Julie took this pic the other day at Tom Lakenen’s Lakenenland Sculpture Park near Marquette. Lakenenland is a free, open-air art attraction in that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can see lots more in her U.P. of Michigan gallery on Flickr & definitely follow Julie on Flickr for her latest pics!
James Scott Memorial Fountain by Darryl Wattenberg
I learned last week from Raw Detroit that they will soon be removing the construction barriers around the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle. One of the questions a lot of folks have been asking is whether or not the renovated fountain will have colored lights like in Darryl’s photo from 2014. The article doesn’t say, but they note that the iconic Vermont white marble fountain with 109 water outlets shaped like dolphins, turtles, lions, and human figures, and a center jet that can throw water 125 feet in the air won’t have the water turned back on til Spring of 2027.
Check out some of Darryl’s most popular pics on Flickr
You can read more about the controversial history of the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Michigan in Pictures. Here’s a video of the the fountain at night:
A very happy Labor Day to everyone! Here’s a photo I originally shared eleven Labor Days ago. The struggle is every bit as real today as it was when Diego Rivera began painting the wall of the DIA’s Garden Court in 1932.
See more in Maia’s Rivera Court, Detroit Institute of Arts gallery & follow her on Flickr for her latest!
Murals at Lincoln Street Art Park by Andrew McFarlane
The whole idea behind Michigan in Pictures is to share to work of other photographers to help people see the state that I love from every angle, but on my birthday I like to share my own photos.
Since today is my birthday, I’m going to take the time to introduce you to something near & dear to my heart, the Lincoln Street Art Park in Detroit & Make Art Work, the nonprofit that seeks to preserve & enhance this incredible place. Instead of listing all the ways tmy spirit has been fed & connected by this wildly unique blend of art & community, I’ll let Maryam Moss of the Oakland Post explain how Lincoln Street Art Park has turned trash to treasure:
Lincoln St. Art Park, on 5929 Lincoln St. near the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood in Detroit, was opened to the public in 2011 by Matthew Naimi, also founder of Recycle Here!, a recycling center adjacent to the park.
The vision for the park was born out of a community cleanup effort to transform an industrial lot, once the site of an auto plant managed by Warren Motor Car Co., and, later, Ford Motor Co. The center, described by Naimi as “Detroit’s destination for recycling for 15 years,” encourages a public participation in patronizing and creating sustainable art, after the “take something, leave another behind” ideology of the Little Free Libraries found across U.S. communities.
…The park features mounted mural art, graffitied sections of brick and sculpture installations as part of an outdoor walk-through gallery where bright swaths of paint contrast against the rugged brick interior and uneven lawn.
Learn how you can help protect it through Make Art Work’s campaign to raise money for Lincoln Street Art Park!
PS: The murals in the top photo were painted by (left to right) Zach Curtis, Ghostbeard, and FEL300FT.
Let me first wish a very happy 313 Day to the city of Detroit & all who love it! There is no city that I would rather be from, and none that I’d rather live in. Then let me also say that I think it’s kind of hilarious that I was looking for the perfect photo to celebrate the city and already had it queued up for a post!
Let the sun shine bright on the city by Scott Laidlaw
USA Today shares that the dramatic increase in daylight in March is part of a fascinating and unbalanced yearly cycle:
While sunrise and sunset times are constantly on the move, sunlight rapidly increases in March (and rapidly decreases in September). During the month of March, some parts of the United States will add over an hour-and-a-half of sun by the end of the month.
…The increase in daylight, or the amount of time the sun spends above the horizon, will be most obvious in the northernmost parts of the U.S., which will face the sun more directly as the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun on Earth’s axis at a 23.5-degree angle, according to Brandon Buckingham, a meteorologist at AccuWeather.
FYI, Michigan will pick up between 80 and 100 minutes of daylight this month.
Scott took this back in 2020 and he notes how 3-D it looks. You can see more in his massive Detroit gallery & for sure follow him on Flickr for the latest!
The mural was the 100th painted by Detroit artist Waleed Johnson which is pretty amazing when you consider how much work it is to paint a mural!
Sun Pillars by Stephen Michael Mannina
Atmospheric Optics explains that the mesmerizing solar phenomena known as sun pillars are:
…Typically visible near sunset or sunrise, pillars can reach heights of 5 to 10 degrees, and occasionally even higher. While they may appear as vertical rays, they are actually the collective glints of millions of ice crystals. When it comes to colors, pillars are truly a sight to behold. They take on hues that reflect the sun and surrounding clouds, ranging from brilliant white to various shades of yellow, red, or purple. Depending on the locations of the cloud crystals, pillars can even manifest as several vertically strung patches of light. As the light interacts with the ice crystals in the atmosphere, it creates a stunning display that captivates observers.
Yesterday morning, I came across this photo by Stephen right before I saw him making a positive comment on a photo that Sean – the photographer I featured yesterday – had taken. This was soon after I had seen photos Neil Weaver had taken at an ice cave photography workshop along with fellow Michpics photographer Aubrieta Hope. It made me realize that a huge and underrated part of Michigan in Pictures is the community of real live human beings that are as passionate about their fellow photographers as they are about introducing people to their favorite parts of Michigan. That’s a long way of saying that I am going to be working on ways to showcase the people out there clicking the shutter. One way will be to revive the Michigan Photographer Profiles with a focus on the photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. Stay tuned!!
Thanks to Stephen for allowing me to share both of these awesome sun pillar shots. He’s facing a problem that many photographers face: figuring out which of these two photos is the best to submit for a photography contest? Have a vote? Share it in the comments below or on his Facebook post and for sure view & purchase his work on his website!
Bicentennial License Plate Map – Michigan by design turnpike
I’m old enough to remember the Bicentennial craze of 1976 from Sam the Eagle to Michigan’s iconic bicentennial license plates. Get ready drivers, because Bridge Magazine shares that Michigan is bringing back the red, white and blue retro license plate next month in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary: Beginning Jan. 2, Michiganders will be able to order a new red, white and blue semiquincentennial plate that is modeled after the 1976 bicentennial design. The plate features updated patriotic elements, including stars and stripes, and will be available through the end of 2026.
The photos that David of Design Turnpike shared years ago of his original license plate artwork were so perfect for this post, so I was happy to see that he’s still in business! Follow Design Turnpike on Facebook and view & purchase his work on his website.
Shark Attack – Triple X by Jill N. Hamilton-Krawczyk
Accuweather shares that much of the US and definitely Michigan is facing a rare “triple dip” polar vortex:
“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,” Pastelok explained. “The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”
I originally shared this photo way back on April 1, 2010 along with a pretty funny spoof, and I am very happy to bring it back along with several more that Jill shared from The Heidelberg Project in Detroit, a truly astonishing work of activist art. See many more in her excellent Detroit gallery on Flickr & stay warm people!!
Rain Comes by Andrew McFarlane
9 years ago I started a Michigan in Pictures Patreon page to allow folks to throw me a few bucks in support of michpics. A big thank you to all who have done so – it means a lot to know you care.
My best friend Ken who has since passed on & I took these photos way back in August of 2007 after an honestly incredible rock stacking event on the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of the village of Frankfort. I still have no idea who did this, but I know that I will never forget it!! I hope you enjoy these photos & the video and also that you’re able to make or discover magic in your corner of the Great Lakes State.
Frankfort Rock Gallery photos by Andrew McFarlane & Ken Lake
Upper Deck by Andrew McFarlane
I started Michigan in Pictures way back on December 30, 2025. In the 19 years since, I’ve shared 2840 posts – well, 2841 now – to 1.6 million people! Thank you all for being a part of it!!
The most popular post ever remains Know Your Michigan Turtles, but every year Underwater Stonehenge in Lake Michigan gains a little ground. The top five rounds out with Fist of a Champion: Detroit’s Monument to Joe Louis, Northern Lights Forecast: Predicting the Aurora Borealis in Michigan & Detroit’s Michigan Central Station. To make the boxes below line up nicely, I’ve added #6 which is a personal favorite: Slumpy: the William Livingstone Mansion in Brush Park.
In 2025, I am going to celebrate the 20th year by revisiting some of the amazing photographers & photographic subjects to see where they are now!
I took this photo & the one below at the Manitou Music Festival at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore way back in 2005! You can see a lot more in my Music Makes Me Smile gallery on Flickr, and the dancing fellow in the bottom picture is Jacob Wheeler, editor & publisher of the fantastic Glen Arbor Sun!
Jacob Dancing by Andrew McFarlane
