April 8th is an important date.

Detroit, and the To Spot A Cow Project Proposal

Project Title: To Spot A Cow

Artists: Ben Bunk & Jane Orr

Detroit

For decades the city of Detroit has been in turmoil. At one point a landmark American destination, Detroit has slowly turned into the skeleton of a grand city as it, over the past thirty years, has lost jobs, people and government funding in monumental numbers due to various internal, national and global reasons. Detroit's infrastructure, once lined with beautifully crafted houses and bustling businesses, now supports blocks upon blocks of burnt, broken shells of households and dilapidated storefronts. The city that once symbolized hope for the American dream has fallen to greed, corruption & bad decisions on a national level. These amazing buildings and houses will one day be demolished or burnt, or “merely” remain unsafe eyesores to their respective communities, if nothing is done.

America is now being given a unique opportunity. A chance to redefine what a modern city means, as well as a chance to rethink what our history means to us as a country. And it has begun. People have been moving in, turning empty lots into farms and teaching communities to grow their own produce; artists have decorated the landscape, turning blank brick walls into canvases for colorful murals; bicyclists take advantage of this vast, flat landscape, helping to reduce our carbon footprint; and empty warehouses are becoming renovated into offices, studios, clubs- even movie theaters. With such a wealth of resources, it seems absurd that the only method of progress is demolition. Keeping these buildings safe, while maintaining their beauty and encouraging future use, is a step towards preserving one of our country's finest cities while simultaneously moving forward.

The following project is meant to not only beautify these neighborhoods, but also call attention to the past that these windows saw. Through plywood: symbolically preserving a memory, literally preserving a history.

The Project: To Spot a Cow.

We will be installing painted sheets of plywood into windows of abandoned buildings along various Detroit streets. These sheets of plywood will be painted by various groups of people, depicting traditional folklore with uplifting messages, and thus will serve as both an arts education opportunity as well as a community beautification (and safety) project. Funding will be provided by charitable donations, through a fund raiser where interested parties (both individuals and businesses) are given the opportunity to "buy" stock- in this case, a window- in Detroit. Their donations will fund the materials for their window, and the window's progress can be monitored via a project-oriented blog.

This is not a solution to the problem, but it is a step in diluting it. Help us preserve the past and the future of this landmark city…with plywood... one building at a time.

Deals, Discounts & Donations

> $20/ window

> $50/storefront window; mural

> $5/ custom signage