#pewabic

Yesterday I met a friend at the library for a phenomenal Art and Architecture tour, lead by an archivist from the Burton Historical Collection.

From mythical creatures to Pewabic tile, it was an incredible journey into Detroit history and the arts.

Eliel Saarinen - Saarinen House Dining Room, designed 1928, constructed 1929–1930.

https://www.saarinenfoundation.org/the-work.html

After admiring the colorful tiles throughout the city, I had to finally treat myself to a visit to the Pewabic studio.

As I got off the People Mover at Renaissance Center, I was lead down a tunnel walkway from the platform and into a colorful tiled space. Home to the General Motors Headquarters, this is the same station you'd be able to use if you lived, worked, and played in the neighborhood. Home to restaurants and shops, the "Ren Cen" is a staple in the Detroit skyline.

"Path Games" by George Woodman features 2,625 ceramic tile modules, silk screened and manufactured in Italy. The vibrant design represents the connectivity of cultures in Detroit, linking together to create multi-colored orientations of continuous pattern. Throughout his 60-year career, Woodman explored color and abstraction in a variety of forms, including landscape, geometric, and patterned, and later pivoting toward figure, sculpture, and architecture. 

Standing strong is "Siberian Ram," a cast-bronze sculpture by Marshall Fredericks with a Pewabic tile backdrop. The green tiles behind Siberian Ram were donated from Stroh's Brewing Company and can also be seen in this unique green color at Cadillac Center.

Fredericks was one of Michigan’s most prolific sculptors, with 29 in total. Known for his sculptures depicting animals and nature, the original Siberian Ram was first completed in 1941 and on display at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Hosting the largest collection of his work, you can also see "The Boy and the Bear" and "Seven Saints and Sinners" at Meijer Gardens.

The green tiles behind Siberian Ram were donated from Stroh's Brewing Company and can also be seen in this unique green color at Cadillac Center.