Category Archives: Art and Culture

The results of Sunday’s land art event on Water Street

By Mark | June 12, 2013

There’s still work to be done, but the other day’s land art event on Water Street went really well, and I think the dozen or so of us who showed up were able to accomplish our goal – making the barren, rubble-filled lot at the heart of the property a little more interesting. Many thanks [...]

Also posted in Special Projects, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged community art projects, Jeff Clark, land art, rocks, rubble, Water Street, Water Street Commons, Ypsilanti Free Skool | 3 Comments

Cocks, Bike Chains, and Bandaids… One man’s mission to keep the nude cyclists of Portland safe

By Mark | June 10, 2013

As you’ll recall, the last time we heard from Dave Miller, our intrepid correspondent from the deviant underbelly of Portland, he was watching homemade porn movies at an event called Hump. Well, he’s back today, after a much needed rest, reporting on his experience as an nearly-nude bicycle medic at Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride [...]

Also posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bike culture, bikes, Cyclepedia, Dave Miller, nudity, Portland, Portland Art Museum, public nudity, WNBR, World Naked Bike Ride | 13 Comments

Making “land art” in Ypsilanti this Saturday with the Ypsi Free Skool

By Mark | June 4, 2013

Our friend Jeff Clark will be leading what sounds like an incredible Ypsi Free Skool session this Saturday on the subject of land art. Folks, as I understand it, will be gathering near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and River Street, just behind the Water Street Commons, at 2:00 PM, to learn about the creations [...]

Also posted in Ypsilanti | Tagged Andy Goldsworthy, earthworks, free school, free skool, Jeff Clark, land art, May 1968, Robert Smithson, rocks, Situationists, Water Street, Water Street Commons, Ypsilanti Free Skool | 11 Comments

If Detroit was a person, Kevyn Orr would be selling its kidneys

By Mark | May 27, 2013

This weekend, upon hearing Kevyn Orr’s suggestion that we explore the possibility of selling the art collection of the DIA in order to satisfy the creditors of Detroit, it occurred to me that our newly appointed Emergency Manager might find it a bit more difficult to pillage the public coffers on behalf of Wall Street [...]

Also posted in Detroit, Uncategorized | Tagged ALEC, DIA, Diego Rivera, Emergency Financial Manager, Emergency Manager, Graham W. J. Beal, Kevyn Orr, Koch brothers, Michigan Business Tax, plunder, Rick Snyder, transfer of wealth, Vincent van Gogh | 26 Comments

Ypsilanti Immigration Interview: Erika Hess

By Mark | May 12, 2013

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a young woman who’d just moved to Ypsi from Brooklyn, after a brief layover in Ann Arbor. She was looking for studio space, and thought, I guess, that I might be able to help. I couldn’t. But, one thing led to another, and I ended up [...]