Beauty in Belle Isle

The James Scott Memorial Fountain is located on the western end of the island, Belle Isle and was created by Herbert Adams(sculptor) and Cass Gilbert(architect). It was built in 1923 and has a circumference of 510ft. It was made out of white marble and shoots water 40ft into the air. During the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day at dusk the fountain puts on a light and water show. I like the look of this fountain, it reminds me of the fountains that you'd see in Italy.

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory was built in 1904 and designed by Albert Kahn. Kahn modeled this house after Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. This conservatory houses over 600 plant collections and is divided into five sections:The Palm House, Tropical House, Showroom, Cactus House, and the Fernery. I love the design of this building and how it has a huge dome made out of some type of glass that reflects the sunlight. If someone were to see this building from a distance they would be intrigued by its architecture and want to go inside of it.

Every year the fire department in Belle Isle create an ice tree during the winter months. This tradition dates back to the 70's and consists of Christmas trees piled together with pipes running through them and a spout on top that continuously sprays water. After the weather gets cold enough it eventually freezes over and becomes a beautiful work of art. People from all around the area go to see it and take pictures of its natural beauty. I have never seen this before but from what I read it wows people with its beauty and gets people to keep coming back each year to see it. I am really excited to visit it this year.

Old Main Building

Old Main is a an academic building on Wayne State University's campus. This building is a prominent part of the University and is located on Cass Avenue. Old Main was built in 1895 and is of the Classical Revival style. This building was originally built as Detroit's Central High School and served as that until 1926 when it became too crowded. The Central High School then moved to a new location and the building was turned over to Wayne State University (WSU). Old Main is widely seen as the symbol of Wayne State.

I love this building because of the history and character it has. You can tell it is old by the architectural details. I see this building whenever I go visit my brother at Wayne State and love the impact it makes on its surrounding. This building represents some history and beauty in Detroit.

Fisher Building

The Fisher Building is an Art Deco style building built in 1928 under the ownership of the Fisher brothers. The architects involved with building it are Albert Kahn Associates with Joseph Nathaniel French as the chief architect. It is located in the heart of the New Center area in Detroit and is considered Detroit's largest art object. The whole interior of the building is decked out in marble, mosaics, and frescoes. After it was built the Detroit News stated, "The Fisher Building is to Detroit what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris." The building houses not only offices, but shops, restaurants, banks, services, art galleries, and the Fisher Theatre.

I love this building and think it's one of Detroit's gems. It's definitely something you have to see if you've never been. It so large that it's easy to spot it whenever you go downtown. This building is not only beautiful to see during the day, it's also very beautiful to see at night because the top of it lights up.

Heidelberg Project

The Heidelberg project(HP) is a Detroit-based community organization that improves the lives of people and neighborhoods through art. It was created by Tyree Guyton in 1986 and it is basically an ongoing outdoor art project. After Guyton came back from the army, he saw his childhood neighborhood of Detroit in ruins. He wanted to change that in a way that would restore hope and pride in Detroit. The HP took an area where people were afraid to walk, even in daylight, and transformed it into one where neighbors took pride in and where visitors were welcome.  The Heidelberg project is great because it takes old discarded items and turns it into beautiful artwork. It also teaches children about art, community, and the environment. Like the Red Bull House of Art, the HP helps to open the door for emerging artists by showcasing four artists' work in the HP gallery per year. 

I love the Heidelberg Project and think that that neighborhood is so cool. I love how vibrant and creative the work that has been done is. It is very complex; you could look at it multiple times without noticing everything in it. I also love that its bringing more people to the area and improving the lives of those that live nearby or who are taking part in it.

Red Bull House of Art

The Red Bull House of Art is a gallery and residential program that supports local artists from Detroit. This program began last year and is located on 1551 Winder, Detroit, Michigan. What it does is it gives eight selected artists studio space to live and work in for several months, giving them the freedom to create whatever they want with the resources and encouragement. The director and creator of Red Bull House of Art, Matt Eaton said, "The mission here is to give people wings. It's not a matter of finding the coolest artists. It's a matter of finding the most passionate artists with the most to lose if they take any risks, and giving them an opportunity to really take risks." When the session ends there is a gallery viewing open to the public, where people come to view the works of art, listen to great music, socialize, get inspired, and have fun.

I just recently found out about this place so I haven't gotten a chance to go to a gallery viewing yet. However, just researching about this gallery and program I am really intrigued by it and I am excited to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm4y04N58eo

Fist of a Champion

Fist of a Champion is a monument in Detroit dedicated to Joe Louis. This monument is a 24-foot long arm and fist suspended from a pyramidal support of bronze poles. It was commissioned by Time Incorporation and created by sculptor Robert Graham in 1986.

Joe Louis is known as the greatest sports figure to ever come out of Detroit. He made a big impact not only in Detroit, but in the rest of the world. He is recognized for destroying the Nazi myth of racial superiority by beating German champion Max Schmeling during the rise of Nazism. In doing this he also proved that African Americans should be allowed access to the major leagues in American sports. "He achieved all of this with his fists and determination. Therefore he should be honored and remembered with a place in the center of town, with a monument as powerful and controversial as he was."

I like this statue a lot because of how big and bold it is. This statue stands tall and embodies strength, power, soul, and determination. All of the things that represent Joe Louis. This statue also says a lot about the strength, passion, and resiliency in Detroit and in its people. 

Old Churches

Driving through Detroit you pass many old historic churches. With all the hardships happening in Detroit the fact that these churches are still standing is remarkable. These churches are like diamonds in the rough. The details put into them is amazing, displaying architecture that/like something you would only see in Europe. They show that despite the ruins there is still beauty and history in Detroit.

Some well known historic churches in Detroit are Old St. Mary's Church, Historic Trinity, Ste. Anne de Detroit Church, Mariners Church, Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, Most Holy Redeemer Church, Central United Methodist Church, St. Paul Catholic Church, Kirk in the Hills, and St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

My family and two other families that we know, decided that we wanted to explore the history and beauty the Detroit churches have to offer, so we made it our goal to visit and attend mass at every catholic church in downtown Detroit. Although, we've visited many of the churches, we are still far from reaching our goal. Some of the churches that we've visited so far are Holy Family, Most Holy Redeemer, Sacred Heart, Ste. Anne de Detroit, Sweetest Heart of Mary, Mariners Church, and Old St. Mary's Church.

Holy Family was established in 1908 to serve the Sicilian population in Detroit. The church is full of gold statues and intricate details. The ceiling of the church is painted with Saints and scenes of the Holy Family, it is magnificent.

Most Holy Redeemer was built in 1921 by Donaldson and Meier. It is of late Victorian and Romanesque style. This church was once estimated as the largest Roman Catholic Parish in North America.

Sacred Heart is 137 years old and is primarily a black catholic church. This church offers a traditional service as well as a gospel service. My family and the other two families we journeyed with decided to attend the gospel service. This was my first time going to a gospel mass and I wasn't too sure what to expect. Although we were the only white people there, everyone was very nice and welcoming. During the mass when the pastor asked to offer signs of peace the parishioners got out of their pews and went around the room making sure they greeted and embraced everyone. The music that was played was just how you would imagine it to be, very lively and entertaining. I enjoyed this experience and hope to attend another gospel mass in the future.

Ste. Anne de Detroit Church was founded in 1701, and is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic church in the United States. It wasn't actually built until 1887, by architects Léon Conquard and Alert E. French. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places. I attended a service at this church and loved the look of it. This church has the oldest stained glass display in the city of Detroit and is a must see if you haven't been to it already.

Sweetest Heart of Mary is my favorite church I've visited so far. This church was built in 1893. It was created by Spier and Rohns and is of Gothic Revival and Polish Cathedral style. It is one of the largest and most impressive Gothic Revival Cathedral Churches in the Midwest. I love the bold design of this church and how it just stands out from its surroundings. It really catches your eye with its grand architecture.

Mariners Church was built in 1849 and is open to everyone no matter the religion. It was originally established to serve mariners and still holds annual memorial services to those lost at sea. It was mentioned in Gordon Lightfoot's song, The Wreckage of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It has the Gothic Revival style and was created by Calvin Otis and Hugh Moffat.

Old St. Mary's Church was built by parishioner Peter Dederichs and was completed in 1885. The design is a combination of Pisan Romanesque and Venetian Renaissance styles. This church is a Roman Catholic Church and is open to everyone. I have attended a mass here and can say that the beauty really takes your breath away.

Most Holy Redeemer

Mariners Church

Old St. Mary's

Old St. Mary's

Old St. Mary's

Ste. Anne de Detroit

 

 

Ste. Anne de Detroit

 

Sacred Heart

Sweetest Heart of Mary

Renaissance Festival

Last Sunday, my cousin, Angela, and I went to the Renaissance festival. We got there right before they opened the gate, so we saw them do their reenactment routine. This was the first time I have ever seen this because I usually go later on in the day. It was really cool to see. Hearing the way the people speak and seeing the Renaissance-like garments the people were wearing, really made you feel like you were from the Renaissance period. Although it was raining when we got there, we didn't let that stop us from seeing everything and having fun. After we walked through the gate we heard someone shouting something about dancing. Music started playing and Renaissance workers started dancing. Angela and I decided to stand around and watch them dance. Then after the first song ended the workers decided to grab people from the crowd to dance with them. Me and my cousin had no interest in dancing so we decided to walk around the festival. The festival had many small shops set up all around the area, each displaying a different kind of art or craft. Some shops sold leather goods, some sold corsets and other renaissance garments, some sold candles and body oils, many shops sold different kinds of jewelry,..etc. The festival also had many different shows put on for the crowd. Angela and I saw a show called Tartanic. It consisted of a guy playing the drums, along with people playing bagpipes, and women dancing. It was the last day of the Renaissance festival this year, so it was very bittersweet for all the performers, and you could tell they put all their heart and energy into the show. I found this show to be very entertaining and it ended up being my favorite part of the day.

Going to the Renaissance festival gave me a different kind of experience. It let me experience what it would be like to be from a different time period. The Renaissance festival offers great music, art, food, and shows. This festival is not like any other festival and is really cool to see. If you've never been, I would recommend you going to see what you've been missing.