MT. MORRIS TOWNSHIP (WJRT) -
(02/20/12) - For 60 years, a Mid-Michigan man has been capturing moments of his life on canvas. Now for the first time, a collection of 26 pieces of his favorite works will be on public display.
Lavarne Ross' art studio fills his basement. His latest painting is called Life Goes On.
"Life goes on for those people who used to have jobs at General Motors. They still have children and grandchildren. They still have responsibilities," Ross said.
Several of his paintings feature the former Buick complex in the background.
"It was the magnet that drew people to Flint. African-Americans from the south came to Flint. Flint was supposed to be the Promised Land," Ross said.
Ross was born and raised in the Flint area and paints what he remembers. You'll see long forgotten businesses and life as it was 50 and 60 years ago.
"As an artist, I look at myself being a messenger of the time period I live in. Just as the ancient Egyptian artists did when they painted murals on the walls," he said.
Some of his paintings feature friends and relatives from his childhood. He uses window frames from his former home to accent his work. It's sometimes hard for Ross to say a painting is done. He often sees little things he wants to improve on.
"You make changes and refine it. After you get it, then you refine it more and try to draw it and make it more detailed," he said.
You can see many of his works at McLaren Flint, Hurley Medical Center and the Genesee County Courthouse, but for the first time they can be seen in an exhibition this weekend. Look for the works of Lavarne Ross this Saturday (Feb. 25) and Sunday (Feb. 26) at the Village Business Center on North Saginaw Street between Carpenter Road and Coldwater Road in Genesee Township.
They can be seen Saturday from 2-9 p.m. and Sunday 4-9 p.m.
