Art crowd readies for ‘Milford Meets the Masters’, originally uploaded by FatherDalton.Downtown shops host Mini Masters day, offer family-friendly activities to coincide with Detroit Institute of Arts’ Inside|Out program.
Downtown Milford will frame itself as an arts and culture destination this month as Inside|Out: Milford Meets the Masters kicks off on Sept. 17.
The Village is among the next metro Detroit communities to be featured as part of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Inside|Out program, which brings reproductions of paintings from its stellar collection to the streets and parks of greater metro Detroit. Inside|Out connects with audiences outside the museum walls in a grand, open-air gallery and is sponsored by DTE Energy Foundation.
To celebrate, more than a dozen of Milford’s downtown businesses will come together for The Mini Masters, a Milford Business Association event that runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.
“There are over 400 artists in the Huron Valley Area and the town supports us,” said Janine Rudzki, an organizer and owner of Milford’s Aubergine Gallery. “To be able to tie into the DIA event is a great way to inspire our future artists and allow them to see several famous artists’ works all in one exciting day.”
The Mini Masters will offer a family-friendly day to visit downtown Milford, allowing patrons to shop, dine and experience artistic activities that range from jewelry-making to cupcake-decorating, puzzle-solving to kids’ coloring stations. Also on Sept. 17, the Huron Valley Council for the Arts and Village Fine Arts Association will provide docents for, self-guided walking tours that begin at The Mill Pond, on N. Milford Road.
“We hope residents and visitors alike will join us and take advantage of the opportunity to view the DIA’s reproductions and engage in hands-on artistic activities inside Milford’s own shops and galleries,” said Ann Barnette, executive director of the Milford Downtown Development Authority.
Exact locations for each DIA reproduction can be viewed on the interactive map at www.dia.org. In addition, the DIA will offer Milford residents free museum admission on Sunday, Nov. 20, so they can experience the original works of art in person and enjoy the variety of activities the museum offers. Free admission excludes special ticketed exhibitions and programs.
“We are so pleased to be chosen as a location to showcase the DIA’s Inside|Out program,” said Barnette. “Our welcoming and walkable downtown streets and expansive parks take on the colors of fall this time of year, making it the perfect time and place to create an open air gallery to showcase these stunning visuals.”
Seven reproductions will be installed beginning on Sept. 14 and remain on view until early December. They stretch from North Milford Road south along Main Street to Liberty Street in scenic downtown Milford.
The works include:
· Thomas Moran’s The Fisherman’s Wedding Party – seen at The Mill Pond, N. Milford Road.
· Pierre Auguste Renoir’s Woman in an Armchair – Heritage Wheel Garden at the Flat Iron Building, North Main Street and North Milford Road.
· Eros Triumphant by an unknown painter – McMartin Building, at the corner of Commerce Road and Main Street.
· Jan van Eyck’s Saint Jerome in His Study – outside Acorn Farm, 367 N. Main Street.
· Francis Wheatley’s The Wilkinson Family – Center Street Park at Main Street.
· William Adolphe Bouguereau’s The Nut Gatherers – Wind River Gallery, 423 N. Main Street.
· Coastal Scene with a Man-of-War and other Vessels by Ludolf Backhuysen. – Omega Homes Building, 301 N. Main Street.
“There is a genuine sense of community ownership around the installations, and many residents have come to the DIA to see ‘their’ actual works of art,” said Graham W. J. Beal, DIA director. “We are happy to be able to continue the momentum with the new installations this fall.”
About the Milford Downtown Development Authority
Established by ordinance in 1982, the Milford Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is a commercial district revitalization organization dedicated to building an attractive environment in which people can shop, live and play. To learn more about downtown Milford, visit www.meetmeinmilford.com.
