Hey Detroiters! Welcome back to Culture Canvas.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) will launch its latest exhibition on Friday. The display, called the Gun Violence Memorial Project, consists of four glass mini houses that hold objects like photos, jewelry and toys donated by families in honor of loved ones whose lives were lost to gun violence.
The houses are constructed with 700 clear bricks, a reference to the weekly average of gun-related deaths in the United States in 2019, when the memorial was first presented at the Chicago Architecture Biennale.
The project is a collaboration between Boston-based architecture firm MASS Design Group, conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas and his organization Songha & Company, and Chicago advocacy group Purpose Over Pain. In 2021, the exhibition was displayed at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. as well as the Institute of Contemporary Art and Mass Design Office in Boston in 2024 and earlier this year.
Jova Lynne, MOCAD’s co-director/artistic director, said MOCAD hosted collection events in March and earlier this month for metro Detroiters to share stories and contribute items. The third and final collection event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. on June 21 at MOCAD. The project will be on display until Aug. 10.
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday as well as another MOCAD exhibit, “Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art.”
At 1 p.m. Saturday, there be a panel discussion tied to the gun violence exhibit with Willis Thomas, Jha D Amazi (MASS Design Group Architect), Alia Harvey-Quinn (founder of FORCE Detroit) and Lynne, who will serve as moderator. The talk will explore the project’s role in collective memory, healing, and activism and reflect on how art can amplify community voices and inspire action against gun violence.
I spoke with Lynne about bringing the exhibit to Detroit, items people can donate to the project and how art can be used to talk about social issues, like gun violence.
BridgeDetroit: Why were you interested in bringing the Gun Violence Memorial Project to Detroit?
Lynne: MOCAD’s mission is rooted in presenting contemporary artwork that speaks to cross-cultural knowledge of change, but also the most important issues of our time.
This project felt not only meaningful in terms of the way it looks and how it operates and engages with the community, but also it really uplifts the work that we’re trying to do as a museum, which is to present exhibitions that are in dialogue with the communities that are visitors. It came from a love of my neighbors, a love of the city and the desire to continue presenting art and exhibitions that speak to the things that matter to us.
BridgeDetroit:MOCAD, University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and other organizations hosted a collection event earlier this month to invite community members to contribute items to the exhibit. How did it go?
Lynne: It’s a very intimate thing to ask people to contribute. The way everybody processes grief is so different and where people are at in terms of their grief journey is different. We had various people, including people who had previously contributed (in other parts of the country), who wanted to add more to their loved ones’ remembrance. I look forward to the community seeing the project and looking at what it’s like in person. We’re having another collection event on June 21 and I think once people see it, we’ll likely be able to add even more objects because I think building that trust and rapport with folks, for them to feel more comfortable sharing their story of loss with us, is a huge testament to what it means to build trust and faith with our communities.
I have the utmost gratitude to the MOCAD staff, who have worked really hard to make the process easy for folks. We have a rest reflection area, too. We offer food and beverages and are just here to listen.
BridgeDetroit: For those who want to contribute during the June collection event, what are some items you accept?
Lynne: It’s a really broad range. We welcome anything as long as it’s less than four inches high (and) seven inches wide. We have shoes, clothing, sports memorabilia, toys. A lot of people like leaving photographs of their loved one with us, too, like a wallet-sized photograph. Sometimes we have funeral programs. Some of the objects live with the memorial, but some of them are returned to their loved ones.
One of the things I love about directing a contemporary art museum is that art has the ability to speak across language barriers, education barriers, across these cultural barriers. When you have the ability to see something visually that represents a story that impacts so many communities, so many cities, including Detroit, art can be a tool in which to really sit with that and digest and be in community around considering this topic. I feel very proud of this exhibition.
BridgeDetroit: Violent crime in Detroit has started to decline in recent years. Detroit ended 2024 with 203 criminal homicides, a 19% drop from 2023. Meanwhile, Detroit recorded 606 non-fatal shootings, which was a 25% drop from the previous year and a 48% drop from 2022. What do you think could be done to further curb violence in Detroit?
Lynne: We have to empower our communities more, put more resources into our communities, but not only tangible resources, but also economic resources, trust that each other and our neighbors can work around this together, to find solutions together. I said economic resources, but I also mean mental health resources, education, food. There are systemic things that encourage violence and empowering our communities to have more resources is a form of harm reduction and violence prevention. I think that would help.
BridgeDetroit: What do you hope visitors take away from this exhibit?
Lynne: Of course, more knowledge around this issue and the opportunity to engage with it. But also, I hope they have an experience that allows them to know how contemporary art can serve as a tool for learning, a tool for knowledge and a tool for healing, a tool for bringing communities together. Best case scenario, someone leaves knowing that art makes the invisible visible and that there is power in storytelling.
Also, I want to thank everyone who came out to BridgeDetroit’s Meet the Reporters event last week! I got a couple of story ideas from the community members I talked to and it was nice to finally visit Miss Eva’s, which we wrote about earlier this year. I want to give a shout out to the staff for hosting us and making amazing mocktails, as well as Egg Roll Diva for supplying the food for the night. As always, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- The White Stripes are in the 2025 class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which also includes Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast and Soundgarden. When the band is officially inducted during a Nov. 8 ceremony in Los Angeles, they’ll become the 22nd Detroit act enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s prestigious performer wing. (Detroit Free Press)
- The city of Detroit will open a new headquarters for its Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (ACE) on May 16, completing a relocation from the Marygrove Conservancy campus. The new headquarters will feature a city-sponsored children’s art gallery to showcase work from students across the city. Detroit ACE put out an open call for young artists for its inaugural exhibit, “This is How We Do It: Detroit Youth Look to the Future.” The deadline is 11:59 p.m. Thursday. (City of Detroit)
- John Mulaney will bring his new stand-up comedy tour, “John Mulaney: Mister Whatever,” to the Motor City’s Fox Theatre on Oct. 16. It is one of 31 stops in North America for the Emmy-winning funny man who currently is hosting the quirky Netflix talk show “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” (Detroit Free Press)
- Jeezy is bringing “Thug Motivation” to the symphony. The Atlanta rapper will perform at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Sept. 12 alongside the Color of Noize Orchestra to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album, “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.” Tickets are starting at $121 on Ticketmaster. (The Detroit News)
- Make your plans now to watch the annual Ford Fireworks as the big sky show returns to the Detroit River on June 23. Produced by the Parade Company, the 67th annual fireworks show is set for 10 p.m., lighting up the Detroit-Windsor skylines for about 24 minutes. (The Detroit News)
What’s Going on in the D?
- Families can head out to the Detroit riverfront Saturday for the Riverfront Fish Fest. Presented by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. Attendees can try their hand at fishing, arts and crafts, or grab something to eat at the food trucks. A valid Michigan fishing license will be required for any guardians wishing to fish with their child. The fish fest is free but registration is required.
- In celebration of its 39th birthday, The Heidelberg Project is hosting a community digitization day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Spot Lite Detroit. Attendees are encouraged to bring photos, stories, memories and flyers from the organization through the years. Project workers will then scan them on-site and invite people to share their stories for its oral storytelling archive. Later in the day, there will be a birthday bash and fundraiser at Spot Lite beginning at 7 p.m. DJs Kenjiro, Liz Warner, Shigeto, Turtle Bugg, Waajeed are expected to perform. Tickets are $22.
- St. Florian Catholic Church in Hamtramck is hosting its annual Strawberry Festival from 5-10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at its headquarters, 2626 Poland St. A celebration of Polish culture, the event will be full of food and musical performances. Saturday’s lineup includes local favorites the Polish Muslims and Kamerton while Sunday will feature the Kielbasa Kings.
- Indie pop band Japanese Breakfast is bringing its The Melancholy Tour to The Fillmore Detroit at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets begin at $48.
- Uncorked Wine Festivals returns for its third year at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Michigan Science Center. Attendees can sip and swirl more than 100 wines, plus check out local food trucks. After hours access to the museum will also be available, with interactive exhibits and science shows. An early admission ticket is $80 and allows attendees to begin at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, general admission tickets are $65, with entry beginning at 8 p.m. Both tickets include all wine tasting with food sold separately. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
- The Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit will host the 60th annual Cinco de Mayo Parade at noon on Sunday. The parade will begin at Patton Park (Woodmere St. and Vernor Hwy.) and conclude at Clark Park (Scotten St. and Vernor Hwy.). As in years past, the event will take place rain or shine.
