
Toney Tony Tone
Tony Whlgn is a visual artist from the eastside of Detroit, MI.
His Creative Journey began in 1997 when Tony learned that creativity was a family trait. Raised by a single mother who supported and nurtured the gifts given to her children, the lesson of doing what you're passionate about planted a fruitful seed. Moving forward to becoming an 'Art School Dropout,' Tony relocated to Brooklyn, NY, and became a Junior Designer at Marc Ecko. Art Direction & Design for internationally recognized album artwork for music artists such as Joey Badass & Big K.R.I.T., held creative design positions at global fashion brands such as Kith N.Y.C. Moving to California and then back to Detroit, he began to create an array of commission artwork and community revitalization murals.
In 2009, with the help of close friends', the Whlgn® was created, an Unorthodox Art + Design Firm out of Detroit. Operating as a "Holistic Think Tank of Collective Creative Entrepreneur Studios." The Whlgn® encourages the mantra "do what you love and love what you do" to inspire and expose Creative Entrepreneurial careers; We, Humans, Love to Give & Nurture. The non-profit sector, Leaders Amongst Leaders (in partnership with The Skillman Foundation), kicked off its first program in 2018. Leaders Amongst Leaders Bridges the Youth of Detroit with Resources and the Opportunities necessary to pursue their passions and build their Net Worths. Broadening their understanding and Development around Financial Literacy & Sustainable Creative Entrepreneurship. The art collective houses professionals in photography, culinary arts, Carpentry, and SFX make-up application. The first graduates of the program (Leaders), both under the age of 20, are currently working in their Creative' fields of choice as Business Owners.
"My Art is an Imitation of my Life And a reflection of those I've encountered; people & experience teach us who we are. Through natural self-expression, I want my Art to inspire engagement with self-knowledge and knowledge of the whole world, which, in a sense, is Self. Oneself."
— Whlgn®. TONEy.