Cafe Violeta: Homenaje Edition
Photos by: Freddy Torres and Alejandro Ugalde
Video by: Freddy Torres
Video by: Three Lyons Creative
Mural Title: "Nothing but Pride"
This wall now has so much history and memory on it, including images and language that recall a different time in the city. As well as several memorial pieces to individuals who left their mark on the scene and in our hearts.
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A special THANK YOU to the Cultural Crossroads initiative and MiSide for the commission, The Wilson Foundation and Community Foundation of SE MI for the funding and MI Central's team at New Lab for giving us agency to continue to leave our mark on these community walls and viaducts.
Richie Blanko: "Paying homage to the Hheet wall. A graffiti production painted in 2000 just three blocks away from where the wall was on St Anne & Vernor before being erased in 2014. As we were finishing up the wall the other day looking at Vinnie's character the homie Scech who was on both walls kicked me a story of how they were just excited to be painting and how he felt that wall had lit a spark in Loaf and Tek who were just young cats getting into the scene that ended up becoming Legends. I know that wall was monumental for a lot of us writers especially in Southwest This is the third graffiti production l've had the pleasure of being a part of on Vernor this summer. Graffiti has Always been a part of this city, especially in Southwest. Things might not be what they used to be but best believe WE ROCKIN HUGE SHOUTOUT TO @rcdidit_ @dirty_ferdi @_ghostfacechillah @garagecultural & the homie 40. You can find this right outside of @michigancentraldetroit under the Vai Dock!"
​Richie Blanko: "On March 27, 2006, a group of us left Western High School to join the march against immigration control act hr4437. 16 year old me took these photos as we met others at Redeemer and marched down Vernor under the viaduct by the Train Station on our way downtown. 18 years later Me, @_ ghostfacechillah just wrapped something up on this same viaduct with @garagecultural and a buncha kids from the neighborhood."
Full circle moments are why we do this work. Especially as the city continues to try to co-opt and silence the legacies that it comes from. ​

