A print of Mario Moore’s “The Council” stands outside Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard in Lathrup Village. The piece is one of eight prints installed near Lathrup Village City Hall as part of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Inside|Out program.
By: McKenna Golat | Southfield Sun | Published May 14, 2026
LATHRUP VILLAGE/SOUTHFIELD — A taste of the Detroit Institute of Arts has come to Lathrup Village and Southfield with the recent installations of the Inside|Out program.
Inside|Out is a program that brings reproductions of art pieces within the Detroit Institute of Arts collection to cities within Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. The installation in Lathrup Village is located around City Hall, while the Southfield installation is located throughout Lawrence Technological University’s campus. The freestanding pieces are made with weather-resistant materials.
Christina Schindler, chairwoman of the Lathrup Village Parks and Recreation Committee, said she and city officials were able to choose the eight specific pieces in Lathrup Village’s installation. She said Inside|Out provides a more casual experience to view art.
“It allows the art to be more accessible, and people can experience it in a more laid-back atmosphere,” Schindler said. “It’s a small slice of the DIA.”
Seven of the pieces are located around the Lathrup Village City Hall building. One piece, “The Council,” by Mario Moore, is in front of Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard, located at 27601 Southfield Road, across the street from City Hall.
Lawrence Technological University has five reproductions installed across its campus, specifically near the College of Architecture and Design, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Information Technology, College of Engineering, and the College of Health Sciences.
Lawrence Technological University President Tarek Sobh said the installations will enhance the campus experience while underscoring the university’s commitment to developing graduates to think broadly and lead with vision.
“Art challenges us to see life differently,” he said in a press release. “Whether you are designing a building, developing a new technology, advancing health care or launching a business, creativity is the common thread.”
The installations are free to visit. Additionally, there will be two opportunities to participate in a guided tour of the Lathrup Village installation led by Lathrup Village resident and docent Chuck Snelling. The tours are scheduled for 6 p.m. May 15 and June 12 beginning at Lathrup Village City Hall, located at 27400 Southfield Road. The walking tours will be approximately 30 minutes long and are free to attend. Snelling said these tours will be casual.
“I’m there to introduce people to the art and the program,” he said. “It’s going to be a back and forth sort of thing, and get people comfortable talking about art.”
More tours may be scheduled depending on the reception of the first two.