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