WALLOON LAKE — This summer, art will spill into the streets of downtown Walloon Lake in a unique, multi-sensory experience designed to connect creativity, community and culture — all sparked by a statue of Ernest Hemingway.
Inspired by the bronze sculpture of Hemingway in Circle Park, the Consenses Walk will transform the village into an evolving outdoor gallery, featuring local art, music, poetry, animation, floral design, wine and ceramics. Each piece was created in response to the one before it, like a game of artistic telephone.
The project launches with a free community kickoff event at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 at the Talcott Center, led by consenses founder Sally Taylor — an artist, musician and daughter of Carly Simon and James Taylor. The evening will include the first guided art walk, a panel discussion with the participating artists and a silent auction to benefit youth arts programming at the local library.
“The artists won’t see each other’s work until that very night,” Taylor said. “It’s about connection, creativity and interpretation — how one vision can ripple and transform through someone else’s medium.”
A chain reaction of artistic expression
This year’s Consenses Walk begins with a musical piece composed by local artist Pete Kehoe, inspired by the Hemingway statue. From there, the creative baton passes through a series of interpretations:
Each piece will be displayed at a different business in downtown Walloon Lake, including the Walloon Village General Store, Walloon Cottage (Village Mercantile), Sweetwater Floral, Walloon Watershed and Hotel Walloon. Visitors can scan QR codes along the route to interact with the music, animations and stories behind the art.
Taylor describes consenses as an “art democracy,” or a way to broaden the definition of creativity and make art accessible outside of galleries.
“Florists, winemakers, poets, animators — they’re all artists dreaming in different languages,” she said.
A tribute to Hemingway
Walloon Lake was chosen as this summer’s consenses site in part because of its deep historical ties to Ernest Hemingway. The famed author first visited the area as an infant in 1899 and spent more than 20 summers exploring its woods and waters. His legacy is honored with interpretive signs throughout the village and a Michigan Historical Marker in nearby Melrose Township Park.
“It’s a conversation under the surface of the town,” Taylor said. “Each chain reaction becomes a reflection of the place itself.”
Free docent-led walks will be offered at 11 a.m. every Friday beginning June 27 and continuing through early September. No reservations are required, interested visitors can simply meet at the Hemingway statue in Circle Park. Many artists will be available throughout the summer to answer questions and share their process.
To learn more or to experience the walk virtually after June 24, visit walks.consenses.org.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 and adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Walloon Lake to host interactive summer art walk inspired by Ernest Hemingway
Reporting by Annie Doyle, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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