by Melissa Newland
To bring back the presence of mine workers and their families to the historical landscape of the Copper Country through art, Baraga County native Kasey Koski has returned to her UP roots to bring her visual representation through four steel silhouettes to the public and host several events. Koski is the first artist to participate in the Keweenaw National Historical Park’s (NHP) Commissioned Artist Program and was selected for the project by the NHP, Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission, and Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks
Association (IRKPA) after she decided to submit a proposal. Funding for the project was made possible through multiple sources, with the largest portion coming from the Keweenaw NHP Advisory Commission. “Sometimes, when a call comes along and the vision is strong, you can’t just ignore what you see. This call was like that,” said Koski. “I discovered the call four days before its deadline. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the next two days. On day three, I started to write. I wrote until I couldn’t find any other things to say. I edited and re-organized and shaped the text into the desired format as
best I could. And then I held my breath and hit the send button.” To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.