Detroit Art Scene

“Detroit, seize the moment, come now for the present energy”

The Detroit Art Scene is alive and kicking, growing at an uncontrollable rate over the last 5 to 8 years. Detroit, regardless of its bad rap, has become a lawless frontier for the wider arts community. Artists wanting a new start are flooding to the blank canvas that is Detroit. Detroit is a melting pot of styles and cultures with no better place to be in experimental mode, Detroit is the city to turn an artist’s passionate dream or vision into reality.

Artists of all varieties; fine arts, sculpture, photography, print makers, music, poetry, stand up and many more are migrating from all over America and the world to Detroit right now for the present energy and too take advantage of the uncapped resources and spaces provided by Detroit and surrounds. Being a city of ruin has been a major advantage to sculptors as they have been sourcing their materials from abandoned and dilapidated buildings the city over.

Click on images below to purchase art supplies.

Capitalizing on the size and price of the available spaces, artists can turn otherwise mythical works into reality with Manhattan, Boston and San Francisco fitting into Detroit’s city limits alone.

Detroit is a true American city that is getting its long overdue revival, the first people to come back to the otherwise ruined city are the artists. New creative people arriving unknown to Detroit, can start their own gallery and get themselves out to the world. Creative people have brought to The Motor City a new passion and energy that is essential to making galleries, exhibitions and shows thrive, something that has been lost over time in other cities. Where other cities present restrictions, Detroit offers opportunity and support to turn an Avant Garde project into reality.

Nowhere else is an artist able to obtain a space and stage a concert of original music or poetry, and not be bound by genre or style. Where in a city like Chicago, you would be restricted by licenses and the tradition of Blues and Jazz, Detroit offers the opportunity and support for an artist to bring a new project to life, and get a good response.

Creative types who would otherwise have to devote most of their time to making enough money to survive, and not be able to completely pursue their artistic wants, can come to Detroit to make it happen. Living affordability has given artists a safe haven to take risks and invest time in their art without working unrelated jobs…. this is what I wanted to achieve and I did it!

An artist in Detroit can be studio-based, as well as work in a gallery, bringing a raw artistic energy to the business. Motown isn’t New York; however you can develop yourself as an individual.

All the creative family are coming together to help one and other with their work, from open mic nights to residency programs, even if all another artist can offer is half an hour to help with an exhibition; they’re coming together to make it happen.

Openings and open mic nights attract an overwhelming amount of support from fellow artists, as they have the opportunity to engage with one and other; some events even attracting people from outside of the city.

Supporting businesses in Detroit are thriving and appearing from what seems out of nowhere; cafes, art supply stores, restaurants and specialty stores popping up in Downtown, Cass Corridor, Midtown and the surrounds.

These hot spots provide a safe place for artists to meet and socialize, and often host events, openings and part time employment.

The city of Detroit has a rich history of art and is a designated art city; from the early 1900’s architecture, murals, sculptures, over 50 galleries, along with the Detroit Institute of Art Museum.

The Detroit Institute of Art boasts being the first art museum in America to purchase a Van Gogh painting; Van Gogh’s self-portrait. Also having numerous Picassos, three levels of art works, a café, theatre, and the popularity staying open late on Friday nights the museum-goer is treated to a wide array of weekly performances and sketching in the galleries.

Click on image below to purchase sketch book.

What an epic city, from a once thriving industrial monstrosity to a corrupt bankrupt war zone, Detroit now boasts one of the most vibrant up and coming art scenes the world has ever seen. Detroit known predominantly for Motown and Muscle cars has fallen through the cracks in the last 40 years because of poor economics, driving residents away from Detroit and into the suburbs and other cities and states, slowly but surely people are returning too Detroit to capitalize on the prices and availability of spaces that Detroit has to offer.

Art For Sale Detroit; Southern Racist Tension Detroit

-JLS-