Neighbors, youth, and artists gathered this week as Tom Stoye began his public art installation as part of the Porch on TAP artist residency program. Tom is hanging 10 large (3ft by 4ft) portraits of youth from around the City of Detroit in The Alley on fences, garages, and buildings alongside existing artwork of various mediums.
The installation provided an exciting opportunity for people to come out and witness the process of installing large photographs outdoors for public viewing. Several artists wanted to help to assist and also learn more about the method.
Each creative installation on The Alley is a tangible monument to a set of unlikely relationships that are formed as a result of the processes we engage in to create the work people see. They often involve at least one artist, someone who lives in the property where the work is created/installed, and at least one young person.
Tom’s installation, like many, involved a handful of each… all chipping in to help on top of enjoying time and space together. These relationships offer a richness to the community that cannot be bought and are key to the benefits TAP offers the neighborhood. In this way conversations are started and new connections are made, creative processes are explained and understood, and new ideas come about.