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Detroit reveals 'DCLEATED' art exhibit of 20 painted cleats for NFL draft
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- Detroit reveals 'DCLEATED' art exhibit of 20 painted cleats for NFL draft
Detroit officials and artists are gearing up for the NFL draft with a reveal of massive sculptures, which will be auctioned off to charities.
The "DCLEATED" art exhibit will display 20 massive football cleats covered in murals by local artists through the City Walls program. Sculptures will be on display across downtown Detroit, including Ford Field, next month. The auction will go live online the first week of April and conclude after the NFL draft at a Detroit Medical Center-sponsored event celebrating the artists and charities.
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Born and raised in Detroit, artist Trae Isaac partnered with The Children's Center , an organization that provides clinical services to young people who struggle with behavioral, emotional, educational, intellectual and developmental challenges, after experiencing trauma at a young age.
A collection of oversized cleats that were painted with murals by local Detroit artists that are part of the DCLEATED exhibit, which was introduced during a media event at Huber Yard in Detroit on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Transforming trauma to triumph
"With me being someone who's experienced trauma at a young age, and 16 and 18, I lost my baby brother and my mother to cancer. So what I kind of like to say is I took that trauma, and I use art to transform it into a triumph. The way that The Children's Center works with children in our community through the different programs .... they help those same people turn their traumas into triumph as well," Isaac said.
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Chazz Miller, donning an "Everybody with Detroit" sweatshirt, chose to sponsor SDM2 Project Education.
Detroit artist Trae Isaac, left, speaks about his mural painted on an oversize cleat that will be one of the 20 local artist works in the DCLEATED exhibit, which was introduced during a media event at Huber Yard in Detroit on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The cleats highlight local charity organizations and will be scattered throughout downtown Detroit during the 2024 NFL draft, which is being held in Detroit.
"I've been doing murals and harping about how art and murals can change the city for over 25 years," Miller said, who played the "Everybody with Detroit" song on his YouTube channel Black Quantum Studios.
Jacqueline Moore, chief executive officer of SDM2, said she is proud and excited to show off Detroit to the expected influx of visitors. She aims to help lift up younger individuals to be involved in the community and run the city.
"We focus on homework, literacy support and mentorship for middle and high school students. But not only that, we focused on health and wellness. We believe healthy families build healthy communities," Moore said.
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Full list of DCLEATED artists, exhibit locations and charities:
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Chazz Miller, Motor City Casino Hotel, SDM2
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Cameron Jenkins, Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney, Detroit Hives, Inc.
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Joshua Mulligan, Fort Pontchartrain, American Indian Health and Family Services
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Andrea Slomczenski, Courtyard Marriott, Detroit Impact
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Rick Williams, also known as Metal Feet, Parker's Alley, New Era Community Connection
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Juliana Rabban, Coleman A. Young International Airport, Kids Without Cancer
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Jess Fend, MGM Casino, Belle Isle Conservancy
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Caleb Moss, Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, The Doc Dennard Fellowship
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Wendy Popko, Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, Rags Remembered
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Trae Isaac, DMC Children's Hospital, The Children's Center
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Ghostbeard, Godfrey Hotel, Ride for Ride, Inc.
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Laura Mettam and Kay Blair, Detroit Foundation Hotel, Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan
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Marlo Broughton, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Evans Terminal, United Negro College Fund
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Tony Whlgn, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport McNamara Terminal, Gleaners Community Food Bank
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Phil Simpson, Huntington Place, Project Play
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Jennifer Maples, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Beyond Basics
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Tiera Knaff, Greektown Hotel, Teen Hype
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Robin Speth, Capitol Park, Blight Busters
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Richie Blanko, Cambria, Motor City Street Dance Academy
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Kenaya Kelsaw, known as Fel'le, Ford Field, Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance and the Detroit Lions Foundation
Partners include the city of Detroit's City Walls program, Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission.
A collection of oversize cleats that were painted with murals by local Detroit artists are part of the DCLEATED exhibit. They were shown during a media event at Huber Yard in Detroit on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The murals on oversize cleats highlight local charity organizations and will be scattered throughout downtown Detroit during the 2024 NFL draft, which is being held in Detroit.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Artists reveal 20 sculpted football cleats to display for NFL draft
