The mural on the side of the Thai Café in Downtown Howell — set for unveiling on Tuesday — is a feat of art engineering, an elegant solution to producing a huge work of art on an immensely challenging wall.
And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be breathtaking.
For those of you who haven’t followed the mural story closely, it’s a project of ART Doing Good, the nonprofit established by artist Susan Pominville, who lives in Howell.
Those of us lucky enough to know Pominville know her for her beautiful artwork, as well as her dedication to uplifting and promoting the community, and inspiring the community — that’s the “doing good” part. (You can read more about her various projects in the community by clicking here and here.)
I’d be remiss to not share that Pominville produced the logo series that we use here at The Livingston Post, which has set the tone for this publication for 17 years now.
ART Doing Good has so far raised just over $50,000 from a variety of organizations, businesses, and individuals. Pominville explains that the funding is for more than just the mural that will be unveiled Tuesday. The first installation is the “beginning of something much bigger,” she said.
“The funds raised have helped launch a long-term public art and community connection program for Downtown Howell, which brings art downtown, supports artists, and connects people with local nonprofits,” Pominville explained.
“The funds have supported the Thai Café artwork and installation, wall preparation, the custom infrastructure needed for that very challenging wall, lighting, nonprofit setup, the website, QR code storytelling, community input collection, preparation for the next wall at The Collective building (where Snedicor’s came down), and long-term stewardship of the artwork, including care, replacement, or removal when needed.”
The Thai Café wall is wood with lots of surface irregularities, so painting directly on it was not the best option. Because one of the goals of the project is long-term durability, a custom infrastructure was created to hold the mural, which Pominville created as an original oil painting.
“When the painting was done, it was photographed at extremely high resolution so every palette knife stroke, texture mark, and painted detail could be preserved,” Pominville explained. “The result is something that feels like an original painting while allowing us to create a more durable installation designed specifically for this location.”
The next project for The Collective Building on Michigan Avenue is different.
“That wall is brick, so the artwork can be painted directly on it,” Pominville said. “As more artwork is added throughout the city, each location will be considered individually so we can choose the best approach for that space.”
The murals are part of a series of community-inspired public art installations planned throughout Downtown Howell. Each piece will be shaped by public input and created by different artists, and each art will include a QR code so people can learn about the artist, the artwork, local stories used for inspiration, as well as ways to connect with organizations, volunteer opportunities, events, and needs in the community.
“We’d love for you to share inspiration for the next piece of artwork, share your story, or find a cause that matters to you at ART Doing Good.” Pominville said.
The unveiling of the mural is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. Here are some pieces of the project.
