DETROIT (WWJ) - A towering new piece of art will soon grace the side of the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit.
London-based public artist Richard Wilson has been hired to create a more than 100-foot tall mural of Motown legend Stevie Wonder. The west side of the building on the corner of Madison and Brush streets will soon feature the musician's larger-than-life portrait.
It's a larger-than-life honor. The 8-thousand-square-foot painting will cover the south wall and reach to the very top of the stage house on the corner of Madison and Brush Street.
Wilson says that centuries from now, Wonder -- who turned 69 Monday -- will be looked at as a Beethoven, Mozart, or Bach.
The artist's large-scale murals can be found in communities in the US and Europe. The project is being paid for by Wilson.
“To paint people that inspire me and art that tells a story, and in particular to be able to paint big walls when I can, where I can paint something that can really connect to the community around it," said Wilson.
Among the homes of his murals Detroit now joins the company of West Philadelphia (Will Smith) and Santo Antonio, Portugal (Christiano Ronaldo). Wilson’s work is focused on portraiture, creating tributes to arts & cultural icons who inspire him and who have natural connections in the settings he chooses
The Music Hall President Vince Paul was approached by Wilson in 2018 when he took part in Eastern Market’s ‘Murals In The Market’. “Music Hall has been committed to performing arts education for decades, bringing lessons in music, theater, and dance to Detroit’s students year-in and year-out. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight this work and its importance in Detroit, said Paul.
A second mural has been commissioned on the Music Hall's west wall by London-based non-profit Education is Not A Crime. Materials and labor used to prepare the walls were donated by Integrity Building Group – Principals Brian Mooney & John Biggar.
Wilson posted a video painting the teeth of the mural to Instagram where he praising the paint he's using from Motor City Paint which according the the company is locally owned and produces paint locally.