For Immediate Release

Northern Michigan Rock Sculptures a Success!

Detroit, MI – November 10, 2003 – Detroit artist Matthew Loflin Davis' rock sculpting foray into Northern Michigan the weekend of November 7 was a resounding success.

Davis was welcomed by the city governments and chambers of commerce of Boyne City and Walloon Lake, and was given public space in which to create his sculptures in both cities. He estimates that between the two locations he built more than 50 sculptures, using both natural and recycled materials he found on-site.

Davis faced new, unexpected challenges on his Northern Michigan stacking trip: "The people and governments of Walloon and Boyne welcomed me with open arms," he said, "so I didn't have to worry much about park employees or vandals. What did turn out to be challenging was the weather!"

A half-inch of snow and ice covered the rocks in Walloon when Davis arrived to begin stacking on Saturday; this challenge, however, was quickly overcome by Davis, who is also a metal sculptor. 

"I know how to melt things," he said; "it didn't take long to locate a torch, and soon we were stacking away." 

"However, I can't control the weather," added Davis. "The wind on the lake is strong--so strong it probably knocked down half the stacks I put up by Sunday morning."

Despite the elements, Davis considers his trip a resounding success.

"I went up north to relax, to get away, and to do some stacking in a new place. I probably created 50 sculptures, and in the process met 15 great, supportive local people. I think I succeeded in bringing some Detroit-style beauty to the north country, and I look forward to doing it again in other parts of the state in the near future." 

Davis hopes that this is the first of many forays into other parts of the state. He has been in contact with a Traverse City area patron who is interested in having a private installation there, and Davis plans to return to the Walloon/Boyne area in the spring to do more stacking. He encourages stone art lovers everywhere to email him at matthewdavisy2@netscape.net to discuss possible installations elsewhere in the state.

Davis, a well-known Detroit-area sculptor and photographer, has received overwhelming public support for his work on Belle Isle—so much so that the Mayor’s office intervened to keep his installation there standing when the Detroit Recreation department threatened to take it down. Davis has been featured several times on WJBK Channel 2 news in Detroit, and his work has been covered by the Detroit Free Press, the Ann Arbor News, the Holland Sentinal, and other newspapers nationally. Several Detroit-area art lovers have commissioned him to do stone and metal sculptures.

For more information on Matthew Loflin Davis and his work, visit www.mldavis.com. For more information on APLAUDD: Art for Public Life And Urban Development in Detroit, a group that Davis co-founded, visit www.aplaudd.org.

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Copyright © 2003 by Matthew Loflin Davis. All rights reserved.