Grants to help DIA to create ‘town square’ on Woodward

The Detroit Institute of Arts won a $150,000 grant from the William Davidson Foundation and $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town program to help turn the museum’s front lawn into a public arts and community space.

DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons said when he succeeded his predecessor Graham Beal, he wanted to turn the museum’s Woodward frontage into an outdoor living room or town square.

“We want to be a gathering place for everybody,” he said in a prepared release.

The museum plans to involve Detroiters and other stakeholders in figuring out how best to connect the museum grounds to the surrounding community.

The combined $250,000 will allow DIA to take the first steps in developing a conceptual plan.

mhhodges@detroitnews.com

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