberg Street in Detroit. The project has been going on for more than 20 years and encourages community members to place art on every piece of open space, making a once rundown neighborhood one big piece of living art.
Schoen says he envisions decorative pathways with ornamental grasses and big metal sculptures for his urban art project in Lansing. “I want to put in some heavy stuff.”
In fact, he has just acquired the first sculpture, created by artist Paul Such, and has placed it on the site. “We are planting a variety of plants in the area, cleaning up the rubble,” says Schoen . He says a sign will soon go up on the site, indicating the exciting new project taking place on the property.
He is interested in a collaborative effort and is looking for input from artists and community members. If an artist needs space for an outdoor project, 711 East Kalamazoo Street might be just the place to put it. Schoen says, “There are a number of folks that want to do something.”
Following FacebookA group of people interested in the project are keeping up-to-date on
Schoen’s Facebook page, titled the Ministry of Urban Revival. Schoen created the page for the project in May and chose the name because, “it sounds cool.”
By visiting the page, members can find out what progress is being made on the project through photos posted by Schoen and comments posted from other members. In just a matter of weeks, the Facebook page has garnered 98 members, with more joining every week.
Rizzi Designs owner Rochelle Rizzi is one fan who is following the project. “A building burned down, so now we can rebuild and create something new and inspirational,” she says. “Projects like the Ministry of Urban Revival give hope to Lansing. There is always a positive aspect to look for in a bad situation.”
Next Big ThingSchoen and other interested community members are working on an idea for a large-sized sculpture that they hope will be the signature piece for the installation.
“I’ve got a warehouse and we are lining up materials for the project.” Schoen envisions a design that is made of metal, possibly 15 to 25 feet in height. “This is just in the design phase right now. Welders will design the piece and a sculptural engineer will work on it this winter. Our welders are fired up and ready to rock and roll. “
Schoen says he currently doesn’t have any plans to seek financial sponsorship.
“Lansing doesn’t have a lot of private benefactors. Lansing is not known for that. We are bootstrapping this. We’ve currently got people who are donating time.” Schoen says he will continue to look for donations of materials and labor. He hopes to facilitate a collaborative effort with interested individuals dropping in to give a hand in cleaning up the site and whatever work is required.
“We’ve made enormous progress in Lansing,” Schoen says when asked how he thinks this project will impact the Lansing area.
“I am the anti-urban sprawl guy. We’ve got to start switching our philosophy in this country. Live where you work. We can improve our lifestyle by staying in the community.”
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Deborah Richmond is a freelance copywriter and social media coach in Lansing and Grand Rapids.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
Kevin Schoen
The first installed sculpture by artist Paul Such
Meijer Gardens (photo by Brian Kelly-Rapid Growth)
Heidelberg Project (photo by Dave Krieger – Model D)
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie (unless noted)