Art on 11 Mile: Royal Oak Announces Winners
(Judy Davids, City of Royal Oak Press Release, Nov. 6, 2015)
The Royal Oak Commission for the Arts (ROCFA) officially announced the winners of the 11 Mile Public Art Project today. From nearly 60 applications, artworks by Richard Bennett of Detroit, Mark Beltchenko of Grosse Pointe Park, Mathew Zacharais of Ann Arbor, Emilie Beadle of Romulus and Gary Kulak of Birmingham were chosen.
ROCFA budgeted up to $40,000 of community development block grant (CDBG) funding for the purchase and installation of artwork to be permanently displayed along East 11 Mile Road from Troy Street to Campbell Road. CDBG funding is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that provides communities with resources to implement unique community development needs.
“Judging was very difficult,” said juror Camille Lecoutre of ROCFA. “We were looking for projects that would make people going about their day-to-day routines stop and think about art.”
Lecoutre, was joined by fellow art jurors Commissioner Kyle DuBuc, architect Jason Krieger, and artists Doug Semivan and Lois Teicher. The jury looked for works of art that would have the greatest impact on the one-mile stretch of road.
One of the pieces that excited Lecoutre is the first work of art to be installed – ‘Colorful Abstract Beach Sunrise’ by up-and-coming artist Emilie Beadle, 27.
Beadle’s work, a 6-foot by 2-foot weatherproof reproduction of one of her oil paintings, was installed earlier this year on the Hotel Royal Oak, 811 E. 11 Mile Road.
“I put my heart into to my art,” said Beadle, a Huron School District teacher who uses a palette knife technique to create layers of texture. “I am thrilled and honored to have the public to enjoy it.”
The remaining pieces of art are scheduled to be installed on 11 Mile Road in the near future.  The locations are as follows:
~Pella-Dar’ by Richard  Bennett to be located at 1006 E. 11 Mile Road
~‘X’s and O’s’ I by Mark Beltchenko to be located at 1528 E. 11 Mile Road
~‘Red Chakra’ by Gary Kulak to be located at 1207 E. 11 Mile Road
~‘Colorful Abstract Beach Sunrise’ by Emilie Beadle to be located at 825 E. 11 Mile Road
A fifth installation is slated for various locations on East Fourth Street:
~‘Flipbook, Volume IV’ by Matthew Zacharais
Zacharais’ ‘Flipbook,’ which consists of multiple weatherproof digital prints, was moved to Fourth Street after city officials had difficulty finding a suitable space for the series on 11 Mile Road.
In addition to this project, ROCFA has authority over the temporary display of public art in downtown Royal Oak known as Art Explored. Proposals are currently being accepted for the fourth wave of Art Explored, which will be installed June 2016. For more information, go to www.romi.gov/arts.