Downtown Dearborn Celebrating Michigan Downtown Day with Community Mural Project

WHAT: The West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority (WDDDA) is celebrating Michigan Downtown Association’s Downtown Day with the Dearborn Downtown Day Community Street Mural project. This large-scale art installation was designed by Michigan artist Rick Brown, and will be painted directly on the surface of West Village Drive between Monroe and Mason street with the help of the community. Groups of area volunteers will assist the artist throughout the day in creating the street mural, making it a true community affair.

WHY: This initiative is led and funded by the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority (WDDDA) to encourage community pride and beautify the area while improving pedestrian safety. Access to public art and artist initiatives in the community is part of the Downtown Dearborn vision to bring the community together and create opportunities for the public to engage in meaningful appreciation of creative expression. The WDDDA worked in partnership with the Dearborn Community Fund and the Padzieski Gallery to select the artist and fund the project.

WHEN: Saturday, September 24, 2022, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Media representatives are invited to visit between 2 and 2:30 p.m. to best view the volunteer action and the artwork as it takes shape.

WHERE: Wagner Park, 22060 W. Village Dr., Dearborn, MI 48214

WHO: Coordinating partners include: Sasha Corder, Padzieski Art Gallery; Emma Jean Woodyard, Dearborn Community Fund; Cristina Sheppard-Decius, Manager of the DDDA; Janet Bloom, Operations Manager of the DDDA, and Helen Lambrix, Downtown Dearborn Marketing and Social Media Manager.

About the Artist: Rick Brown – “I am a self taught oil painter based in Detroit, Michigan. My work is an attempt to illuminate everyday life, the people I love, and places within the city. A history of writing graffiti in my youth led me down a path to finding new appreciation of things forgotten, abandoned or ordinary.”

For more information on volunteering in the Dearborn Downtown Day Community Street Mural project, go to www.padzieskigallery.org/dearborn-downtown-days-community-mural.

The East and West Dearborn Downtown Development Authorities’ mission is to create a vibrant Downtown Dearborn experience for all. Learn more about these events and other programs happening in Downtown Dearborn by visiting downtowndearborn.org or via social media at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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