My City January 2022

SCULPTURES FOR THE URBAN SAFARI PROJECT COMING THIS SUMMER

In 2020, he was chosen as winner of the GFAC All Media Membership Ex- hibition Competition and currently, he is working with the Urban Renaissance Center sculpting all of the animals for their North End Safari Project sched- uled to launch next summer. “I’ve †n- ished 21 of the 30 sculptures for the project,” he says.Še animals include a gira‹e, rhino, hippo, water bu‹alo, leopard and many more. He is also diligently working through a backlog of client commissions and recently began that anyone could make a career of art." Martin Turner "When I was young, I didn't believe

TURNER'S STUDENTS AT SBEV RECENTLY FINISHED SCULPTING A HIPPO.

adding personal and celebrity busts to his catalog of sculpture subjects. Turner hopes to continue to play a role in Flint’s resurgence well into the future and sees art as something that can set Flint apart. “Again, a main goal of mine is to help spread the love and importance of art through the kids and people of the North End,” he says. “Like basketball, art can be a boon to this city.”

If you are interested in the art of Martin Turner or wish to commis- sion a piece, visit his Facebook page or @mautymaud on Instagram. Turner is also looking to acquire multiple desktop easels for his students enrolled in the art program at SBEV with the goal of teaching them vertical drawing and painting. If you would like to help, email martin@sbev.org. ®

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