Here at Metro Times, we are always giving Black artists and galleries their flowers no matter the time of year. But it’s Black History Month and the Black art community in Detroit is more lit than usual with the return of Sacred Spaces.
Sacred Spaces is a self-guided tour of Black-owned galleries and art spaces with nearly 70 Black artists participating in over 10 month-long exhibits.
The initiative debuted in 2023 spearheaded by Irwin House Gallery and Norwest Gallery of Art in partnership with Detroit’s Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship. While Detroit ACE is not involved this year, the event has spread to around 20 art spaces randing from traditional galleries like The Carr Center to retail spaces like Brix Wine.
Irwin House Director Misha McGlown says Detroit’s vast number of Black art spaces is rare compared to other cities like New York.
“I’m in New York. I’m back and forth between here and Harlem. You don’t see this many Black art spaces anywhere,” she says. “I could count maybe four in New York, so we really have something special and powerful that I hope we’ll continue to build on.”
She adds, “I don’t see this kind of cohesion between the artists and art spaces anywhere else either. Detroit is an exciting place for the arts and I’m honored to be part of this whole ecosystem. I am hoping that the world sees us. This is for us, but also for everybody to see us.”
Participating locations are Arts Extended, The Carr Center, The Fel'le Gallery, Design Studio 6, Detroit Fine Arts Breakfast Club, Jo's Gallery, Harper Galleries of Art & Interiors, Irwin House Global Art Center & Gallery, Liberal Arts Gallery, MAC Galleries, Mack Alive, NCA Gallery, Norwest Gallery, Dabl’s MBAD African Bead Museum, Nicolena Creates, Finite Gallery, the Amber Collective at Jo’s Gallery Café, BRIX Wine, and Sherry Arts at Wayne County Community College’s Ford and Downtown campuses.
Some highlights include the first solo show of emerging artist Terrell Anglin who uses wood burning and mixed media techniques to connect the past and present of the African American experience. His show, ON FIRE opens at Irwin House on Thursday, February 8. There’s also a performance by the Mirrored Glass Harp Trio — Ahya Simone, Anjel Mantel, and Ackeem Salmon — at Irwin House on February 17.
Liberal Arts Gallery is hosting an exhibit curated by Detroit-based painter Oshun Williams called Something to Prove featuring Phil Simpson, Joe Cazeno III, Tzu Pore, Miriam Uhura, Ruby Flwrs, Dominick Lemonious, and Jonathan Kimble. The Carr Center will host two group shows for Sacred Spaces: BLACK, an acronym for “A Built Language Across Culture and Knowledge,” and As I See, which focuses on artists aged 30-60 exploring the demarcation of age and time.
There will also be a two-night gallery crawl hosted by The Love Experience.
For McGlown, Detroit is in a special position to be able to uplift Black art as a majority Black city with relatively affordable retail space, although that landscape is changing with gentrification.
“These opportunities and these spaces are fleeting,” she says. “We see the landscape changing before our eyes and we see the acquisition of property getting more difficult and elusive for the average person. So it’s important to hold onto what we have and for those of us who can to create, provide, and share these spaces with our communities. I feel like we have a responsibility to do that. That’s why it’s ‘Sacred Spaces.’ These spaces that are ours, that we can come into and express ourselves are sacred.”
Sacred Spaces will culminate in a public reception with the participating artists and venues on February 29. The location has yet to be determined, but updates will be posted on sacredspaces-tourdetroit.com. A full list of exhibits is available online.
Sacred Spaces is supported by NASP-Detroit, Rolling Out, and Steed Society Art.
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