MSU partnership brings vibrant public art to downtown Cadillac 

The future looks bright for a century-old building in downtown Cadillac — literally — thanks to a partnership between MSU Extension and the city of Cadillac.

In summer 2025, the side of the Cadillac Printing Company building was painted with vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow and green as part of a mural designed by local artist Gabby Hanson. The mural honors Marion Nye, a longtime typesetter at Cadillac Printing Company who is remembered for his dedication, skill and kindness. It celebrates the lasting impact of an everyday worker whose craft and character helped sustain the business for nearly a century in downtown Cadillac.

“I love that the main person featured in the mural was not anyone of major public importance. He is a worker who helped keep a 100-plus-year-old company going,” said Hanson. “I think that really speaks to the community because Cadillac is a community of workers.”

The mural project began in 2024, when arts advocate Diane Wilson first met with representatives from the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau, or CVB, in the weeks before MSU Extension’s Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities, or CEC, conference in downtown Cadillac. The conference brings together local leaders, such as business owners, educators, nonprofits, government officials and economic developers, to build connections and spark new ideas that help communities grow their potential for entrepreneurship.

“CEC is about making connections that turn into lasting collaborations,” Wilson said. “The focus is on working together to build stronger, more resilient communities in rural Michigan.”

Wilson leads Michigan ArtShare, a project of MSU Extension, which supports community growth through investments in arts and culture-focused projects. Following her presentations at CEC, Wilson continued to work with the CVB and Cadillac Downtown Development Authority about their desire to integrate public art into downtown Cadillac. Wilson worked with city officials in Cadillac to develop a plan, and Michigan ArtShare was awarded a $12,000 grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council to complete the project.

“Cadillac has about 30 sites they are exploring to install murals, and my job is to collaborate and guide — to demonstrate how you create public art, evaluate its community impact, and be a resource through the fun and the challenges of a project,” said Wilson.

Wilson brought on Heath Urbaniak as the project director for the grant. Urbaniak serves as the director of Up North Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering arts-related educational opportunities in the greater Cadillac area. He’s married to Hanson, who instructs youth art classes at Up North Arts.

“We’re building a community around these artworks by partnering with local groups and organizations,” said Urbaniak. “My role includes gathering public input and helping residents understand the mural process because we want the art to reflect local identity and give the community a real sense of ownership.”

The Cadillac mural project is part of the Urban/Rural Conversation initiative within Michigan ArtShare. This initiative brings an artist from a rural area of the state to Detroit, and an artist from Detroit to a rural area. Hanson’s paintings are currently on exhibit at the MSU Extension office at Focus Hope in Detroit as part of this initiative. In November, the exhibit will be moved to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation lobby in downtown Lansing.

As part of this exchange, Hanson worked with renowned Detroit artist Chazz Miller to hone techniques she used on the Cadillac Printing Company mural.

“Detroit is a primary hub in the world’s art scene right now. We wanted to include Michigan’s rural communities in that energy and support projects where these folks would have a reason to get together,” said Wilson.

Detroit and Cadillac are both examples of how public art instills hope and pride in communities.

“Art is something that people can be inspired by. It can help eliminate blight and degradation. It can drive tourism,” said Urbaniak. “There are so many reasons to invest in and create art.”

In Cadillac, public art is more than the finished mural on the Cadillac Printing Company building and the other murals planned for the future. It’s about partnerships, connection and identity.

“Community art is for the community. At the end of the day, you want to give people something nice to look at, but it’s more than just that: You’re bringing people together and creating a conversation,” Urbaniak said. “We’re trying to further cement that local identity through art and include and incorporate as many people as we can.”

Hanson shared a similar sentiment.

“The mural itself has thousands and thousands of handprints from all different people in the community, and I just really loved talking with them about art. I love seeing the people looking at the mural, critiquing themselves and exploring a new part of the city,” she said. “I love that the art has woken up passions and people in this community.”