Artistic Bus Stop Benches in Detroit

Like many intersections in Detroit, West Warren and Grand River Avenues are pretty nondescript. There is a used auto parts place on one corner; a former bank that now houses the Kunsthalle Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art sits on another. There is a small warehouse type building on the southeast corner of the intersection, and a grassy field spreads inward from the southwest corner where buildings once stood.

Like most, if not all major intersections in the city, the corner is home to bus stops. In this case, they pick-up and drop off riders for those traveling east and west on Warren Avenue and along Grand River from downtown to the far northwestern city limits. What struck me about the stops that service West Warren at this intersection were the bus stop benches. They are not the usual DDOT plastic encased units with benches that span the interior length.

The benches there are unique, hand crafted, one-of-a-kind benches. They are a simple, functional design, made from a variety of basic building supplies available at any home center. The materials used to build the intriguing benches include ordinary wooded doors, a couple of pieces of plywood, standard 10’ metal wall studs, and thin sheets of translucent plastic panels found in drop-ceiling lights of many new buildings. Various eye bolts, long threaded rods, clamps, and small turnbuckles hold them all together.

Simple, yet practical design

The seat art compliments the backrest

The simple x-frame structures are painted in bold colors and the new, shiny aluminum studs add a contemporary look to the unusual benches. The colorful, eye-catching designs of the handmade benches remind me of a swing set that may be found on a large front porch. Both of the imaginative benches are on Warren Avenue, a little west of Grand River. They sit across the street from one another and both add a blast of color and interest to a rather dreary, urban intersection.

Aluminum wall studs support the simple structure

The brightly painted backs are eye catching

The bench and backs are made from doors

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Stickers and Stencils on the Walls

It is no secret that graffiti and wall murals are widespread throughout the city of Detroit. In many ways it makes sense, considering the sheer amount of abandoned buildings with flat walls that seem to span city blocks. There are also plenty of tall railroad and street overpasses with flat, vertical walls. The large, smooth walls make perfect palettes for the artists, and it shows because they have created some of the best street art in the country.

Large mural by Detroit artist Sintex

There are other forms of interesting street art that can be found throughout the city in places beyond the underpasses and building walls. The art can be found almost anywhere, on street signs, bathroom walls, busses, store windows, and plenty of other conspicuous locations including within the many large graffiti galleries scattered across Detroit. The widespread art medium is stenciling and stickers. Both formats are quick hitting, highly mobile forms of art.

The stenciled art I’ve spotted are usually one color and made of well-designed cut-outs. The cut-outs are created from various materials (paper, plastic, etc.) in many sizes and shapes, and are temporarily taped to a wall or other surface. Once attached, the artist quickly spray paints over the stencil then peels it off. What’s left is the image created by the cut-out.

Stenciled falcon near the top of a tall wall

In an empty electrical box, one of my favorite stenciled pieces

Various colors using the same stencil

Simple, clean stenciled image

Stenciled lizard on a freeway overpass

Pre-printed stickers are the quickest type of graffiti for artists and others to spread their message. They are relatively cheap to produce, and easy to carry. Applying them to any surface is fast; just peel and stick. Many are used to promote a political cause while others are used to highlight an artist’s logo, website, or unique colorful image they created in a fast, efficient way.

Large, poster size sticker

Traffic signs seem to be a popular spot for small stickers

Political sticker

Sticker on a Man in the City sculpture

Quirky logo stickers on a fence post

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