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Detroit Must Be The Place

February 1, 2025
Sydney G. James, ‘01 Illustration - “The Girl with the D Earring” mural painted on a black wall, a modern Detroit take on Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”

Meet Some of the Muralists Transforming the City, One Brushstroke at a Time, and the Individuals Making Those Opportunities Happen.

Robert Sestock, ‘69 Studio Art & Craft - “Untitled Mural,” spiral painting on a black wall for the Murals in the Market festival in Detroit.
Ashley McFadden, ‘10 Illustration - colorful painting of a woman, robot, and venus flytraps for the Murals in the Market Festival in Detroit.
Kobie Solomon, ‘01 Illustration - color painting of a women on a grey wall.
Ashley McFadden, ‘10 Illustration - Ashley McFadden on scaffolding painting a mural in Detroit.

Detroit is home to world-class muralists that are adorning the city with their work, honoring its history, raising awareness on social issues, and inspiring people. In 2022, USA TODAY ranked Detroit as the fourth best city to see street art in the country.

One of those artists transforming the city is Sydney G. James, ‘01 Illustration. The multidisciplinary creative, who was named CCS’s 2024 Distinguished Alumni, co-founded the biannual street mural festival BLKOUT Walls in 2021, to increase representation of Black artists in mural festivals. Nearly 50 local and international artists are in the BLKOUT Walls family, and James looks forward to maintaining the event in Detroit and expanding it to other cities.

“Public art, no matter how you try to spin it, is a two-way conversation between the community and the artist and vice versa,” James said. What makes this even more special is that several CCS graduates have participated in BLKOUT Walls, including Habacuc S. Bessiake, ‘21 Illustration, Cailyn Dawson, ‘21 Studio Art & Craft and Kobie Solomon, ‘01 Illustration. “We offer artist fellowship with the actual community, and it continues past the festival.”

Another mural festival in the city is Murals in the Market, created in 2015 by Detroit-based fine art publisher and online marketplace 1XRUN. The festival has welcomed more than 100 artists from Detroit and around the world to paint murals throughout Eastern Market and Detroit. Smithsonian magazine named it one of the top five best mural festivals in the world in 2018.

Anthony Lee, ‘16 Studio Art & Craft - "Guardians of Hidden Gate Temple" for Murals In the Market Islandview Festival.
Kesse Kassel, ‘10 Illustration - colorful abstract painting for Murals in the Market festival in Detroit “Welcome to Islandview” for Murals In the Market Islandview Festival.
Ivan Montoya, ‘17 Illustration & Art Education - “MiraVista” for Murals In the Market Islandview Festival.
Michael Polakowski, ‘17 Illustration - white and purples floral painting on green wall for Murals in the Marketing festival in Detroit.

“It means everything to me to have built a platform like 1XRUN and Murals in the Market that directly supports the careers of so many talented artists, both in Detroit and around the world,” said Dan Armand, ‘05 Illustration, co-founder of 1XRUN. Jesse Kassel, ‘10 Illustration, Anthony Lee, ‘16 Studio Art & Craft, Ashley Mcfadden, ‘10 Illustration, Ivan Montoya, ‘17 Illustration Art Education, Michael Polakowski, ‘17 Illustration, and Robert Sestok, ‘69 Studio Art & Craft, are some CCS alumni who have participated in the festival. In 2023, organizers rebranded the event as Murals in Islandview and moved it to Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood.

These muralists are enriching not only Detroit but the world with their work. Ndubisi Okoye, ‘15 Communication Design & Strategy, was one of 11 artists commissioned by Warner Bros. in 2022, to create illustrations of Tweety Bird in honor of the character’s 80th birthday. Okoye’s eight illustrations were painted as murals around the U.S., Australia and other countries. 

“It’s a blessing to have mural work shown around the world,” Okoye said. He has also painted for Murals in the Market and completed other vibrant murals around Detroit and Michigan. “Detroit’s muralist community is like a big family. We support each other, battle it out on requests for qualifications, stand up when one of us is mistreated and we generally love to see each other win.”

Sydney G. James, ‘01 Illustration - “Let Me Get Um…” mural for the BLKOUT Walls Festival.
Habacuc S. Bessiake, ‘21 Illustration - “Way Maker” Joe Louis Greenway X Hamtramck Centennial Mural.