Parks & Recreation Five Year Recreation Plan ... - City of Marquette

Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update 2011
City of Marquette
A number of private art galleries are located in the City that display and sell local arts and crafts.
Occasionally, areas in shopping malls, the Peter White Library, City Hall, restaurants and motel
lobbies are used for art exhibition. While the availability of small and/or private informal space
has increased over the past ten years, there are no public facilities outside of NMU for the
formal exhibition of art work.
Presently, Marquette has few community spaces specifically designed as creative areas for arts
in classroom, workshop or studio form. Those private areas that are available are severely
limited in their use. The Women‘s Federated Clubhouse, the Peter White Public Library and the
Community Center section of City Hall have space available for public meetings. However, they
rarely accommodate the visual arts and their use is restricted with regard to scheduling and
accessibility. Opening of the aforementioned City of Marquette Arts and Culture facility in the
Peter White Public Library addition has provided some much needed relief to the lack of space
issue.
The Marquette County Historical Museum
Located on the corner of Spring Street and Third Street, the Marquette County History Museum
is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1918. The museum is open to the public and
features exhibits, artifacts, and research materials related to the cultural heritage and economic
development of the Central Upper Peninsula and Upper Great Lakes. The Marquette County
Regional History Center recently opened in its current location. The new facility includes as
large reception area, approximately four times the exhibit space of the old facility, special exhibit
gallery, more educational opportunities for school groups and a completely ADA accessible
facility.
The Marquette Maritime Museum
The museum, located on Lakeshore Boulevard near the Lower Harbor breakwater in the historic
1891 sandstone Water Works building, provides a glimpse of the Great Lakes‘ and Marquette
area‘s nautical histories. Self-guided displays include exhibits of old boats, birch bark canoes
and marine hardware, navigational instruments, outboard motors and memorabilia which
promote a greater understanding of the area‘s maritime heritage. A small museum store is also
located in the building.
The museum contains the largest collection of lighthouse lenses in the Great Lakes, and
operates the historic 1866 Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, which is in the process of restoration.
The museum building is located adjacent to the former Coast Guard station and a large parcel
owned by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard currently uses only portions of this property and
has agreed, once proper environmental assessments are done to turn the property over to the
City.
51