The Detroit Institute of Arts has unveiled a striking new mural in Hess-Hathaway Park, Michigan. Titled “Champagne's Chateau,” the vibrant artwork wraps around the exterior walls of a maintenance barn and features a life-sized horse named Champagne grazing amidst sunflowers under a psychedelic sunset.

Commissioned as part of the institute’s Partners in Public Art Program (PIPA), the mural is one of eight new artworks set to be revealed across Detroit this year. Located in Waterford Township, the piece complements the animal exhibit farm within Hess-Hathaway Park, which houses a variety of livestock including horses, chickens, goats, sheep, peacocks and bunnies.

Artist Johnny Fletcher's work takes inspiration from medieval icon painting traditions, depicting Champagne not just as an object of admiration but also as a central figure in the mural. The painting is monumental, capturing the horse in all its foreshortened glory against a backdrop of sunflowers and other farm elements like a red barn, an old windmill and a spring-fed pond.

The psychedelic tones and scale of the mural are reminiscent of the artwork of Lisa Frank, perhaps explaining why the title references her iconic style. The unveiling was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a meet-and-greet with Champagne herself, adding a touch of whimsy to an otherwise serious artistic project.