Arts Travel: Inside Art Moves Out for All to See

Reginald Marsh’s painting “Savoy Ballroom” enlivened Detroit’s Rivard Plaza last fall.

If you happen to find yourself strolling through one of 11 communities in southeastern Michigan this spring, don’t be surprised to see a Renoir or a Fra Angelico placed inauspiciously on the street. The works are the result of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ third successful year of its Inside|Out program, an initiative that celebrates the richness and diversity of the museum’s extensive collection.

The project reaches audiences outside traditional museum walls by installing high-quality life-sized reproductions of some of DIA’s finest art in outdoor locations in the greater Detroit metro area.

The artworks are intended to add a splash of beauty to everyday life and to entice tourists and Michiganders to see the works in person at DIA’s newly renovated facility. “This project is a reminder of how important art is in our culture,” said Kathleen Fegley, a local business owner and participant in the project. Julie Farkas, director of the Novi Public Library, said of last year’s installations, “This was a great collaboration. Not everyone can make it to DIA, and this was a great way of bringing a taste of the museum to the community.”

From April to June, the Inside|Out project will present reproductions in 11 communities, and the pieces will be moved to 11 new locations in July, where they will remain until September. The program is scheduled to continue in 2013.