NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e p S
December 31, 2025 candgnews.com Oakland County papers
Southfield’s mural of a goldfinch is located at the Southfield Arts and Activities Building. It is the work of artist Bakpak Durden. Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
Novi Mayor Justin Fischer, left, and City Manager Victor Cardenas, far right, pose for a picture with Kazuma Ito, left-center, president of the Nagahama Heroes, and Motoyoshi Ohtsuka, president of Ohtsuka American and Ohtsuka Sangyo Material in September. Photo provided by Justin Fischer
Must-see Murals
SOUTHFIELD, LATHRUP VILLAGE ADD NEW MURALS THROUGH DIA PROGRAM
Novi discussing sister-city relationship with Nagahama, Japan
BY MIKE KOURY
BY CHARITY MEIER
mkoury@candgnews.com
cmeier@candgnews.com
SOUTHFIELD/LATHRUP VILLAGE — The cities of Southfield and Lathrup Village are now home to two new murals thanks to the help of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The unveilings of the two murals took place on Oct. 27 in Southfield and Nov. 13 in Lathrup Village. The murals were made through the DIA’s Partners in Public Art program, which is a collaboration between the museum and local cities to install works of art. “Through the Partners in Public Art program, the Detroit Institute of Arts brings creative experiences into surrounding communities and engages residents in the creation of a mural capturing the spirit of their city,” DIA Community Engagement Programs Manager Ani Garabedian said in an email. “The murals in Southfield and Lathrup Village exemplify this mis-
The city of Novi is currently looking into the possibility of a sister-city relationship with Nagahama in Japan. “It’s similar to Novi in terms of size, and that’s a large part of it. They also don’t actively have a relationship with a community in Michigan,” City Manager Victor Cardenas said. “It’s like you’re at the school dance and you’re trying to figure out if you want to dance together or not.” Mayor Justin Fischer and Cardenas recently visited the city, which is located within Michigan’s sister state of Shiga, during the Midwest Japan Conference, which was also attended by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “We have a very strong relationship with Japan. We have the most Japanese residents living and or residing in Novi for the whole state of Michigan,” said Cardenas. Cardenas said that the sister city would benefit residents by further strengthening the city’s already strong rela-
See MURALS on page 7A
Lathrup Village’s mural, made by Andrea Slomczenski, can be found on the side of City Hall.
See SISTER-CITY on page 4A