Seurat Restrooms

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Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seurat-at-saugatuck-s-restroom: In 1977, the head of the Wicks Park asked Carol Miron, who studied at the Art Institute in Chicago, to consider producing a “Saugatuck Seurat” on the walls of the restroom in the park. Saugatuck had just gained ownership of the park two years prior and wanted something memorable and artistic to reflect the creative character of its community. Miron recreated “Sunday Afternoon on the lie de La Grande-Jatte” by Georges Seurat, accommodating the windows and doors seamlessly of the park’s bathroom. When new restrooms were constructed down the street, the “Seurat” building was slated to be demolished. However, after objections from the surrounding community, the building was preserved. Subsequent artists, both professionals and aspiring high school students have continued to periodically refresh the eye-catching landmark. “Saugatuck’s Seurat” anchors the downtown park, inviting its viewers to imitate the leisurely activities of its weekenders by lounging on the lush grass.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seurat-at-saugatuck-s-restroom

In 1977, the head of the Wicks Park asked Carol Miron, who studied at the Art Institute in Chicago, to consider producing a “Saugatuck Seurat” on the walls of the restroom in the park. Saugatuck had just gained ownership of the park two years prior and wanted something memorable and artistic to reflect the creative character of its community. Miron recreated “Sunday Afternoon on the lie de La Grande-Jatte” by Georges Seurat, accommodating the windows and doors seamlessly of the park’s bathroom. When new restrooms were constructed down the street, the “Seurat” building was slated to be demolished. However, after objections from the surrounding community, the building was preserved. Subsequent artists, both professionals and aspiring high school students have continued to periodically refresh the eye-catching landmark. “Saugatuck’s Seurat” anchors the downtown park, inviting its viewers to imitate the leisurely activities of its weekenders by lounging on the lush grass.

Name/Title

Seurat Restrooms

Entry/Object ID

2023.50.54

Scope and Content

George Seurat in Saugatuck by James Schmiechen One of the most eccentric (and most observed) buildings in Saugatuck is the public restroom building at the riverside in Wicks Park. What makes it eccentric is that its exterior is covered by a reproduction of the famous painting "Sunday Afternoon on the lie de La Grande-Jatte" by Georges Seurat (1859-91). The well-known French painter never visited Saugatuck but his famous painting (done pointillistic style with flicks, or dots) has come to symbolize a stroll in the park for millions of his admirers. The original hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago. One story has it that the painting "just appeared one morning" on the walls of the rest room in the park. Not so. The answer of how this Saugatuck replica came about was revealed in a recent conversation at the Museum. The "Saugatuck Seurat" was painted by artist Carol Miron of Holland in 1977. The idea came from Frank Pluta who was the head of the Parks for the three local units, Douglas, Saugatuck and Saugatuck Township, at that time and who laid out the park. He suggested that Carol, who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, go to Chicago and study the painting and reproduce it on the building that was being refurbished. The park layout was financed with Federal CETA program funds, with considerable local support from Bob Gardner. The land had been purchased many years earlier, but it was leased to private parties until 1975 when the Village of Saugatuck began turning it into a proper park. Carol now lives in Colorado, but her parents still live in Holland. About ten years ago when she was home for a visit she agreed to refurbish the image to give many more seasons of visitors a surprise in art history! What kind of paint did she use? Frank thinks it was acrylic.

Context

The City of Saugatuck, having constructed new restroom facilities on the Village Square, wanted to demolish the building in the spring of 1999, but responded to public outcry and preserved the painted structure, even remodeling and improving the facilities it contains. The painting was retouched again this spring by the advanced art students of Saugatuck High School under the direction of teacher Christa Wise. The Village of Douglas, not to be outdone, commissioned high school art students Aron Lowe and Ali Jakobson to paint Seurat's "Bathing, Asnieres" on the pump house in the village park on the Kalamazoo River at the foot of Center Street. It was completed in July of 1999.

Collection

SDHS NL Inserts, Buildings: Commercial

Cataloged By

Winthers, Sally

Acquisition

Accession

2023.50

Acquisition Method

Found in Collection

Notes

SDHS Newsletter insert pages

Location

* Untyped Location

Digital data in CatalogIt

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Wicks Park/Anchor Park/site after 1937

General Notes

Note

This information was OCR text scanned from SDHS newsletter supplements. A binder of original paper copies is catalog item 2023.50.01

Note

Citizen-historian James T. Faasen notes that the only building left from Anchor Park Amusement Center in Wick's Park is the public restrooms Hoffman added.

Create Date

November 11, 2023

Update Date

September 20, 2024