Detail of a Motawi mural installed on the 5th floor of the UM Hospital. This design is called the Button Basket.
Bill and Matt Ransom clearly are experts and take their work seriously, but there was plenty of good-natured ribbing between the father and son when The Chronicle peeked into their cloistered workspace on the 8th floor elevator lobby of the University of Michigan Hospital. When Matt poked his father with a tape measure while Bill was slathering tile mud on the wall – Bill just kept on working.
The Ransoms were installing an 8×10-foot mural designed by Motawi Tileworks, one of 14 “Tile Quilts” – each one unique – that the hospital has commissioned from Motawi since 2005. It’s a project that started out small but has now become a signature part of the building, and a kind of artful wayfinding system for patients and visitors.
The Chronicle heard about the recent installations at an Ann Arbor Public Art Commission meeting, when commissioner Elaine Sims reported to the group that another set of murals was going up in January. Sims is director of the Gifts of Art program at the University of Michigan Health System, which is responsible for the project. [Full Story]
Bloomberg News reports on buyouts and changes that GM and Chrysler are making in their labor contracts in order to retain federal loans. The article quotes Dennis Virag of the Ann Arbor-based Automotive Consulting Group: ”With everything that has happened over the past 24 hours it’s almost desperation pace. When you offer all of your hourly workers a buyout, that’s certainly a sign of a troubled organization.” [Source]
Vincent York’s Jazzistry, a nonprofit that recently won the Governor’s Arts Education Organization Award, is holding its annual “rent party” fundraiser on Feb. 6 at The Ark. WEMU’s Linda Yohn will be MC for the event. [Source]
Even in down economic times, there are opportunities – I’m seeing this in my work with the local food, agriculture and natural resources sectors. In fact, in some cases the economy that is hurting so many of us is making it possible for new businesses to find surplus equipment and commercial real estate at incredible discounts relative to prices of just a couple of years ago. [Full Story]
Writing on Deep Cutz, Jeff Milo weaves together quotes from a Matt Jones interview like this one into a picture of the local indie folk music scene: “… I used to do this horrible Jeff Buckley impression…unintentionally of course. I would just hit the vibrato switch and commence breaking glass and fraying ear drums. It was Misty Lyn who finally told me to cut that shit out.” Jones is appearing at Ypsi’s Elbow room on Feb. 7 before heading out on tour in support of his new CD. [Source]
Ann Arbor City Council Sunday caucus (Feb. 1, 2009): The four Ann Arbor councilmembers who convened for caucus on Sunday night heard voices of dissent from the public on the police-courts facility, plus the expression of discontent from some of their own on a range of issues – from as-yet unapproved zoning standards to fiscal policy. Based on the Sunday night caucus, possible outcomes from Monday’s council meeting could include the elimination of the new council/public meeting space from the police-courts project and the tabling of the Farmers Market renovation. [Full Story]
A Time magazine article looks at the ramifications of layoffs for those employees who remain behind. The article quotes Kim Cameron, a UM business professor who studies layoffs. ”Often the best leaders leave. They’re the most marketable. They say, ‘Why should I stand for this?’” [Source]
The update this month from The Ann Arbor Chronicle addresses a housekeeping tweak to the Tip Jar, some reflections on the Meeting Watch section, and a few remarks on bicycling as a transportation option for reporters. [Full Story]
The Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club is holding its monthly meeting on Feb. 3 at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, starting at 7 p.m.: “If you’ve never been to a meeting before, don’t worry, you’ll find us. We’ll be the big group of photography geeks huddled round a table full of old cameras and other assorted photo gear.” [Source]
WWJ reports that Ann Arbor-based Domino’s Pizza expects to deliver over 1 million pizzas today – 44% more than its typical Sunday deliveries. Spokesman Tim McIntyre says its not hard to find people to work the Super Bowl Sunday shift: “The roads are fairly clear because nobody’s on them and people who are in a party mood tip quite generously, even in tough economic times.” [Source]
The Freep reports that Gov. Granholm will push for a tuition freeze at the state’s public universities and will ask the legislature to cut funding for institutions that don’t comply. Last year, UM raised tuition 5.6%. The article quotes Kyle Schilling, a UM engineering student: ”It would definitely help. Every dime counts.” [Source]
