Hart wins $10k for gigantic tin man sculpture.

Hart City Manager Rob Splane, Hart Mayor Vicki Platt and Hart Economic and Community Development Director Nichole Kleiner.

Hart wins $10k for gigantic tin man sculpture.

HART — The City of Hart placed in the top three at the Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition, winning $10,000 toward building a 24-foot tin man sculpture holding a huge heart to be installed downtown.

A panel of judges from the Consumers Energy Foundation and the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) selected the City of Hart as a third place finisher.

“It was an honor to have been selected from over 100 communities that applied for this opportunity,” said Hart Economic and Community Development Director Nichole Kleiner.

The City of Hart was one of nine finalists chosen to present their idea at the rural development conference. Hart’s pitch was to “put the art in Hart,” an initiative that has gained momentum around the community. Specifically, Hart pitched to kick things off by commissioning Bill Secunda, a five-time Art Prize artist/sculptor, to build the gigantic tin man sculpture.

The Put Your Town on the Map competition aims to reward original ideas that attract visitors to downtowns; focus on housing, education, or employment; create community pride; and more.

Please consider helping to fund local news. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454. 

This story is copyrighted © 2022, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.

As the services of Media Group 31, LLC news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.