Community Corner
Royal Oak Woodward Tribute Officially Illuminated
Reception at 13 Mile and Woodward honors Woodward Avenue artwork.
When you love someone or something, you pay tribute to it.
Royal Oakers love Woodward Avenue and the time spent on the All-American Road with friends, favorite cars and hangouts. The Dream Cruise commemorates that love affair during the summer, but the Woodward Avenue Association (WA3) has found a way to pay tribute to the nationally recognized road year round by installing artwork tributes – each one standing 30-feet tall.
On Wednesday night, the Royal Oak Tribute located in the median of Woodward and 13 Mile Rd. was officially recognized with a gathering of supporters, donors and residents that welcomed the fourth tribute, which joins others in Ferndale, Pontiac and Highland Park.
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The glass and concrete structures depict images and themes that celebrate the history and story of Woodward Avenue. Royal Oak resident Kyle Evans was suggested, by Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison, as the artist to create the tribute. Evans, a car designer by trade for Chrysler, was up for the immense task. He had previously worked designing the Royal Oak time capsule.
“Once they approached me, I took it and ran with it,” he said. “And I wanted to use things centered around Woodward.”
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Evans put in anywhere from 5-15 hours on each piece of artwork and donated all of his time free of charge for the project. Using Photoshop and his car design background, Evans was able to combine his intellect with his creativity, but he thought it would only be one piece of art.
“I ended up making 16 pieces of art,” he said. “There are 16 individual pieces to the tribute.”
Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison was on board early with the association and knew he wanted the Royal Oak Tribute to be truly special.
“I had the vision that when we put our tribute up, I wanted to honor the legacy of Woodward back when I was cruising – the 50s, 60s and 70s,” Ellison said. “I brought Kyle on board and started telling him what I did, where we did it, how we did it and what we did it in. And he grabbed those ideas and tried capture those images.”
The mayor is totally satisfied with the final tribute.
“I was floored. It is so impressive and it is a piece of art – his designs are beautiful,” Ellison said.
WA3 executive director Heather Carmona explained the idea for the tributes dates back to 2004.
“Woodward is designated as a National Scenic Byway,” she said. “And we were able to get a (federal) grant and we hired a consultant to give us a plan.”
That consultant came up with the tribute idea, which was embraced and grew into the creative tributes.
“For every tribute we have to raise $150,000,” she said. “The bulk of the money – about 80 percent - comes from the grant. We need to raise $30,000 first before we get the federal money.”
State Senator John Pappageorge was on hand for the festivities as well.
“It was a superb idea,” Pappageorge said.
As for cruising Woodward, the 81-year-old says his age has shined up his memories.
“It was drag racing back then,” he said. “The older you are the faster you used to be able to run.”
Partners that have contributed to the Tributes include Art Van Furniture, Beaumont Health System, Giffels-Webster Engineers, Leo’s Coney Island, Northwood Credit Union, Northwood Dream Cruise Committee, Northwood Merchants Association, Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce and The Michael Chetcuti Foundation.
The other three tributes are at Woodward and Cambourne in Ferndale, Woodward and Gerald in Highland Park and the Woodward Loop in Pontiac.
