Eastern Market added a new piece of public art this week, dedicating a mural that honors Moses Primus Sr., the first known Black butcher to work at Gratiot Central Market, the century-old indoor meat hall next door to the market's main drag. The artwork was unveiled Wednesday evening as part of First Wednesdays at the Market, the monthly celebration of music, food, drinks and art that regularly draws crowds to Detroit's historic food district.
The dedication ceremony started at 6:30 p.m. during the broader event, which ran from 6 to 9 p.m., according to ClickOnDetroit. The mural is a collaboration between Marrow in the Market and Detroit artist Tony Whlgn, and the station reports it was designed to honor workers who helped build Eastern Market's legacy while spotlighting the history of the butchery trade.
Moses Primus Sr. and the Meat Hall That Predates Eastern Market's Modern Era
Gratiot Central Market, the meat hall at the center of the tribute, opened in 1915 at 1429 Gratiot Avenue to serve Detroit's retail meat trade. It was rebuilt in 1991 after a fire tore through the building the previous year, according to Foresyte Travel.
That wasn't the market's only brush with disaster. A 1966 electrical fire destroyed Gratiot Central Market and pushed several older vendors into retirement, clearing space for family-owned shops like Ronnie's Meats, which opened in the rebuilt hall in October 1967, per Ronnie's Meats. Nearly a decade later, in 1975, the market drew national media attention during a friendly price battle nicknamed the Corned Beef War, pitting Ronnie's Meats against rival butcher Wigley's and drawing thousands of new shoppers through the doors.
Marrow's New Riopelle Street Home Sets the Scene
The mural now lives at Marrow in the Market, the 14,000-square-foot butcher shop, dining room and USDA-inspected meat-processing facility the company opened in November 2025 at 2442 Riopelle Street, according to ClickOnDetroit. The building itself dates back to 1906, giving the new artwork a backdrop nearly as old as the butchery traditions it honors.
Designed by studio ai architects, the facility pairs a ground-floor retail butcher shop and USDA-certified processing plant with a second-floor restaurant, all built around Marrow's push toward pasture-raised livestock sourcing and full-animal utilization, per studio ai architects.
The Artist Behind the Brush: Tony Whlgn's Detroit Roots
Tony Whlgn, the artist and designer behind the mural, grew up on Detroit's Eastside and co-founded the creative collective Whlgn in 2009. He's since painted large-scale public art for local institutions as well as brands including Vans and Neiman Marcus, according to BridgeDetroit.
Eastern Market itself moved to its current spot along Russell Street in 1891 after originating at Cadillac Square in 1841, and today it spans 43 acres as the largest historic public market district in the country, according to Hour Detroit. Management shifted from the City of Detroit to the nonprofit Eastern Market Corporation in 2006, a public-private partnership that runs district infrastructure and public programming such as First Wednesdays. The market now draws an estimated 2 million visitors a year and houses more than 150 food and specialty businesses across its six-block core.
The new artwork extends a street-art tradition Eastern Market built over the past decade through Murals in the Market, a festival launched in 2015 by art publisher 1xRUN that curated more than 100 murals throughout the district, as detailed by BridgeDetroit.
Marrow and Whlgn's Busy Stretch in Eastern Market
As reported by Hoodline, the mural arrives during a busy stretch for both partners in the project. Marrow's move into the Riopelle Street building followed the company's decision to bet big on one hub, folding its restaurant, retail counter and processing plant into a single Eastern Market address. Whlgn, meanwhile, designed merchandise for 313 Day at Belle Isle, adding to a growing list of Detroit collaborations, as per Hoodline.
Chef Noelle Prater handled the food for a happy hour tied to the dedication at Marrow, serving walking tacos built from pork pastilla over corn chips with charred corn queso, pickled Fresno peppers, lime-pickled cabbage and crispy chicharron, the outlet's report noted. A vegetarian option was also available for guests who stopped by First Wednesdays before or after the mural's unveiling.
