Get to Know the Artwork

Have you spotted the works placed around Auburn Hills through the Detroit Institute of Arts Inside|Out program? Get to know the pieces, then check them out using this map as your guide.

Near the Public Square in Downtown Auburn Hills, feast your eyes on “Fruit Piece.” The original oil on canvas was created by Robert S. Duncanson, an accomplished nineteenth-century landscape artist and the first African American artist to gain international recognition. Duncanson has ties to Michigan! After living in Ohio for a time, Duncanson moved to Monroe. The bountiful table setting in “Fruit Piece” feels warm and inviting, a perfect fit for the Public Square, our downtown gathering space.

Mounted on the Primary Parking Structure wall, look for “Portrait of a Collagist” by Benny Andrews. Created in 1989, this mixed-media work reflects Andrews’ powerful style as both an artist and activist, known for his expressive figurative paintings.

Take a ride along the Clinton River Trail and you might feel transported when you come across “Bank of the Oise at Auvers” by Vincent van Gogh. The scene captures a peaceful canoe launch. This could be you at our annual Paddlepalooza event on June 7! Although the Clinton River may be a bit more adventurous than the landscape depicted here, it's easy to imagine yourself drifting through a quiet village in northern France with the unknown subjects of this Van Gogh painting.

Near the Knight Amphitheater at Riverside Park, you’ll find “Staunch Friends” by William Frederick Yeames. This 1859 British work, featuring a jester and a monkey, feels right at home in a space dedicated to outdoor entertainment. After all, live music in the open air is a timeless favorite.

Also in Riverside Park, near the pavilion, you’ll find “A Day in June” by George Wesley Bellows. This painting captures a lively group of parkgoers enjoying a warm afternoon in Central Park. Here, Bellows depicts the same sense of camaraderie that we experience in our community parks on a sunny day.

Don’t miss an untitled work at the Auburn Hills Public Library by Roberto Montenegro, a Mexican muralist working in the early twentieth century, a contemporary of Diego Rivera’s. And at the Auburn Hills Community Center, you’ll find “Dragon Amid Clouds” by a Korean artist.

I’ve truly enjoyed learning more about each of these pieces and thinking about how they fit within our community. I hope you have the chance to explore them too!

Lisa Passalacqua, Community Engagement Manager