Hey, Detroiters! Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
I want to tell you about “Passage of Knowledge,” a new exhibit at the College for Creative Studies celebrating art pieces from the school’s metal shop and foundry, which has been an institution for over 65 years.
The classes have been taught by pivotal artists like Walter Midener, Jay Holland and Todd Erickson, who has been with CCS for 40 years. Foundry art is the process of melting and molding metal to create artwork. The show features over 50 pieces from 28 CCS alumni and faculty members. The works will be on display through Jan. 31 inside the college’s Center Galleries, 301 Frederick Street.
I spoke with Erickson about his vision for the show and what he hopes the public will take away from the experience.
Editor’s note: This transcript was lightly edited for length and clarity.
BridgeDetroit: How did “Passage of Knowledge” come together?
Erickson: I’ve been involved with the foundry since 1984 and running that program, but it preceded me. We’re pretty sure it’s (the metal shop and foundry department) the longest-running curriculum on campus.
I was becoming one of the last people on campus who remembered some of that old history. I submitted a prospectus about how important it would be to show what the foundry had done all these years…and to demonstrate the history of the program. It (the exhibit) covers about 65 years of CCS foundry history. The castwork at CCS is all over the landscape, there’s an extreme variety of styles and passions.
BridgeDetroit: Was it a challenge to track down some of the alumni featured in the show?
Erickson: It was difficult because I’ve had over 1,000 students, but I narrowed that down to about 100 who have shown a lot in the art world, or gone on to teaching careers. Then, from that 100, I had to narrow it down to 28 because I didn’t want to overwhelm people. Many people have passed on, so I couldn’t get everybody’s work I wanted, but we did a pretty good job of tracking it down and getting work back for the exhibit.
There was work (at an estate sale) from artist John Piet, who has passed, and almost all the sculptures were bought by a gentleman who went to California, so I had to get two pieces back from California. Another faculty member had gone to Arizona, but thank goodness nothing (being sought for the show) was international. A lot of the work was on loan from collectors, on loan from the artists, and some were things in my collection that I had received from students over the years.
BridgeDetroit: Was there a specific theme you were looking for when you asked alumni to submit artwork?
Erickson: I told them to submit what represented their best work or that would represent them in their career. But really, I wanted a variety of work that encompassed all these different techniques we use and all these different materials. I wanted to show off that there’s such a variety of thinking, the way that people look at things and the way people value things, their judgment, what they think is important. All this comes into play because they come into class with nothing and I don’t give them an assignment to make an ashtray, I don’t give them an assignment to do anything. It has to be self-motivated and generated by their own story and when they start to tell their stories, that becomes their personal journey. The more they do it, the better they get at it. The theme was to show off the work that we’ve done and then the history of how that came about.
BridgeDetroit: Is that how you got the title of the exhibit, “Passage of Knowledge?”
Erickson: What we do in the foundry is we learn something, we pass it on to somebody else, and that happens continuously. It doesn’t happen just with the instructor. It happens all the time with fellow students. The students pass on as much knowledge as I do. It’s a passage of knowledge, not just in a strict kind of linear sense that you think about with education. It’s more like everybody is helping everybody. It’s very communal.
BridgeDetroit: What can people expect to see in the exhibit?
Erickson: They’ll see a lot of figurative work (art that depicts real-world subjects, such as people, animals, or objects) because that’s probably what most of our foundry work has been. In recent decades, figurative work hasn’t been as popular, so non-objective work has come in, and they’ll see symbolic things.
As always, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- “Dinner in America” is screening at 7 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Redford Theatre in Detroit. Adam Rehmeier, director of the 2020 Made-in-Michigan film, will attend and host a Q&A after the showing. Tickets are $12. (The Detroit News)
- ICYMI: Check out BridgeDetroit contributor J. Gabriel Ware’s piece on the rise of Detroit native Sebastian “Bash” Johnsonin the dance and food industry. The “King of Hip Roll” started as a shy kid dancing in his grandmother’s basement. He’s gone on to dance internationally and alongside megastars.
- The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History celebrates 60 years with a new exhibit dedicated to its founder. The museum opened the “I Charles H. Wright: My Story” exhibit Friday. The experience provides visitors with a first-person account of Wright’s life from his birth in Dothan, Alabama, to the Detroit physician’s effort to create the museum and how the institution has evolved. The exhibit runs through March 9. (WXYZ-TV Channel 7)
What’s Going on in the D?
- Come on down to the Fox Theatre on Feb. 12 for The Price is Right Live. The demand for tickets is high, but some are still available.
- Martez Jackson is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 at the Detroit House of Comedy. The Detroit-born and raised standup comedian has appeared on Laughs on FOX and opened for acts including Dave Attell, DL Hughley, and John Witherspoon. The shows will be co-headlined with fellow Michigan comedian Nick Leydorf. For more details and tickets, click here.
- The Kalkaska String Quartet will host performances of “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton” from Jan. 30 to Feb. 21 at Christ Church Detroit, 960 E. Jefferson Avenue. The one-hour program is for ages 8 and up and will feature hits from the acclaimed Netflix series. Organizers say the dress code isn’t strict, but attendees are encouraged to wear Bridgerton-inspired styles. Tickets and additional details can be found here.
