Barn Art
Where Rustic Meets Artistic: Barns as Canvases
By envisioning the classic American barn in an innovative light, barns throughout the local Port Austin area are undergoing a metamorphosis and becoming exhibits of art with 53 North as the driving force.
Established in 2013, 53 North is a rural art project that currently includes four critically acclaimed barn/art installations. With an initial ambition to complete 10 pieces in 10 years, the project is planning its fifth piece. The project collaborates with farmers, community groups, property owners, and artists to create barn art that stimulates, inspires, and invigorates the community.
Pause to indulge your curiosity and be captivated by these reimagined structures.
Learn more about the Barn Art installations below.
Barn Art Locations
Click the map below to view the Barn Art locations on Google Maps.
ART IN THE PUBLIC REALM: RURAL EDITION
Hygienic Dress League
LOCATION
52 Stoddard Rd, Port Austin, MI 48467The first of ten barn art projects, “Walden” and “American Gothic” was completed in 2013 by art duo the Hygienic Dress League (HDL) - also known as Steve and Dorota Coy. The two-sided mural lives on a barn on Ziel Farm, located on the corner of Stoddard and Van Dyke Road.
“Walden” can be seen from the road and is meant to mimic the kind of advertisements that used to appear on barn sides. Perhaps the more controversial of the two, “American Gothic” can be found on the opposite side of the barn and depicts two subjects in gas masks- a common element found in many public art pieces by the HDL.
CELESTIAL SHIP OF THE NORTH
Scott Hocking
LOCATION
3598 Fehner Rd, Port Austin, MI 48467Based on ideas of archaic vessels, alchemical symbolism, destruction myths, duality and deluge stories - and shaped by the site's history and the Thumb’s incredibly consistent winds - the Barnboat was built over the course of 3 months, and made entirely from the beams and boards of the collapsing 1890s barn that stood here in its place. Constructed on Goretski Family farmland, the Celestial Ship will continue to change and decay over time, just as the barn it was made from did.
SECRET SKY
Catie Newell
LOCATION
5201 N Pinnebog Rd, Kinde, MI 48445Modifying the renowned design of the original barn, Secret Sky invites the sky to penetrate and infuse the structure. During the day, visitors behold the intricate patterns of the barn walls, set against a sizable opening that welcomes daylight to flood in. After dusk, light emanates from within for several hours, resembling a grand lantern amidst the landscape, casting elongated shadows around it, and restoring a play of light and darkness to the sky.
4th Barn Art Project
COMING SOON
53 North has successfully obtained funding for a fourth art installation to contribute to the renowned barn art project. This new addition is envisioned as a mural, and pending availability, Bakpak Durden, a highly esteemed muralist in Detroit, has expressed interest in undertaking the commission. Bakpak's accolades include recent exhibitions at Cranbrook Art Institute and participation in Detroit’s Blkout Walls Mural Festival, generously supported by esteemed organizations such as the Kresge and Knight Foundations.