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The clay tiles in the mural were designed by members of the community during workshops held throughout the area in the spring.
Photo provided by the city of Rochester Hills
ROCHESTER — Thelma G. Spencer Park has a fresh look thanks to a new public art installation.
A collaboration between the city of Rochester Hills, the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Paint a Miracle and the Older Persons’ Commission, the community art project invited people of all ages and abilities to decorate their own ceramic tile, which served as the foundation for the new mural in Spencer Park.
In the spring, community members created nature-themed designs on their own 6-by-6-inch tiles during a series of workshops funded through a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
“Three hundred and fifty people from the community came together with their ideas about what nature in the community means to them,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said.
Huntington Woods-based mixed media artist Michelle Sider was recommended to spearhead the project by members of the Detroit Institute of Arts and was tasked with designing and assembling the tiles into a large community mural.
The finished mural — which represents a starburst to reflect the sunlight that bathes the park — stands 4.5 feet high and 20 feet wide and adorns the west side of a structure the city calls “The Beach House,” facing the Spencer Park parking lot.
“As the sun changes during the day, the shadows will change on the tiles themselves,” Sider said. “I was able to do a gradation of 13 different colors, from light to dark, to represent the sunburst, and it looks a lot like a sunset or sunrise. I just wanted something that was uplifting for the community.”
The artwork was permanently installed at the park this summer and unveiled during a special event July 12 to mark the centennial anniversary of the city park system.
“We had tremendous community support from ages 8-80 who made a tile and were a part of the community story,” Barnett said. “We’ve had people coming out and looking all over the piece to find their contribution to it. Many people are even taking selfies in front of their particular tile, so that’s really a cool component. I’m thrilled with it, and I think it’s going to be a wonderful addition to Spencer Park.”
One of the coolest things about the project, according to Sider, is how inclusive it was.
“The thing that I really loved about this project was that the entire community was invited to participate,” she said. “Each tile is really detailed and also has the imprint of each person on it.”
The mural, Paint Creek Center for the Arts Art Education Manager Nicole Bush added, was a great way for the public to “physically and safely leave a piece of themselves in their community.”
The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the city of Rochester Hills sponsored the project.
