DETROIT – The vibrant art community in Detroit will see a boost as the city invests more than $150,000 to beautify its buildings.
High quality murals and street art is abundant in Detroit. The City Walls program began in 2017. It aims to enhance public spaces through murals and the initiative is gearing up to put up 15 more works of art.
“There’s murals on every corner and not just murals, but like high quality, like really high caliber murals and just so many talented artists,” said Brandon Marshall.
Marshall will now get his chance to showcase his high caliber art as he’s been chosen to paint one of the new murals for City Walls.
“We really try to help highlight the community members who are starting businesses or who have been long term valuable members of the community,” said project manager Zak Meers. “And provide these resources to them in no cost and really highlight their spaces and their buildings.”
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While Detroit’s art community is what encouraged Marshall to move to the city, many of the artists are born and raised in Detroit. Native-Detroiter Waleed Johnson will paint a mural on the Craft Cafe’ Detroit building on Warren Avenue.
“I’m really excited for that because I actually grew up not too far from that area,” Johnson said. “It’s a cool opportunity to kind of make a difference in the community that I’ve lived in.”
“Growing up in Detroit and then going to art school and not knowing what I’m going to do after, but just taking a leap of faith and this falling at my doorstep and I gladly took it,” said Miranda Kyle. “Because it was a great opportunity. It meant a lot to me.”
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City Walls has beautified 90 locations in neighborhoods across the city since it was created in 2017. The artwork is meant entice new people to visit different areas of the city
“We want to bring them out there and we want them to see the artwork and say, ‘Wow, this is reflective of where I am,’” Meers said.
By November, 15 new locations will go from blank or boring to vibrant and beautiful.
“I just hope the community likes it because I want to just give them something to enjoy and it’d be cool to drive by and be like, ‘Oh, I did that because growing up I used to drive by some of these places and see murals and stuff, so now, maybe some kids will see mine,’” Johnson said.
The city is accepting applications for more muralists. The deadline is Aug. 14. More information can be found on the Detroit City Walls website here.
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