DETROIT (WXYZ) — Beloved artist Charles McGee has passed away at the age of 96.
The Detroit Institute of Arts celebrated the life and work of McGee, who has been an artist for more than 70 years, calling him a "local, regional and national treasure."
McGee has works in the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Dennos Museum and the DIA, and public projects installed at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and the Rackham Building.
“Charles McGee left a tremendous legacy for all Detroiters, and for all those who visit our city and see his work in our museums, in our parks, and even on our buildings,” said Salvador Salort-Pons, DIA Director, in a statement. “I can think of no other artist who has so profoundly impacted the daily lives of those in our community – from the tens of thousands of students who visit ‘Noah’s Ark: Genesis’ on field trips to the DIA to workers and visitors that experience a downtown made more beautiful with his murals and installations.”
Image: "Noah's Ark: Genesis," Charles McGee, 1984, enamel and mixed media on masonite, DIA no. F1985.12.
