Waterford Today

Lawrence Technological University issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.

Internationally renowned muralist Hubert Massey began work this week on nine murals that will line the new Southfield City Centre shared-use trail along southbound  Northwestern Highway on the campus of Lawrence Technological University.

Massey will produce three triptychs of three murals each, as well as an 18-foot-tall obelisk on 11 Mile Road east of Lahser Road, under a contract with the city of Southfield. “We are very excited about working with Dr. Hubert Massey on two new art projects for Southfield,” said the city’s mayor, Ken Siver. “They will add much excitement and beauty to the city.” Since 2016, the city of Southfield has installed 21 pieces of public art.

The design for the murals was inspired by input through two virtual town hall meetings attended by dozens of Southfield residents and LTU officials as well as representatives of local businesses. Called “Tapestry of a Community,” the murals depict Southfield’s evolution from a sleepy farming area to a bustling inner suburb boasting some of the Detroit area’s largest office complexes, a 3,000-student university in LTU, a diverse population, and a healthy housing stock ranging from fully urban to a “country in the city” feel.

Massey created the ceramic pieces for the murals at his studio in Detroit.

“Dr. Massey’s murals will add to an already impressive collection of public art at Lawrence Tech, as we continue our efforts to beautify our campus and make it a place not only for learning, but also for recreation and reflection,” Lawrence Tech President Virinder Moudgil said.

Massey’s bold, vibrant images can be spotted throughout Michigan, with installations in Detroit’s Mexicantown, Greektown, and Cultural Center areas, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Athletic Club, the Flint Institute of the Arts, and his alma mater, Grand Valley State University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts in 2012. In 2014, the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority commissioned Massey  to create the first large-scale mural for Cobo Center since 1987. An award-winning Kresge Fine Arts Fellow, Massey studied at the University of London’s Slade Institute of Fine Arts and later learned the centuries-old fresco technique from assistants of legendary artist Diego Rivera. Most recently, Massey created the Detroit street mural “Power to the People” dedicated to the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

Original source can be found here.