OUR COMMUNITY
T
his is a story of heartbreak and beauty set in Oak
Park, Michigan, population 29,322, where everyone
mentioned is a resident or has another connection
to the city. Grieving parents, a noted artist, caring officials
and volunteers, and even this writer, were brought together
to see a tragedy transformed into something
uplifting.
Mark and Aviva Phillips, their two
rescue dogs and a few select humans,
including Oak Park Mayor Marian
McClellan, gathered on the afternoon of
May 25 for an early look at Joey Salamon’s
just-completed mural. His bright artwork,
bookended by two stylized dog heads,
will highlight the city’s soon-to-open dog
park, Oak Park & Bark.
Salamon spray-painted his colorful design on the back
of a brick commercial building on Capital Street. But the
vibrant mural is more than simply captivating for the
Phillips family. Mark and Aviva commissioned the mural
to serve as a memorial honoring the late Idan Phillips, their
beloved son. He was also a cherished brother, brother-in-
law and uncle. Idan, a 2000 Berkley High School graduate,
died at age 39 on Dec. 29, 2021, a few days after having a
stroke. The subject of the mural is appropriate because Idan
New rainbow-inspired mural in Oak Park
celebrates the life of a man devoted to dogs.
A Mural for Idan
A Mural for Idan
10 | JUNE 22 • 2023
The mural to honor Idan Phillips at Oak Park & Bark
The late Idan
Phillips and
his dog Reilly
ON THE COVER
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER
COURTESY OF THE PHILLIPS FAMILY
Esther
Allweiss
Ingber
Contributing
Writer