DETROIT, MI.- Detroit Gallery Week, Art Detroit Now’s third annual event, will run from Monday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Oct. 3 in 16 metro Detroit cities. Thousands are expected to attend contemporary art openings, exhibitions and demonstrations at local galleries, museums and non-profit organizations that will showcase metro Detroit’s contemporary art and artists.
A central theme of this year’s event is architecture and space. Cranbrook will hold a lecture on Tuesday night, Sept. 28 by 2012Architecten, a Rotterdam-based architectural office that utilizes the contextual potential for design, and Wayne State will host a reception and symposium on Thursday night, Sept. 30 centered on their exhibition “Fabrications.”
On Friday night, Oct. 1, 13 venues in Midtown’s Cultural Center, including Detroit Artists Market, Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) and Charles Wright Museum of African American History, will hold an art crawl from 5 to 10 p.m. with free shuttle service and an Art Parade by College for Creative Studies (CCS). The DIA will feature performances by the electronic music duo ADULT. Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) will host a performance by Santiparro with Legendary Creatures and special guests Hiss. On Saturday, Oct. 2, there will be art crawls from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Hamtramck, 22 galleries in the north Woodward Corridor (Birmingham, Ferndale, Oak Park, Pontiac, and Royal Oak), and in northwest Detroit.
Artists in Detroit’s Pioneer Building and Russell Industrial Center will open their studios to the public on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Detroit Gallery Week will feature gallery openings and exhibitions, including receptions on Friday night, Oct. 1 at Hill Gallery for “Phillip Pearlstein: Paintings and Watercolors” and “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment” at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Other exhibitions include In Your Dreams: 500 Years of Imaginary Print at the DIA; “Domestic Disturbances” at David Klein; Kresge Fellowship awardee Cedric Tai’s “Accepting Accidents” at Re:View Contemporary; Sergio De Giusti “Tenebroso” at the Detroit Artists Market; and Todd Erickson/Faina Lerman at the CCS Center Galleries.
Event chairperson Marc Schwartz sees events like Detroit Gallery Week as a positive sign for Detroit’s future. “Many people believe that the creative community will lead Detroit out of the recession,” said Schwartz. “If this is the case, we have reason to be encouraged. New galleries are opening throughout the metro area, our young artists are staying in Detroit, and more importantly, artists are moving here.”
DIA Director Graham W. J. Beal is happy to see the contemporary art scene thriving. “With the support and encouragement of organizations like Kresge Arts in Detroit, there are exciting opportunities for artists in our local communities,” said Beal. “Several Detroit-area artists have attracted national attention for their work, and we see Detroit Gallery Week as a great opportunity for metro Detroiters to experience the flourishing contemporary art scene for themselves.”
