Riverside Arts Center, Fall, 2006, Newsletter
Reed's watercolors recall a unique period in Detroit's music
There was Elvis in Riverside Park and jazz at the RAC gallery for Byron Reed’s opening reception in July. Reed’s watercolors reflect the world he knew in Detroit; a world with Duke Ellington and Count Basie, a world of big bands and zoot suits. All those Fifties costumes for the Michigan Elvisfest and Reed’s recollection of the music scene in the Forties merged into a distinctive memory of great good times in music.
Reed found his talent while a student at Cass Technical High School, then went on to the Society of Arts and Crafts––now the College for Creative Studies. He later was art director for WGPR and, when he retired from Daimler Chrysler, went back to his love of painting the community he knows so well.
Reed’s stunning watercolor, “Losin’ three hands straight is still better than doin’ housework”, looks like the desk on television’s The View, but these are Detroit ladies with an attitude. Even his collage of a young couple on the sidewalk speaks of the Motor City social scene.
At 70 years old, Byron Reed now lives in Canton, but still has the eye of a watercolorist and graphic artist who is truly a savvy man-about-downtown.
Super Bowl "footfall quilt" to make its home here
When RAC Foundation Board’s Carolyn McKeever was commissioned to create a unique rendition of last fall’s Super Bowl for the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ypsilanti folks walked the streets of Tree Town to find her installation. McKeever’s classic painting technique of quilt designs on an oversized fiberglass football took on new meaning as a “soft ball.” Now fans of her creative painting technique will more easily find the handsomely painted sculpture at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti.
Intended to become part of a traveling exhibition of sculptures in the community, McKeever’s “soft ball” may soon be seen at local libraries as well.
Painter's family write-ins to the RAC's newsletter
Sorry about this, but a year or so ago we published a story about Impressionist painter Vincent VanGogh. We have been inundated with responses from his so-called relatives ever since. We suspect their letters are self-serving and redundant and will only publish their names here. Never again; we promise:
His dizzy aunt –Verti Gogh
The brother who ate all the prunes ––Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store—Stop ‘n’ Gogh
Grandfather from Yugoslavia–U Gogh
The cousin from Illinois—Chica Gogh
His magician uncle–Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin—A mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin’s American half-brother—Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach—Wells-far Gogh
The constipated uncle—Can’t Gogh
The ballroom dancer—Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle—Flamin Gogh
His nephew psychoanalyst—E. Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin—Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking–Way-to Gogh
The little bouncy nephew—Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco—Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in a van—Winnie Bay Gogh
....And there ya Gogh! -ed
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