The Night Sky Billboard Project

Above the intersection of Mack Ave. and Mt. Elliott St. on the east side of Detroit, a billboard that’s been sitting empty for decades displays an image of the night sky – a depiction of what the stars would look like over Detroit in the springtime. Allowing those who pass underneath to see the stars more clearly than they are visible in the city, it provides the opportunity for stargazing in the city and a quiet reminder to notice what is always present but cannot always be seen.

The hand-painted billboard was made in collaboration with Bird, a sign painter who has been leaving his mark along Detroit’s streets for decades.

An accompanying exhibition featuring Bird's paintings and documentation of the billboard project was held at WORK Detroit gallery.

Featured in the book Utopia Toolbox Vol 1.