I have just been informed that one of
Detroit's most important and treasured public art murals is in
peril. John Egner's Untitled mural (1974) on the north wall of
the Park Shelton Apartment building (corner of Woodward and
Kirby Streets) is scheduled to be covered by an expansion of the
building's parking structure. There will be a Public Hearing on
this subject TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 12 (hearing at 5:30,
mural issue at 6:30 p.m.) at the Coleman A. Young Municipal
Building on the 13th Floor (corner of Woodward and Jefferson).
Anyone who can be there to support and defend public art in
Detroit is encouraged to attend.
More:
John Egner
Untitled Mural, 1974
Park Shelton Apartments, north wall,
Woodward Avenue at Kirby Street
"This ninety-six-foot-high wall
painting, according to former Wayne State University art
professor, John Egner, who now lives and works in New York,
was conceived as an entrance into the Cultural Center.
Because of its vast size, it can be seen for more than a
mile away. What appears close up as a patch-work quilt of
systematically placed colored squares seems to read from a
distance like a bird's-eye view of Woodward Avenue, curving
toward downtown and framed by rows of tall buildings. Thus,
the artist has made it possible for Woodward Avenue
travelers to reach the Cultural Center and downtown visually
long before they actually arrive there. Despite the recent
and commendable re-painting that renewed the mural's
intricate play of colors and shapes, the addition of the
name of the building at the top has altered Egner's original
composition."
Don't let the Park Shelton kill what's
left of this amazing mural! Please show your support by
attending tonight's public hearing - or - write a letter of
support!!! Send letters by fax ASAP to:
Susan McBride
City of Detroit Historic District
Commission
FAX: 313-224-1310
TEL: 313-224-6536
Thank you for your consideration.
Kind regards,
Michelle Perron
