The rusty and dingy Huron St. railroad overpass just west of the Delonis Center has been an eyesore for years. That’s about to change. This fall, TreeTown Murals will be painting murals on both sides of the bridge, the wing walls, and the fascia beams. The artistic team of Mary Thiefels and her husband, Danijel Matanic, are doing the work, and they’re an ideal fit—they’ve been painting murals that bridge Ann Arbor neighborhoods and business districts for years.
Danijel Matanic and Mary Thiefels with their latest “canvas.” Thiefels’ first murals were unauthorized, until it dawned on her that her work contributed to the community and she decided to approach the Ann Arbor Railroad directly. | Photo: Doug Coombe
Matanic, who grew up in a small town near Belgrade, Serbia, is the lead designer and creative director. Thiefels has been a fixture in the public art scene in Ann Arbor since she graduated from Pioneer in 1998. Matanic and Thiefels also own Brush Monkeys, a company that paints storefront windows in downtown Ann Arbor.
Thiefels was part of Ann Arbor’s youth artist scene, painting murals on bridges and abutments after she graduated. Initially, her work was unauthorized. Then it dawned on her that the work contributed to the community and she decided to approach the Ann Arbor Railroad directly. It worked: She says that John Chapalla, the AARR’s chief engineer at the time, gave them the go-ahead.
The railroad was sold in 2013 to Watco, a Kansas-based holding company that owns dozens of lines. Fortunately, Steve Ayala, currently in charge of the track condition for the company, is also a supporter: “Their work is top-notch,” he says. “The murals are beautiful. We appreciate their work and are here to help them.”
Mayor Christopher Taylor has been an early advocate and personal donor to the project. “I’m excited about more public art in the city,” he emails, calling the mural project “an excellent example of people coming together to make Ann Arbor a more vibrant city.” Councilmembers Erica Briggs and Jenn Cornell and county commissioner Yousef Rabhi are supportive of the project too.
The seed for the project was planted when philanthropists Larry and Lucie Nisson invited Thiefels and Matanic to their home to discuss their shared passion for art in public spaces. “At that meeting I got a sense of Larry and Lucie’s vision,” Thiefels says, “and it was profound.”
Artrain, the Ann Arbor–based arts and creative nonprofit, is serving as the project’s fiscal sponsor. The Nissons were among the first to contribute, followed by many Ann Arbor companies and foundations, including Destination Ann Arbor and the Towsley Foundation. A Kickstarter campaign, managed by Laura Rusello of Constellations Consulting, has raised more than $12,000.
The work for the Huron St. bridge is already fully funded. Next up is the AARR bridge over N. Main St. The goal is to transform both bridges into landmark attractions welcoming visitors to Ann Arbor. A ten-year maintenance budget is built into the plan.
The bridges are structurally sound, but the surface needs to be prepared so the paint adheres. First, years of corrosion need to be removed from the metal. Then the graffiti and street crud need to be sandblasted from the wing walls and abutments. Northstar Painting has been contracted to do the prep work.
Peter Allen, whose offices on N. Main are in the shadow of the Main St. bridge, was an early fan of Thiefels’s work, commissioning her to do a previous abutment mural. “Peter was my first patron and set the course for my career in mural arts,” she says.
The Main St. project is queuing up in 2024, so both bridges should be done in time for the city’s bicentennial celebration.