Michael McGillis

Professional sculpture, photographer and educator, Michael McGillis, applied his talents to a wide range of projects. As a leader in The Detroit Focus, Billboard Project, Phase I and II, he conducted sculpture seminars and worked with Detroit high school students to design and produce anti-drug billboards installed by Garrett Outdoor, Inc. In the Clark Park project located in Southwest Detroit, McGillis collaborated with students in the creation of a permanent outdoor sculpture near their school. As a partner with four other artists in Propeller, he fabricated and exhibited steel art furniture here and in Yokohama, Japan. Michael McGillis holds a B.F.A. degree from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit.

Artist Statement

With my in-situ works, I’m interested in finding an incongruent harmony in which introduced or modified elements feel seductive and foreign simultaneously. By proxy, I want to explore human acts of mark making, of leaving a trace and the innate urge to see one’s self reflected in the landscape.

Works in the Park

• Grommet
• Five Needles