HOW IT STARTED: CONNECTING TWO HOMETOWNS

In 2013, Jim Boyle teamed with Detroit street artists hygienic dress league (HDL) on an open-air, large-scale installation using two sides of a 50-foot barn in his hometown of Port Austin. Boyle, who lives in Detroit and often drives a well-worn path towards either end of M-53 between his two “hometowns,” began considering a larger project with his wife Mary Trybus and HDL friends Steve and Dorota Coy – ultimately putting forth a vision of 10 such large-scale installations in as many years. 53 North was born. 

In 2015, with the support of the Huron County Economic Development Corporation, the group worked with internationally-renowned Detroit artist Scott Hocking on a second project. For his piece, Hocking disassembled a quickly deteriorating large barn, using the materials to invert the structure and construct a site-specific, ark-like sculpture.   

Soon after (2017/18), architect/artist Catie Newell was commissioned for the project’s third installation. Newell, whose creative practice has been widely recognized for exploring design construction and materiality in relationship to location, geography, and cultural contingencies, was a natural fit. Like the first two projects, a free-standing barn was secured. 

In partnership with Port Austin Artists in Residency, which was formed in part to house artists for the 53 North project, two additional pieces were commissioned/secured in 2023: The Diety sculpture (generously donated by the hygienic dress league) and a new piece by artist Bakpak Durden.