Published 9/5/26
Scavenger Hunt for All Ages
Everybody loves a good scavenger hunt. Thumb ArtSpark has launched the County Thumbprints Great Michigan Art Hunt, featuring public art and historic landmarks across all of Michigan’s 83 counties. With a specific clue crafted for each county, travelers can guess locations, upload a picture, and earn badges as they explore. Participants can create a “mosaic” to share their discoveries with friends and family.
Port Huron’s artist and organizer Jody Parmann, the mastermind behind Thumb ArtSpark and the County Thumbprints initiative, drew inspiration for the idea from the PBS classic “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” (you’re singing it now, aren’t you?), her work with Dr. Steven J. Amey of Ferris State University, and her passion for community-driven public art. Parmann has spent years working hard to connect blank spaces like walls, barns, and silos across Michigan’s Thumb region with muralists and visual artists to create large-scale art pieces. You can learn more about it at thumbartspark.com.
Notice Public Art, Landmarks, More
“ThumbArtSpark’s main mission is a partnership between six community foundations in Michigan’s Thumb,” Parmann told BlueWaterParent.com. “Together, we’re working to help communities create and support more public art across the region. But the Great Michigan Art Hunt map covers the entire state on purpose. The Thumb is connected to the bigger story of Michigan’s art, history, culture, and tourism.”
“Michigan already has an incredible collection of public art, landmarks, and wonderfully weird things hiding in plain sight,” Parmann added. “County Thumbprints is basically my elaborate scheme to get people to go find them.”
The County Thumbprints initiative aims to inspire people to the cultural treasure surrounding them. Parmann hopes the clues spark enough curiosity to turn ordinary roadtrips into local discoveries. “Suddenly, learning about Michigan becomes an adventure.”
The Act of Exploring is What Creates the Artwork
Because the best adventures are shared, Parmann created an option to create a “mosaic” where multiple participants can share their findings. When asked to explain the mosaic option, Parmann said, “Mosaics are meant to attract another kind of adventurous soul. They encourage people to get out and explore Michigan’s public art, but at their heart, they’re a new way to create art together.”
Designed for groups of up to 21 people, each person chooses a unique color for the Mosaic. As people “solve” a mystery, their color starts filling the corresponding sections of the map. “The finished piece isn’t just a pretty map,” Parmann noted. “It’s a visual record of your people and your shared experience of Michigan. No two Mosaics will ever be quite the same because no two groups of people, relationships, or adventures are the same.”
As Parmann puts it, “The act of exploring is what creates the artwork.” A sentiment worthy of a bumper sticker.
Learn more at https://thumbartspark.com/county-thumbprints, where you can create an account and get started on your own adventure.
Story by Jennie McClelland for BlueWaterParent.com.
