The art our hotel now wears is a tribute to the artists who call Detroit home, just as we do. Our collection of postcards featuring the art of Trumbull and Porter is the perfect way to take home a bit of Detroit when you go.
Our Art Postcard Collection selling in Our Sundry Shop
“Wildflowers of Michigan” features iconic flowers that can be seen throughout the summer and spring in Michigan. These include: morning glory, mustard, whiteflower leafcup, Virginia bluebells, fireweed, blue-eyed Mary, bulbous buttercup, echinacea, and firewheel. Many of these flowers can be found while exploring Detroit, particularly Belle Isle. Having Belle Isle in Detroit is such a wonderful aspect of living in Detroit, and Ouizi wanted to share this treasure with visitors at Trumbull & Porter.
“Shape Shifter is all about the signals, logos, old painted signs, graffiti and more that we experience and see in Detroit. Layered symbols and shapes that have this constant feeling of movement, sound, and playfulness embody Detroit’s core. The hotel is a true representation of the re-birth of the city through the help of artwork.”
Don Kilpatrick III moved to Detroit in 2007 to begin his career at the College for Creative Studies as a faculty member in the Illustration Department of which he has been the department chair since 2010. A successful freelance illustrator, Kilpatrick’s work has been featured in publications such as Fortune, the L.A. Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
“Stay, is an installation of over 100 handmade and hand painted individual porcelain tiles. The work explores a constant question of mine: Does the object define the space or does the space define the object? Through decision making, with attention on proximity, each piece is arranged thoughtfully with each other, and in relation to the space it will dwell in, creating a dialogue with object and space. Stay, is complimentary to Trumbull & Porter Hotel, because each individual and unique porcelain tile is a part of a larger body of work, commenting on the importance of the individual in a group context. Individuality is important to community; community is important to individuality. Through the doors of the hotel, guests will come and go, stay and leave. A mosaic of interactions, making the hotel a catalyst of connection and community.”
“L’esprit D’escalier meaning “staircase wit” is a nod to Detroit’s French history and the humorous predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late. As residents and artists, we are often asked to speak on behalf of a city that is still in the midst of its transformation. Detroit is a vibrant and resilient city whose residents are stepping into their own, while working hard to heal their past and avoid future trauma. It is hard to speak on what Detroit will become, because there is still so much unknown.
“This piece is a collage of illustrations referencing Corktown – a sketchbook spread of sorts. I looked for the idiosyncrasies in the neighborhood’s history and the everyday – down by the river, the main thoroughfares and the side streets. I drew what stuck out and what I’ve come to know and recognize, and what I like to draw.”
“While designing the hotel mural, I found myself thinking of the David Blair quote “I stay even when I go.” The quote inspired me to create geometric shapes that are descending away from the wall leaving a shadow, a shadow symbolic of our memories of Detroit that will live on with us even when we go.”
The 36 large multiple exposure photos selected are a reflection of the many aspects of Detroit that Jan has captured over a 20-year period of photographing this unique and great city. His photographs range from sports to architecture and landmarks, as well as products and iconic subjects unique to Detroit. The small rare vintage Detroit photographs from his private collection, which have been digitally restored and printed, reflect back on the history of Detroit from the 1920s through the late 1950s. They show glimpses of Detroit’s unique cultural past.
From factory floors to gallery walls, Tony’s signature portraits celebrate the human figure with vivid, brilliant colors inspired by Detroit’s industrial past.
“I create subjects as if I were casting for a silent film — forming narratives and expressing their stories by exploring the delicate balance of vivid color to depict melancholy emotions.”
Rachel began working at Trumbull & Porter in 2017 at the front desk, while pursuing her degree in photography at the College for Creative Studies. As an artist, she does a lot of narrative work and cinematic lighting to create her stories through pictures. She looks for instances in between moving parts to capture moments that only exist for a few seconds behind her lens. Her photographs show two hidden gems of Detroit: Eastern Market and inside the John K. King Used & Rare Books.