Rick DeTroyer looks through "The Quilt," a public art piece that's located in downtown Chelsea and includes sentimental found items from community members.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

Saline will join other Michigan cities, such as Chelsea and Ann Arbor, to add public art as a way to draw visitors to its downtown.

The Saline City Council established the arts and culture committee a couple of years ago, said Terri Sibo-Koenig, a member of the committee. And after much discussion about the type of public art the committee would like to see in downtown Saline, members decided on a direction:

“We wanted something that could be enjoyed as art but was functional as well,” she said.

Enter Rick DeTroyer of Chelsea, who was one of the first artists to respond to the city’s call for artists with an extensive résumé in his hometown. DeTroyer was involved in not only creating his own public art projects for Chelsea, but also involving the community in several pieces there.

The welder and sculptor has a number of pieces scattered throughout downtown Chelsea that are part of an Art Walk. Plus, residents and businesses have allowed him to display his outdoor sculptures in areas that draw people off Main Street to enjoy the nearby neighborhoods.

Rick DeTroyer and "The Family," a sculpture of his wife and children that is displayed in a residential neighborhood just off Main Street in Chelsea.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

The former teacher uses found objects in his sculptures. And he’s looking forward to meeting with the Saline community to introduce himself and the concept of community involvement in a public art.

He has experience in this process. DeTroyer crafted a public art piece that’s in the clocktower complex titled “The Quilt.” Community members supplied DeTroyer with items that had special meanings, and he welded and weaved them into a piece of public art. There is a license plate, horse shoes, bells, keys — even an old flute — among the items that were melded into a large metal frame.

DeTroyer plans to create an iron work arch with found objects supplied by the Saline community that will hang over a unique bench made of tractor seats. A sign will explain the display.

The public art display will be located in a garden bed on the street side of North Ann Arbor Street, across from the Drowsy Parrot, Sibo-Koenig said.

Rick DeTroyer's "Spirit of Chelsea," one of the pieces that will soon be found in downtown Saline.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

“We’re very excited to work with Rick on something that will have a big public impact,” she said.

In addition, DeTroyer will display several of his large pieces in downtown Saline. He said he’s planning to have five pieces in front of the community to give them an idea of what’s to come.

“I’m thrilled to be in another community,” DeTroyer said. “It’s fun to get people thinking and looking at art.”

The Saline public art project has an approximately $12,000 budget, Sibo-Koenig said, and it’s being funded through an Economic Development Corporation arrangement combined with grant funding.

“We were given unanimous approval by the City Council and we’re pleased to have everyone on board," she said.

The public art piece is slated to be installed by early September, she said.

Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.