Detroit Riverfront Conservancy launches public art along waterfront and greenway

DETROIT – The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy announced today the official launch of its public art program, which can be seen through a variety of installations along the Detroit Riverfront and in the Dequindre Cut Greenway. Working with a team of metro Detroit’s cultural institution leaders, the Conservancy has commissioned and secured original works of art, and is also a participant in the DIA’s Inside/Out program.

“Public art is a fabulous way to engage our community and visitors day in and day out with a vibrant and compelling experience that is free and accessible to all,” said Faye Nelson, President & CEO, Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. “This is just one of the many ways the Conservancy is working to create a world-class destination on the Riverfront.”

The Conservancy is currently showcasing the first of four rotating public art exhibits planned for the fence area just west of Rivard Plaza on the Riverfront. Jocelyn Rainey's "A Touch of Tranquility" will be on display through October 29th. Ms. Rainey has been an artist in residence at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Wayne County Community College District and the National Conference of Artists. Her works are in many public and private collections, including Cobo Convention Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Children's Museum.

In November, the Conservancy will install a number of free-standing modern works of art for the garden rooms adjacent to the GM Plaza. Three distinguished works have been secured on loan: Midmiem, 1970, a stainless steel sculpture by American artist Sasson Soffer on loan from the Gilbert B. & Lila Silverman Collection; Free Form 5, a welded steel sculpture by Robert Sestok on loan from the Wayne State University Art Collection and Side Talkin Kay, an original work created by world-renown Detroit area artist Tyree Guyton and on loan to the project by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Guyton’s Boogaloo will also be on loan to the Conservancy from the Gilbert B. & Lila Silverman Collection.

In addition to the Conservancy’s public art selections, the Detroit Riverfront was one of 11 locations chosen to participate in the Detroit Institute of Arts' popular Inside/Out program. The program is sponsored by the DTE Energy Foundation and brings reproductions from the museum’s stellar collection to the streets and parks of greater metro Detroit. By re-imagining area cities and suburbs as a grand, open-air gallery, the project aims to connect with audiences outside of traditional museum walls. In total, the Detroit Riverfront is currently showcasing 11 reproductions, which can be viewed at various spots including Milliken State Park and Harbor, GM Plaza, Rivard Plaza, Dequindre Cut and the Eastern Market through December 3.

For more information on the Conservancy’s public art programs and other events and activities on the Detroit Riverfront, please visit www.DetroitRiverfront.org.

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy was formed as a public-private partnership in early 2003 with the mission of developing public access on the Detroit International Riverfront and serve as an anchor for economic development. The completed project will span five-and-a-half miles of riverfront property, from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park, just east of the Belle Isle Bridge, and will include a continuous RiverWalk along with public parks and green spaces. Currently, more than three miles of East Riverfront is complete and open to the public. The Conservancy, a non-profit organization, is responsible for the construction and permanent operations, maintenance and programming of the Detroit International Riverfront and the Dequindre Cut Greenway. Visit www.DetroitRiverfront.org for more information or follow us on Facebook and Twitter at Detroit Riverfront.