One of Detroit’s most protean and recognizable artists, McGee remains active in his 80s. His works are on permanent display at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Broadway Street People Mover Station and several hospitals.
One of Kresge’s eminent artists, he makes paintings, sculptures and mixed-media assemblages, marrying modernist and primitive impulses in mostly abstract works that pop with exuberant patterns, jazz rhythm, color, humor and a spiritual ecology that connects people, animals and the natural world.
Age and residence: 86, Detroit.
At Art X: “Spirit Renewal,” a newly commissioned outdoor sculpture 22 feet long and 8 feet tall, will become a permanent addition to Midtown. More than 50 interlocking black and white shapes form a syncopated work made from materials such as a decorative aluminum composite.
• Public unveiling at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Horace H. Rackham Educational Memorial Building, Northeast Lawn.
• McGee and Marilyn L. Wheaton discuss McGee’s new sculpture, 3 p.m. April 10, Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center.
Quote: “I think Art X Detroit is a beautiful idea, and I feel happy that I’ve lived long enough to see it, because Detroit has been a stagnant place of the acceptance of art. It’s always been a good place for making art. Kresge’s contribution is mammoth; it’s joyful, elucidating and uplifting.”