InsideOut Literary Arts marks 30 years with new Detroit City Walls mural along Avenue of Fashion, community celebration

• Artist Oshun Williams has completed a mural inspired by an InsideOut Literary Arts student’s poem.
• InsideOut Literary Arts is nationally recognized as a premiere writers-in-the school program and received a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the White House in 2009.
• The new mural is located on the side of Yoshi Hibachi Grille on Livernois Avenue.
• A community celebration for Inside Out Literary Arts’ 30th anniversary and the new mural is set for Saturday May 31, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Detroit City Walls and InsideOut Literary Arts invite the community to celebrate the unveiling of a new mural honoring 30 years of championing youth expression in Detroit. The goal of this mural is to amplify youth voices through poetry and reflect themes of hope and resilience.

InsideOut Literary Arts is nationally recognized as a premiere writers-in-the-school program. Over three decades, the nonprofit has helped thousands of Detroit students discover the power of their voices and explore their identities through creative expression. The organization received a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the White House in 2009, a feature on PBS NewsHour and a performance on the stage of the Kennedy Center.

Artist Oshun Williams’ mural design is inspired by InsideOut student poet Charisma Holly’s poem, “If I Wake Up in Detroit 25 Years in The Future”. The mural is located on the side of Yoshi Hibachi Grille on Livernois Avenue, along Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, and stands as a public tribute to the next generation’s imagination and insight.

In the poem, “If I Wake Up in Detroit 25 Years in The Future”, 17-year-old Holly describes a future where iconic Detroit figures and brands like J Dilla, Motown, Faygo and Better Made chips continue to inspire others while thriving on what the city is currently building on, like sustainability, more Lions wins and safer neighborhoods.  Her writing expresses what she believes it means to dream, belong, and shape the future as a Detroiter.

At the start of 2025, Detroit City Walls and SpaceLab Detroit put out an open call for a mural celebrating one of the city’s oldest literary nonprofits. The mural had to incorporate the last lines of Holly’s poem, “…in the Detroit city, The D has always been for dreams”.

"Detroit is where I was born and raised. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this mural project because Detroit is truly the place where I learned to dream big," Holly says.

Artist Oshun Williams expanded on that vision with colorful imagery of youth in different age groups expressing themselves through poetry. This adds to the more than 200 murals Detroit City Walls has completed since the program was launched in summer 2017. For a look at Detroit City Walls’ interactive mural map, click here.  

“Every mural commissioned by City Walls has an intent to not only add color to a street or block, but to inspire the Detroiters who walk, bike and ride past it. This one is special because it’s geared towards our future,” says General Services Director Crystal Perkins. “We hope every time an InsideOut Literary Arts participant or alumni sees this mural they’ll be full of pride.”

"InsideOut Literary Arts has been celebrating and amplifying the power of youth voice for three decades. This mural is a lasting, visual monument to that spirit of self-expression,” says, InsideOut Literary Arts Executive Director Suma Karaman Rosen. “We also see it as a gift to the community that shapes and sustains us and hope it will bring joy and inspiration to everyone who sees it."

Now that the mural is completed, InsideOut Literary Arts is hosting their 30th Anniversary Mural Celebration on Saturday May 31, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the mural 19360 Livernois Ave. The event is free to the public and will include youth poetry performances, face painting and light refreshments.

About InsideOut Literary Arts

Since 1995, InsideOut Literary Arts has helped over 80,000 Detroit youth build their literary and academic skills through creative writing. Founded by Dr. Terry Blackhawk, a Detroit Public Schools teacher, InsideOut’s primary goal is to transform lives through written and spoken word. As Detroit’s largest and oldest literary nonprofit, InsideOut serves more than 100 classrooms and community sites annually, inspiring and equipping young people to think critically, create bravely, and share their voices with the world. To learn more, visit: insideoutdetroit.org and follow us on Facebook: @InsideOutLiteraryArts or Instagram: @insideoutliteraryarts. For media inquiries, please contact Charisma Tatum, VVK PR + Creative [email protected]