Collaboration with 400 participants

The Detroit Pistons commissioned Steven and William Ladd to work with 400 people from 17 Detroit-based organizations to create a permanently installed artwork inside the main lobby of the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center. The colors and concentric shapes of the Pistons logo inspired the direction of the artwork. The Ladds incorporated tones of red and blue, bringing in teal as a nod to an earlier version of the Pistons jersey. Concentric shapes sharing a common center represent the Detroit community. The 9 x 9 foot artwork consists of thousands of hand-formed beads, each one hand painted by participants to symbolize the collective power and inherent promise of their city.  

In October 2019, Steven and William engaged with a wide range of Detroit youth and adults, including military personnel, special-needs individuals, at-risk youth, and diverse ethnic group representatives. Each participant first made an individual work of art inspired by a personal experience. In a group-share of their stories, they felt the power of contemporary art to tell uniquely personal stories. Following up, individuals joined together to hand paint beads for the large collaborative artwork, New Beginnings which they can now visit with family and friends at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center.

Support

“New Beginnings” and the Detroit Pistons Scrollathon were generously supported by the Detroit Pistons with Cristina Grajales Gallery. 

Special thanks to Awenate Cobbina, Charles and Barbara Ladd, Chelsey Oeffler, Chris Economeas, Laurie Ann Farrell, and Nancy Tellem.