Hey, it’s Micah and welcome back to Culture Canvas!
You might remember in last week’s issue, I wrote about InsideOut’s Detroit Youth Poetry Con. Well, I got to see the teen poets in action at their public showcase on Saturday.
I was blown away by their talent and creativity. One poet did a reimagining of guest poet Ross Gay’s poems, while others weren’t afraid to get deeply personal, touching on topics like autism.
The conversation between Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer and Gay was like two friends talking over coffee. You can tell they really admire each other and their work. The audience was lucky to hear a few pieces from both of them. I recommend checking out Gay’s “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude” and “To the Fig Tree on 9th and Christian” as well as Comer’s “The Check In.”
My latest BridgeDetroit story also focuses on youth: The delays in moving the Davis Aerospace school back to the Coleman A. Young International Airport. The school was relocated from the airfield, better known as City Airport, to Golightly Career and Technical Center in 2013 while the district was under state-appointed emergency manager Roy Roberts.
The continued push to relocate the school comes amid forecasts that the industry faces a national shortage of pilots, maintenance technicians and cabin crew members. Advocates say Davis Aerospace – one of few training centers for student pilots in Michigan – is a critical component of helping to fill the void.
I visited City Airport for the first time last week where I got to see a couple of classes run by the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, which offers aviation programs for kids, teens and adults. I interviewed Leonard Shirley, a 10th grade student enrolled in the Tuskegee Airmen’s flight academy. The 16-year-old wants to become an airplane pilot.
He said his class doesn’t come to City Airport often and believes he would have a better experience if Davis Aerospace was on-site full-time.
“If someone is into being a pilot, they can actually take a test flight with an instructor,” Shirley said. “They also got good mechanics and drone pilots and we will actually be able to see the planes in front of us.”
The Detroit Public Schools Community District is working to raise $9.6 million to bring the school back to the airport, aiming for a reopening during the 2026-2027 school year.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- The Gilbert Family Foundation and United States Artists recently announced the launch of Seed and Bloom: Detroit, an initiative designed to help Detroit-based, BIPOC artists grow their artistic practices into sustainable businesses. Grantees will join a three-year cohort receiving $150,000 in flexible funding, along with technical assistance from Artspace and Strategic Planning Partners. The grantees include Amelia “Fiera” Duran, director of Garage Cultural; Asia Hamilton, founder of Norwest Gallery of Art and Michael Manson, founder of House of Jit.
- ALEO Detroit, a bed and breakfast for artists, is expected to open in the spring by the founders of art gallery Library Street Collective. The space will be housed in the Shepherd building in East Village.
- Celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith is set to release his coffee table book, “Aretha Cool,” on Friday. The book showcases the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin during the final chapter of her life.
What’s Going on in the D?
- Atwater Brewery is celebrating 313 Day Wednesday with $3.13 pint specials and food deals all day, including Faygo, Better Made, 313 Chips, Bon Bon Bon, McClure’s Pickles, Empacho Detroit, and Hell Fire Detroit hot sauce. A celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. with a chance to win a Detroit-themed gift basket. The event will take place at the bar’s Detroit location, 237 Joseph Campau.
- Detroit vs. Everybody is also celebrating 313 Day with a pop-up exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum. Along with offering clothing and apparel, founder Tommey Walker will also feature vignettes curated by himself and the Detroit vs. Everybody team, highlighting a unique facet of Detroit’s history. The exhibit will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
- Missed Beyoncé when she was in town last summer? Well, the Candlelight concert offers a nice alternative! Queen Bey won’t be there herself, but an orchestra will play classical versions of her hits 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Saturday at Christ Church Detroit. Guests can expect to hear songs like “Crazy In Love,” “Love on Top” and “Single Ladies.” Some tickets are still available for $34 and $48.
- R&B singer Kelly Price will hold a concert at the Sound Board inside MotorCity Casino Hotel 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $70.
- Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Detroit bar crawl Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $7.77 on Eventbrite.
