THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR, FOR THIS
BEAUTIFUL SONG.
JASON BE, OVER TO YOU.
>> IT’S NO SECRET THAT IF YOU
WANT TO SEE SOME OF THE MOST
AMAZING HEART ART IN THE WORLD,
YOU COULD HEAD DOWNTOWN TO THE
D.I.A., DETROIT INSTITUTE OF
ART.
DID YOU KNOW THE D.I.A. ART MAY
BE IN A CITY NEAR YOU OR YOUR
DOWNTOWN.
IT’S PART OF THE D.I.A.’S
PARTNERS AND PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.
JOINING US TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT
ARE CHARLIE FROM THE D.I.A. AND
ANNIE, THE COMMUNITY ARTS
COORDINATOR.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> NOW, IS IT
[INDISCERNIBLE]?
>> BOTH WORK.
[LAUGHTER]
>> OKAY.
IT’S VERY KIND OF YOU.
CHARLES, THIS IS ALL ABOUT
MURALS.
THEY’RE IN CITIES ACROSS METRO
DETROIT.
TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
>> THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2018
AS ANOTHER WAY FOR THE D.I.A. TO
HELP PEOPLE HAVE MEANINGFUL
EXPERIENCES WITH ART.
WE WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES,
ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES
THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN TO
CO-CREATE WORKS OF HIGHLY
VISIBLE WORKS OF ART THAT TELL A
STORY.
>> THE LATEST ART INSTALLATION
JUST WRAPPED UP IN LAKE O’ER
YIN.
TALK ABOUT THE INSPIRATION
BEHIND THIS MURAL.
>> YEAH, THAT MURAL IS TITLED
"ENTER THE DRAGON." IT WAS
PAINTED BY MYSELF AND MY PARTNER
STEPHANIE.
AND IT WAS DESIGNED BY NICOLE McDONALD.
AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW,
LAGORIAN’S BRAND IS THE DRAGON.
AFTER TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY
AND GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THEM
-- OR I SHOULD SAY NICOLE CAME
UP WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL DESIGN OF
A CLOSE-UP OF A DRAGON’S FACE.
>> THAT IS, IF I MAY SAY SO,
SUPERCOOL!
WE’RE LOOKING AT AERIAL DRONE
FOOTAGE OF IT RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU!
>> TALK ABOUT EYE CATCHING!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PLAN
AND EXECUTE A MURAL ON SUCH A
LARGE SCALE?
>> QUITE SOME TIME.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PLANNING
INVOLVED.
WE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS WITH
THE CITY AND TALKING WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
ONCE WE STARTED PAINTING FROM
START TO FINISH, IT WAS ABOUT
THREE MONTHS.
STEPHANIE AND I WORKED ON IT FOR
THREE MONTHS CONSISTENTLY.
>> DO YOU EVER HAVE WORRIES THAT
SOME CIVIC BUSY BODIES ARE GOING
TO BE LOOKING OVER YOUR
SHOULDER, LIKE, THAT’S NOT WHAT
WE WERE EXPECTING?
>> EVERYONE WAS SO GRACIOUS AND
SO KIND.
AND HONESTLY, WHILE WE WERE OUT
THERE, WE HAD SO MUCH SUPPORT
FROM THE CITY TO THE COMMUNITY
TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MOVING THAT BIG LIFT AROUND WAS
SO EASY FEAT.
SO WE DEFINITELY HAD THE
COMMUNITY ON BOARD.
EVERYONE WAS WONDERFUL.
>> SPEAKING OF THAT, YOU WERE
ANOTHER LEAD ARTIST ON A MURAL
IN CLAUSEN.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> I PAINTED THAT WITH THE
CLAUSEN HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHER.
WE GOT TO INVOLVE THE HIGH
SCHOOL AND STUDENTS.
THERE AGAIN, THE FEEDBACK FROM
THE COMMUNITY WAS LITTLE CITY
WITH THE BIG HEART.
BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR MOTTO.
AS WELL AS COMMUNITY.
SO WE PAINTED THE FARMERS’
MARKET, FIREWORKS, WE INCLUDED
ORIGINAL BUILDINGS OF DOWNTOWN
CLAUSEN, THE MARQUIS, EVEN NOW
TO THE STREETLIGHT IN THE CITY
PARK.
SO WE TRIED TO MAKE IT FEEL
HOME-LIKE AND COMMUNITY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
CHARLIE, WHY IS THIS PUBLIC ART
PARTNERSHIP SO IMPORTANT TO THE
D.I.A.?
>> IT’S IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE
IT’S ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO
MEANINGFULLY CONNECT WITH
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY
HAVE THE GOOD RETURN ON THEIR
INVESTMENT IN THE TRI-COUNTY
VILLAGE.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS TO
DO SO.
IT’S ALSO A WAY FOR US TO GET TO
KNOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
ONE OF THE JOYS OF THIS PROGRAM
FOR ME PERSONALLY, IS GOING OUT
TO THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES,
INTERACTING WITH THE RESIDENTS.
INTERACTING WITH CIVIC LEADERS
IN COMING UP WITH A PROJECT THAT
HELPS TELL THEIR UNIQUE STORY
AND EXPRESS THE UNIQUE INTERESTS
OF EACH COMMUNITY.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITIES.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMUNITIES YOU
PLAN TO WORK WITH IN THE FUTURE?
>> DEFINITELY.
THIS YEAR, WE’RE LOOKING TO
REENGAGE WITH SOME OF THE
PARTNERS THAT WE HAD TO PAUSE
WITH UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF
THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE’RE LOOKING AT REENGAGING WITH
UTICA, BERKELEY, ROCHESTER,
DETROIT, ALONG THE AVENUE OF
FASHION, AND WYANDOTTE.
>> EXCELLENT.
SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR TALKING WITH