Some of the people I've written about in this blog, like the psychedelic/hot-rod poster artists Gary Grimshaw and Stanley Mouse, are possible choices.
Gary Grimshaw, Detroit
Stanley Mouse, Detroit native, San Francisco icon
Another is Tyree Guyton. He's the founder of Detroit's Heidelberg Project.
Tyree Guyton, Detroit
The Heidelberg Project began in 1986 when Tyree Guyton and his grandfather Sam Mackey started painting houses in Detroit’s McDougall-Hunt neighborhood, which began to fall apart after the riots of 1967.
Guyton and Mackey painted the abandoned houses in bright colors and decorated them with salvaged items.
The Heidelberg Project faced threats of demolition twice since it was started, but Tyree Guyton and his supporters filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Detroit and managed to protect it.
In the process, they transformed Heidelberg Street from one of the city’s most dangerous places, into a unique artistic venue that sees more than 270,000 visitors every year.
About 10 years ago while attending the Detroit Auto Show, I took a bunch of Mercedes-Benz clients from Germany to see the Heidelberg Project. They were left speechless.