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Harold Cronk shows Joe Knowles parts of the sculpture
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
Editor’s Note: Subscribers to MCP’s Daily Briefings get a sneak preview of the sculpture’s concept drawings. Learn more below to become a subscriber of MCP’s Daily Briefings and help support local news.
SCOTTVILLE — Artist Harold Cronk recently unveiled a clay model of his sculpture “Forward March” to the Scottville sculpture committee. The model will be used to create the full size sculpture, which will be about 60 inches tall.
Cronk, who lives in the Scottville area, said the clay model will be take to a company in Wisconsin next month. That company will highly compressed polystyrene to create a full scale 3-D template of the sculpture.
“They will do a 3-D scan of the clay model and make a full-size replica of the sculpture,” Cronk said. “The process is accurate down to about 3/1,000ths of an inch,” Cronk said. He will then place a permanent, weather-resistant coating on the replica.
“It will require piecing together various parts of the replica, but in the end we will have a full-size sculpture.”
Cronk said he expects to have the full size version back by the end of summer with the unveiling of the sculpture to take place in 2025. The sculpture will become part of the Mason County Sculpture Trail. The sculpture will be located on the green space next to the former Scottville Optimist Community Center, which also includes the Scottville Clown Band Shell.
Several factors have contributed to the seven year delay in the development of the sculpture. As the sculpture plans were being created, the Scottville Optimist Club sold its building and property to the Scottville Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The DDA then incorporated the sculpture project into its plans to renovate the building, the green space and the band shell. Like with many other community projects, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the fundraising efforts down.
DDA Chairman Joe Knowles said the park renovations are on schedule to be worked on over the next year while the committee is also working with contractors for the building.
Though the final concept is different than the original plans, the sculpture will still pay tribute to the Scottville Clown Band and the town’s agricultural heritage.
“Forward March” will feature a cartoon-like clown dressed in a hobo outfit, similar to an outfit worn by the original band members in the early 1900s It will hold an out-of-proportion musical horn. The sculpture will include moving parts and will also feature “Easter eggs” that salute various elements of Scottville. For example, a Mason County Central Spartan head will likely be hidden somewhere on the sculpture. There will be hints about various historical figures and events on and near the sculpture as well.
“There are several artists who have had an indelible influence on my work. Alexander Calder, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak and Walt Disney are just a few of my favorites,” Cronk said. “For me, the common thread drawn through the heart of each of theses amazing artists is their unrelenting embrace of their child-like spirit. In a world wrought with strife and political upheaval, we desperately need artists who afford us a few moments of escape and maybe even a smile or two.
“One of my favorite childhood memories is arriving at my first Harvest Festival and watching in awe as the colorful characters of the Clown Band marched past me down the parade route, the sound of their roaring instruments pouring over me. Combining the themes of our agricultural past with the lively characteristics of the Clown Band served as the main inspiration for ‘Forward March.’”
Cronk said “Forward March” will be a fun, interactive sculpture that will keep the visitor coming back to discover more of its secrets.
“It will even include a treasure hunt that will take you to other parts of the town,” Cronk said. “I won’t go into too much detail, but it will have its own partially-fictional storyline.”
Cronk is a 1993 graduate of Mason County Central High School. He has an associate degree from West Shore Community College and a bachelor’s degree in K-12 art education from Central Michigan University. He and his wife, Amy, also a 1993 graduate of MCC, moved to Los Angeles in 2004 where he worked on several film projects. They eventually moved back to Mason County and he began 10 West Studios with partner the late Matthew Tailford and also EMC Productions with Scottville native Edgar Struble.
Cronk has directed and produced several films locally including the “Mickey Matson” series. He is best known for being the director of the box office smash hit “God’s Not Dead” and won an Emmy Award as director of the Disney-Plus series “The Quest.” His latest film “Average Joe” is scheduled for release this fall. His locally-filmed movie “Deer Camp ’86” will have its world premiere on May 22 in Grand Rapids. See related story.
“Agriculture has been a driving force since Scottville was first platted by Hiram Scott in 1882,” Cronk said. “Therefore, the mechanics of this work will be created from and powered by agricultural elements. The structural supports, or, ‘pillars’, of the piece will reference some of the great men and women who are responsible for laying the foundation for Scottville. And lastly, the bold and whimsical clown band figure speaks directly to the community’s fun-loving good nature and independent spirit. Infused with metaphor and nuance, this work will keep viewers coming back time and again to explore the many hidden details. It points to the future. It speaks to our ingenuity. It celebrates our ability to forge ahead. It will play music. and it will march.”
From its inception in 2017, the various members of the sculpture committee have been in agreement to make the Clown Band the primary theme of the sculpture while still playing homage to the town’s agricultural roots.
“While agriculture has played an important role in the history of Scottville, the Clown Band is known throughout Michigan and beyond,” Knowles said.
“I have enjoyed my career in film and find it very challenging,” Cronk said. “But, my first love is sculpture and it’s an honor to have been asked to create this piece for my hometown. I keep coming up with new ideas to add to this sculpture. It’s really an amazing challenge. I think this is an opportunity for Scottville to shine.”
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