Stop and Smell the Roses

Installed December 8, 2014

Installed on December 8, 2014, Stop and Smell the Roses is a 12-foot tall stainless steel sculpture mounted on a 3-foot base. Designed and built by local artist Craig Mitchell Smith, the sculpture consists of stacked rose petals and is meant to “instill a sense of peace and joy in our hurried world.” Stop and Smell the Roses sits in front of Delta Township Hall, facing Horrock’s Farm Market at the northwest corner of Saginaw Highway and Canal Road.

Three of the township’s key commercial clusters — shopping, dining and lodging — saturate the Saginaw Highway corridor, which makes public art placement in this highly-visible area a natural step to solidify a sense of place within the Delta Township community. When businesses and individuals recognize public efforts to create a positive atmosphere through initiatives like placemaking and public art, it generates an environment where people want to live and where businesses want to invest.

Other placemaking efforts by Delta Township include:

Delta Township banners installed at township offices, parks and the library
The “I am Delta” campaign, which provides “I am Delta: Shop Local, Shop Delta” stickers, a business directory on the township website and “I am Delta” banners along Saginaw Highway
“Welcome to Delta” booklets distributed to new residents and businesses, including several hundred GM employees transferred from Spring Hill, TN
A concerted effort to develop the township’s parks system, including promoting the township as a walkable community
Various family-friendly events including Delta Rocks Family Festival, Fourth of July fireworks, Touch-a-Truck, the Fire Department Open House, the Trick or Treat Trail at Sharp Park and numerous activities at the Delta Township District Library
Several pieces of community art installed in and around the Delta Township District Library