Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) joins the Knight Foundation to celebrate the accomplishments of Dell Pryor and Josephine Love
Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) joins the Knight Foundation to celebrate the accomplishments of Dell Pryor and Josephine Love
- Celebration includes a major exhibit at The Wright and the “To Whom Much Is Given” mural in Midtown Detroit
DETROIT - Detroit ACE is proud to join the Knight Foundation in supporting a special project called To Whom Much Is Given, which celebrates the lives and work of Dell Pryor, owner of Dell Pryor Galleries and Josephine Love, principal founder of Your Heritage House.
Launched in August 2022 with “Mission I'm Possible,” a two-week youth arts program, the project features two other initiatives: a major mural in midtown Detroit and an exhibition at The Wright.
The mural, which honors Pryor and Love, was created by noted muralist Ijania Cortez at the corner of Forest and Cass Avenues. The installation is part of the Detroit Month of Design, the annual citywide collaboration of creativity that gathers designers and the greater community to celebrate Detroit’s role as a national and global design capital.
The public is invited to meet Cortez at the Detroit Artists Market, 4719 Woodward Avenue, from 5PM to 6:30PM on Friday, September 30 when the mural makes its debut. Guests will be invited to stop by the Artists Market, a sponsor of the event, before walking over to view the mural.
The Wright exhibition, which chronicles Love and Pryor’s impact on Detroit’s arts ecosystem, will open at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 1. The exhibition, which was inspired by Dell and Josephine's deep appreciation of music, will be experienced in three movements. The first will focus on the early lives of both creative entrepreneurs. The second will explore the apex of their careers in Detroit's cultural centers. The third and final movement will present the legacies of their businesses as Midtown anchors beyond via the original works of commissioned artists.
“To Whom Much Is Given is a deeply special project that reflects on a combined century of work: family, love, grit, social change, mentorship and art,” said Malika N. Pryor, the project’s curator and Dell Pryor’s granddaughter. “Two Black women, just six years apart from each other, made the respective decision to establish arts businesses whilst improving and even transforming the community they served. Those are stories worth telling.”
Featured artists in the exhibit include: Adger Cowans, Senghor Reid, Jasmine Murrell, jessica Care moore, Anita Bates and James Charles Morris.
To Whom Much Is Given is made possible by the generous support of the Knight Foundation, Midtown Detroit Inc. and Detroit ACE. Its partners include: Detroit Artists Market, The Scarab Club, Octane Design, We Found Hip Hop, the Detroit Public Library Foundation, Detroit Month of Design. To learn more about To Whom Much Is Given, visit, towhommuchisgiven.org.
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Detroit ACE oversees the City of Detroit’s investment in and support of its creative workforce, one of the best in the nation.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the fiscal sponsor and institutional partner of To Whom Much Is Given. The Wright Museum's mission is to OPEN MINDS and CHANGE LIVES through the exploration and celebration of African American history and culture. Visit thewright.org to learn more.
Detroit Artists Market is a non-profit gallery committed to contemporary art and to connecting artists, collectors and communities.