SAUGATUCK, Mich. — The first piece of public art in Saugatuck Township—an 11-foot statue in the middle of the Bluestar Highway roundabout—received a dedication ceremony Wednesday.

Called "Canary in a Coal Mine," the sculpture represents the threat of climate change. The title refers to a practice previously used in coal mining, where a canary in the mine was used to warn miners of dangerous carbon monoxide levels.

The two shapes at the top and bottom suggest "a bird form that has been transformed," while the columns represent the narrow space in the coal mine shafts, according to Ohio artist Shawn Morin.

The sculpture was first installed in the roundabout on May 22.

“The contemporary ‘canary in a coal mine’ is sending a danger sign that our environment is being destroyed,” Maryjo Leman

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