Since The Great Mural Project (GMP) was established in 2017, we have completed 24 murals in Riverfront Saginaw that bring color, creativity and economic development to the City of Saginaw. This year we aim to up our game, with a combination of 2 large murals, 2 small murals and 17 utility box murals to be installed in the City. We will also be partnering with a public art sister organization, The Showdown, to combine our efforts on a mural festival in the tradition of their previous two annual events.
Public art adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community. It is now a well-accepted principle of urban design that public art contributes to a community's identity, fosters community pride and a sense of belonging, and enhances the quality of life for its residents and visitors. All our neighbors deserve to have access to art, and public art has the lowest barriers of all.
Public art adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community. It is now a well-accepted principle of urban design that public art contributes to a community's identity, fosters community pride and a sense of belonging, and enhances the quality of life for its residents and visitors. All our neighbors deserve to have access to art, and public art has the lowest barriers of all.
Steering Committee
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Cassi Zimmerman, Assistant Economic Developer at Saginaw Future, has a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Working with Saginaw Future has educated her on the many economic assists and limitations of Saginaw. Some of the most threatening are the outstandingly low average household income and the number of unoccupied buildings in the primary commercial core of the City, which this project can help to combat. Through Saginaw Future, Cassi manages the Saginaw Downtown Development Authority, which focuses on economic development and quality of life specifically in downtown and Old Town. Though she has only lived in Saginaw for 2 years, she loves the City and has a passion for community development.
Dawn Goodrow Hillier is a pioneer in the redevelopment of Downtown Saginaw. She is the owner of Dawn of a New Day Coffeehouse, which has been located in Downtown Saginaw for 16 years. As a lifetime Saginaw resident, Dawn has spent her career supporting many Saginaw organizations and initiatives that benefit her neighbors including, The Temple Theater, The Ezekiel Project, Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Saginaw Association, Art and Enrichment Commission and Pit and Balcony Community Theater, Saginaw Celebrates Summer Calendar
and other community art projects. A trailblazer in Downtown Saginaw, she is a member of the Saginaw Choral Society and a champion of arts and culture initiatives. Jamie Forbes, Director of External Affairs at STARS (Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services), has a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University in Nashville in Business Administration. She has been investing her time in community initiatives and social justice issues in Saginaw, for 10 years. She was in the inaugural class of the Henry Marsh Institute of Pubic Policy, now housed at SVSU, and is currently on the advisory board of this program. She is a member of the 2015-16 class of Leadership Saginaw and 2017 class of Great Lakes Bay Leaders Institute. She was chosen by Mlive as Saginawian of the year in 2017 and received the Save Our STARS award in 2018. She was honored to serve on Saginaw City Council from 2018 to 2020.
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