The Southwest Michigan Local Food Council is launching a campaign that will use art to explore how the region’s residents feel about their food. The council’s Dawn Marie Smith tells WSJM News the Food for Thought art project will take surveys at the farmers markets in Benton Harbor, South Haven, and Lawrence in the coming weeks.
“We will be capturing community comments, specifically two questions that will help us better understand their experiences and then we’ll take those questions, the answers to those questions and hand them off to local artists, and then the local artists will interpret and develop an art installation to represent the community voice.”
The questions people will be asked are “In what ways do you celebrate food?” and “How does food bring joy to you?” The food council will be at the Benton Harbor and Lawrence farmers markets talking with people next week, while the South Haven date has yet to be determined. The final art installation will be a visual representation of community voice through the lenses and imaginations of local artists. There are plans to showcase the Food for Thought art project at farmers markets and events across the region in the fall.
