Young artist grateful for platform The War Memorial provides
The feedback and reaction to his work is quite satisfying for Bryan Wilson.
The 21-year-old Wilson is a 2020 graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He currently operates his own fashion brand, 1derful, and attends the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
On a few occasions, Wilson’s artwork has been on display at The War Memorial as part of various Grosse Pointe Artists Association exhibits.
“That’s one of the most important things as an artist, to have people see your work and receive feedback on what people think about it,” Wilson said in response to what having art featured at places like The War Memorial means to him as an artist. “2021 was a year I tried to break out of my shell and applied to every art opening I saw.”
Wilson, of Detroit, won second prize for his piece “Secret” in the 2021 Promising Artists Exhibition, Have Your Say. Other oil paintings of his in that exhibition included “1derful Being,” “Fast Life” and “1derful Beauty.” He took third place in the 2023 exhibition, Follow the Thread. For the association’s 2022 Promising Artists exhibition, Wilson, for the first time, served as a juror - becoming the first Promising Artist to graduate into a juror.
“I first got involved with the Artists Association in 2020 with one of their Promising Artists shows,” Wilson said. “I applied to a few more shows in 2021, and have probably shown there four or five times now.”
The Association, an in-house partner with The War Memorial, advocates for individuals like Wilson and organizations who want to harness the power of art to enrich lives.
He describes how working hard on projects, like designing clothes, can be gratifying when he receives positive feedback.
“When I am making clothes, even if it’s for me to wear, when someone asks where I got it, it’s a rewarding feeling knowing that you created it,” he said. “It’s the same things with paintings at an exhibition.”
Wilson plans to graduate his four-year program with a degree in art and design.
He recently completed a handbag design internship in New York City with Steve Madden, a company that designs and markets shoes and fashion accessories. He also did a study abroad program in London for about four months, and has worked on master courses with brands like Carhartt and New Balance.
“Showing at The War Memorial is the perfect platform to have people come in and get an unbiased look at the work you are doing,” he noted.
Through their partnership with The War Memorial, the Grosse Pointe Artists Association is able to host classes, lectures, exhibitions and more. By supporting The War Memorial, you can help other young artists like Wilson unleash their skills when you #GiveInspired and make a donation to The War Memorial this Giving Tuesday.
This Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, The War Memorial is doing a special campaign, highlighting three individuals to demonstrate the three different aspects of our mission: Dan McCrary for patriotic, Wilson for cultural, and Mary Dhooge for community.
Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”