Art in the Alley -
Munising’s “Art in the Alley” project was spearheaded and installed by the Munising Downtown Development Authority and the Alger County Chamber of Commerce. The alley contains 74 reproduced works of art from Alger County residents, over 20 new art banners from Munising’s 4-12th grade art classes, annual and perennial plants and flowers, café lighting, and custom designed metal gateways. The location of the alley is ½ block south of Munising Avenue (M28) running from Elm Avenue to Maple Street. The installation will be in place each year from mid-May through mid-October. Funding for the project came from a Prosperous Places mini-grant through Central UP Planning & Development, the Fuzzy Foundation and the Munising Visitors Bureau.

Some of the art can be purchased. Please contact the individual artists to inquire.

Samantha Cain- phone 906-202-9054

Kristin Sontag- email kristen.sontag@mps-up.com

Bill Savage- email savage.bill1@gmail.com

Julie Highlen- email phone 906-343-6610

Debra Laurie- email dlauriemi@hotmail.com

Linda Ferguson- email Linda.king.ferguson@gmail.com

Kathryn Lund Johnson- email klundjohnson@gmail.com

Elisheba Peterson- email elisheba.petersen@mps-up.com

Francis Nettleton- email netfrancis33@gmail.com

Cynthia Kustin- email cynkustin@icloud.com

Munising DDA Banner Contest-
Over the years, individuals have been encouraged to submit banner designs to several Munising DDA Banner Design contests, aiming to help beautify Munising's downtown district. The theme for the most recent contest was “Munising’s Great Outdoors.” The winning designs are displayed in various locations around town in late spring throughout the fall.

Maritime Munising -
Our newest alley project in downtown Munising! Maritime Munising consists of 12 outdoor installations of history-themed illustrations depicting the unique lifestyle defined by Lake Superior. The alley is located 1/2 block south of Munising Ave. (M28) running from Maple Street to Birch Street. All panels were designed by Mike Stockwell.

Supplemental information for visitors to Maritime Munising Alley

Munising Murals -
Five beautiful murals now hang on several buildings off Superior Street and M-28 in downtown Munising. The first mural installed, which was created by Mike Stockwell of Cranking Graphics, was placed on Miss Good Stitch’s building facing M-28 and depicts waterfalls and the great outdoors. The other four murals - which went up in the summer of 2019 – are placed on buildings along Superior Street. Themes include the history of Munising, popular outdoor activities, and the history of communications, which were all created by Negaunee-bases artist Mike Lempanen, and nature and northern lights, which was created by Mike Stockwell.

Scenes From Munising’s Past-
In August 2019, a historical photo walk was installed in downtown Munising. The installations - a total of 13 - start near the Munising City Dock and are placed along Elm Avenue, Superior and Maple streets. The installations will stay up year-round as they are made of sturdy materials which should withstand the elements. Panels were designed by Mike Stockwell.

Shadows From Munising's Past -
Six illustrations of colorful residents/visitors from Munising’s past can be found on different establishments in downtown Munising. Francis Putvin (who is placed on Putvin Drug Store) is the only one named. A woman with a fishing pole is located on Pictured Rocks Cruises’ building next to the gift shop’s entrance, a tall man posing with a bicycle is on our office’s building, a carpenter is located on Madigan’s Ace Hardware and a local fisherman is located by the city docks.

A recent addition, a large mural depicting a real-life still bust in Prohibition-era Munising was recently installed on the east side of the former Corktown Bar building at 109 Elm Ave. The mural shows two Michigan state troopers, Alger County Sheriff Frank Runsat, Frank’s two sons, Lawrence and Robert, and an unidentified small child, standing near still equipment after a booze raid around 90 years ago. Frank, a Swedish immigrant, was also the one-time owner of Munising Bottling Works and ironically, Runsat's Tavern. All images were illustrated from actual photos by Mike Stockwell.

Art in the Park-
An historical photography walk adjacent to and behind the old post office along with a beautiful wind harp in Grand Marais. The project was installed in summer of 2019. Meetings were held with area residents to see what kind of beautification project they’d like for their town and this was the result. Banners and benches were also added to the downtown.