Bring on the colors: Summer in the City paints Detroit's Spirit Plaza

Robin Buckson | The Detroit News

Show Caption Hide Caption Summer in the City paints Spirit Plaza Time lapse video shows this painting by Summer in the City take shape at Spirit Plaza

Who says it takes forever to get things done in Detroit? Someone who has never seen the Summer in the City crew in action.

On Tuesday the group’s co-founder, Ben Falik, put the wheels in motion to paint the Spirit Plaza in front of the Spirit of Detroit. Over the next two days, preparations were made and the design of the painting sketched out. And on Friday, boom, done, painted. The 1,900-square-foot area was coated in brilliant colors — Hyper Blue, Calypso, Gold Finch, Invigorate and Real Red.

The group sprang into action when Falik got a call Tuesday from Detroit Parks and Recreation program and events manager Erica Knolton, who had a completed design and outline but needed a crew to handle the painting.

The nonprofit Summer in the City organizes teens and college students from Metro Detroit to tackle a variety of painting, planting and youth enrichment projects in Detroit. This project is one of approximately 15-20 they will tackle this summer.