Famous works of art will soon be popping up all over Oxford in the most unexpected places.
Reproductions of seven paintings housed in the Detroit Institute of Arts? (DIA) permanent collection will be featured in outdoor displays throughout Oxford and other metro Detroit communities from mid-September through the end of November.
‘It is a way to expose the surrounding communities to the DIA’s collection,? said Michelle Hauske, coordinator of the DIA’s Inside/Out project. ‘The hope is they will be inspired to come and see the real ones at the museum.?
The Inside/Out project is designed to connect with people outside the museum’s walls by treating metro Detroit as one big, open-air gallery.
‘We’ve reproduced 80 paintings and each community’s getting from five to seven,? Hauske explained. ‘So, we’re clustering them this year instead of giving each community a single object.?
Last year, downtown Oxford’s Centennial Park was selected by the DIA to display a reproduction of ‘Bank of the Oise at Auvers,? painted by Vincent van Gogh in July 1890.
Here’s a list of Oxford locations and the corresponding masterpieces that will displayed at each one this year:
? Patterson Prescription Pharmacy ? ‘Chief Shoppenagons? by Eanger Irving Couse.
? Red Knapp’s American Grill ? ‘Colonel John Montresor? by John Singleton Copley.
? ArtCapsule Gallery & Frame ? ‘Young Woman with a Violin? by Orazio Gentileschi.
? Centennial Park ? ‘Dancers in a Green Room? by Edgar Degas.
? Polly Ann Trail ? ‘Talking Oak? by William Maw Egley.
? Polly Ann Trail ? ‘Mosquito Nets? by John Singer Sargent.
A location for the seventh painting, ‘Staunch Friends? by William Frederick Yeames, hasn’t been finalized yet.
‘The last one was supposed to be at Daniel Axford Elementary, but we’re moving that one,? Hauske said.
Last year’s Inside/Out project was extremely successful, according to Hauske.
‘The reaction was incredibly positive,? she said. ‘We received phone calls, letters and e-mails from people wanting to do this again. We reevaluated the program, determined what our strengths were, what our weaknesses were and decided to do this over the course of two years. It’s like a traveling exhibition.?
Around 44 communities are expected to participate in the DIA’s Inside/Out project between June 2011 and September 2012.
For more information, visit www.dia.org.