Hey, readers! Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
Pride Month is drawing to a close, but there’s still time to check out an exhibition centering queer artists from Detroit and all around the world.
Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, a nonprofit committed to promoting positive and meaningful images of the LGBTQ+ community, is featuring more than 170 artists from the United Statues, Europe, Latin America and Asia in its show titled “I’ll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer.”
Pieces in the group’s second biannual show are displayed in 11 galleries across metro Detroit: The Carr Center, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit Contemporary, Galerie Camille, Kayrod Gallery, Scarab Club, Irwin House Gallery, Hatch Art, Center Galleries at the College for Creative Studies, Elaine Jacob Gallery and Anton Art Center.
To close out the celebration, the Detroit Artist Market is hosting a poetry and performance night from 5-8 p.m. Friday; artist Marc Arthur is debuting his performance piece “Memories of a Supernatural AIDS Crisis” at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hilberry Gateway Theatre; and award-winning Black trans artist Stephanie Crawford will perform at 7 p.m Sunday at The Carr Center.
I interviewed exhibit curator Patrick Burton about the process of this year’s show as well as some of the local artists who are taking part in it.
BridgeDetroit: How is this year’s exhibit different from 2022?
Burton: The first exhibit was “Detroit: 77 years of Queer Art 1945-2022” and the new exhibition focuses on serving contemporary queer art in Detroit and then nationally.
There were some advantages the second time because we now had a testament of our work with the website where everything was preserved, recorded, archived, and it gave us an opportunity, when beginning conversations with artists outside of Detroit who may not be familiar with our first inaugural exhibition, that we had some credibility. They were able to see the success, the galleries, how work was organized, the artists and then again, the website itself.
It’s been pretty amazing all the steps to get to where we are. Seeing it all unfold and the blood, sweat and tears that really put all this together.
BridgeDetroit: How did you find the artists who are in the show?
Burton: I worked with our base from our first exhibit, even though the focus of the first exhibit was Detroit. There are a lot of artists who are from Detroit that now live throughout the country. And then I had a list of artists that I began reaching out to who I was interested in. It’s quite a range, from emerging artists to established artists to elders. One of our goals was having more women artists because we try to do things a little different here in Detroit and we know that the art world is still very dominated by a masculine kind of view.
BridgeDetroit: Who are some of the local artists featured?
Burton: Paula Allen and Hilary Harkness are locals who now live in New York. Billy Miller is another Detroit artist. Ace Morgan is a trans male artist now living in San Francisco. And then there’s artists likeTom Livo, Evan Lockhart and Gordon Price.
BridgeDetroit: What has reception of the exhibit been like?
Burton: The attendance has been great at all the galleries. It’s been affirming and important for the times we’re living in for work like this to be exhibited.
BridgeDetroit: As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, how does it feel to see the success of these exhibits?
Burton: It’s part of my work not only as an educator, but as a curator and queer cultural civil servant. I hope it’s the legacy I leave behind. It’s empowering, it’s important work.
Hope you all have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- Kevin Ransom, a renowned freelance journalist from Dearborn, died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Wayne County officials told Metro Times. He was 69 years old when police found him dead at his home on June 1. Ransom, who is best known for his music writing, appeared in more than two dozen publications, including Rolling Stone, The Detroit News, Ann Arbor News, Guitar Player, Automotive News, Heritage Newspapers and Ford World.
- Connect Detroit recently received a $75,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grant will support Connect Detroit’s program partner Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), which provides resources to support youth arts organizations in Detroit.
- Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter will be taking her “Short n’ Sweet” tour to Detroit Sept. 26 at Little Caesars Arena. A Cash App card presale runs through 10 p.m. Thursday. Ticket sales open to the general public open at 10 a.m. Friday.
What’s Going on in the D?
- GhostLight Arts Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to the use of the creative, performing, and media arts, kicked off its inaugural Detroit IMPACT Arts Conference Monday at TechTown Detroit. The event, which runs through Wednesday, will include workshops, panels, and conversations designed to engage the Detroit arts community. Registration for young artists workshop has closed but attendees can check out panel talks on building a career as a playwright, how to fund creative projects and how comedy can be used to discuss complex issues.
- GhostLight is also hosting the 4th annual Obsidian Theatre Festival from Thursday to Sunday at locations across downtown Detroit: Marlene Boll Theatre at Downtown YMCA, The Chrysler Black Box at The Detroit Opera House and the GEM Theatre.
- The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre is hosting two concerts this week: 70s/80s R&B groups Rose Royce and Lakeside on Wednesday and on Friday, 90s and early 2000s R&B acts Jagged Edge, Donell Jones, Tweet and Lil Mo will take the stage. Tickets begin at $15 for the Wednesday concert and $45 for the Friday show.
- For those who love a mouthwatering burger, check out the Detroit Burger Battle 1-4 p.m. Sunday at Eastern Market. General admission tickets are $25 while VIP tickets are $40.
