Graffiti artists have their day

Throughout the day on Monday, Lansing’s graffiti artists gathered in a REO Town parking lot to work their magic on canvases of wood, stone and steel. 

There was nothing cloak and dagger in the arrangement, though. These artists — far from the “taggers” that many cities have attempted to crack down upon — were invited as part of the latest in a joint effort by the REACH Studio Art Center and the REO Town Commercial Association to breathe new cultural life into the city.

The artists themselves were organized by local street artist Sam deBourbon, who oversaw last year’s graffiti project at the now-demolished Deluxe Inn.

The event was held in conjunction with National Hip Hop Week and, more specifically, National Graffiti Day. The week is dedicated to music, but also to the memory of activist Malcolm X, who spent his early years in Lansing. To that end, artists and their audience were greeted with music provided by Simón Perazza, another of the event’s organizers, and director of constituent relations for ArtServe, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to putting together art events.

For the day, artists were allowed to paint a wall of Discount Dave’s store, near Art Alley, as well as wooden panels that would be affixed to 3-D metal structures.

Work on these sculptures began as far back as January, however, with bases crafted by local artist Tom Sheerin. Sheerin, who describes himself as a recycling artist, said the bases consist of materials taken and repurposed from wherever he could find them. The bases were also put on wheels— an appropriate sight for the area.

“We chose automotive wheels for the automotive history here,” Sheerin said. “This neighborhood used to be made up of families that worked at the local factory.”

Yet the key ingredients to the sculptures were pieces of the once-notorious Deluxe Inn. 

Many panels removed from the inn’s doors and windows weren’t sold at auction, and rather than sit on the abundance, Reach Studio decided to put them to use. According to Reach Studio’s outreach coordinator, Jeana-Dee Rogers, this project presented the perfect opportunity. In all, 10 panels were pulled for artists to paint to their hearts’ content. Once finished, the panels were installed onto Sheerin’s structures on-site.

“It’s about embracing what’s in the backyard, the culture that’s already here,” Rogers said of the pieces. “We’re trying to give people an avenue to express themselves creatively and show that REO Town, Lansing, and everyone embrace what already exists.”

The finished products will be set along Washington Avenue. There, Lansing’s graffiti will find a semi-permanent home, until winter sees them housed elsewhere. Organizers hope this will be more than a onetime deal, though. 

According to Rogers, while the details are still in the works, REACH Studio is looking to make this artistic convergence an annual affair, to keep the structures along Washington Avenue continually fresh.