Hard to believe it’s been 12 years since the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) launched their Inside|Art program in 2010 as part of their 125th-anniversary celebration.
For 2021, the Inside|Art program has over 25 communities in Michigan participating, with installations at towns, cities, county parks, community colleges, and local metroparks.
Which is where I saw this week’s photo of the week, at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township.
What is the Inside|Out Program?
The Inside|Out program brings reproductions of high-quality paintings from the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA)’s collection to Michigan communities.
The annual community art outreach program expanded across the state over the years, with installations of high-quality reproductions of DIA paintings all over the state, throughout southeast Michigan, and places north including Alpena, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Ludington, and Hancock.
Since its launch, Inside|Out program has partnered with over 100 communities in Michigan!
I first discovered the DIA’s Inside|Art program in 2014 when I walked along the Detroit Riverwalk in downtown Detroit.
In 2015, I loved stopping at picnic shelters and other spots discovering (and searching for!) paintings along Edward Hines Parkway in Detroit’s west suburbs.
Chief Shoppenegons at Lake Erie Metropark
One of four Inside|Out paintings at Lake Erie Metropark, you’ll find “Chief Shoppenegons” on the outside of the Marshlands Museum, next to the entry door.
Painted by American artist Eanger Irving Couse in 1910, the Ojibwa leader wears the clothing of his ancestors and holds an oar.
Born sometime around 1830 in Indianfields, a Chippewa Indian village in the Saginaw Valley, Shoppenegons later moved to the Grayling, Michigan area.
He trapped, hunted, and along with his family, served as a hunting and fishing guide along the AuSable River.
I found some fascinating stories and history about Chief David Shoppenegons when he was honored in the Saginaw County Hall of Fame in 2007.
Couse was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, National Academy of Design in New York as well as in Paris.
He was a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists organization and served as the first president.
While the organization disbanded in 1927, according to Wikipedia, it contributed to the development of Taos as an art center.
What I liked about the four paintings at Lake Erie Metropark: they all depicted historical themes related to water.
