Most of my pieces have involved the public in some way; either with the initial ideas behind the concept, sometimes helping with simple fabrication, or, as in the Boys and Girls Club bench, actually decorating wet stoneware leaves later used in the mosaic trees. To involve the immediate community gives them a sense of ownership and pride in their local artwork, often inspiring confidence in individuals to try pieces or take classes on their own.
In 2008, I was commissioned to work with the 5th and 6th graders in Indian Hill Elementary School in Grand Blanc Michigan. The children hand decorated about 200 porcelain tiles with the themes of birds, bugs, blooms, and butterflies. These tiles were then put on a masonry wall commemorating the volunteers who helped beautify Rust […]
In 2007, the Federal Department of Transportation renovated the main bus station in Flint, and renamed it the Rosa Parks Station. A call went out for art with a civil rights theme, and Marcy Yurk and I were awarded with a commission for 12 by 5 foot mosaic mural. We chose the Freedom Riders of […]
In 2006, a piece was commissioned for the courtyard at the Boys and Girls Club of Flint, Michigan. The courtyard is a space where underprivileged urban children learn about the beauty of planting a garden and caring for it. The design, meant to double as an art object and a bench, incorporates a sun face […]
This piece commemorates 100 years of limestone mining in Rogers City Michigan. The Calcite Mine is the largest open pit mine in the world, and has been the mainstay of the economy of Rogers City. I proposed this piece in 2012, to be set in the Lakeside Park in the downtown area. It consists of […]
In 2004, the Ruth Mott Foundation asked myself and Marcy Yurk to design a bench to be in a highly visible location in the community. After considering several venues, the Flint Farmers Market was chosen for the location. The Market embodies a unique cross section of the Flint community, and, especially in the summer, captures […]
The “Mosaic Bench Project” started with a series of “story circles,” where individuals from the community told stories of joy and celebration in their lives. These gatherings took place on the grounds at Applewood and at Grace Emmanuel Church. It was my role as artist to interpret these stories into a visual image that could […]
In 2005 the Alumni Association of University of Michigan commissioned myself and fellow artist Marcy Yurk to design and build a landmark on the campus to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the University of Michigan-Flint. The Ruth Mott Foundation was then approached to assist with funding, and to suggest ways to involve the community. The final […]
