Manistee County courthouse hosting first responder student art gallery

The “Manistee County Students for First Responders” exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in the Manistee County Courthouse through July 1. The courthouse is a secure facility with protocols such as weapons screanings in place for the protection of all in the building.

Crowell is in his ninth year volunteering for the Manistee County Community Emergency Response Team, said his appreciation for first responders grew exponentially after he suffered a heart attack in 2019.

“EMS got me in the ambulance and we were heading up to Munson. Going up Beauford Hill my heart stopped — everything went black,” Crowell said. “There was no light at the end of the tunnel and I did not hear any trumpets. Everything went black. They brought me back and I had a triple bypass.”

Last summer, Crowell donated posters featuring law enforcement to the courthouse for the Fourth of July. He said he realized it was the first exhibit of its kind. He decided to expand the exhibit to include all first responders.

“I Googled and there is nothing out there — nothing for our law enforcement or anything,” Crowell said. “I just did the state police and not all the first responders, so I said, ‘Encourage your children to draw our heroic first responders. They just may grow up saving lives.’ That kind of planted the seed about doing the exhibit.”

Crowell said Manistee County controller/administrator Lisa Sagala offered to house the exhibit in the courthouse.

“This is what made it possible, being able to come here. Where else would we go?” Crowell said. “The schools shut down in the summer and so they let us come in for the month of June and set it all up. That’s kind of how we ended up here.”

Dana Woolman, art teacher at Onekama Consolidated Schools, said she was more than happy to have her students participate in the exhibit.

“It’s good for them to be aware of the first responders and the job that they do for the community,” she said. “It’s a little give-back, a little appreciation for the first responders. It shows them they can also make a difference.”

The first responder art exhibit features creations from more than 550 Manistee County students.

In addition to Woolman, Brenna Richardson at Bear Lake Schools, Amanda Mobley at Kaleva Norman Dickson Schools, Linda Slotegraff at Jefferson and Kennedy Elementary, Joanie Pointer at Manistee Catholic Central, Amber Puchtel at Manistee High School and Ashlea Weston at Trinity Lutheran School each had students enter art for the exhibit.

All participants are set to receive certificates of appreciation signed by a first responder. Their art will be judged by a panel of retired first responders from Manistee County, including David Bachman, Jim Grabowski and Bill Olney.

There will be first, second and third place winners for each school, as well as one best in show winner. Each winner will receive special recognition and prizes.

Crowell said he hopes to make the art exhibit an annual event.

“It’s all up to the teachers. … If they decide to go with it, it’s going to happen,” he said. “Next year, we need sponsors. I probably have  put about $800 to $1,000 into buying signs and stuff like that.”

Crowell can be reached via email at [email protected].

Visit manisteenews.com to see more photos from the student art exhibition.

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