Council picks Fresh Waves mural design for riverfront bridge abutments; artist to incorporate local elements

The Alpena City Council voted on Aug. 18 to select a mural design for the riverfront bridge abutments as part of the Fresh Waves 2025 program.

Anne Gentry, presenting the Fresh Waves proposal, said the abutments of the Second Avenue bridge were selected as one of the locations and that the DDA promotions and marketing committee recommended artist Molly Keane for the site. Gentry said Keane and staff had provided three concept designs and asked the council to identify a preferred option so the artist could begin painting.

Artist Molly Keane, who reviewed the concepts at the meeting, told the council, “I'm not actually a drawer. I'm a painter,” and said she was adaptable to requested edits. Council members discussed elements they wanted emphasized or removed, including local landmarks and activities such as bikers, fishing boats, the cement plant, Paul Bunyan imagery, the ACC lumberjack painting, seasonal scenes, northern lights, swans, and references to local trails and recreation.

After discussion, Mayor Pro Tem Walzick moved that the council accept design No. 2 for the bridge abutments; Councilwoman Halstead seconded the motion. The motion was made on the record at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 (meeting transcript); the transcript does not record a roll-call vote tally in the audio provided. Council members spoke in favor of design No. 2 and offered specific edits they would like the artist to consider.

Why it matters: The mural is a public-facing artwork on a high-visibility downtown site and is intended to activate the riverfront and reflect local identity and recent investments in the area.

What the council said and will do: Councilors and staff outlined several suggested changes and elements to include; they asked the artist to incorporate community feedback and to work with staff on final detailing. Anne Gentry and Molly Keane indicated the artist would begin work promptly and invited additional input from council and staff before painting begins.

Details recorded: Site: abutments of the Second Avenue riverfront bridge; selected design: No. 2 from three presented concepts; artist: Molly Keane; motion: accept design No. 2 (mover: Mayor Pro Tem Walzick; seconder: Councilwoman Halstead). Specific design requests from council included adding bikers, seasonal elements, local references such as Paul Bunyan/Babe, ACC lumberjack imagery, boats/fishing, and preserving certain features (for example, swan beaks marked black), and discussion about whether to include the text “Welcome to Alpena, Michigan.”

Ending note: The council approved a preferred design and asked staff and the artist to finalize edits; the motion and selection were recorded at the Aug. 18 meeting.