Stages of progress

continued from page 43

JN: What have you learned from
doing this?
BF: I’ll know more once the mural
[has been up for a time]. I will be most
interested in seeing how the forms
interact with the lines of the building
and the structure’s surface, which,
because of the balconies, is not flat.
It was very hard to plan for this. I will
also be interested in how the colors
translate from — in this case — the
computer color system that I used to
build the design to the exterior paint
colors that were used to realize the
artwork.

JN: What has kept you at Cranbrook
for all these years?
BF: I love teaching. I learn from my
students as well as vice versa. I also
love their excitement and draw energy
from it. I have an amazing commu-
nity of colleagues here as well. Their
creativity pushes me to go beyond my
particular interests and concerns. I am
always learning and evolving. I met
my husband [Matthew Biro, professor
of modern and contemporary art at
the University of Michigan] while at
Cranbrook so Michigan it was/is!

JN: What artistic inclinations do
you hope to encourage among your
students?
BF: I want to teach them to be work-
ing artists — that is to develop a
studio practice in which they work on
creating art every day. I also want to
teach them how to speak and write
about their art — how to communi-
cate their interests to a larger public.
I also work with them on how to sell
work — reach galleries and collectors
— so they can continue to be artists.
Finally, I try to teach them that their
artistic practice should be central and
that life will always get in the way. It is
important to prioritize.

JN: What other projects are you
working on now?
BF: I am working on a new gallery
show; new prints that will be coming

out with Louis Buhl, as well as a num-
ber of designs for large-scale public
sculptures.

JN: What do you like to do for relax-
ation and fun?
BF: I work out. My husband and I are
hermits, but we do like to travel to see
art, friends and family. My 14-year-old
Chihuahua, Lillilolli, is family and a big
part of my life. She also makes sure I
support dog rescues around the country.

JN: What are your feelings about the
revitalization of Detroit and, in gen-
eral, about your Michigan surround-
ings?
BF: I love the Detroit area. I am required
to live on campus and so I live in a
beautiful Saarinen house. I run an MFA
program in painting for 15 graduate
students all by myself. It’s a lot of work
— doing weekly critiques, running the
visiting artist and critic program, orga-
nizing seminars, etc. — and the school
has been set up so that my students also
learn from seeing me do my work. My
studio is in the same building as theirs,
and I see them pretty much every day.
Cranbrook is great, but I love explor-
ing the art scene in the metro area. I
have had important relationships with
galleries, resources for art [including the
Detroit Institute of Arts and MOCAD]
and all the artists, young and old, mov-
ing to Detroit. I am in the process of
finding a new large studio in Detroit and
being back in the city making work.
I think the revitalization of Detroit
is fantastic and long overdue. It’s really
important that this great city is finally
coming back. With all the revitalization
going on, there is a lot of potential for
all sorts of important stuff — new busi-
nesses and communities. At the same
time, I think it is very important that the
people and businesses that are moving
into Detroit respect the people and busi-
nesses that are already there. Detroit is
in no way a blank slate, and I think that
development must respect the wishes
and histories of the folks who never
moved out. •

Have you been
reading our new
JN blogs?

Now you can get even more of the JN content you love
online from Jewish community members just like you!

:
s
r
e
g
g
lo
b
e
h
t
t
e
e
M

ill share her
nnie Citron w

rtise.

musical expe

A

Hannah Gordon will toast a
l’chaim to her favorite drinks.

Amanda Alber
ts will show yo
u what it’s
like to cook with
a preschooler.

tle Detroit

will bring a lit
Alexandra Kirsch
to the Big Apple.

Lori Gordon-Michaeli
will
take you on a Journey
Within.

Leslie Rott will give you an inside-
look at her JSwipe relationship.

Rachel H
yams wil
l tell you
her best
kosher r
ecipes.

Lauren Wallenfels will
bring a Jewish connec
tion
to your favorite TV show
s.

We’re always
adding new
content to
The Blog!

Just visit thejewishnews.com
and go to The Blog under
Community to check out our
exclusive web content today!

Follow us online

Detroit Jewish News

@JewishNewsDet

the line
ow will walk
n
d
u
h
C
i
n
fa
Ste
life.
and Jew-ish
h
is
w
Je
n
e
e
betw

GET THE JN
DELIVERED TO
YOUR DOOR
EVERY WEEK!

Go to thejewishnews.com
and click “Subscribe”

@detroitjewishnews

jn

June 14 • 2018

45