Detroit and Baltimore artist Akea Brionne's artwork, "American Girls" and Detroit artist Tiff Massey's "White Out, You In (Red, Black, & Green)" are pieces featured in Library Street Collective's exhibit "Warp and Weft: Technologies within Textiles," at The Shepherd until May 3. Credit: Joseph Tiano, Library Street Collective and the Shepherd

Hey, Detroiters! Welcome back to Culture Canvas. 

Last summer I wrote about the opening of The Shepherd on the east side. Now, you can check out the art and culture center’s latest exhibit, “Warp and Weft: Technologies Within Textiles.” The show, presented by the Library Street Collective, features more than 30 artists from around the world, including Detroiters Cyrah Dardas, Geoffrey Edwards, and Tiff Massey. 

Curated by The Shepherd’s Artistic Director Allison Glenn, “Warp and Weft” examines how artists experiment with new technologies, interrogate materials and embed various methodologies into their textile and fiber-based practices.

Among the interactive parts of the exhibit, by artists Alisha B. Wormsley and Kite, is the piece “Cosmologyscape,” a public project that invites people to discuss their dreams. Visitors can rest in one of the dream chambers and upload their dreams to a dedicated website that will translate them into a system of Lakota symbols and Black quilting patterns, generating a digital quilt square.

The exhibit is also inspired by the pedagogy and experimentation in metro Detroit, according to organizers. In the 1930s Loja Saarinen, textile designer and head of Cranbrook Academy’s Department of Weaving and Textile Design, commissioned a loom for Studio Loja Saarinen by Swedish woodworker John Bexell. The legacy of this loom extends to the present day, and is a connective thread for many artists within “Warp and Weft,” and those who inspire the new generation of textile-based artists. The show runs through May 3. 

Following “Warp and Weft” will be part two of The Shepherd’s exhibit series, “The Sea and the Sky, and You and I,” which opens May 17. The display will feature artists who incorporate water, air, earth, terrestrial and digital landscapes into their work. 

As always, have a great week! 

Cheers, 

Micah

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What’s Going on in the D?

  • Theater producer and playwright Je’ Caryous Johnson is bringing his latest stage production, “Jason’s Lyric” to the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts Thursday to Saturday. Adapted from the 1994 film, the story follows Jason, who is haunted by his past and a guarded woman who must fight for their love and future amidst the challenges of family, betrayal, and dark forces in the streets of Houston. The play stars Allen Payne, who played the title character in the film, as well as model and actress Eva Marcille, singer K. Michelle and former “Young and the Restless” actress Victoria Rowell. Tickets start at $30 on Ticketmaster. 
  • Mike Epps will headline the “We Them One’s Comedy Tour,” at 8 p.m. Friday at Little Caesars Arena. The lineup also includes Kountry Wayne, Karlous Miller, Lil Duval and Tony Roberts. The show is almost sold out, but there’s still some tickets available on Ticketmaster, starting at $75. 
  • The Redford Theatre is screening the David Fincher classic, “Fight Club” at 8 p.m. Friday. Depressed by his lifestyle, Edward Norton falls under the spell of a charismatic anarchist played by Brad Pitt in this examination on toxic masculinity. Tickets are $7. 
  • Batch Brewing Company is hosting its first International Women’s Day Market 2-6 p.m. Saturday. The free event will feature 13 women-owned vendors selling pottery, candles, vintage clothing, permanent jewelry, art and more. Batch will have beer available that was brewed in collaboration with Detroit Girls Pint Out and a collaboration dish with Chef Ederique Goudia. In addition, there will be a comedy show beginning at 8 p.m. hosted by local comic, Patty Rooney. Get tickets on Eventbrite.
  • “The Millennium Tour” is coming to Little Caesars Arena at 8 p.m. Saturday. Concertgoers can expect to hear hits from popular R&B and hip-hop artists from the Y2K era like Omarion, Trey Songz, Rick Ross, Bow Wow and Boosie BadAzz. Tickets start at $69 on Ticketmaster.
  • Detroit’s own Kash Doll will perform Sunday at the Masonic Temple as part of “The Last Doll Tour.” Remaining tickets begin at $125. 

Micah Walker joins the BridgeDetroit team covering the arts and culture and education in the city. Originally from the metro Detroit area, she is back in her home state after two years in Ohio. Micah...