The GRANDcorridor Beautification Project fuses art and the natural environment to create a more walkable, beautiful corridor along Grand River. Sponsored by GRDC, in collaboration with the student-run Project 561, artist collective The Forge, and numerous community and business volunteers, the project includes three new murals at local businesses and twenty five newly planted street trees.

Members of this community-wide partnership selected three mural designs by Detroit-based artists from a pool of forty design submissions. The murals have been installed at Cutz Lounge at 19655 Grand River, Detroit Vegan Soul, 19614 Grand River, and Royal Fresh Market, 18551 Grand River. The trees have been planted on Grand River between Outer Drive and Evergreen. The impact on the Grand River corridor is difficult to miss.

The Detroit Vegan Soul mural was designed by Elton Duran, a Mexico-born artist who moved to Detroit three years ago. Duran also designed and painted the mural at Grand River WorkPlace completed last summer.

The mural at Cutz Lounge was partly funded by Community Development Advocates of Detroit as part of their Detroit ’67 project: The theme of this project is “Looking Back to Move Forward” and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1967 rebellions in Detroit. Artist Rachael Walker’s design presents a collage of symbolic images drawn from the last 50 years of Detroit history. In addition to painting murals, Rachael is a Detroit Public Schools art teacher and studio assistant at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The Royal Fresh Market mural is the largest and most ambitious of the three new murals. The artist is Jessica Krcmarik who lives in Detroit and studied art at the University of Michigan. Spanning the entire wall that faces Grand River, the design depicts a day at the farm with a produce stand overflowing with fruits and vegetables.

Truly a grass-roots effort, the GRANDcorridor Beautification Project demonstrated the power of connecting the arts with community action to create a more beautiful neighborhood place.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Saturday, August 5th to celebrate the artists, business and to thank our generous supporters. Please find the photo album from the day by CLICKING HERE!

A special thanks to our philanthropic community for their grant support:
(Each partner is linked to their website, so you can explore more of their work!)

Culture Source

Community Development Advocates of Detroit

Detroit Historical Society

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Arts

Michigan Department of Transportation

Michigan Economic Development Corporation

National Endowment for the Arts

Patronicity

Thanks also to our business community for their sponsorship:

Global Midwest Adjusters International

Bridgewater Interiors

American House Senior Living Communities

Wylie E. Groves High School