Hubert Massey facts for kids

Hubert Massey, a famous artist known for his large murals.

Hubert Massey (born in 1958) is a talented artist who creates many different kinds of art. He is especially famous for his huge artworks called frescoes. These are paintings made on wet plaster. Massey has created 15 public art pieces across Michigan. Many groups, like universities, museums, and hotels, have asked him to create art for them. He lives in Detroit, Michigan, with his wife, Marquita.

Early Life and Learning

Hubert Massey was born in Flint, Michigan, in 1958. He finished high school at Beecher High School. Later, he earned a degree in art from Grand Valley State University in 1981.

He continued to study art at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, England. There, he learned from artists like Stephen Dimitroff and Lucienne Bloch. These artists had worked with the famous mural painter Diego Rivera. This helped Massey learn the special fresco style. After his studies, Massey worked as a painter for a sign company for 12 years. He later met his wife, Marquita, and they have three children.

Amazing Artworks

Hubert Massey has created 15 public art pieces in cities like Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids. His art can be found in many important places.

Famous Murals and Terrazzos

• At the Atheneum Hotel, he created a 30-foot-tall Greek-style mural.
• He made 18-foot-tall frescoes at the Detroit Athletic Club. He was the first African-American artist asked to create a mural there.
• At the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, he designed a 72-foot-wide floor artwork called Genealogy. This is a type of floor made with small pieces of stone or glass, called terrazzo.
• He also created beautiful stained glass art at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.
• In Harmonie Park in Detroit, he made another terrazzo called Paradise Valley. This artwork shows important historical figures, musicians, and community leaders from the area.

Art at Universities and Public Spaces

Massey's art is also featured at Grand Valley State University. One of his works there is called Importing and Exporting of Knowledge. Other pieces at the university include Snow and Rocks and Magnolia's Song.

At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, you can see his artwork Trompe l’oeil. This is a French term for art that "fools the eye" into thinking it's real. His piece Earth, Wind, and Fire is at the Flint Institute of Arts. He also created two granite murals at Campus Martius Park in Detroit.

Community and Storytelling Art

Hubert Massey was the first artist asked to create a mural for the Michigan Department of Transportation. He was chosen after a nationwide search. He created The Spiral of Life mural on the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge in Southwest Detroit. This mural is near the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit Mexicantown International Welcome Center. It celebrates the rich Latino culture in that area.

Massey believes his art can make a difference in cities. He wants to "tell the history of our cultural richness" through his artwork. He is the only African-American fresco artist in the United States who is asked to create such large works. He aims to tell stories that "heal everybody" through his art.

Massey loves to work with communities and young people. He often includes them in the design process. In 2013, he guided a group of student artists from the Henry Ford Academy. Together, they created a large 8 by 28-foot mural at Grand Valley State University.

He also helps young artists as a mentor for the Detroit Council of Arts and the Detroit Summer Youth Employment Program. He works with The Advanced Gifted and Talented Program, which is a partnership between Wayne State University and Detroit Public Schools.

Awards and Honors

Hubert Massey has received many awards for his art and community work:

• In 1993, he became a member of the National Society of Mural Painters of New York.
• He was recognized by the Wayne County Community Leaders Council in 1995 for his community involvement.
• In 2001, Grand Valley State University gave him the Distinguished Alumni Award.
• He received the Challenge America Grant Award from the National Endowment of Arts in 2007.
• In 2011, he was recognized as a Visual Arts Fellow by the Kresge Foundation.
• Grand Valley State University gave him an Honorary Doctorate Degree in 2013.
• Massey has also received the Spirit of Detroit Award and the Dr. Alaine Locke Recognition Award.
• He has been an Artist in Residence for both the Ruth Mott Foundation and Grand Valley State University.