Hey Detroiters, welcome back to Culture Canvas. 

I want to wish my readers a happy new year and I hope you all have a great 2026! I am on break right now, resting and spending time with my loved ones so that I will be reenergized when I come back to work. 

I want to thank you for subscribing to this newsletter, reading my Q&As with artists in the community, and sending thoughtful emails over the past two years. With the new year comes change. Culture Canvas will look a little different in 2026, as it will move over to BridgeDetroit’s main newsletter once or twice a month. Culture Canvas will also focus more on video, with sections like, “What’s Going on in the D?” becoming a weekly post on our social media channels. More details are here. 

If you are subscribed to this newsletter, I encourage you to subscribe to the main BridgeDetroit newsletter so you don’t miss any arts and culture stories!

I hope you will like the new format, and I welcome your suggestions on people and places I should highlight next! You can send me an email at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com. 

Until next time,

Micah 

313 Scene

• Detroit’s Tiny Jag has released new music, but you won’t find it on Spotify. The rapper recently dropped her new single “Starbubu” as a direct download on tinyjag.com, citing disillusionment with the world’s most popular streaming platform. (Detroit Metro Times)
• One of metro Detroit’s beloved Middle Eastern restaurant chains is expanding to Greektown. Sahara recently opened a fast-casual location inside the Hollywood Casino at Greektown. (Detroit Metro Times) 
• The owner of Midtown’s Cafe Sous Terre has opened a “sister restaurant” in Southwest Detroit. The Grand Porter is located at 3620 Porter St., in a house built in 1894 and an adjacent retail space that most recently held the former Sweet D’s candy shop.(Detroit Metro Times)
• Fox 2 Detroit’s Rob Wolchek announced Dec. 15 on the air that he is planning to leave the station after 28 years there working to unravel scams and shed light on fraud across the Detroit region. He said his departure from Fox 2 (WJBK-TV) will happen in March 2026. (Detroit Free Press) 
• The Bev’s Bagels Detroit location near West Warren and Grand River is expanding to the storefront next door next year. This move will allow the cafe to double its footprint, offering more bread, an expanded pastry program and more space for wholesale, catering and customer seating. (The Detroit News)

What’s Going on in the D?

• Warren shop Macomb Bike is hosting its 18th annual New Year’s Eve ride at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Bikers will travel through Eastern Market, Downtown, Mexicantown, and Corktown. 
• The Masonic Temple is hosting its annual New Year’s Eve Resolution Ball beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The party will include DJs, cirque-style performers such as stilt walkers, illusionists and stunt performers, and a balloon drop at midnight. Tickets start at $50. 
• Downtown restaurant and nightclub Ora Detroit is hosting a “Great Gatsby” themed party beginning at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The night will include live entertainment, a champagne tower, dessert and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets start at $81 on Eventbrite.