DIA brings Inside|Out exhibit to Red Oaks Nature Center

MADISON HEIGHTS — The Detroit Institute of Arts has partnered with Oakland County Parks and Recreation to bring high-quality reproductions of famous art pieces to their parks, including the Red Oaks Nature Center, as part of the DIA’s Inside|Out program.

The Red Oaks Nature Center at Suarez Friendship Woods in Madison Heights is located at 30300 Hales Street, across from the Red Oaks Waterpark, on the south side of 13 Mile Road west of Dequindre Road. It features 38 acres of natural habitat.

The artwork currently on display there includes “Flowers in a Glass Vase” (1704), by Rachel Ruysch, located in the field along the sidewalk and driveway leading into the park, next to the Little Free Library; and “Bank of the Oise at Auvers” (1890), by Vincent van Gogh, found along the forest trail just south of the Red Oaks Nature Center’s main entrance.

“The pieces are exact replicas of the original works, in frames made of weatherproof material, but they look just like the pieces that you would see hanging in galleries at the DIA. It is a very unique and cool visual to see on a trail or on one of our buildings,” said Brandy Boyd, chief of recreation programs and services for Oakland County, in an email. “Patrons can get up close to the pieces, and really look at them and enjoy them.”

She explained that Oakland County Parks and Recreation works with a DIA representative to determine which pieces from the DIA’s collection will be shown in the parks. The parks team then decides which location will host each piece.

“It’s very much a collaborative effort with the DIA and internally here at OCPR,” Boyd said.

The other pieces can be found at Addison Oaks County Park, located at 1480 W. Romeo Road in Leonard; Catalpa Oaks County Park, located at 27705 Greenfield Road in Southfield; and Independence Oaks County Park, located at 9501 Sashabaw Road in Clarkston.

The art at Addison Oaks includes “The Trappers’ Return” (1851), by George Caleb Bingham, on the Buhl Lake Loop trailhead at Marker 1; “Girl and Laurel” (1879), by Winslow Homer, by Marker 4 on the same loop, closer to the campground near the new playground; and “Irises and Calla Lilies” (1890-1905), by Maria Oakey Dewing, located at Marker 38.

At Catalpa Oaks, one can find “Mother and Child” (1960s), by Solomon Irein Wangboje, and “Ford Rouge Plant (from Dix Rd. Bridge)” (1997), by Russ Marshall, located around the perimeter of the walking path on the north and south sides.

And at Independence Oaks, outside the Wint Nature Center along the safety path leading to the park entrance near the floating dock by Twin Chimneys, one can find “Lovers on a Balcony During Monsoon” (1800s), by an unknown artist; “View of Le Crotoy from Upstream” (1889), by Georges Pierre Seurat; and “Dancers in the Green Room” (1879), by Edgar Degas.

The displays in the Oakland County parks are just a fraction of the total displays this summer and fall as part of the DIA’s Inside|Out program. In total, more than 100 locations in the metro Detroit area will be hosting reproductions from the DIA’s collection. Each piece will be on display through early November.

“The DIA Inside|Out program is a valuable and unique opportunity for the tri-county area,” Boyd said. “Being able to go to a park, or a downtown area or a trail, and be able to enjoy great pieces of artwork with descriptions is awesome.

“The partnership that we have cultivated with the DIA is priceless,” she added. “It’s very cool to be able to showcase the beautiful artwork and our beautiful parks at the same time. I know our residents love it and look forward to seeing the new artwork every year.”

Roslyn Grafstein, the mayor of Madison Heights, praised the program.

“I think it’s wonderful that our community will again be able to visit some great works of art without having to leave the city,” Grafstein said in an email.

Mark Bliss, a member of the Madison Heights City Council, noted that this is the second time since the pandemic started that the Inside|Out program has been in Madison Heights.

“It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come in such a short time with bringing arts and culture to Madison Heights,” Bliss said via email. “Programs like this don’t seem that significant in the grand scheme of things, but it will bring a bit more beauty to our nature center — and hopefully inspire a young artist that’s walking by.”