Arts, Culture, & Entrepreneurship

HEY ARTISTS! CLAIM YOUR CREATIVITY. DO THE CENSUS!

DETROIT, MICH. – Detroit is at the top of the global auto industry with three of the ten largest car companies in the world in our front and back yards. But in 2017, the nation’s creative sector contributed more than the auto industry to the gross national product. Marygrove Conservancy and the Detroit Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship want to see if that is true of our local economy. The Conservancy today announced a partnership with the city of Detroit ACE to conduct a comprehensive census to determine the breadth and depth of Detroit’s creative workforce, making it easier to improve arts and culture programming and secure more funding. “This agreement moves the Conservancy forward in our commitment to serving as an anchor and hub for quality arts and culture programs for the Northwest Detroit community”, said Racheal Allen, Chief Operating Officer, Marygrove Conservancy. “Collaborations like these will help us reach the widest possible audience and realize our goal of preserving the legacy of Marygrove College.” 

Rochelle Riley, Director of Arts and Culture for the City, concurred. "If we can't find you, we can't help you. Stand up and claim your creativity. Fill out the survey so we can prove how big our creative community is."

Take the survey here! Be counted!

City partners on regional Healing Memorial as southeast Michigan moves out of pandemic

The City of Detroit's Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) is so proud to partner with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Cranbrook Art Museum on The Healing Memorial to help all of southeast Michigan heal from loss in the pandemic - loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, loss of home, loss of hope. We want to bring hope back. Our thanks to stellar artist Sonya Clark, who joined us Saturday to launch the memorial project that will provide opportunities for residents across the region to visit making stations and create packets of love based on The Beaded Prayer Project that Clark has curated for two decades.

The packets will be collected and eventually comprise one of the largest art installations ever at the TCF Center, covering an entire wall. The project will be unveiled on Detroit Memorial Day, August 31. The project is made possible by The Ford Motor Fund and TCF Bank, and we are grateful to our partners Pamela Alexander at Ford, Gary Torgow at TCF, and Mark Wallace at the Conservancy. Project managers are Rachel Frierson from the Conservancy, Laura Mott from the museum, and ACE Director Rochelle Riley.

To host a making station at your headquarters, home, neighborhood or church, visit https://detroitriverfront.org/thehealingmemorial for details. Questions? Email [email protected].

Art Undefeated

The City of Detroit is celebrating our creative community's collective genius in all genres: dance, spoken word, music theatre, film, storytelling, fine arts, comedy and everything else. Our showcase is called Art Undefeated.

If you would like to be included, please send your submission to [email protected]. For videos, they must be in mp4 format (shot horizontally). Artwork and photos should be sent as jpegs. Please include your name, email address and phone number and cost of item or cost to hire. 

The deadline for the Art Undefeated Showcase is August 15. The current July showcase is airing at 7PM nightly on City Channel 22 and online on the City's cable cast. Questions? Ask Rochelle Riley, Director of Arts and Culture at [email protected]. 

DETROIT HISTORIAL SOCIETY SEEKS METRO DETROITERS’ STORIES FOR ORAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS

DETROIT-  As part of its award-winning Detroit 67 Project, the Detroit Historical Society launched an oral history project to collect more than 500 firsthand accounts of the summer of 1967, the largest archive ever assembled on the topic. Now, the Society has expanded its oral history efforts with two ongoing projects:

• For Neighborhoods: Where Detroit Lives, the Society seeks current and former Detroit residents, as well as business owners and employees, to record their experiences in different areas the city. As the city changes, these personal stories will ensure that the character of Detroit’s many enclaves is preserved. The project is supported by Michigan Humanities and PNC Bank.
• For Detroit Responds: Stories from the Time of COVID-19, the Society seeks Metro Detroiters’ firsthand experiences with the current pandemic. Whether confronting social, economic, educational or health challenges, everyone has a story from the past year. Help others to learn more about this moment in history by contributing to the archive. This project is supported by the generosity of Sarah and Chip McClure.

What is an oral history? An oral history is the collection of history through recorded interviews of people with firsthand experiences of events. Every story adds perspective and context to Detroit’s history and none are too “small” to contribute.

Find more information and prompts to guide your submission at oralhistory.detroithistorical.org. Audio recordings or written stories can be sent through the website. Interested participants may also call 313-833-7912 or email [email protected] to schedule a one-on-one interview with an oral historian.