Keweenaw Community Foundation Announces Selection of the Big Annie Statue Artist

The Keweenaw Community Foundation proudly announces the artist who has designed the Big Annie Statue. In the past year, the community of Calumet with help from the Keweenaw Community Foundation has worked to raise funds to support erecting a statue of Anna Klobacher Clemenc. Big Annie played a major role in the region’s Copper Strike as an advocate for union workers. Jerome Patryjak, a local artist living in Calumet, has had his work selected for the Big Annie Statue Project, also receiving a 500-dollar award grant from the foundation. Patryjak grew up in Detroit, but recently returned to his mother’s hometown in the last two years. Through his interest in the project and while conducting research he discovered that his own family had a friendly bond with the Michigan icon. He says that his grandparents migrated to the United States at 17 and 20 years old from southern Europe setting down roots in Calumet. They worked in the mining industry, and his grandmother was even friends with Klobacher’s mother. Patryjak has worked as an artist throughout his career, practicing as a book illustrator and commercial designer. 

The big Annie statue project seeks to raise community awareness of Calumet’s historical significance, and the women who took part in shaping history. The Big Annie statue project will host a gala fundraiser in June to further raise funds to support the statue creation. Those interested in learning more about  Jerome Patryjak or the Big Annie Gala in June can find more details here.