January 3 • 2019 23
jn

Th
e Buddy’
s Pizza Legacy

William and Shirlee Jacobs bought Buddy’
s Pizza in 1970,
when it was an established specialty restaurant on Six Mile
and Conant in Detroit. Like so many customers, they enjoyed
what became known as the Detroit-style square pizza.
Drawing customers and continuing as ownership changed
was a Sicilian-based recipe originated by August “Gus”
Guerra, who launched Buddy’
s in 1946 before selling to Jimmy
Bonacorse and Jimmy Valenti in 1953.
While William “Billy” Jacobs concentrated on a realty
business, son Robert took charge of management responsi-
bilities for Buddy’
s after finishing
law school.
“The great joy of the business
has been bringing enjoyment to the
people we serve,” Jacobs says. “I
had great people working for me,
and we were able to sponsor many
community events as a team.”
Under Jacobs, CEO for 25
years, the business thrived with
expansion to 13 Buddy’
s restau-
rants in the metro area. The most
recent opened at the Detroit Zoo
last spring.
Over its many years, Buddy’
s has been recognized by lead-
ing taste reviewers for serving high-quality menu choices.
A partnership came in January 2018 with CapitalSpring, a
private investment firm focused exclusively on the branded
restaurant industry. The plan is to extend new store growth
across the Midwest and beyond.
“I now am a board member with one
vote out of five,” Jacobs says. “We are
hiring great people for growth while
the food standards and processes
are being maintained and
improved.”

details

The Robert and Katherine Jacobs Asian Wing can be seen Tuesdays-
Fridays free of charge for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County resi-
dents and DIA members. (313) 833-7900; dia.org.

administrators are taking. It’
s like a special kind
of gathering place. I’
m a proponent of the docent
program, which helps people looking at art learn
about the history and culture associated with each
piece on display.
”

EXPLORING THEMES
The Asian galleries, enlarged from 1,398 square
feet to 6,900 square feet with a reassignment of
space, have been designed to explore themes. In
the area of Chinese painting, viewers can leave
responses to the works they see in keeping with
ages-old traditions. Korean works showcase the
continuing ideal of harmony. Hindu sculptures
demonstrate access to devotional beliefs.
Seven community members representing the
cultures spotlighted, but not professionally asso-
ciated with the arts, were selected to collaborate
with DIA staff in brainstorming ideas.
“There are about 140 pieces on view now; but,
with rotation, we’
re going to be displaying more
than 300 objects in these galleries over the course
of time,
” says Katherine Kasdorf, DIA assistant
curator of Arts of Asia & the Islamic World. “The
objects we display are dependent on what we have
in our collection.
“
Almost all of the paintings and textiles in the
new galleries are light sensitive so we’
ll be chang-
ing works on display every six months. For every
painting or textile seen in the galleries, we need to
have eight lined up ready to go on display over the
next few years and then we can go back to the first
group. Visitors can return every few months and
see completely new works of art.
”
One work donated by Robert and Katherine
Jacobs and currently on view is a relief sculpture
of Vishnu, the Hindu god, and is located in the
Southeast Asia section. Made of beige sandstone
in the 900s, it has smaller-scale figures carved in
the stone framing it.
“It’
s a really wonderful, engaging sculpture, and
we developed a special type of label, almost like
a small book,
” says Kasdorf, who explains that
beliefs associated with Vishnu have to do with
preserving balance in the universe. “Visitors can
page through to learn multiple layers of signifi-
cance pertaining to the piece.
”
As a visitor to the wing, Jacobs particularly

relates to two other works.
Yogini Goddess, a sculpture from southern India
made in the 900s, combines imagery related to
both auspicious and threatening qualities con-
nected to power. Head of Buddha, made of cast
iron and dating back to the 800s, has a very serene
expression communicating a sense of peace.
“While the Yogini is a sculpture that expresses
movement, the Buddha is very still and calming,
”
Jacobs says. “Both are beautifully carved and show
artistic skills of high quality helping to train my
eyes to appreciate great quality Asian art. “
Jacobs extends his multicultural interests by
enjoying and supporting the array of movies
shown by the Detroit Film Theatre at the DIA.
“The theater brings in movies that the conven-
tional, for-profit theaters do not show — whether
specialty productions made in the United States
or movies made in other countries,
” Jacobs says.
“I’
m glad to see so many people enjoy the films as
much as I do.
”
Jacobs, a member of Temple Shir Shalom, also
supports diverse initiatives in the Jewish commu-
nity, a commitment carried down from his late
parents, Shirlee and William Jacobs. She had a
strong interest in Israeli causes, and he was
a founder of the Michigan Jewish Sports
Foundation.
Just as he followed his parents’
inter-
ests, Jacobs hopes to pass along his
interest in art to youngsters.
“Some of the school systems
don’
t teach art in classrooms any-
more, and the DIA is taking their
place,
” he says. “We sponsored a
program where 1,900 teachers a
year come to the DIA and learn
the technique of Visual Thinking
Strategies, an approach to asking
questions about what is seen and felt
when experiencing art.
“That’
s a great way of spending
money efficiently because the
teachers carry these ideas back
to classrooms to instill critical
thinking skills.
”

across the Midwest and beyond.

“I now am a board member with one
vote out of five,” Jacobs says. “We ar
hiring great people for growth while

the food standards and processes

are being maintained and

improved.”

-
-

mber of Temple Shir Shalom, also
e initiatives in the Jewish commu-
ment carried down from his late

and William Jacobs. She had a
n Israeli causes, and he was
e Michigan Jewish Sports

owed his parents’
inter-

es to pass along his
o youngsters.
school systems
n classrooms any-
DIA is taking their
“We sponsored a
1,900 teachers a
e DIA and learn
f Visual Thinking
pproach to asking
t what is seen and felt
cing art.
at way of spending
tly because the
hese ideas back
o instill critical

Manuscript of the ‘
Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses’
(Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita), about 1160, Scribe: Shri

Dharaka of Ghoshaligrama; painter: Unknown Artist India (Bihar), ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaves.

Vasudhara,

Goddess of Wealth

and Abundance,

1100s, Nepal,

copper, gold, gem

stones.

Billy Jacobs, circa 1950, with

his young son Robert.