This was a wonderful project, that brought hundreds of people together to co-create the monument housed at the Janet & Jim Riehle Patient Tower at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital.
This would not have been possible without the help of Barbara Rossman, Megan Winkel, Phil Gilchrist, Peggy DiMercurio, and the team at Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens. Thank you all.
This PIXEL Project brought together people that represent all backgrounds, skill and experience levels, ages, and primary languages. As CEO Barbara Rossman describes, “How rich we are as a multitude of cultures.” First, community members decided that we would paint landscapes and the seasons, that we would include local favorites and also beautiful landscapes far away from us in Northern Michigan. The natural resources in Macomb County create a unique set of places that connect us as a growing and diverse community through each season. The natural resources in Michigan help to sustain us, and they remind us that our opportunities to visit with wellness and beauty are as diverse and as vibrant as our opportunities to meet with each other. At a series of Creation Sessions, 388 community members helped to paint the HFMH Janet and Jim Riehle North Tower Monument. We created this artwork together, step-by-step, with a shared vision to develop an intentionally inclusive space. This art series is painted by the same community that this artwork serves.
I wish to say thank you in particular to God, my family, the co-creators who helped paint this work, Henry Ford Health, Mrs. Rossman, whose profound love and leadership for this community continues to inspire me, Christina Lavinio-Mattinen, Natalie Kovacheff, HFH Interior Designer, Bobbi Marvin, HFH Healing Arts Program Manager and the Lindsey Anderson Curator of Art, Megan Winkel, Kimberly Kane, Michelle Fusco, Susan Krempa, the HFMH Patient and Family Advisory Council, Ray Manning and Kaley Pittsley whose stunning photography served as the resource photography that I used in my initial designs, the architect, Pierre Roberson, and the interior designer, Katherine Chapelle, whose expertise embedded Macomb County’s dynamic cultural fabric throughout the North Tower, the builders, our partners at Anton Art Center, including Phil Gilchrist and Peggy DiMecurio, Quinn Road Reunion, Blake’s Cider Mill, Stony Creek Metropark, Wolcott Mill Metropark, Lake St. Clair Metropark, Shadyside Park, Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise, Sterlingfest, Belle Isle Art Fair, Leadership Macomb, C&G News, WWJ Newsradio 950, and the rest of my exceptional team of community partners at Douglas Jones Art & Design.
I also want to thank Gayle and Mrs. Heron for your helpful advice.
**Below is a summary of those who signed sign-in sheets. This list is not exhaustive, as many people participated but chose not to sign the sign-in sheets. Some others asked that we not include their names in a publically-available list. I decided not to make this list password-protected. So I do not include some participant names in this list by their own request.**
Co-creators came regardless of weather.
Each person brought with them things we were unaware of, and this project truly became a monument to our ability to come together and to build beautiful things together, regardless of background.
At-a-Glance
Patient and Family Advisory Council meeting, July 27 (7 co-creators)
Sterling Fest, July 28-30 (92 co-creators)
Belle Isle Art Fair, August 6-7 (22 co-creators)
Gratiot Cruise, August 7 (44 co-creators)
Quinn Road Reunion, August 13 (22 co-creators)
Shadyside Park Mural Unveiling in Mount Clemens, August 19 (10 co-creators)
AAC Art Party, September 22 (3 co-creators)
Lake St. Clair Metropark with AAC, September 24 (43 co-creators)
Wolcott Mill Metropark Farm Center, October 8 (33 co-creators)
Blake’s Cider Mill, October 14 (16 co-creators)
Hallowpalooza, October 15 (43 co-creators)
July 99 co-creators
August 98 co-creators
September 46 co-creators
October 92 co-creators
Total: 335 co-creators
By place: Please note that I list those under 18 years old by first names only and at the beginning of each list by place.
Wolcott Mill
Alexander
Sophia
Alana
Jace (2 years old)
Lily
Piper
Declan
Grace
Hazel
Jeffrey III
Daisy
Conti
Milana
Theodore
James
Thomas
Kinatti
Viio
Felicity
Sarah Sass
Phil Yatuoma
Roma Yatuoma
Mackenzie Kalush
Shannon Bobbitt
William Diamond
Cheryl Donovan
Turner Bennett
Joshua Turner
Allyson King
Tony Pellerito
Anthony Salajka
Amy Mendiola
Cece Hill
Blake’s Cider Mill
Ben
Evie
Aiden
Nolan
Madison Horsley
Amity Horsley
Emma Peck
Joseph Stefani
Andrew Poirier
Nele Heinemeier
Matt Stieber
Caroline Lozen
Julia Testori
Mitch Danowski
Marcela Colin
Lake St. Clair Metropark
Lia
Justin
Marla
Fiona
Rowan
Timmy
Jackie
Grace
Grace
Kurt
Olivia
Lila
Aiden
Christine
Sheryll
Miro
Devin
Abby
Madeline
Ronelle
Jaelyn
Jenna
Delila
Everett
Morgan
Vivian
Ariana
Abby
Malachi
Bridget
Audrey
Jack
Ginger
Justin Thomas
Krystal Thomas
Theresa Black
Thomas Black
Shelley Bernath
Anton Art Center ArtParty
Kathy Hermann
Veronica Fenn
Angela Costa
Shadyside Park Mural Unveiling
Luca
Logan
Jacqlyn Hewell
Lilyanna Hewell
Michelle Micallet-Roberts
Suzanne Salerio
Christine Bruce
Samantha Volz
Erin Parker
Mary Turner
Sterling Fest
Brendan
Anthony
Ruth
Frederick
Neymar
Nickolas
Antoinette
Holden
Amalia
Juralyn
Lydia Ballard
Neriah Perkins
Heru Perkins
Andrew Mead
Bernadette Counts
Gabriel Hamburger
Kristen Naimi
Kevin Hoyt
Jennifer Childs
Gratiot Cruise
Johnny
Lily
Hank
Bradley
Ivy
Alaina
Addison
Xavier
Ella
Luca
Gideon
Anthony
Ava
Stephanie Hazzard
Cliff Patton
Tiffany Frabotta
Sara Katsavrias
Jackie Malek
Steve Quagliotto
Ashley Gardella
Robin Kremer
Megan Johnstone