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Walking Art Tour
Clare is proud to own several art pieces created during the Works Progress Administration era (WPA) of the 1930s and '40s which paid artists to create art for public facilities. The Clare Middle School (originally the high school) houses four huge murals painted by Gerald Mast and dedicated to the school in 1938. The Clare Post office mural titled "Mail Arrives in Clare" by Allan Thomas, was installed in 1937, and funded through the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture.
A magnificent ten-foot-high statue, the Pioneer Mother by sculptor Samuel Cashwan (same era), stands at the entrance to the school. The high school students of 1936-1938 were involved in choosing the subject matter for the statue and helped pay for the stone. CCAC took on the task of raising funds to restore the statue.
The Doherty Hotel is the site for the Tap Room Murals by artist Jay McHugh. High on the walls circling the Leprechaun Lounge, a story appears on every wall. In 1930, A.J. Doherty II, found starving artist Jay standing on a street corner in Saginaw and brought him to Clare to paint the murals in exchange for room and board. Legend says that some of the leprechauns began looking like the clients of the hotel, which was frequented by some shady characters from Chicago and Detroit. The faces were changed.
The Clare Congregational United Church of Christ is a historic treasure of the city of Clare. With its beautiful and unusual 45-foot dome, the church is a well-known landmark of the town. The building, completed in 1909, is a National Registered Historic Site. The interior of the sanctuary is shaped like a Greek cross and features hand-made, curved wooden pews. The walls and columns have extensive stenciling with faux gold leafing and woodgraining. The stained glass is also remarkable, having been preserved from the earlier church (1874) of the same congregation.
A magnificent ten-foot-high statue, the Pioneer Mother by sculptor Samuel Cashwan (same era), stands at the entrance to the school. The high school students of 1936-1938 were involved in choosing the subject matter for the statue and helped pay for the stone. CCAC took on the task of raising funds to restore the statue.
The Doherty Hotel is the site for the Tap Room Murals by artist Jay McHugh. High on the walls circling the Leprechaun Lounge, a story appears on every wall. In 1930, A.J. Doherty II, found starving artist Jay standing on a street corner in Saginaw and brought him to Clare to paint the murals in exchange for room and board. Legend says that some of the leprechauns began looking like the clients of the hotel, which was frequented by some shady characters from Chicago and Detroit. The faces were changed.
The Clare Congregational United Church of Christ is a historic treasure of the city of Clare. With its beautiful and unusual 45-foot dome, the church is a well-known landmark of the town. The building, completed in 1909, is a National Registered Historic Site. The interior of the sanctuary is shaped like a Greek cross and features hand-made, curved wooden pews. The walls and columns have extensive stenciling with faux gold leafing and woodgraining. The stained glass is also remarkable, having been preserved from the earlier church (1874) of the same congregation.
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