Friday, April 17, 2015
The Image and Arts Council of Troy (I/ACT) was founded in 2006 at the behest of the Troy Chamber of Commerce. The group, including artists, art lovers, and city planners identified their mission to “enhance Troy’s image through art, culture and urban design.” Internationally renowned artists including sculptor Glen Michaels and photographer Balthazar Korab attended their first organizational meeting. Michael Ayrton’s Reflective Head, relocated to the Civic Center in 2005, was incorporated into the I/ACT logo.
I/ACT’s initial plans to bring art to Troy included arched gates into the City at major intersections, public art in the I-75 cloverleaf at Big Beaver Road and in a round-about at the Troy Motor Mall, and the establishment of an art loft and warehouse for artists. With the recession of 2008, these ambitious plans could not be brought to fruition. Instead, I/ACT focused on bringing art to the foreground in other creative ways. They held seminars at the Troy Public Library on the financial contributions of the creative class to the economy. They painted murals at Bemis Elementary School. They supported local artists like the Ridgedale Players by attending their performances and they held a course for artists on how to market their artwork.
I/ACT continues to be involved in the community, and now partners with the Troy Historical Society.
On June 4 I/ACT and the Troy Historical Society will co-host an “Art Mix & Mingle” event at the Village. Artists are welcome to submit their work for display in the Village’s historic buildings during this event, which will include wine, hors d’oeuvres and music. This event is open to the public. For more information on registration, pricing, and artwork submission please contact the Village at 248.524.3570.
Several I/ACT members are also teaching a variety of art classes at the Village this summer and fall including painting, clay, calligraphy, and more. Visit https://www.troyhistoricvillage.org/plan-a-visit/artisan-arts/ for class times, dates and pricing.
You can also learn more about the Image and Arts Council of Troy by visiting their website at www.troyarts.org.
Photo: “Words at Play Mural” with I/ACT Artists Diana Jellinek, Annie Lloyd, Linda Shears and James Homer Brown.
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
