Graffiti writers have long treated the decaying ruins of Detroit like a blank canvas. The art functions as both metaphor and manifestation: It promises a better future while creating a more rewarding city in the present. Street art is bringing an inspired jolt of creativity, urban life, aesthetic beauty, civic and ethnic identity and neighborhood revitalization to Detroit. Most works are fully realized murals, but some especially artful traditional graffiti writing - with its sine qua non of stylized letters and signatures - is also included. Most of the art included was done with permission, but some pieces were not. It's a guided tour - an exploration of the variety of artists and styles on display, an accounting of the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) of some of the most notable works in town and the context in which to better understand the work. This survey spotlights 35 must-see works of street art in Detroit. Hundreds of authorized murals by some of the most famous street artists in the world, as well as works by gifted local artists, now grace downtown, Eastern Market, southwest Detroit, the Grand River corridor and other hotspots. In case you haven't noticed, Detroit has become one of the most vibrant centers of street art in the country in recent years.