By Sean Copeland, Contributing Writer
Art continues to be a powerful tool in our community to promote self-expression, awareness, freedom, and empowerment. It strikes a chord and moves people at different times and in different ways. It can heal, protest, comfort, guide, and galvanize. Detroit has always been known as a city that values art. After all, one of the country’s finest art museums can be found here in the Detroit Institute of Arts, with some of the finest collections around. Graffiti decorates many brick walls and alleys around the city. Murals decorate buildings around parks and on major roads. Motown does it right when it comes to celebrating visual arts. While African American art is valuable year-round, it especially becomes significant during Black History Month.
The storytelling that exists in African American art is truly unique. Stories of pain and struggle, victory and triumph, heritage, soul, and culture are often highlighted in each brush stroke, ultimately telling stories that highlight the Black experience in America. One of the most important recurring themes that can be found in many artists’ works is the call and push for equality. Black History Month is a time to recognize our heritage as a community, but it is just as important to recognize the contributions of our present history makers, those who are pushing the culture forward and pushing for a better tomorrow. This February, many talented artists and performers have been tapped to showcase their work throughout the city. To celebrate Black History Month, there are a few installations and exhibits around town that recognize the contributions of Black Americans through visual and performing arts.
Celebrating Black Arts
Bedrock Detroit and Carr Center have teamed up to offer an installation at 1001 Woodward Ave. to celebrate Black History Month. The expansive event showcases various artists in several forms. Art, performances, films, and more will be offered inside the space. Student artwork will be shown and is divided into two divisions: junior division and senior division. The junior division includes submissions from 6th through 8th grades, while the senior division includes submissions from 9th through 12th grades. Additionally, other emerging and established artists are included on the bill. Featured artists include Jide Aje, Dr. Chanel Beebe, Ronald Clegg, M. Saffell Gardner, Darian “Saint” Greer, Tia Nichols, Robert O’Banner, Yvette Rock, Asha Walidah, and Cara Marie Young. Events include Music/Dance Thursdays, Film Fridays, Kid-Friendly Saturdays, and Spoken Word Sundays, with different events happening on each day. The exhibit is free to the public and runs weekly through Feb. 29. Hours for the exhibit are Thursdays and Fridays 4-8 p.m., Saturdays 12-4 p.m., and Sundays 1-5 p.m. For a complete list of events and information, visit deckedoutdetroit.com and thecarrcenter.org.
Black
Presented by the Carr Center, Black: A Built Language Across Culture and Knowledge is an exhibition curated by Daniel Geanes and co-created by Gallery Director Tia Nichols. The exhibit showcases Black artists who are expressing their views on being Black during these current times. This includes life that takes on being in Detroit, a predominantly Black city. Additionally, love, politics, and other subjects are explored. The exhibition will showcase works by 11 artists, including William Matthews, Trae Isaac, Torrence Jayy, Skylar Turner, Quadre Curry, Desawna “Sis” Buford, Giovanni Gulley, Daniel Geanes, Tiera Knaff, Brian Nickson, Marlo Broughton. The event runs through Feb. 29. For more information, visit The Carr Center on Instagram at @thecarrcenter_detroit and thecarrcenter.org.
Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories From the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery
Wayne County Community College presents a traveling exhibit from Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery at its downtown Campus. After debuting in Grand Rapids, Detroit is the exhibit’s second stop and opened on Feb. 5. The museum houses the largest collection of publicly accessible artifacts of racial intolerance in the U.S. and exists to teach ideals of a more tolerant and equal society. Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories From the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery is a collection of over 150 items that includes artifacts, crates, and other interactive displays. The exhibit includes graphic images of 19th and 20th-century society that are historical depictions of a past society riddled with the horrors of slavery and segregation. Jim Crow, the legalized system of segregation in the Southern U.S., was derived from the name Jim Crow, which was a racial slur toward African American men.
According to the official website, “Our mission has always been to provide pathways to better lives through higher education,” said Dr. Curtis L. Ivery, WCCCD chancellor. “This exhibit offers an opportunity to see and engage in history in a way that challenges, but also builds new understanding about where we have come from, and where we are going as a community and as a nation.” The exhibit is free and open to the public. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/hatefulthings.
Some area organizations that continue to support Black artists include The Carr Center, Irwin House Gallery, Playground Detroit, and N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art. Supporting Black artists in Detroit is vital not only through the above programming but year-round as these artists often tell stories and narratives that sometimes go unnoticed in society.
This Black History Month, let’s continue to support the visual storytellers of our history and culture.
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