Flying the flag: Marion artist proposes nautical art display along Front Street

MARION — While jogging through Marion, designer and artist Mike Malone was inspired to create a nautical art display that represents the maritime history of the town.

“I was jogging through the village and I was like, ‘We should do something that’s kind of special,’ and that’s where the idea came from,” he said.

At a Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, Malone presented his ideas for the nautical art installation.

He envisions six nautical flags painted across various blocks on Front Street, each bearing a letter that would spell out Marion.

The idea for a town art installation came from seeing other towns in Upstate New York and in Bristol, Rhode Island.

“If you look at Bristol, Rhode Island or some of the towns in the Catskills, they also celebrate their town [with art displays],” said Malone.

Each of the proposed flag designs would be 30-by-30 inches, and painted with commercial grade acrylic paint in the center of Front Street. High-quality stencils would be used to enhance sharp details on the designs. All art supplies would be provided by Malone.

The creation of the art display would take approximately two to three hours to complete, and the drying process would take place across a 24-hour period.

If the project is approved, Malone requests a three-hour police detail that would keep the painters safe as they create the display.

Malone would like to finish the installation before the weather gets too cold — if he receives definitive approval.

“We want to be painting above 50 degrees,” he said.

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman stated that he reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation earlier in the day and said “there was no initial concern” about an art installation being painted on the road.

“They’re doing some research for me to make sure it’s authorized,” said Gorman.

Select Board Chairman Randy Parker stated that he “likes the idea.”

The town will now continue to research the legality of painting on Front Street, hoping to avoid potentially confusing drivers.

“I believe that art serves the community,” said Malone. “It’s all about community enrichment and cultural enrichment, being proud of your area and just giving it a little bit of flair, like making [it] a little bit different,”

Malone is a Marion-based professional designer with experience designing toys, video games and headphones for companies such as Bose. With this art installation, he’s “looking to get back [his] roots” artistically.