8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS DUNBAR TOWER JULY 10, 2026 Echoes of honor: murals at Dunbar Tower revive history, community in Kerrytown CISSE LOVE Groundcover contributor The next time you visit the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, be sure to view the amazing murals adorning Dunbar Tower at 121 Catherine Street in historic Kerrytown. Artist selection began with a Request For Qualifications where artists described their interest, references, and video and pictures of prior artwork for consideration. Now we can live with such a dynamic and beautifully cultivated collection worthy of the name Dunbar. There you will encounter the work of the live painter and muralist Curtis Wallace, whose work reflects elders holding space for their Grands and imagining a future where anything is possible. The visual images of a child’s imagination of other-worldly beings is creatively painted by Robin Speth on the rear entrance of suite L. Freelance artist and muralist T’onna Clemons graced the EV charging spaces with her signature cartoons that reward us with vibrant reminders and offer instruction. Residents can enjoy an activity space framed with T’onna’s mural of the archetypical black family dressed in boldness, with a colorful contrast that accentuates the church as its cornerstone. Painter Chadwick Smith provides a contemporary mural found in the lobby area of the building welcoming to residents with beauty and diversity. Dustin Hunt, the creative and founder of Muralmatics, specializes in socially-engaged, community-based, commissioned art-work. I hope you are as impressed with his graffiti style application as I am. The subject of his work is the historic Dunbar Center (1923-1960 at various locations) now known as the Ann Arbor Community Center located at 625 N. Main Street in Ann Arbor. The parking garage showcases what Dustin explained resulted in this series of vignettes; his process for discovery included the insightful staff at the downtown AADL. Reviewing interviews and other first person narratives, Dustin learned the Dunbar Center was used for community organizing, boyscouts, homework help, social dances, and other people-building activities in the black community. Dustin found connectivity with his subjects and focused his artistic expression on how the community bonded together. You can imagine it to be a history lesson beautifully displaying and gloriously honoring the Kerrytown residents who lived here a century ago. Don’t miss the young man depicted reading, who can hold a lighter load because of those who came before him. In a brief interview, Dustin expressed his desire to depict a supportive group of people, community building activities, and humanitarian efforts of BIPOCs (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) in their age. In his words, “The kiddo that’s on the left side of the composition is wearing a sweater. Inside his sweater, there is going to be one red thread that wraps back into the history to say that he is protected by and kept warm by his history and all the connectivity found in those activities.” What an excellent job creating vignettes depicting the rich history of Ann Arbor when prominent black neighborhoods worked through pivotal parts of our country's history. All of the murals bring the past into the present by inspiring us today. Dustin's contribution is a great addition alongside those of fellow artisans. I hope all of the A2-Townies visit the Dunbar Tower parking structure to view this amazing masterpiece. I was happy to catch T’onna Clemons putting some finishing touches on the parking spaces and enjoyed her interview thoroughly. This artist is ancestrally a product of Kerrytown and a whole creative vibe. T'onna has been a professional artist for close to twelve years and states she feels like she has been one her entire life. T’onna graciously expresses, “My inspiration is waking up everyday and being myself. Because, doing art is just me — it’s just part of my life in general even when I am not working.” A true Ann Arbor-Indigenous, Ms. Clemons' family has lived in Ann Arbor for seven generations and she attended Pioneer High School. T’onna decided to become an artist over the family-expected, standard career paths and chose not to lean on the mind-set of a starving artist. She continued to make art, be creative, and grow in her craft, deciding to build her acumen as a painter. During the pandemic, T’onna would bring her supplies, business cards and a desire to paint something large to West Park. Weekly she would bring a ten foot canvas to the park, drape it about the baseball diamond, and go to work. According to T’onna, “That’s how it started, a painting in the park and a couple of free murals.” Her encouragement to young artists, “Always bet on yourself, and never doubt yourself. Never let anyone doubt you, and know that as long as you try and give effort to something, it will always work out.” Thank you for being the creative you are. See more of Ms. Clemons paintings, comics, murals and prints at www.tlcart.gallery and Dunbar Tower. Murals embody the artistic expression of the building's namesake, Paul Laurence Dunbar: rich in character, expression and diversity. I hope the reader will join me in visiting the Murals in the parking structure and through-way between Dunbar Tower and Mocha House on Catherine Street.
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