The Village gets colorful and creative for Art Takeover

GROSSE POINTE CITY — The Village is going to be bursting with creativity this month.

Art Takeover — a public display of original artworks throughout the business district — will return for its third year, running Sept. 11 to Oct. 4. A record number of 85 artists — with roughly 250 works in 35 businesses and Village spaces — are participating this year. Art Takeover organizer Michelle Boggess-Nunley, an artist and owner of Posterity Art & Framing Gallery, said the works are juried.

“We have a lot of new businesses on board,” Boggess-Nunley said. “We have a ton of art. It’s going to be a great show.”

An Art Takeover kickoff celebration will take place in The Village from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. It will feature live entertainment by musician Eugene Strobe, Renaissance Festival and circus performer The Amazing Flec, caricatures by Emad Tammo, live painting by some participating artists and a band not identified yet at press time that will perform in The Village Plaza.

About half of this year’s artists are returning from a prior Art Takeover, but Boggess-Nunley said there are also “a lot of new artists this year.”

Art Takeover — which Boggess-Nunley conducted in other communities before she acquired Posterity and brought the event to Grosse Pointe City — is intended to not only showcase the diverse talents of Michigan artists, but also to create greater awareness of The Village and its businesses.

“Obviously, we like to do events that bring people into our businesses and bring people into our stores, and Art Takeover does that in a unique way,” Main Street Grosse Pointe Executive Director Cindy Willcock said. “Everybody loves art. It’s a way to engage visitors. Not only will they see great art, but maybe they’ll see businesses they didn’t realize were here.”

Besides people from the Pointes and surrounding communities, Art Takeover has been found to draw visitors from farther-flung communities.

“We get thousands of visitors just for Art Takeover,” Boggess-Nunley said. “It has brought a lot of new visitors to The Village. It’s nice to see it working.”

Adding to the experience is the fact that visitors can vote for their favorite Art Takeover artist. The winner will receive a solo exhibition at Posterity in 2026. Ballots must be submitted in person and can be dropped off at Posterity, Savvy Chic or Half-Moon Outfitters in The Village.

There also will be a scavenger hunt throughout the duration of Art Takeover that visitors can take part in for a chance to win merchandise and gift certificates to local businesses.

Willcock said they’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from visitors who came to the previous Art Takeovers.

Boggess-Nunley said she’s had the same experience.

“We get emails every year about how much people really liked the event,” Boggess-Nunley said.

A map to the artwork locations is printed on page 12A of the Sept. 4 issue of the Grosse Pointe Times.

“We have so many new stores in The Village,” Boggess-Nunley said. “The way to get people into The Village is through Art Takeover.”

Any artworks sold during Art Takeover are sold without commissions, meaning the artists take home the full purchase price.

“It’s a great time to buy,” Boggess-Nunley said. “All of the proceeds go to the artists.”

Posterity is located at 17005 Kercheval Ave. in The Village. For more about Art Takeover, visit posterityartgallery.com or call (313) 884-8105.