Invite artists to Detroit to fill potholes

When the Detroit Beautification Project brought dozens of street artists to Detroit to decorate walls with murals, almost everybody was overjoyed by the artistic results. Yet, there were a few, unfamiliar with the burgeoning art form, who weren't pleased by the work. (We're particularly thinking of some of Hamtramck's philistines who objected to a particular work by street artist Sever.)

How to make nice with these few crabs? Take a look at what Chicago's Jim Bachor is up to. He's filling the city's potholes — with art! We find it hard to believe that even the uncultured folks who object to a controversial mural (but are perfectly fine with the weeds and trash they see around it every day) would object to the idea of legions of artists coming to Detroit to fill potholes.

One of Jim Bachor's pothole-filling artworks.

Can you imagine it? Teams of artists, roped off with orange barrels and tape, hard at work filling the city's massive shock-destroyers with colorful artworks? No doubt many glory-seeking artists would tackle the largest canvases first, smoothing the way for our fair city's motorists. Would it prove a success that artists can do what our many levels of government cannot?

Or would folks run out and jimmy the artworks out of the street for preservation?