HANCOCK — The City of Hancock was chosen through a competitive application process to host the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Annual Inside|Out program, which brings high-quality reproductions from the DIA’s collection to outdoor venues in communities throughout the state of Michigan. The local outdoor exhibition is a partnership of the Copper Country Community Arts Center, the City of Hancock, and Hancock Public Schools and is the only venue in the Upper Peninsula.

Seven full size, framed images will be installed throughout the town in parks and green spaces on Quincy Street, Hancock Street, and Porvoo Park all within walking distance. An interactive map will be available at the Copper Country Community Arts Center, City Hall, and other locations. A series of programs and activities are planned to take place throughout the duration of the exhibition which will be July 20 through the end of October.

Everyone is invited to an unveiling at Porvoo Park, 200 Navy Street, on Thursday July 30 at 5 p.m. Dave Bezotte and Evan Dixon will perform French Voyageur songs in homage to the image of The Trappers’ Return by George Caleb Bingham which will be located at the park. People are encouraged to arrive by water in canoes, kayaks, or paddle-boards in keeping with the theme of the painting.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works of art. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art. The Inside|Out program is a component of the DIA’s community engagement efforts focused on providing a unique way to engage with residents and visitors by bringing art from the DIA into the communities in which they live. Over the past 10 years, the museum has partnered with more than 100 communities and engaged tens of thousands of residents with art in places where they live, work, and play.

For more information about the DIA Inside Out art installation in Hancock contact Cynthia Cote, Executive Director of the Copper Country Community Arts Council at (906) 482-2333 or cynthia@coppercountryarts.com or visit the website: www.coppercountryarts.com