A few times this summer, Flint puts on Artwalk. It’s tonight from 6-9. Artwalk is a street fair with dinner, desserts, a steel drum band and sidewalk chalk for kids. Organizers want to showcase artists in their new studios. It’s part of the slow but steady revitalization of downtown. Michigan Now’s Chris Reports.
TRX1: People from Red Ink Studios in San Francisco, had used artists to redevelop neighborhoods. They had seen Michael Moore’s movie about Flint. Roger & Me. So they created studios to spark redevelopment in Flint. That was next to the farmers market in 2006. In April of 09, they moved next door to the Capital Theater downtown.
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TRX2: Bruno Brown listens to the radio while he paints. He fills his canvass with sharp lines and bold colors. You might say he’s reaching for Picasso’s style.
AX1: “color has an emotional effect on customers.”
TRX3: Brown is also trying to make a living at age 81. He’s still painting everyday. Small paintings go for $40 dollars, big one’s done in oil paint $300.
AX2: “Dark colors make you depressed. But warm colors don’t. Sort of make you at ease. You have a better chance of them buying it.”
TRX4: Tonight during Artwalk, Brown will be showing off his goods in picture windows to try to lure in customers. He likes music. And he likes the idea that Red Ink Studios has moved into the old Capital Theatre building. Built the year before he was born. And acoustically perfect.
AX3: “music and art goes to together. Like bacon and eggs.”
TRX5: The artists work in individual spaces within the old arcade. Red Ink is a non-profit group. And Christina Johnston is the director.
AX4: “This is the old arcade here. The theatre is on the other side of that wall. We can utilize this as well. So we’re excited to have that opportunity.”
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TRX6: Johnston walks up stairs and down a hall of polished granite. She finds
Sayeed Farah. He and his brother have law offices here. Their dad bought the building in the 70’s. Farah turns the keys, strolls down the aisle and up the stage. It’s pitch black before he flicks a wall worth of light switches.AX5: “The whole vision of John Aberson, he was the architect. He was a German architect. He wanted you to really feel like you were sitting outside. So if you see an original picture of the theatre there were vines going up on each side of the stage, statutes, birds, stars, clouds all around. So when you looked you felt like you were outside.”
TRX7: 1,200 seats below and 800 in the balcony. Still the red velvet velour from when The Comedian Gallagher was the last performer here 12 years ago. Native Flintoids Grand Funk Railroad played the Capital Theatre in the 70’s. Detroit natives Goober and Peas played here in the 90’s.
AX6: “it’s been pretty sealed up. Occasional tours, Red Ink had their opening. Dream for it? We hope to restore it one day. UM’s looking at it. Some type of restoration.”
TRX8: University money and stability might be the theatre’s best hope. The place is so big it will take hundreds of thousands atleast. But it’s intact and it begs to be sung in. Christina Johnston says community theatre could flourish here. Could she give a practice performance?
AX7: “I played the piano for 8 years. Could you hum something for us? No, I’m not gonna do it….”
TRX9: Acts like Rage Against the Machine and Fishbone played here. .
AX8: “AC DC played here before they hit it big.”
TRX10: Sayeed Farah tells me you got the mic go for it. But I’ve got stage fright. I’m terrified of these two people. I stall for time, wishing they would belt out some AC DC. They joke about the names for the old furnaces that still work. But cost a lot to run.
AX9: “There was like Martha and Wilbur.”
TRX11: Christina’s got better things to do. She walks off the stage.
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TRX12: Then the words come to me and I sing like a fool.
TRX13: Artwalk is this evening in downtown Flint. 6-9 pm. I’m Chris McCarus.