WRITTEN BY CHRIS RILEY
Our newest neighborhood market, Rivertown Market recently opened in Detroit, and we couldn’t be prouder. And having the chance to offer fresh, affordable and local products to Detroit is our honor. So much so that we wanted to pay homage to the city by tapping two local muralist – Desiree Kelly and Cameron Jenkins – to come by and breathe life into our building.
THE MURALISTS
Jefferson Ave. Muralist - Desiree Kelly
Larned Muralist - Cameron Jenkins
DESIREE KELLY
Desiree is no stranger to big projects. She’s a talented artist who studied Graphic Design at Wayne State University and has over 10 years under her belt as a full-time visual artist. She was born and raised in Detroit, has a distinct love for both art and music.
This award-winning creative knows what it takes to do great work. So, after setting up her lift, grabbing paint and tools out her vehicle, and scrolling down to her playlist featuring legend Bob Marley and Micheal Kiwanuka she was off!
Her piece embodies the energy of Detroit. Portraits are her specialty, and for this specific project decided to paint her daughter wearing pineapple glasses with kaleidoscope lenses in front of a background of produce. A tribute to her community and a gift to future generations all in one. Her art can be found on Jefferson.
CAMERON JENKINS
Cameron is an upcoming artist that has been drawing since his early elementary school days. However, it wasn’t until college that he really started taking art seriously and finding new ways to create.
He’s a talented creative that combines his love for music and drawing. By pulling inspiration from past events and fleshing out his ideas through the process of listening to songs repeatedly, he’s found a way to create in a way that works for him.
And it’s this originality and purpose that made him perfect for creating what you will find on Larned. He’s an artist that pushes himself constantly and believes that since no story is the same, neither should the medium be that is used to tell it.
So, for this challenge he decided to try his hand creating a mural. And after arriving back in the city from Tampa, he was in a tropical mood. Which ultimately led to him wanting to bring the tropical aesthetic to the market by incorporating the foods he ate during his vacation and offered our new location something fresh to look at. A marvelous array of fruits that represent freshness, vibrancy and his own style.
He even realized our store location is right next to Jenkins Construction. The place where he had his first job when he was in middle school. Something that brought him nostalgia because his Rivertown Market mural is the first time in his career where he’s doing his art as a full-time job. One that presented itself as his toughest and biggest project, but still oh-so rewarding. Especially because he felt the city love as people in the community would come to him just to take photos, talk about art and just enjoy overall good vibes.
MORE ABOUT THE MARKET
It was a pleasure for us to see both of these talented people up close and personal. And if you’re ever in the area, stop by Rivertown Market and see the beautiful murals painted by the locals on Jefferson and Larned. And be sure to head into the store to find and awesome array of products that will make you proud to be of the city. You can support Desiree and Cameron by following their newest projects below:
DESIREE KELLY - Instagram, Facebook, Website
CAMERON JENKINS - Instagram