Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
Hope you all are enjoying this great weather!
With Memorial Day on the horizon, we are getting closer to the unofficial beginning of summer and cookouts on Belle Isle, walking or biking the Dequindre Cut and checking out events like the Detroit Grand Prix and the fireworks show.
Also coming up this summer is the long-awaited opening of Michigan Central. To commemorate the occasion, Ford Motor Co. and Michigan Central will host “Michigan Central OPEN,” an 11-day celebration that gets underway June 6 with an outdoor concert featuring Detroit artists, short films, appearances by local leaders and creators telling stories of innovation and culture from around the region.
Guests can catch a glimpse of the first floor of the revitalized station during a 10-day open house. Exhibits, entertainment and art installation will also be part of the programming.
Registration for the concert and open house will begin Friday for residents surrounding Michigan Central and on May 21 for the general public. Register on the station’s website.
As a kid and young adult, I remember seeing the abandoned train station while driving down Michigan Avenue or seeing the inside of the building falling apart in the first “Transformers” movie. But as I saw Michigan Central all lit up in blue during the NFL Draft last month, the building is back to its natural beauty. I can only imagine what the inside looks like.
Hope you get to check out the grand opening, but in the meantime, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- Last week, I talked to Detroit’s newest poet laureate jessica Care moore about about the programming she wants to bring to Detroiters, her poetry beginnings and the many projects she’s working on.
- Liquor Basket on the city’s east side, is not only a liquor store, but also doubles as an art gallery. The brain behind the unique combination is Detroit artist Dominick Lemonious, whose family has owned the liquor store for around three years. The store’s current exhibit, “Welcome to the Basket” is open until Friday.
- Chicago author Jonathan Eig won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book on Martin Luther King, Jr., “King: A Life.” BridgeDetroit Engagement Director Orlando P. Bailey and Managing Editor Christine Ferretti spoke with Eig in January about the impetus of his book, the yearslong research and writing process and lifting some of the unheard voices and themes of King’s story.
- Comedian Martin Lawrence is returning to his TV home–the D is the setting of his popular sitcom “Martin”–for his first comedy tour in eight years. The “Y’all Know What It Is!” Tour makes a stop at Little Caesars Arena Aug. 30. VIP package and official platinum presales begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday, while ticket sales for the general public open Friday.
- Influential Detroit rap group Slum Village released their first album in nearly a decade earlier this month. Titled “F.U.N.,” the album features a mix of disco, jazz and hip-hop with several special guests like Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins.
What’s Going on in the D?
- Plowshares Theatre Company is debuting its latest play, “The House That Will Not Stand” Thursday at The Carr Center. Set in New Orleans in the early 1800s, the play, which runs through June 16, tells the story of Beartrice, a free woman of color, managing her three headstrong daughters after the death of her wealthy lover. But as she takes her place as head of the household, a more ominous transfer of power is transpiring. The French-owned Louisiana Territory transitions to American rule, threatening the liberty of every Creole resident. For information, call (313) 744-3181.
- Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is putting on its latest production, “Yellow Brick Ballads,” an original musical inspired by the 1970s Broadway classic, “The Wiz.” While the play kicked off last weekend, the organization is hosting two more performances: 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Detroit Film Theatre. Tickets begin at $5.
- The Dequindre Cut Freight Yard, a beer garden built from repurposed shipping containers, is opening for the season with a free celebration 6 p.m. Friday. Guests can enjoy food from Big Bo’s Grill, beer and cocktails from the freight yard bar, as well as ice cream, bonfires, free s’mores, karaoke and games for people of all ages.
- Eastern Market is holding its annual Flower Day Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature vendors from the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association.
