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MDOT public forum Aug. 16 to introduce artist selected for Cass Avenue art project at I-94 in Detroit

Detroit, Mich. ­- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting a community forum to introduce artist Cliff Garten, who was selected to create public art for the Cass Avenue overpass above I-94 in Detroit. This is an opportunity for the community to meet and collaborate with Garten. The public art project is funded by at $200,000 grant awarded by the State of Michigan.

Who:
MDOT staff
Project consultants
Interested residents

When:
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023
5 - 7 p.m.

Where: 
Carhart
5800 Cass Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202

Accessibility:
Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan.gov, preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.

Project information:
The Cass Avenue public art project was developed after extensive public engagement on the I-94 modernization project. A total of 146 artists applied and were considered by the Public Art Committee, composed of local arts professionals and agency representatives advising MDOT. They unanimously recommended Garten for the project, recognizing his tested experience in the field of public art producing work that is sustainable, which is critical for transportation infrastructure projects. Garten is the founder of Cliff Garten Studio in Venice, California, and has produced integrated art for numerous bridge projects. In 2018, he led a design team that created the award-winning American Civil Rights Memorial in Memphis, Tennessee. The I AM A MAN Plaza that pays tribute to the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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