Spring/Summer 2011

The Mackinac State Historic Parks have always been known for their celebrated forts and lighthouses, for colonial interpreters in military garb and for pristine beaches. And now the parks department has broadened its reach into fine art.

In July 2010, Michigan’s Mackinac Island unveiled the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum. Located in the 1836 building known as the Indian Dormitory, the art museum beautifully displays a wide variety of art. Some works, like the intricate island map penned by Louis XIV’s cartographer in 1690, were crafted by early explorers of the island. Hand-tinted photographs and historical paintings tell a far-reaching history of the island, while a finely beaded bandolier — worn in 1850 by a visiting Ojibwa chief — highlights the region’s Native American heritage.

Other works on display include Hannah White’s 1830 white velvet cloth painting of the island. Grand Hotel photographs and dinner menus recall the upper-class holidays of the early 1900s, while souvenir toothpick holders and teacups decorated with images of horse carriages and the Mackinaw Bridge evoke memories of the 1960s. The gallery’s variety is impressive, each item’s connection to the island unique.

The Mackinac Art Museum’s modern items include the colorful watercolor and acrylic paintings and stunning photographs that visitors have come to expect from Mackinac Island’s contemporary artists. The contemporary art exhibit changes throughout the year, and from May 13–July 14, visitors will be treated to “Richard Wolfgang: A Life of Painting.”

In addition to the historical and contemporary artworks on display at the Mackinac Art Museum, the facility includes an art studio where children can create their own Mackinac Island artworks. 

- State - Michigan

- Type - Historic Tours

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