Nik Burkhart, Wiigwaasi-jiimaan: A Mural for the Fouch Trailhead, 2024
Wiigwaasi-jiimaan, the Anishinaabemowin word for the type of birchbark canoe depicted here, likens the relationship between a canoe and the water it navigates to that of a kiss or embrace. Wood is made of water, and here it becomes a flowing stream to acknowledge the many complex ways that transportation in our area shapes the type of world we live in. This canoe is like those historically used by the Anishinaabe people to navigate the many waterways of this region. A feat of generations of craftsmanship and innovation, these canoes demonstrate a deep understanding of natural materials by using birch, white cedar, spruce roots, pine pitch and other wood species in the construction of the boat.
Other historical modes of transportation also appear in the mural’s composition. The darker lines of overlaid map show sections of Solon and Elmwood townships surrounding Lake Leelanau from an 1850’s survey completed by Orange Risdon for the United States Survey of Townships. This comprehensive survey of Leelanau County produced maps that delineated topographical features and remarks on soil and timber quality that influenced the course of settlement by people of European descent. The grey and red lines in the mural are drawn from a map created by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1970 and depict various important area roads and motorways, the old Manistee & North Eastern Railroad and many local place names.
The land near this trailhead was developed as a railroad hub called Hatch’s Crossing and the next stop to the northwest on the shore of Lake Leelanau was called Fouch. The Fouch station served as a connecting point for passengers to board one of several steamboats on their way north to settlements and resorts along the lake. The steamships served other functions as well, like the “Ida M” shown here pulling a raft of lumber to a local sawmill in Bingham. While these developments created many new opportunities to access the natural beauty of the area, they also dramatically reshaped local ecosystems and displaced the Anishinaabe people and their way of life.
When viewed as a whole, the mural forms a continuous image of a canoe. This connection highlights the importance of stewarding our waterways and resources with the hope that our means of transportation would cooperate more gracefully with thoe natural world to facilitate a better environment for all people.
Artistic Process
My inspiration for Wiigwaasi-jiimaan: A Mural for the Fouch Trailhead started from a photograph that I took of a birchbark canoe at the Eyaawing Museum. I wanted the mural to evoke a similar material sensibility as the canoe, but knew that if I painted on a wooden material it would not stand up to the weather over time. I designed the mural on a smaller wood panel that could be enlarged and printed on aluminum panels to be installed at the site. I selected a red oak board with a wood grain pattern that evoked the shape of the canoe and a sense of flowing water. I then painted the canoe, along with the water, sky and trees using a wood pickling solution that reacted with the tannins of the oak to produce the dark purplish black tones. I also used oil paint to accentuate the natural colors of the wood and sanded away areas that I wanted to have a more atmospheric feeling. The original painting on board was 10” x 41” inches. I worked with Vada Color to produce a high resolution photograph that could be scaled up to the final mural size. With this reproduction, I digitally overlaid images of historical maps that centered on the immediate area surrounding the Fouch Trailhead and Lake Leelanau in order to highlight the way that the local landscape has been shaped by various forms of transportation.
Credits & Acknowledgements
- The canoe depicted in the mural is part of the collection of the Eyaawing Museum and Cultural Center in Peshawbestown, MI and the use of this image is courtesy of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
- Photographic reference to the “Ida M” steamer (1960.31) and Risdon survey map of Solon & Elmwood Townships courtesy of the Leelanau Historical Society Museum.
- Usage of 1970 Federal Aid Highway map of Leelanau County courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
About the Artist
Nik Burkhart is an interdisciplinary artist whose art practice encompasses painting, drawing and object making. After spending over a decade living and working in Chicago, Nik recently returned to Northern Michigan to reconnect with his roots and artistic practice.
Much of Nik’s recent artwork is an exploration into how we symbolize and interpret the natural phenomena that we encounter in the environment around us. Other important themes in his artwork include land use, agricultural practices and how we physically and psychologically inhabit space. Consequently, the forms of nature and landscape are a recurrent visual feature of his artwork. Nik uses abstraction as a means of considering the mysteries inherent in any interaction with the natural world and enjoys how this allows ordinary objects or landforms to take on other symbolic meaning.