🏢 When a Town Changes, What Stays With Us? 🏢

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

This drawing holds a chapter of Muskegon history that many people remember in their bones. The Russell Block and the Century Club stood through the 1970s transformation when Western Avenue was roofed over to become the Muskegon Mall and surrounding blocks were cleared for parking. What had once been an open street of storefronts and daily movement turned inward and dimmer. When the mall eventually closed in the 2000s, the city began the slow work of uncovering the street again, restoring light, walkability, housing, and the older rhythm of downtown life. These buildings endured all of it, quietly waiting for the street to breathe again.

Drawing this scene was a way to honor that patience and resilience. It is not just nostalgia for how things used to look, but respect for how places adapt and survive while holding memory. For those who grew up here, passed through on a Great Lakes cruise, or moved away and still feel a tug toward Muskegon, these facades carry stories of loss, renewal, and return.

When you think about this street, which version of it lives most clearly in your memory?

🏢 Western Avenue In Muskegon, Michigan 🏢

To keep a special place with you, please visit:

FRAMED: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/4451899044

PRINT: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/4451890289

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/194679066