Day 5: Detroit

Day 5: Detroit

Quote of the day:

She's a very special girl
(The kind of girl you want to know)
From her head down to her toenails
(Down to her feet, yeah)



Weather: Perfect

Pics: Art from around town, Detroit Institute of Art DIA), collectors, everywhere

THB and DB do something nobody else visiting does in Detroit: we walk almost two miles away from downtown to breakfast at the Avalon Bakery (and pick up cookies and brownies for later). Then we do something else nobody else does: we walk back almost two miles to the see the Guardian building (see pics) and then on to the hotel. Nobody visiting town walks around on their own.

Today we visit the DIA, led by the Contemporary Curator, and first up is the massive Diego Rivera mural (see lots of pics). It is pretty spectacular and lives up to the advance billing. And, the rest of the DIA is not bad either. A very small and terrific contemporary art collection, and smattering of other impressive work.

Lunch in the museum café: salads for all, iced tea, included. From the museum we go to one of the few big abandoned buildings in use: 800k sq feet remodeled to be artist accessible. We visit three studios, and in the one where the ceramicist explains how meticulous he is in process and firing, there is no work for sale. Hmmmm….this was the one spot where buying might actually occur (other than museum gift shops) and the group was primed.

Then we visit two private collections, and the second is someone who lives alone (so it appears) and collects work on paper (prints/lithos/etc) and is also intimately involved in the art scene and trying to help Detroit recover. After we tour around, the group settles around a long table and he asks the group for our impression so far and gives a bit of the state of the city. Confirms what THB thinks is happening: within the large city proper, there are a few pockets of regeneration (phew) and much (95% in THB‘s estimation) that is not recovering and there is no good way for it to.

Dinner at Roast, in the hotel but not of the hotel (separate ownership): tomato and eggplant soup , steak, and beer and pretzels (Guinness ice cream and chocolate covered pretzels) for THB; salad, chicken and chocolate cake for DB, wine, included.