Detroit City: Art & Architecture

November 14, 2024

In spring of 2024 my friend Sammy and I went on a road trip to Detroit, Michigan.

Crossing the Ambassador Bridge into Detroit, Michigan.

We went for the Detroit Film Festival, but also - as always - to explore as much local culture we can!

In this blog post I'll be sharing some of the gorgeous art and architecture of Detroit City.

Mural of Stevie Wonder by Richard Wilson based on a photo by Douglas Kirkland.

Let's start with street art...

"Black Pride Matters. Black Community Matters." Stenciled on a Detroit sidewalk.

The Detroit streets we walked on were dripping with creativity and the people we met were full of civic pride.

The murals we saw - and there are so many cool murals in Detroit - showed that also...

After many tough years, some people are saying that "Detroit is Back".

Local artist Sheefy knows otherwise.

There is so much street art in Detroit it is impossible to cover it all. Here are a few more highlights of what we encountered...

My Pal Sammy gets playful in front of a delightful mural by global artist Kevin Lyons.

Murals are all over...

There is No Beauty Without Strangeness.

Mural by members of international arts collective @wearelunchmoney.

Many murals are found near the fantastic Eastern Market - a must visit place when you go to Detroit!

Fate Favors the Fearless mural by @pro_gress

(I'm still looking for the creator of the "Are You Ever Going to Bed?" mural.)

Jukebox Cowboys, by @nychos and @flyingfortress5410

A fantastic mural by LA based Hebru Brantley.

Sammy in front of a great mural by @pro_gress.

Mural of the late artist J Dilla holding an Akai MPC3000 in front of a wall of Doughnuts.

(J Dilla's best known album is called "Donuts".)

Mural by the multi-talented Tylonn J Sawyer.

Want more murals? Check out Murals in the Market!

Sports themed artwork can be found on utility boxes all over downtown Detroit.

I could say so much about the street art in Detroit, but let's pivot to point #2 in my alliterative title - architecture!

Whenever I visit American cities I always leave impressed at the wonderful architecture there. Detroit was no exception.

Here are just a few that left me in awe...

Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel

This is a beautiful old building with some real history, near where we stayed during our visit.

Buhl Building

What a gorgeous building! Read more about its history here.

A hallway inside the Buhl Building.

Sammy and I clowned around a bit with a sign inside the Buhl Building, naturally...

Through the archways of the Buhl Building, you can see the next building that I'll feature here...

Guardian Building

Stunning detail inside and out. If you're in Detroit, don't miss it!

Click this link to learn more about the Guardian Building.

Coleman A. Young Municipal Center

The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is known especially for The Spirit of Detroit statue out front of it.

The statue was created by Marshall Fredericks, but got its name from the Bible verse seen on the wall behind it:

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" - II Corinthians 3:17

"The inscribed plaque in front of the statue reads: “The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man, is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship.” - The Encyclopedia of Detroit

The NFL Draft was happening the week after we visited. The NFL jersey on the statue was just one element showing the excitement that was building throughout the city.

Renaissance Center

A sticker on a lamppost near the Renaissance Center.

A short walk from the Coleman A. Young Center is the Renaissance Center, a multi-tower building along the waterfront. Inside is a great tribute to the history of GM. Worth a look!

Detroit has a free "people mover" that runs throughout the downtown core. Here it is (showing promos for the NFL Draft) pulling into the Renaissance Center.

Fisher Building

Another gorgeous building! Definitely worth seeing.

Stella Good Coffee - a very nice coffee shop inside the Fisher Building.

If you're looking for quality souvenirs, Pure Detroit - in the Fisher Building and elsewhere - is well worth a visit!

Detroit Institute of Arts

Incredible murals by Diego Rivera on display in the Detroit Institute of Art.

This link provides more background about Diego Rivera and these murals.

A number of Detroit Film Festival screenings were held at the DIA.

One of the films we saw was Frida, about the life of Frida Kahlo, including her relationship with Diego Rivera. A portion of the film was about their time in Detroit.