Courtesy photo People are seen gathered around the Departure of the Great Blue Herons sculpture located in Alpena.

As the world watched the Winter Olympics close with a ceremony blending athletic mastery and artistic expression, and as Alpena held its 5th ICE Fest this past weekend, both activities offered a striking reminder of how movement and expression–whether through sport or art–connect people. This resonates powerfully here in Alpena, where the anniversary celebration of the Alpena Bi-Path highlights a similar synthesis: the union of physical pathways and artistic landmarks that shape our shared community experiences.

The sculpture components of the Alpena Bi-Path were resurrected by Thunder Bay Arts Council, Inc. in 2017 as part of its 45th Anniversary and to revive the sculpture component of the Alpena Sculptured Bikeway/Walkway (Alpena Bi-Path) from the original 1974/1976 conception, celebrating our nation’s Bicentennial.

Two sculptures along the Bi-Path, Global Collaboration Awareness and Departure of the Great Blue Herons, were the first to be installed as part of a series following the earliest contribution, “Sculptured Fountain” by Glen Michaels (1979) at the Besser Museum. These new additions capture the spirit of the intersections so vividly present in our attention these past few weeks and days–recreating with art in nature through sport, recreation, creativity, and expression within community.

Global collaboration awareness: A sphere of collective endeavor

Created in 2017, Global Collaboration Awareness, located at Alpena Community College, uses seven interlinked spheres to represent Earth’s continents and seas. The piece draws inspiration from the 16th-century armillary sphere of Antonio Santucci, but its meaning is firmly rooted in the present: global awareness, interdisciplinary education, and collaborative problem-solving. Made of aluminum and fabricated by Scott Stevens of Stevens Custom Fabrication, the sphere’s height is 14.6′ with a diameter of 7.8′ and a weight of 250 pounds.

The sculpture’s development–uniting faculty, students, and programs ranging from engineering to welding and political science–embodies the very notion of coordinated movement. It celebrates the value of education as a communal endeavor. Faculty, students, and College staff conceptualized, designed, constructed, and placed the sculpture. After gathering inspiration from social science and humanities faculty, technical design students and faculty collaborated with welding, concrete technology, and utility technology programs to execute the project.

Placed along the Alpena Bi-Path on the campus of ACC, the work reinforces that our shared public spaces are environments where people, ideas, and disciplines intersect. The sculpture becomes not just a visual anchor welcoming you to campus, but a conceptual one–an emblem of the region’s commitment to lifelong learning, creativity, and service to community.

Departure of the Great Blue Herons: A tribute to cultural flight

Simultaneously, in 2017, Thunder Bay Arts Council commissioned and installed Departure of the Great Blue Herons, commemorating the council’s 45th anniversary and one of Michigan’s oldest continuous arts councils. The sculpture captures the moment of uplift–a gesture symbolic of new eras, new momentum, and the adaptive spirit of Northeast Michigan’s arts community.

Just as the Olympic closing ceremony reflects a handoff between one generation of athletes and the next, the rising herons suggest continuity and renewal. They celebrate a long-standing regional commitment to arts and cultural development, while acknowledging the evolving creative landscape ahead.

By situating this piece along the Bi-Path at Duck Park, the installation reinforces the walkway as both a literal and figurative corridor of cultural vitality. Movement through the space becomes an invitation to reflect on how art and environment shape one another. Departure of the Great Blue Herons is the creation of Iron One Studio – Ann Gildner, Thomas Moran, and Mary Zinke. The sculpture is 21′ high, 8.9′ wide, and 19′ long, weighing 800 pounds.

Art, athletics, and the shared language of movement

The placement of these sculptures along the Alpena Bi-Path is no accident. The Bi-Path itself embodies the same principle that animated the Olympic ceremonies: motion as universal communication. A walkway or bikeway is a choreography of daily life–cyclists, runners, walkers, families, and visitors all participating in a communal rhythm, individually yet in shared goals and spaces.

In this sense, the sculptures act as conceptual relay points. They invite reflection while encouraging forward motion, reminding us that community is not static. It evolves through engagement, discovery, and shared spaces that welcome expression and experiences.

A community energized: Ice Fest and local engagement

This year’s excitement surrounding Alpena’s recent Ice Fest further highlights the local appetite for community experiences that blend art, environment, and movement. Ice carving, winter activities, and outdoor gatherings, even in the heart of winter–each component reaffirmed the value of shared cultural events in strengthening community engagement and identity. Watching young children have so much fun in the snow and marveling at ice being carved before their eyes makes the world feel right with itself.

Like the sculptures and the Bi-Path itself, Ice Fest showcases how creativity and physical engagement coexist. It proves that community thrives when people come out and join together–whether to carve ice, admire public art, or explore a multi-use path that links neighborhoods and natural landscapes around common interaction.

Continuing a legacy of connection

Both Global Collaboration Awareness and Departure of the Great Blue Herons contribute to a growing constellation of sculptures along the Alpena Bi-Path that we celebrate this very special year. They expand a collection that began decades ago and continues to evolve as new expressions are added by local organizations, artists, and supporters. Each installation enhances the community’s aesthetic and cultural value while reinforcing the idea that public art is not separate from daily life–it is embedded in it and often a reflection of it.

As Alpena marks another milestone for the Bi-Path in the midst of our emerging national celebrations of independence, the convergence of Olympic symbolism, local artistry, and vibrant community events like Ice Fest underscores a central truth: movement–whether physical, intellectual, or creative–is at the heart of community vitality. These sculptures stand as enduring markers of that momentum, encouraging all who pass by to continue the journey forward.

Plaques at each of these sculptures highlight more of their story – along a path through time- and the scores of people and organizations who made each sculpture possible. Check them out for yourself next time you are up for a stroll, a drive by, or a bike ride along the Alpena Bi-Path. Stop for even just a moment and reflect on just how fortunate we are to have a local community with such rich opportunities for engagement in the larger national and international context of the world in which we live.