A floral sculpture representing “the abundance of nature” is on display at Eliza Howell Park as part of an artist residency program in the Brightmoor neighborhood.
The sculpture was created by Sidewalk Detroit and Detroit artist Halima Cassells with help from local volunteers. It serves as a trailhead in the park for a path leading to the Rouge River. The artwork was constructed using recycled litter that volunteers collected from the park and Rouge River. Volunteers also sorted and shaped the collected materials into flowers.
Cassells said that the sculpture was inspired by the park itself, wildflowers and a well-established meadow at the park. Additionally, she said it was inspired by “the abundance of nature, and how one flower or one tomato can have a thousand seeds and a thousand possibilities.”
The meadow located in the park was accidentally torn down last year by the city of Detroit, but officials have since initiated a $100,000 project to restore it.
Sidewalk Detroit was founded in 2013, with Ryan Myers-Johnson launching the Sidewalk Festival to celebrate Detroit’s art and streetscapes with a focus on the Old Redford Neighborhood. The group has a long history of working with Eliza Howell Park, such as in 2021, where the organization worked with Patrick Dougherty to install one of his “Stickwork” sculptures in the park. Cassells’ sculpture will be just one of a series of eco-residency works, with her installation remaining at the site for the next two years.
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Cassells’ residency started in April, with the kickoff event involving a similar cleanup in the park.
Cassells was awarded the 2023 Kresge Arts in Detroit fellowship for interdisciplinary art, and is the inspiration for the “Girl with the D earring” mural, located at 2937 E. Grand Blvd.
Cassells said that the sculpture has seen a positive reception from the community, and has created the discussion she wanted to inspire. She also said that one woman who participated in making flowers with her daughters “cried because she wasn’t expecting to see all the flowers get used.”
Augusta Morrison, the program director for Sidewalk Detroit, who helped to create the eco-artist residency with Nicky Marcot, the group’s Eliza Howell park strategist, said that Cassells’ residency is not the first. In another collaboration with Sidewalk Detroit, artist Jordan Weber created a sculpture in the Canfield neighborhood on Detroit’s east side. The objective of the first project was to provide both art and air quality monitoring to the community.
Morrison said Sidewalk Detroit has plans for another residency next spring, but said that the schedule is flexible, and the group plans to either do an open call for artists or a direct ask.
If you’re interested in getting engaged with Sidewalk Detroit, visit sidewalkdetroit.com, follow on Instagram or subscribe to the group’s newsletter, or reach out via email at info@sidewalkdetroit.com.