Ten large-scale sculptures by nine artists now line the Ford Road corridor in Canton Township, the latest rotation in a public art program that has placed work in front of businesses along the commercial strip for 21 years.

The 2026 Sculpture on Ford Road exhibition was detailed in a Canton Today feature published Monday, July 20. The Canton Downtown Development Authority partners with the Midwest Sculpture Initiative, founded by sculptor Kenneth M. Thompson, to select 10 pieces each spring from hundreds of submissions. The Ford Road corridor is home to more than 400 businesses, and the sculptures are sited to be visible from the road.

Ray Katz's "Ring Walker," an 11-foot-tall painted steel piece, stands in front of Target. Katz, a Detroit native, taught art at Oakland Community College for 48 years and has operated a Pontiac studio since 1974. His work has been displayed in more than 21 states and in Japan and France.

Mike Sohikian's salvaged-steel "Autumnus" is outside Planet Fitness. Brian Ferriby's bright yellow "Bokeh" is installed in front of Michaels. Ferriby, a Cranbrook Academy of Art graduate who maintains a studio in Leelanau County, said the abstract piece reminded him of "the pleasant blur you have in the background of a really great photograph."

"I didn't get started in artwork until I was in my late 50s, so I think I took a plunge into the art world realizing there was more to a man's life than going to work and dying," Sohikian told Canton Today. The retired ironworker from Genoa, Ohio, earned the nickname "Iron Mike" during a half-century career in the trade before turning to art in 1995.

Other works include Mark Chatterley's five-foot stoneware "Three Graces" in front of Griffin Funeral Home, featuring three intertwined figures, and John W. Parker's bright red "Cara Cara" outside Firestone, inspired by insect anatomy. Jim Gallucci of Greensboro, North Carolina, has two pieces this season: "Oak Leaf Arch III" in front of Home Depot and "Morning Glory Bench" in front of Kohl's. Richard Morgan's welded metal "Tree of Life III" and Pamela Reithmeier's painted steel "Point of View" round out the collection.

Thompson himself has a piece on display. His "Blue, Orange and Stainless Steel" sits in front of Target alongside Katz's work. Thompson has created more than 80 large-scale public sculptures around the country since 1997.

The Canton Township DDA board page references the Midwest Sculpture Initiative display in connection with both April and September 2026, suggesting the sculptures will remain on view through at least the fall. All 10 works are accessible along Ford Road between Target and Kohl's.