Mural in Hamtramck Petitioned for Removal

What do you get when you mix a world renowned artist's mural with the city of Hamtramck, MI? You get a petition asking for its removal, to also include the arrest of the artist. Tonight, there will be a city council meeting to discuss the mural and its future.  A mural that isn't a week old yet. This town (the greater Detroit area) just doesn't get it. The possibilities for public art in this area, are limitless.  We have a crumbling economy that has created an unlimited amount of unused land and property, that includes thousands of dilapidated buildings with wall space galore, and this is what we want to direct our energy towards? Really? Get with it Detroit.

Mural by SEVER

The Dequindre Cut Greenway off Gratiot, is another area of wasted opportunities for public art in Detroit. After doing four murals at a minimal cost to the city, that initiative has run into a dead end in so far as any future initiatives. I helped create those murals, and the public response was incredible at the time of their creation.  People love being surrounded by art in public spaces, no matter what the art form. In every situation where I have been present during the creation of a public mural, the random foot traffic that day has been comprised of people who are 99% positive when seeing a new piece of art work spring up. They might not fully understand art, but art in public spaces creates a feeling of universal community pride.