Artists Begin Decorating Grosse Pointe Perch

The artists selected to decorate will begin the creative process after taking possession of the roughly four-foot fish this week.

Many of the artists picked up their fish Thursday following a media preview event also attended by the sponsors and the local artists selected. The remainder of the fish are being delivered to the artists today, Executive Director Jennifer Boettcher said.

Similar to the frogs featured in the Pointes several years ago, the perch are being used in a campaign to promote the Grosse Pointes for shopping, supporting local businesses and as a fun feature to draw people to explore the area while visiting each of the fish when they are displayed around town.

Artists will have approximately seven weeks to decorate the fish before they will be unveiled during a preview party at the July 11. The fish will remain there throughout the weekend as there are several other events, including a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert, Boettcher said.

The fish were set up in a "school" Thursday inside Prop Arts Studio in Detroit, which is where they were designed. The fish were made in Michigan and will eventually be used during a live auction at the in October as a fundraiser for .

This week's preview event was a success, Boettcher said, noting about 60 people attended and the sponsors and artists seemed excited to get started on the next phase of the project.

The fish will start being placed throughout the Grosse Pointes beginning July 16 and will remain out until they are collected for the live auction in October.

as the first phase of the fundraiser and then local artists had to apply to be considered to decorate the fish.