Alumnus Nick Pizaña Brings 11th Grader's Mural Design to Life in Detroit
Detroit’s mural landscape is expanding with a vibrant new work led by Nick Pizaña (MFA Painting 2022), muralist and cartoonist, who is painting a student-designed mural on the side of the Great Lakes Water Authority Resource Recovery Facility.
The design, created by 11th-grader Heidi Easthouse with contributions from more than 100 Detroit Public Schools Community District students, depicts a colorful circle of water filled with fish, a young girl, and a mythical lake creature. Pizaña describes the piece as both whimsical and deeply rooted in themes of water’s role in nature and human life.
“This design brings a pop of color and imagination to the neighborhood,” Pizaña shared with the Detroit Free Press.
The project highlights Detroit’s thriving mural scene while encouraging the next generation of artists to engage with public art and environmental themes. For Pizaña, whose influences range from Robert Wyland’s iconic whale mural downtown to Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals at the DIA, this project is also a continuation of Detroit’s long tradition of storytelling through mural art.
Great Lakes Water Authority mural designed by 11th grader Heidi Easthouse.
Learn more:
Detroit, known for its murals, is getting a new one designed by a student – Detroit Free Press
