© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local municipalities turn to public art for placemaking

If you live, work or just drive through Meridian Township, you’ve probably noticed the large metal sculpture in the roundabout at Marsh and Hamilton Roads. The work, entitled “Meridius Prime,” is a 14-foot tall piece commemorating the Michigan Meridian, the north-south baseline by which the state was surveyed in the 19th century. The sculpture is part of a plan to install public art that relays a community’s “sense of place.”  The artwork is a project of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership.

Peter Menser, the assistant planner for Meridian Township, says public art serves as a catalyst and a foundation for a quality public space and creates attachment for a community. 

Tim Higgins, the artist who created “Meridius Prime," says the sculpture has a cartographic feel to it.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
Related Content
WKAR has closed the gap left by the loss of federal funding. Because of you, trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and classical music remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan.
Now the work continues — your monthly gift helps maintain this success and keeps public media free for all.