Hey Detroiters, welcome back to Culture Canvas! 

Kresge Arts in Detroit recently announced the recipients of its 2025 Kresge Artist Fellowships and Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Award, where 25 metro Detroit artists received the no-strings-attached prize from the program. For the first time in its history, each Kresge Artist Fellow will receive a $50,000 award, up from $40,000 last year — doubling the original $25,000 fellowship established in 2008, according to a news release. 

The 17th cohort of artists comprises five Kresge Artist Fellows in literary arts and 10 Kresge Artist Fellows in visual arts, in addition to three Gilda Award recipients in literary arts and seven in visual arts. Awards in each category are proportional to the relative number of applications received. Gilda Awards are $5,000 prizes for emerging artists, named in honor of beloved Detroit artist and mentor Gilda Snowden, who died in 2014. The recipients are selected from Kresge Artist Fellowship applicants. 

The visual artist feollows are: 

• Taurus Burns, Painting
• Donald Calloway, Interdisciplinary Work
• Malak Cherri, Painting
• Allana Clarke, Interdisciplinary Work
• Maya Davis, New Media
• Kimberly LaVonne, Ceramics
• Elise Marie Martin, Installation
• Ivan Montoya, Painting
• April Anue Shipp, Interdisciplinary Work
• Slumdog Visionaire, Photography

TAnd the literary arts fellows include:

• Louis Aguilar, Creative Nonfiction
• Beenish Ahmed, Fiction
• Anetria Cole, Playwriting
• Marwa Helal, Poetry
• Brittany Rogers, Poetry

Since its founding, the Kresge fellowship has become one of the most prestigious arts programs in metro Detroit, awarding nearly $10 million in unrestricted dollars directly to local artists through 17 Kresge Eminent Artist Awards, 317 Kresge Artist Fellowships and 72 Gilda Awards ($5,000 each). In addition to the monetary prize, Kresge fellows and Gilda Award recipients receive access to legal and accounting support, promotional opportunities and more, said the release. Fellows also are invited to participate in a film series highlighting Detroit artists. Detroit PBS series Spotlight Detroit featured the 2024 Kresge fellows earlier this year. 

I talked to Rogers, a Detroit queer poet and Cass Tech teacher, about why she applied for the Kresge fellowship and what she hopes to accomplish during the year-long program. 

Editor’s note: This transcript was lightly edited for length and clarity.

BridgeDetroit: When did you find out the news about Kresge? Where were you?

Rogers: I was in the classroom when I officially got the call. It was very exciting. I think it was last month. 

BridgeDetroit: What were some of the reasons why you wanted to apply for the Kresge fellowship? 

Rogers: Largely artist support. It can be really hard, and it can sometimes feel really difficult to create the time to be a working artist, and I felt like the support from Kresge would help me be able to do that. Teaching is very time-consumingtime consuming.

BridgeDetroit: Will you be taking a break from teaching? 

Rogers: No, it doesn’t mean that. It does mean that I can take a break from a lot of other shows and things so that I could spend all of my evenings engrossed in my work and not necessarily having to take on a bunch of gigs. 

BridgeDetroit: What was the application process like? 

Rogers: It’s a little difficult. You have to do a community statement, a fellowship statement, artist statement, gather work samples. This was my third time applying, so I was pretty familiar with the application itself, but sometimes, it’s challenging to know, ‘OK, which poems do I pick?’ Or, ‘How do I best talk about my work in a way that’s gonna make it stand out to the panel of judges?’ 

It took some time. I set a deadline for myself that was like a week before Kresge’s deadline, just because they kind of cautioned against waiting till the last minute, and I wanted to make sure that I had it done and I wasn’t rushing. Applications were due in January. 

BridgeDetroit: Do you have an idea yet of what kind of project you will be working on during the fellowship? 

Rogers: I’m working on something that includes poems and collage and a little bit of theory, but it’s not far enough yet to have a title. It’s in the early stages. But I’m always looking towards audacity, always looking towards honoring and archiving the lives of Black femmes. I’m always hoping to put out work that makes people think, but more importantly, that makes people feel. 

BridgeDetroit: I know you were a 2023 Gilda Award recipient. How does it feel to be a Kresge fellow and have your work recognized on this level? 

Rogers: It’s so, so affirming. I was just really grateful because when I won the  Gilda, of course, I was honored, but then I wasn’t sure … I don’t know. There’s just always that worry that, ‘OK, maybe this is as far as it’ll go for me.’ So, to get the call that I was selected for the Kresge this year meant a lot. For me, that was affirming to the fact that my work has grown and shifted and come far enough for that next step to be selected. 

As always, have a great week!

Until next time,

Micah

The 313 Scene

• After taking a 30-year hiatus to raise families and pursue other careers, The Funkateers reunited in 2019 and are currently on their biggest stage yet – competing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” The group’s audition aired on the June 17 episode of “AGT,” where the men performed their signature dance moves to the Rick James hit, “Give It to Me Baby.” Their routine impressed the audience and judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel. The Funkateers’ moves also dazzled host and Flint native Terry Crews, who hit the golden buzzer for the group.
• July 24 marks the 324th anniversary of the founding of Detroit, and The Whitney is celebrating the occasion with a Motor City-inspired menu and a Birthday Bash in the Garden. Until July 25, the long-standing restaurant is offering a “Detroit Classics” menu with dishes that nod to the city’s culinary history, including popular dishes like Golden Mushroom soup from the former eponymous restaurant, a classic Maurice salad once served at the The J. L. Hudson Department Store and a Delmonico steak inspired by Carl’s Chophouse, among others. The two-course menu starts at $39 and includes a complimentary slice of birthday cake in the upstairs Ghostbar. (Detroit Metro Times) 
• A new coffee shop called A.M. Buzz recently opened inside Detroit’s Cambria Hotel, 600 W. Lafayette Blvd. Its name and radio theme is a play off of the building’s former life as the headquarters for WWJ-AM. The menu includes coffee drinks, breakfast sandwiches (made on English muffins, bagels, or French toast), acai bowls, salads, and more. (Detroit Metro Times) 
• The film “Band on the Run,” available now on Amazon, Google Play, Fandango and more, takes viewers back to the Motor City music scene of the late ‘90s. In the movie, Jesse (played by Matt Perl), who’s an assistant at an ad agency, gets an invitation for his band Hot Freaks to play at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Despite his job obligations, lack of ready cash and new role as caregiver to his father, who has multiple sclerosis, Jesse is determined to seek his big break. (Detroit Free Press)
• Haus of Brunch, a place for all-day brunch, is now open in downtown Detroit in the spot that previously housed 24 Grille at the Westin Book Cadillac. At Haus of Brunch, Mediterranean meets soul food. Its menu features an all-halal menu offering sweet and savory breakfast and brunch selections. (Detroit Free Press)
• Fox 2’s Ryan Ermanni is adding to his plate, and is joining WJR-AM (760) as the station’s afternoon host. Ermanni, who hosts mornings on WJBK-TV (Fox 2), debuts his “JR Afternoon with Ryan Ermanni” on Monday and will be heard weekdays from 2-4 p.m. (The Detroit News) 

What’s Going on in the D? 

• R&B singer and producer PJ Morton is performing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Aretha Franklin Amphitheater. His opening act is fellow R&B singer Kevin Ross. Tickets start at $26 on Ticketmaster. 
• R&B singer Keyshia Cole is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut album, “The Way It Is” with a tour of the same name, which stops at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. Thursday. The concert will also feature openers Tink, Amerie and Elijah Blake. Tickets begin at $73 on Ticketmaster. 
• In honor of Disability Pride Month, the city of Detroit is hosting a celebration from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday at Spirit Plaza. The free event will include food trucks, an art showcase and panel discussions. 
• For fans of yacht rock – a subgenre of soft rock that features the smooth sounds of artists from the 1970s and early 1980s – festival Yacht Rock Detroit is coming to The Roostertail Friday and Saturday. Fleetwood Mac tribute band The Seven Wonders will open the event Friday, while Saturday will feature Lou Gramm, the original voice of the band Foreigner. In addition, the event will offer, “Off the Dock,” on Saturday, a free concert off the Detroit River for boaters. A day pass is $35 on Friday and $55 on Saturday, while a two-day pass is available for $65. 
• The Hamtramck Night Bazaar returns from 4-9 p.m. Saturday at 10037 Joseph Campau Street. The monthly, outdoor market features local vendors selling anything from food to clothing. 
• The Motown Roller Club is hosting its “Greenway Days” at Joe Louis Greenway this summer, with the next event happening from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. A learn to skate hour will take place from 6-7 p.m. and open skate is from 7-9 p.m. Skate rental is free while supplies last. 
• The Detroit Kite Festival returns to Belle Isle from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. JRGotTheHiTS, a Grammy-nominated and American Music Award-winning producer, will headline and curate the live music stage, and Detroit artists AnJelic and Brittney B. Hayden will also perform. The free festival will also feature a borrow-a-kite tent, kite repair tent and artmaking with the Detroit Institute of Arts.