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HASTINGS, Mich. — A mural in downtown Hastings is getting a lot of attention…mainly because no one knows what it means.
In a quiet, back-alley in downtown Hastings lives the loud, hot-pink mural sporting the two simple words, “ME FIRST.”
“I look at things from a holistic view. Is it supposed to be something for our therapy for us, maybe?” said Julie Moore, a Hastings resident. “Thinking about ourselves first and then thinking about what we can do in the community.”
“When you first see “ME FIRST,” it’s kind of a negative connotation. A lot of the world is like that right now. Me, me, me. Take care of myself,” said Jody Peterson, the manager of the General Store. “But when I thought more about it, I do have to take care of myself before I can take care of other people.”
Both great guesses, however the project on the Miller Real Estate building isn’t finished yet!
“I know everybody wants to know but we can’t say exactly what it is yet,” said Mark Hewitt, President of Miller Real Estate.
There wasn’t supposed to be so much anticipation initially, but a legal issue delayed the second phase of the project.
J Maizlish Mole is the artist who also painted the ‘You are Here’ Hastings mural in downtown.
“There is a literal meaning and there are many other meanings,” Mole said. “I wouldn’t want to narrow the scope of that by suggesting to people there’s one authoritative interpretation of it because that’s when people stop thinking about it and that’s no good.”
Once phase two is complete, everyone involved with the project says the mural will make a lot more sense.
Here are some clues:
Until the big reveal, the mural will continue to spark conversation…
“If you look at the impact of cultural tourism on small communities in particular and large communities, it’s a multi-million dollar industry,” said Megan Lavell, the Executive Director of the Thornapple Arts Council. “So it’s never a bad thing for a community to have more art.”
…And fuel speculation.
“Will people be allowed to just go paint on their own little brick? It’ll be interesting to see,” said Peterson.
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
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