Public encouraged to visit Detroit Healing Memorial at Huntington Place this weekend before it moves to its new home at Cranbrook Art Museum

2023

The Detroit Healing Memorial, which was created to honor southeast Michigan residents lost during the Covid-19 Pandemic, will be moving this weekend from its current downtown location at Huntington Place to the Cranbrook Art Museum in Oakland County.

Conceived by artist Sonya Clark and curated by Cranbrook Art Museum, in partnership with the City of Detroit's Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the installation, which covers a 20-by 20-foot wall, features more than 4,000 healing memorial pouches created by metro Detroiters to honor loved ones.

The memorial was dedicated on August 31, 2021, one year after the Belle Isle Memorial on August 31, 2020, which Mayor Mike Duggan declared Detroit Memorial Day. At that time, more than 1,500 Detroiters had lost their lives to Covid.

This summer, the Healing Memorial will be featured as a part of Sonya Clark's exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum. During that time, you'll be able to continue to grow the project by contributing more memorial pouches to it.

Visitors who want to take a last look at the installation should stop by through April 30, entering the convention center on Congress Street. The Healing Memorial is on Level 3 next to the People Mover Station. Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Detroit Healing Memorial at Huntington Place pic1
Rachel Frierson, Director of Programming for Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Maureen Devine, Art Curator for Huntington Place, Conrad Mallett, Corporation Counsel (at the time, Deputy Mayor), Rochelle Riley, City of Detroit Director of Arts and Culture, Laura Mott, Chief Curator, Cranbrook Art Museum, and Mark Wallace, President & CEO, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy celebrating the wall dedication August 31, 2021.

 

Detroit Healing Memorial at Huntington Place pic2
The Healing Wall features more than 4,000 memorial pouches created by Metro Detroiters to remember loved ones lost to the COVID pandemic.