Fraser

DIA Inside|Out bringing art to Fraser

By Nico Rubello
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Fraser will play host to five famous paintings this year, including van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait,” through the DIA’s Inside|Out program. Fraser will play host to five famous paintings this year, including van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait,” through the DIA’s Inside|Out program.

FRASER — Come April, locals will be able to see Vincent van Gogh’s famous “Self-Portrait” and four other masterpieces around Fraser.

That’s because, for the first time ever, Fraser is among the communities receiving replicas of artworks at the Detroit Institute of Arts through the museum’s Inside|Out program.

“The DIA Inside|Out program has always been in bigger communities, so it’s kind of a big deal to be in Fraser,” said Fraser Parks and Recreation Director Christina Woods.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, Inside|Out places art reproductions from its collection in parks, the sides of public buildings and other public places around metro Detroit communities.

In Fraser alone, five oil paintings will be on display from April to June:

• Gari Melchers’ 1900 painting “The Communicant” will be at the Fraser Public Library

• John Everett Milliais’ 1864 painting “Leisure Hours” will appear at Fraser City Hall

• Francis Wheatley’s 1770s painting “The Wikinson Family” will be at the Steffens Park ball field

• Vincent van Gogh’s 1887 painting “Self-Portrait” will be at Fort Fraser in Steffens Park

• Rachel Ruysh’s 1704 painting “Flowers in a Glass Vase” will be on display at the replica train depot and Baumgartner house at Masonic and Kelly

Woods said the masterpieces will tie in with a city-sponsored art show at noon May 18 at Steffens Park, located next to City Hall on Garfield Road. The art show will incorporate performances and artwork from students at Fraser High School and Arts Academy in the Woods, she announced.

“I feel like there is a new era in Fraser,” Woods added. “Lots of new things are happening and hopefully we’ll get a good community response.”

This year, Inside|Out will be bringing a total of 81 reproductions to 13 communities, including Fraser, between April and June. Then, from July to September, 80 will go to 12 other communities. Twenty-one of the 25 communities are new to the program.

Also, because residents already receive free general admission after the DIA millage’s passage, the museum decided to expand its “community days” to “community weekends.” That means residents of the participating communities will be able to visit the museum for free.

The community weekend for Fraser is June 1-2.

According to a DIA statement, that weekend, Fraser residents also can receive a 10-percent discount to the Café DIA and museum shop, $1 off Detroit Film Theatre tickets and free admission to showings of the Detroit Film Theatre 101 film series.

Clinton Township, having received six artworks in 2012, will not be getting any artworks this year. Dimond said none of the communities who participated in Inside|Out last year will receive artworks again this year.

Inside|Out is brought to the communities free of charge through a sponsorship by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

“Before this year, we have been in over 74 different communities and 540 individual locations,” Dimond said. “There’s literally only a handful (of metro Detroit) areas that we haven’t been in, and there’s a strong likelihood we’ll be in (the remaining communities) next year.”

Art placements in other communities are still being determined, but people will eventually be able to find all the Inside|Out locations listed at www.dia.org.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Nico Rubello at nrubello@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1118.