New sculptures to be unveiled at Keweenaw National Historical Park

What's happening: Three new sculptures will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Quincy Smelter in Hancock. The sculptures are part of a larger art installation at Quincy Mine that seeks to revive the human presence once so integral to the region's history. Previous sculptures depict miners and their family members, offering a glimpse into life during the peak of the copper mining era. The sculptures were created by artist Kasey Koski.

What they're saying: “The sculptures were intended to bring the memory of those miners and their families, those original immigrants to this area, back here,” Koski has said.

About the sculptures: The new sculptures are part of a project begun last year with the Keweenaw National Historical Park to depict the mine workers and their families who once lived throughout Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. The new works are installed at the Quincy Smelter and Quincy Mine Hoist that enables visitors to envision these now silent places as they once were, noisy, bustling, busy places of work. 

About the artist: Koski is an interdisciplinary artist, curator and educator who lives in Wenatchee, Washington, but has strong ties to the U.P. She attended the now-closed Finlandia University and is descended from mining immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula. She serves as curator of the Chelan County Museum; she previously served as the exhibit curator for the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center. 

Information: To learn more about the sculpture program, go to: https://go.nps.gov/KEWE_Art