Weekend Arts Round-Up: Auto Art, Poor Man's Talk, Stilettos

There are many options for Detroit area art-goers this weekend. Here are just three possibilities among the many choices available to those cruising for art over the next few days.

"Detroit Knows Cars: The 2012 Motor City Automobile Fine Art Exhibit"

Those dazzled by the lines and curves of automobiles should definitely navigate to the lobby of the Chase Tower Building in downtown Detroit this month. The space will be the temporary home of "Detroit Knows Cars: The 2012 Motor City Automobile Fine Art Exhibit," which will feature a caravan of works examining the many splendid forms of the machine once known as the horseless carriage.

The show will include painting, photography and sculpture by twelve artists belonging to the Automotive Fine Art Society, who have exhibited at Concours d'Elegance, one of the most prestigious classic and collector car events in the country. Among these highly-decorated creators will be Detroit natives Camilo Pardo, Clark Gordon and David Chapple, adding some Motor City authenticity to the event.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This exhibit's sponsors hope the show will draw attention to a major international automobile art competition they plan to launch beginning in 2013.

"Detroit Knows Cars" opens Jan. 6. It runs through Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m in the lobby of the Chase Tower Building, 611 Woodward in Detroit. The exhibit is free and open to the public. There will be an artist's reception Jan. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. and a series of artist talks Jan. 14 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Artist "Geno" Harris To Speak On His Life, Work And The Poor Man's Art Collective

Artist Eugene "Geno" Harris will speak Saturday about his life and work against a backdrop of his colorful decoupage pieces as part of the Heidelberg Project's lecture series for emerging artists. Decoupage is the art of applying and varnishing vividly colored paper cutouts to create unique images.

In an statement on his blog, the Detroit-based artist said he combines colored paper patterns with textured wood in an effort to "evoke deep feelings, induce many moods and touch on a vast storehouse of memories."

The Heidelberg Project gallery is currently showing Harris's work in an exhibit called "COLORS, CONCEPTS AND CONTRADICTIONS!" inspired by Pablo Picasso

According to Harris, the famed cubist's words, "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it," encouraged him to adopt a never-before-tried three-dimensional approach to assembling his creations.

In addition to his own work, Harris lends a guiding hand to an art collaborative known as the Poor Man's Art Collective. The group's website says it is "a platform for unknown and emerging artists from visual to spoken word and art" that supports members' efforts to show and sell their work.

The Heidelberg Project hopes the series will "open new doors for emerging artists and provide a springboard for future exhibitions."

Harris will speak on Saturday Jan. 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Heidelberg Project Gallery.

"COLORS, CONCEPTS AND CONTRADICTIONS!" is on display until Jan. 13. The Heidelberg Project gallery is located at 42 Watson, in Detroit. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Visit www.heidelberg.org or call 313-974-6894.

"Etch, Sketch and Stilettos: The Work of Topher Crowder"

For a beautifully baroque cartoon mashup of Dada and Pop Art, check out Topher Crowder's new solo exhibit, "Etch, Sketch and Stilettos" at the Northville Art House. Crowder, a painter and adjunct professor at Macomb Community College, has created a fantastic collection jumbled together from comic books, high-heel shoes, random detritus and other bits of cast off Americana.

"I always wanted to be an artist," Crowder said in a gallery statement about his motivation "I would take apart laser printers, put them back together and make art out of them. I couldn't suppress it anymore!"

The show will include shoe paintings, day-glow plexiglass creations, found-art "weavings", reverse vandalism signs and other extraordinarily fun pieces of Crowder's imagination.

"Etch, Sketch and Stilettos: The Work of Topher Crowder" opens Friday, Jan. 6 with a reception and artist's talk from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady St., Northville; 248-344-0497. The show runs through Jan. 28. Art House hours are Wed. through Sat., 1 to 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.