Mural, Not Afraid to Dance, 210 S First St, October 3, 2020

A Guide to the Ann Arbor Art Center’s Art in Public Places Murals Project

AADL Blog:  Christopher Porter, January 6, 20201

‘Ypsilanti-based artist Gary Horton’s mural Not Afraid to Dance—with a palette of bright red, with contrasting blue and green accents—is located on The Circ Bar's alley wall at 210 S First St. Horton grew up in Ann Arbor, attending Huron High School, then moved to Pennsylvania in 1996 to study at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Since then, his public murals and paintings are familiar acquaintances around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, even before the Circ Bar work, which contains abstract, linear elements such as a bullseye, lines, and spheres. Horton's signature robots can be seen around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti at businesses such as Tree Town Treasures, Go! Ice Cream, Brick & Mortar, and Unicorn Feed & Supply—just to name a few. Horton installed a mural inside Ytown Recreation in February 2020 and another at Rising Star Academy in Center Line in June. Ann Arbor Art Center describes Horton’s visual style as being influenced by graffiti: “[B]eing classically trained in oil painting, Gary would spend late nights in train yards and rooftops learning the forbidden art of graffiti. Today you can see the influence of these two styles in the community.’