Detroit Art Week

Detroit Art Week is a citywide festival celebrating the contemporary art scene in Detroit. The event, which first took place in 2018, aims to spotlight Detroit artists and strengthen the city’s growing reputation as an international hub for cultural exchange. Organized by Aleiya Lindsey and Amani Olu, Detroit Art Week features exhibition openings, performances, panel discussions, and studio visits across various venues throughout the city.

History

The inaugural Detroit Art Week was held in 2018, with the intention of drawing attention to the city’s burgeoning art scene. The event included participation from twenty venues, ranging in size from established galleries to smaller, unconventional spaces. The second edition, in 2019, expanded significantly, becoming a “jam-packed, exhausting, and thrilling affair”. This iteration featured 36 exhibition openings, 13 performances, and 7 panel discussions, showcasing the work of 150 artists.

Following a pause, plans are underway for a return in 2025. Founders Aleiya Lindsey and Amani Olu are currently seeking city-based galleries, exhibition spaces, and unconventional venues to participate in the upcoming event. The event’s organizers aim to continue fostering a dialogue between Detroit’s art community and the broader international art world.

Culture

Detroit Art Week emphasizes themes relevant to the city’s unique context, including displacement, gentrification, and race. The program often focuses on site-specificity and materiality, aiming to honor local histories and create symbolic connections between Detroit and other parts of the world. In 2019, an exhibition at the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art was inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too, Am America,” seeking to spotlight the influence of Detroit artists in building American culture.

The event also provides a platform for emerging curators. The “Young Curators, New Ideas V” (YCNIV) exhibition, part of Detroit Art Week, showcased work by 12 independent curators within the Trumbull & Porter Hotel in the Corktown neighborhood. This series, founded in New York in 2008, presents a medley of small exhibitions exploring issues of race, identity, gender, and sexuality.

Attractions

Detroit Art Week utilizes a variety of venues throughout the city, including established galleries, hotels, and unconventional spaces. The Trumbull & Porter Hotel, located in the Corktown neighborhood, served as a key location for the “Young Curators, New Ideas V” exhibition in 2019. The N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art also hosted an exhibition during the 2019 event.

The event features a mix of paid and free events, offering accessibility to a wide range of audiences. Beyond exhibitions, Detroit Art Week includes performances and panel discussions, providing opportunities for engagement with artists and art professionals. The event also incorporates studio visits, offering a glimpse into the creative processes of Detroit-based artists.

Notable Residents

Detroit Art Week honors significant figures in the city’s art community. The 2018 event was held in honor of textile artist Carole Harris and abstract expressionist painter Allie McGhee. Aleiya Lindsey and Amani Olu are the co-founders and organizers of Detroit Art Week.

The event also showcases the work of 150 artists from Detroit and around the world. The focus on both local and international artists contributes to Detroit’s growing reputation as a center for cultural exchange.

Detroit Art Culture of Detroit Events in Detroit Michigan