Local artists respond to Detroit bankruptcy with street mural

Posted on July 23, 2013

DETROIT- Two Detroit street artists created a new mural on Grand River, just north of downtown Detroit, with large stylistic letters reading, B-A-N-K-R-U-P-T-C-Y. The colorful piece created by artistsAyem and Melo (who asked to not have their real names published) is a statement on Detroit’s recent cash flow problems.

The muralists wanted to create a piece based on current events to “draw people in and make a statement,” said Melo. He said he wasn’t surprised by the news of Detroit’s bankruptcy, “It’s just another day in Detroit.”

Melo and Ayem used 8 different overlapping colors to create a 3-D effect which took over 6 hours to finish. The artists intended to liven up their message of bankruptcy with color. “Art- and graffiti-are bringing back Detroit,” said Melo and Ayem. The mural is unfinished according to artists, who plan to add their names or satirical characters relating to Detroit’s fiscal crisis.They worked with the non-profit art organization, Grand River Creative Corridor(GRCC), to get permission from the property owner of 2481 Grand River at Henry St., currently a vacant building, to paint the mural on the south side of the building which faces downtown.

“These guys, they’re amazing,” said Derek Weaver, managing director of 4731 and the GRCC, who helped Melo and Ayem secure the location for the mural. Weaver said for years the building was vandalized. “We repainted it with something artistic, with a powerful message. It is better than looking at gang-like graffiti,” said Weaver. With adjacent GRCC studios on the block, Weaver had no problem getting permission from the building owner who allowed them to create whatever they wanted on the side of the building.Melo and Ayem have been making large mural art in Detroit for over 10 years. Melo attended the American Institute of Arts in Chicago for Illustration. The two met through mutual friends in the street art world of Detroit and have been collaborating for 5 years.