"The House of Fancy" is an exhibition of oil paintings by Mark Dancey that uses the 1880s building that houses Detroit Contemporary Gallery as a theatrical stage set. Dancey will create site-specific life size trompe l'oeil paintings that, when seen in period lighting, will show us ghostly ladies from the house's sporting past. There is a tango opera onstage, a tarot parlor in the back room, and mysteries revealed upstairs. As viewers we are used to staring at pictures, but these paintings stare back at us in a way that is challenging and provocative.

The reception will take place on Saturday, October 12th from 6pm-10pm

Into the Mystic - A review of “The House of Fancy”

by Bri Hayes for detroit contemporary 

Mark Dancey’s exhibition “The House of Fancy” at detroit contemporary is an immersive experience that beckons viewers into a world where mystery, beauty, and symbolism merge to create a hauntingly poetic narrative. The journey begins before you even set foot inside, with three paintings of women gazing out from the second-story windows, their otherworldly beauty inviting you to explore the depths of the Victorian house they inhabit. These alluring figures serve as an initial introduction to the show's themes—fantasy, seduction, and a sense of something ethereal lurking just beyond the surface.

The experience deepens as visitors approach the illuminated red entryway, where we discover that detroit contemporary’s familiar sheep logo has been replaced with a picture of a woman riding a goat. This is a visual reference to medieval illuminated manuscripts and their depiction of the seven deadly sins. Dancey’s choice to use the old symbol for the sin of lust is a fitting prelude to the show’s exploration of indulgence, desire, and the interplay between the real and the imagined. Who’s to say how many other hooved friends are lurking around the corner…

Once you cross the threshold, the exhibition’s atmosphere shifts dramatically. Overhead lighting is absent, leaving viewers to navigate by the soft glow of candlelight. The show presents you with a choice: proceed left through the shadowy gallery or ascend the stairs towards the beguiling women in the windows. Which way will fate lead you? Either option is sure to captivate; but a surprise awaits for those daring enough to venture up. 

For those who are more faint of heart and chose to proceed left, are immediately drawn into a world of tango music and Dancey’s remarkable trompe l'oeil paintings, each illuminated by candlelight and footlights. These life-sized, site-specific pieces are hauntingly beautiful, and their creation is a testament to Dancey’s artistry and vision. With the help of photographer Ewolf and burlesque dancers such as Margo Royale and Marina Casanova, Dancey has composed a series of ghostly women whose presence lingers long after you leave the room. 

One of the standout pieces in this space is a full-length painting of Marina Casanova, depicted as an opera singer beneath a proscenium arch. With her mouth agape in song and her unwavering gaze, she seems to draw you into her performance, as though she might come to life at any moment. This piece embodies the show's title, "The House of Fancy," where fantasy and reality blur, and the boundaries of time and space seem to dissolve.

As you continue through the gallery, you encounter a provocative double-sided painting of a woman standing between the pocket doors of an archway. Her figure partially blocks the view of the room beyond, but her expression is welcoming, hinting at the mystery that awaits in the next space. 

In the following room lies a saloon, a hidden gem reminiscent of the 1800s. Here, you are invited to raise a glass, whether in celebration or despair, while a mysterious man in a painting behind the bar watches over you.

In this evocative setting, Dancey draws inspiration from Federico García Lorca’s poem “The Guitar.” Illustrating the poem’s theme, Dancey shows a guitarist cradling his instrument, his head resting against its curves that echo the contours of a woman’s body. The love between musician and instrument is palpable, yet tinged with melancholy, as five swords pierce his heart—a symbol of the price of passion. The painting captures the tragic beauty of devotion, loss, and the inextricable link between creation and sacrifice.

Had this musician chosen to venture beyond his sorrow into the tarot parlor that lies beyond the pocket doors, he may have discovered a different fate. This room, steeped in mysticism, draws visitors into its chapel-like ambiance. A supernatural glow radiates from the turn-of-the-century fireplace, where large pillar candles burn brightly, illuminating the space with a sense of the sacred. Arranged meticulously along the walls are tarot cards representing the major arcana, created in collaboration with Dancey’s friend Estanislao de Medialao, who also appears in the piece “The Magician.”

Each tarot card is individually spotlighted by votive candles resting in copper sconces, lending the room an aura of both reverence and mystery. The cards themselves seem to hold secrets, each one a gateway to another layer of meaning within the exhibition. This room, with its intricate symbolism and timeless atmosphere, encourages visitors to contemplate the unknowable forces that shape our lives and fates. 

In “The House of Fancy,” Mark Dancey has created an environment that discards current notions of art exhibitions. It is a journey through the subconscious, where viewers are invited to confront their desires, fears, and the hidden aspects of themselves. The Victorian setting, filled with rich historical references and visual metaphors, provides the perfect backdrop for this exploration. Dancey’s ability to fuse the old with the new, the real with the imagined, makes this exhibition a deeply engaging and thought-provoking experience.

The immersive nature of the show encourages viewers to engage with the space in a way that feels both personal and transformative. Whether through the seductive power of the paintings, the evocative music, or the eerie glow of the tarot parlor, Dancey invites us to step into the mystic—to confront the unknown and embrace the mysteries of life, art, and the human experience.

Maria Prainito-Winczner’s art plunges us into the raw essence of humanity, pushing us to face our deepest desires and frustrations. She captures the charged moments of flirtation, arousal, and forbidden allure, making us feel these experiences intensely and challenging our comfort zones.

Central to her work is a bold use of imagery, including breasts, genitals, and her signature “vaginaflies.” These elements defy societal taboos, calling us to embrace our physicality with pride. Her statement—“Free the vagina”—underscores a rejection of shame and an acceptance of our bodies.

Maria’s rebellion extends into her creation of “emotional support animals”—surreal creatures offering comfort or playful refuge. Accompanied by vibrant emojis, these beings suggest our complex desires and self-critique.

Through her use of animals—horses as symbols of strength and freedom, cats as aggressive forces, and small dogs as chaotic yet endearing beings—Maria's work explores the multifaceted nature of our identities. With her vivid colors and dynamic brushstrokes, her art challenges us to confront and embrace the full spectrum of our humanity, however provocative or unsettling it may be.

The reception will take place on Saturday, September 14th from 6pm-10pm

I chose the title “Patience” for my exhibition because it’s the most descriptive virtue of not only my art style, but the way I have come to thrive in this self discovering journey of life. My exhibition will be my way of embodying that patience and bringing it to life. Dot by dot my art will share with you stories of struggle, pain, perseverance, and the constant battle between us and the elements we must endure in our lifetime. Outside of specific emotions I also hope to share stories of endurance, and pushing forward through suffering and the challenges that life hands you with no tools to combat them with. Some of these stories will be my own, my experiences with homelessness, heartbreak, loss, and how I chose to filter the negative emotions like anger, betrayal and fear into my art, into my patience, and into work that I finally get to share with my community. 

A particular story that brought me to titling this exhibition “patience” was my own rejection from art school. After pushing through the struggles of my adolescence, my goals as an artist that I had been working towards felt defeated, and my choices were to give up, or to have patience and preserver. I am proud to say my patience has brought me here, to a point where I can call my first goals met, and put my work and effort into greater goals I’ve given myself. Other stories I create in my art surround that very community that I am great full to share my story with. Some of my pieces are meant to bring light to social or political voices in our community where I feel patience has been key to the story I’m sharing, and why I feel my style has brought it to life. 

One of the biggest Inspirations to my art style in pointillism was the artist George Seurat, and his work “Sunday afternoon on the island on grande Jatte”, a pointillism piece I saw daily on a mural in my high school cafeteria. It’s not only a life goal of mine to see that piece in person, but to make my own piece of that size or greater, with my story embedded in every detail, and every point. Along with the inspiration of the artist Seurat, I use a lot of manga and anime inspired poses, black and white imagery, and intense emotionally grabbing scenes drawn specifically to give you an emotional story in a moments glance. Along with that mural in my school, the mangas I read became one of the few protected memories I brought from my childhood into my art style and adulthood to help intensify the emotions is each of the pieces and stories I share. To everyone that has come here to share this milestone with me, thank you, I hope you will follow me with patience as I continue on my journey as a proud Detroit artist. 

The reception will take place on Saturday, August 10th from 6pm-10pm

Jozie Bullard’s “Elemental Oasis” is a manifestation of queer imagination and communal liberation through the healing power of art. My work for this exhibit will explore the boundless pathways between realms where reality and fantasy meet and implode into an abstract surrealist expression of queerness, ecology, and the universal connection to all things. This immersive exhibit is designed to teleport my audience into a tranquil yet energetic environment abundant with Afro-Indigenous futuristic paintings, sculpture art, interactive meditation installations, and calming soundscapes. 

As a community based artist I deeply value collaboration and resource sharing as a liberatory tool to grow and incubate collective visions centered in transformation and based on our unique needs for healing. For this exhibition I’ll be partnering with several local artists to combine our skill sets and craftsmanship to create unique additions to the exhibit with the intention of adding layers and depth to further expand the immersive experience and display the richness that radiates when multiple imaginations combine.

The reception will take place on Saturday, July 13th from 6pm-10pm

About Carl Wilson’s exhibition “My Autumn Bloom of Concrete Flowers:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

— Matthew 13: 45, 46 New International Version

As a young man in my early twenties, I longed for many material things including a fast sports car with a convertible top, expensive bell-bottom blue jeans, and a brand-new eight-track stereo tape deck capable of blasting Sly & The Family Stone; all enjoyed in the company of a girl even faster than the sports car. Fortunately, for me, I never got any of those things.  

As I age I have found what I assign high value to has changed drastically. I long for almost nothing these days as I have discovered I already have much more than I need. Material things may have monetary value, but their worth is fleeting. The constant lust for acquiring more is what propels this greedy commercial system we are afflicted with, a system that has come very close to destroying this planet.  Humanity is dangerously divided and at severe risk. Blinded by greed and a lust for power many can’t even see what’s happening. We seem to have lost our moral compass. 

A series of medical emergencies did everything to correct my vision and value system. My vanity keeps me from saying I’m old, but I know I’m certainly not young. I realize there are more days behind than there are ahead, I am in the autumn of my years and I intend to make the most out of whatever time is left. The work in this exhibition briefly examines how I got to this place in time and what I have come to place the most value on. 

I have made many mistakes in this life. I hope those I disappointed can forgive me. After many years I am finally ready to forgive myself. As I look back I see I have received an abundance of love.  I have family and friends that love me. I can find great pleasure in the simplest things; a good laugh, a great meal, a good night’s sleep.

Love is the kingdom of heaven. I would do anything for love. Love is the only thing that matters. That is what makes one rich.

The reception will take place on Saturday, July 13th from 6pm-10pm

She Shall Rise From The Ashes

Is a collaborative exhibition that takes viewers on a journey through the past, present, and future history of Detroit from a woman’s perspective. All four rooms of detroit contemporary’s gallery have been transformed by a pair of female visual & literary artists gracing the space with new narratives on old truths. Together they have created works of art that address generations of women that have and will continue to maintain their strength, resilience, and femininity in the face of the city’s gender, racial, and class disparities. Like the phoenix, she hopes for better things; she will rise from the ashes.

Participating Artists Include:

Desawna “SIS” Buford, Halima Afi Cassells, jessica Care moore, Marsha Music, Maya Wynn Boyd, Melba Joyce Boyd, Sabrina Nelson, & Sudani Shaah

Curated by Bri Hayes

The reception will take place on Saturday, May 11th from 6pm-10pm

Detroit, MI - detroit contemporary announces the return of their highly anticipated juried all-media exhibition, The 2024 Spring Salon, featuring the work of emerging and established artists from Detroit and beyond. 

The exhibition is open to all artists who can deliver and install three works of art of any size or dimension on the walls, floors or ceilings of the gallery at detroit contemporary. Participants will be considered by a distinguished panel of jurors for a solo exhibition at detroit contemporary during its 2025 season.

The Spring Salon promises to be a dynamic showcase of diverse artistic voices, with the added excitement of the potential for a solo exhibition in the future for participating artists. Don't miss the gallery reception on April 13th from 6pm-10pm.  There will be a member’s preview from 5pm to 6pm.

Participating Artists Include:

Adiya Jahi, Alex Brueggeman, Alexandra Siciliano, Allison Runyan, Alonso del Arte, Anastasia Edry, Annie Covington, Ant Head, Aspen DeMonaco, Bear Lobos, Berris “Pri$m” Flemmings, Brenden Laith Roumaya, Brett Sauve, Bri Frey, Brigette Neal, Cassidy Barnett, Cheyenne Lee, Chloé Hajjar, Christianna Sioux Plewka, Cliff Hughes, Dale Teachout, Daniel Stelly, Dante Lamb, Davia Gross, Deborah Friedman, Diana Fleysher, Elise Martin, Emilie Yonker, Erik Henderson, Erika Kirchner, Erin Kruczek, Erin Rutkowski, Evan J. Condron, Genevieve Vanzandt, Geno Harris, Ghada Ayoub, Grace Francis, Hana Ichikawa, Ian Matchett, Isabella De la Mora, Jackie Rushing, Jacob “mazysuzan” Smith, Jade Pointzes, Javier González, Jay Jaster, Jen Lindemer, Jennifer Maples, Jeremy C. Price, Jessica Tenbusch, Kailani Wolfe, Kayce Gifford, Kayla Renela, Kelz, Ken Humberstone, Kieran Betz, Lilly Thomson, Lisa Galperin, Luckey Weathers, M. Esse, Majerle Marshall, Makenna Russell, Marguerite Carroll Carlton, Mark Mardirosian, Martín Milat, Martina Sanroman, Mary Terhune, Matthew Giffin, Megan Lui, Melissa A. Day, Michael Ross, Mike Williams, Miles Rene Vankeersbilck, Nathan Hutchison, Nic Silva, Nickie Gunning, Nicole Miazgowicz, Nicole Szymanski, Nicolena Stubbs, Pamela Day, Rachael Kucken, Rachel Gluski, Rebecca Berdy, Riley Klein, Roberto Patino Jr, Robin Jourdan, Roger J. Martin, S. Barber Kennedy, S. Lee Robinson, Sara Harajli, Sareka Unique, Scott McDuffee, Senomneart, Seymor, Sharon Lollar, Sierra R. Aguilar, Simone Rosia, Stephanie Onwenu, Steven Schoeberlein, Super Smash Cache, Susan Hipsley, Susan Santoro, Taylor Knight, Tiffany McIntyre, Tom Livo, Tomaritz Jemison, Troy Ramos, Tryst Red, Uta Brauser, Viniecia Will, Virginia LaMont Naegeli, Wyatt Thiry, Zack Dannunzio, Zoro, @thatalx

“Diana Alva was a force to be reckoned with. She was the epitome of strength who grabbed life by the horns and only grew stronger with every battle she had to overcome. Art was the defining factor of her life. She poured her heart and soul into her artwork. She was a multifaceted artist who worked with clay, paint, music, pencil, and everything in between. She made waves in the artist community of Detroit and was a proud Latina business owner. Diana Alva met so many people during her trials and tribulations of life. We invite everyone who loved Diana to join us in celebrating her love for life, art, and one another.

An exhibition will be held from April 2nd - 7th at detroit contemporary. We will gather for a celebration of life on April 6th from 1:00-3:00 pm in the gallery where we will tell stories, eat good food, and laugh, just as Diana would have wanted.”

-Lillian Settles, Diana’s granddaughter

To read Maurice Greenia’s WordPress article in memory of Diana Alva, click here.

Shanna Merola’s exhibition “Love Canal” is an examination of the relationship between ecosystems, the human body, and extractive economies. Nestled just outside of Niagara Falls the sleepy town of Love Canal, NY became headline news in 1979 when an entire working-class community learned they had been unknowingly poisoned by leaking dioxin containers buried just below the asphalt. A few decades earlier, in the 1950’s, an industrial company dumped thousands of gallons of chemicals underground and sold that parcel of land to the Niagara Falls school board for one dollar. Fifteen years later the mothers of Love Canal began reporting extremely high rates of birth defects, miscarriages, and childhood leukemia.

Today, wildlife like mullein and milkweed thrive despite elevated toxicity levels that remain ever-present within the landscape. Driveways to nowhere, broken streetlights, and decommissioned fire hydrants mark the empty streets adjacent to a fenced off piece of land where the 99th Street School used to sit. But, in and around the containment zone are the stories of women who fought for the right to a safe and healthy environment. The intersections of race, class, gender, and housing are inextricably linked to the struggle as well, which ultimately led to the inception of North Americas first Superfund. Broader themes in the series also explore adaptation, toxicity, reproduction, mutation, and survival - with a focus on the interconnectedness of our fragile ecosystem and the human body.

The reception will take place on March 9th from 6pm-10pm

To each of us, the ones who leave

This piece is an archive of a practice Cyrah Dardas began to process their experience of displacement due to familial and intimate partner violence. In it they articulate a process of healing through a somatic relating to earth and place;  finding home through an experiential and relational movement based learning.

They consider this experience within the more macro and systemic forms of violent displacement we experience/d that forces us to relinquish our homes, belongings and belonging in search of safety and wellbeing.  

The site they are making this work on is the backyard of one of their former homes.  Piece by piece this home and its once existing barn have crumbled over time leaving brick and fragments of home scattered around its parameter. After collecting the brick and debris they break it down into powder and use it as a drawing material, creating patterns on glass. They make this sculpture in the landscape to be seen and to be held here by it and consider it as a composting of their grief. The interaction between the movement of their body and the movement of earth; creating form, dissipating and reforming. 

The reception will take place on March 9th from 6pm-10pm

Melissa A. Day was born in Ann Arbor and raised in Wixom, Michigan. She moved to Detroit in the late 90s, where she studied literature and fine art at Wayne State University. Soon thereafter, Melissa transferred to the College for Creative Studies. She participated in a studio program in Greenwich Village, New York, in 2001 through Parsons School of Design/ The New School for her last semester, receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting from CCS in May of 2002.

Melissa has exhibited her work in several galleries in Detroit and Metro Detroit respectively. Her work is imbued with the beauty she finds in urban decay. She is attracted to the images and textures that have occurred over time on buildings and objects, through the effects of humans and nature. 

Melissa creates her work through the manipulation of collages, as well as oil and acrylic paints, and drawing pencils. No certain sense of what will come next, images manifest yet remain undetermined. The meaning in Melissa’s work is irreducible to a single thought or idea. It is as abstract as it is significant.

An avid nature and cultural enthusiast, Loralee Grace devoted her 20s to embarking on nomadic adventures around the globe in order to expand her worldview and build her visual library. Thrice she sold most of her possessions and vacated her apartment in preparation for a 1-2 year stint abroad. Initially volunteering for room and board, doing informal artist residencies, and housing exchanges with locals, followed by freelancing on “working-holiday” visas for a year in both New Zealand and Australia.

In June 2020, after 27 countries on 5 continents over 7 years, she settled in Metro Detroit for the foreseeable future. She’s passionate about sharing cheap travel tips and inspiring fellow americans that going abroad can be much safer and more accessible than the media would have us believe. Loralee is an award-winning artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan who received her BFA in Fine Art Painting from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2010.

The reception will take place on February 10th from 6pm-10pm

nas·cent /ˈnās(ə)nt/ adjective

1. (especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display

signs of future potential.

In 2001, Taru Lahti began creating metal canvases - a new type of painting canvas. This nascent process of cutting, forming, fastening, and welding sheet metal together brings a three-dimensional dynamic of depth, surface tension, and an overall visual lightness to the “canvas”. Taru uses a combination of invented methods and technique, formal and sometimes unconventional, which produces an unforeseen contemporary effect. A final noteworthy trait of the metal canvases is the beautiful shadow patterns projected on walls from multiple light sources.

The reception for Taru Lahti’s exhibition “Nascent” will take place on January 13th from 6pm-10pm

2023 Actual Size*

Actual Size is an all-media exhibition of artwork that is the "actual size" of a piece of paper; 8.5"x11". This year's Actual Size consists of sculptures, paintings, photographs, video, and even some interactive works awaiting to be explored.

This year’s Actual Size will be on display at detroit contemporary and Galerie Camille. The reception will take place on December 9th from 6pm-10pm.

Participating artists include:

Adnan Charara, Al Hebert, Alex Buzzalini, Andy Malone, Anita Bates, Annette DeLorean, Anthony Maughan, Bri Frey, Brigette Neal, Cal Navin, Carl Wilson, Carole Harris, Catherine Peet, Charles Green, Cheyenne Lee, Chris McNamara, Claudia Hershman, Clinton Snider, Corey TuT, Daniel Geanes, Darcel Deneau, David Edward Parker, David Mikesell, Dawnice Kerchaert, Desawna Buford, Diana Alva, Don Mendelson, Donita Simpson, Douglas Bedard, Elizabeth Crank, Elizabeth Youngblood, Eric Mesko, Gary Eleinko, Genevieve Vanzandt, Graem Whyte, Halima Afi Cassells, Holly Branstner, Jacob Zelecki, Jeanette Strezinski, Jeff Cancelosi, Jide Aje, Jo Powers, Joe Zajac, Joseph Ferraro, Jozie Bullard, Kenneth Josephson, Kim Fay, Lester Johnson, Linda Mendelson, Lowell Boileau, Lynn Galbreath, Lynne Avadenka, Marilyn Zimmerwoman, Mark Dancey, M. Esse, Megan Grierson-Deshields, Meighen Jackson, Mel Rosas, Melissa A. Day, Melissa Jones, Michael Mikolowski, Najma Ma’at Wilson, Navjeet Kaur, Nick Tobier, Nicole Macdonald, Paul Farr, Ray Katz, Richie Blanko, Rick Vian, Robert Brian Cronin, Rose E. DeSloover, Russell Thayer, Ryan Herberholz, S. Kay Young, Sandra Cardew, Sarah Rose Sharp, Scott Hullinger, Sean Bieri, Sergio De Giusti, Shanna Merola, Sharon Que, Shekenia Mann, Sherry Moore, Shirley Parish, Skip Davis, Sue Carman-Vian, Susan Aaron-Taylor, Taurus Burns, Todd Erickson, Toby Millman, Tracee Miller, Valerie Pearson, Victor Pytko, Yvette Granata

*Dedicated to John Piet (1946-2016) & Christine Piet (1945-2022)

A TRANSMISSION FROM THE COSMIC INFINITY - New work by Dalia Reyes

An exploration of cosmic dreams, consciousness, and the cosmic infinity. Dalia Reyes' portals and meditations have transformed into vignettes depicting dreams of transmutation, frequency transmissions, and a celebration of non-earthly dimensions of delight. In this realm, reality is shaped by intention and a profound cosmic curiosity. What defines reality here? It is the amalgamation of energy, light, sound, and the intention of joy. In this space, where the boundaries between nothingness and everything blur, thoughts metamorphose into creation. A feeling of cosmic infinity where nothing truly is lost, only transformed.

These space explorations serve as mental breaks from the density of earthly life. Dalia creates light in the darkness using gold pigment, diamond dust, gold and silver leaf, often incorporating collage alongside acrylic and oil paints on wood panels.

The reception will take place on November 11th from 6pm-10pm.

Adnan Charara is a Lebanese-American artist who has lived and worked in the U.S. since 1982. With an unquenchable thirst to create since he was a child, he drew, painted, sculpted and assembled his way from Seattle to Boston to Detroit, where he currently makes his artistic home. Adnan works in multiple mediums with several ideas at a time, treating his studio practice like a detail-oriented factory. His hard-working dedication is masked, however, by his whimsical and humorous treatment of serious subjects. Adnan resides in Dearborn, a quick drive from the Cass Corridor neighborhood that houses his studio. He bought the historic Astro building in 2011 with an ambitious plan to develop it into a multifunctional space, including an exquisite gallery, gift shop, two store-fronts and his sprawling subdivided studio. That plan has come to life with the help of architects and designers, and he continues to focus his energy on both his artwork and his community involvement.

Adnan was featured on the PBS series Arab-American Stories in 2012. Recently he was nominated for a Smithsonian Fellowship and was honored by the Arab American Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he has served on the boards of several arts institutions, and has exhibited all over the United States and internationally, in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. 

The reception will take place on November 11th from 6pm-10pm.

"Illiteral employs handmade optical filters, along with other implements and techniques to create moods and abstracts from everyday elements. Instead of creating a narrative with titles, the interpretation is left to the viewer"

Ewolf is a Detroit-based photographer who dislikes being photographed, himself. While he has had a long career as a museum photographer, he established himself in the music scene as a musician in some notable Detroit punk bands, and gained even more notice for his photographs in that same scene - working directly with bands, with labels such as Touch and Go Records, Atlantic Records, Island Records, along with national magazines including Alternative Press. Departing from the music scene, his work been featured in a number of publications on art and architecture, among them a book on the history of Detroit’s elegant Guardian Building, and he has photographed works of art for numerous artists and collectors.

Ewolf’s personal work often employs a wry approach to everyday life and culture. Although he exhibits his work infrequently, the themes tend to develop over the course of years, as with his piece titled The Cinderella Project, a study of lost and discarded shoes found locally and while traveling. He owns at least three copies of the Get The Knack album.

The reception will take place on October 14th from 6pm-10pm

“The central philosophical dispute in “Anathem” is between the Halikaarnians and the Procians, who correspond to Platonic Realism, which argues that concepts and ideas have an existence independent of the people or culture grasping them, and Nominalism, which argues that abstracts are nothing but the construct of the mind.”

“Fogle’s work gives the vivid sense that you’re visiting an ancient cultural gallery, in which the inhabitants themselves were learning as they existed, that new and wondrous things were becoming important to them and needed to be preserved.” - Jimmy Doom

Eric Fogle is a brick mason by trade and an artist from Oak Park. Fogle has attended Oakland Community College and Wayne State University. He began his artistic career in the early 80s with printmaking and painting, and has had his work displayed in galleries ever since the mid 80’s . Fogle is a fan of science fiction, history, archeology, animation, video games, psychology, prehistoric postmodern art. These interests can be seen in his colorful paintings that seem to have a life of their own.

The reception will take place on October 14th from 6pm-10pm.

For the past 25 years Detroit Artist Chris Turner has been a working artist exhibiting in sculpture, painting, architectural design and fabrication locally, nationally and internationally while living and maintaining studios in Detroit Michigan.

The reception will take place on September 9th from 6pm-10pm.

Yvette Rock is a visual artist currently focusing on creating mixed media works and photography on paper, canvas, and wood.  She is not locked-into one type of style; instead she fosters a dialogue between the concept and process.  She desires to make moving pieces layered with meaning; art that is ambitious, technical, and experimental; art that is bold, detailed, and unpredictable. She explores topics such as human conception (from a biological, aesthetic, and spiritual perspective); motherhood (often reflecting on her own journey as a mother of five children); identity and racism (wrestling with personal and societal ideas about self, blackness, and multiculturalism); and the collision of worlds (exploring the relationship between life and death, light and shadows, materialism and the ephemeral). She often employs the power of the figurative form (whether representational or abstract) to reclaim a vision of people whose bodies or histories are neither accounted for, nor treated with care and attention. She is also inspired by the power and beauty of nature to convey these ideas through colors, textures, contrast, and found objects. The use of symbols and images such as circles, dolls, birds, leaves, the colors red and gold, are often a part of her visual language. 

The reception will take place on August 12th from 6pm-10pm.

Laura Macintyre is a Wayne State trained artist who is inspired by the physical environment of Detroit and the nature of its cyclical evolution.  Detroit has a rich history of a thriving natural landscape that has been superimposed by industry, only to see that industry decline and the natural world begin to resurface.  Her paintings explore this intersection between industrial decline and the reemergence of the natural world.  Her sculptural work explores this same intersectionality.  She uses the industrial process of mass production to form her works but she does it with the simple materials and energy sources that can be found ready made in nature. Most of all, Laura is interested in the ideas of change and of time.

The reception will take place on August 12th from 6pm-10pm.

Jeanne Bieri discovered art and art-making in the ‘80s and it was as if a curtain opened and she was able to translate the visual world into her terms. Art making is a way of life.  It is visual problem solving that offers an infinite set of tools for understanding and connecting to the world. Her imagery is both realistic and abstract. She enjoys working on large scale pieces, like the mural she completed in 2007 for the Ewald Library in Grosse Pointe Park.

The reception will take place on July 8th from 6pm-10pm.

“Occasionally, I have to contend with Analysis Paralysis, which is the inability to solve a problem due to overthinking. Sometimes it is caused by an abundance of choices with no clear direction, sometimes it is rooted in the anxiety that making the “wrong” decision is worse than inaction. The work in this show addresses this mentality and explores ways to escape the cycle of uncertainty. Unless otherwise noted, viewer is invited to physically interact with the work.”

The reception will take place on July 8th from 6pm-10pm.

Andy Malone holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Detroit Mercy, and has worked in the exhibit and custom furniture industry for over 25 years. Andy's whimsical machines, games, playable sculptures and drawings have been shown in over seventy-five exhibitions since 1995. To learn more about Andy Malone, visit his artist page.

DaJaniere Rice is a multidisciplinary artist from Inkster, Michigan. Art has always been a gateway for her to express herself and learn more about who she is as a human being and artist. As a person who deals with depression and anxiety, art and design have become her places of solace to reflect and get out of her own head. Oil, acrylic, digital, and fiber are her primary mediums. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2017 with a BFA in graphic design. Rice is currently a full-time graphic designer and artist residing in Michigan. She also hosts paint parties, paints murals, and makes merch for her business, Janier Co. Outside of work, you’ll find her scrolling through Pinterest, walking her pitbull baby, or riding her bike around her community.

The reception will take place on Saturday, June 10th from 6pm-10pm.

Nivek Monet is a multimedia performing visual artist living and working in Detroit Michigan.  He attended the Center for Creative Studies and earned  an Artists in Education certificate as well as taking  courses in painting and woodworking. Nivek Monet  studied under Hubbert Massey learning fresco and oil  painting and Walls of Virtue learning techniques in Faux  painting and interior design. He has also worked as an  impressionable high school Art Instructor at Edwin  Denby for 2 years.  

Monet has completed public and corporate  commissions across the city, including The Detroit  Pistons Read to Achieve campaign, Big City Bar and  Grill, Art and Academics (GoLightly Education Center),  Plaka Café, Grosse Pointe Academy, and Hubert Massey  Murals, just to name a few.  

Nivek Monet creates and continues to rebrand himself.  Combining his social skills & visual oil painting  techniques he captures the energy of events of all kind  to audiences everywhere.

The reception will take place on June 10th from 6pm-10pm.

Donita Simpson spends her time photographing established and emerging artists in the Tri-County Area.  She explores the artists, their studios and the newly created environment that exists between the artist and the photographer. Ms. Simpson has exhibited her work internationally and continues to show her work widely.  In 2016 her portrait of Gilda Snowden was chosen as a finalist in the Outwin- Boocheever Portrait Competition where it was selected from 2500 images to hang in The National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute from March 2016 until January of 2017.  It then traveled the country until 2018.  Her work is in the collections of the Tweed Museum, Visual Studies Workshop, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Detroit Institute of Art, as well as, several private and corporate collections. Simpson earned an MFA in photography and an MEd from Wayne State University.  She has served as an adjunct professor of photography at both Marygrove Collge and Wayne State University in Detroit. 

The reception will take place on May 13th from 6pm-10pm.

Jeff Cancelosi is an artist, curator and photographer who is widely recognized for his ongoing creation of photographic portraits of artists -- national, regional and local -- working or showing work in southeast Michigan. His artworks have been juried into shows across the United States by curators from the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the dia Art Foundation of New York, the Berkeley Art Museum, and Cranbrook Academy of Art, as well as by artists such as Jim Dine, Brian Rutenberg, Andres Serrano, Mel Chin and Charles McGee. Before turning to fine art, Jeff worked as a graphic designer, including as art director of JCPenney.com. He has curated numerous shows in the Detroit area and served for a number of years as chair of the Exhibitions Committee chair and as a board member of the Detroit Artists Market (DAM), the oldest non-profit art gallery in Detroit. He is an active volunteer with ArtWorks Detroit, serving on the board and recognized in 2020 by Matrix Human Services with a Distinguished Volunteer award. Jeff is also an adjunct faculty member at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Jeff holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati School of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, as well as a B.A. in radio/television, with a minor in photography, from Southern Methodist University. 

The reception will take place on May 13th from 6pm-10pm.

Zyaire Brownlee was born and raised in Detroit, MI. She comes from a creative background being in art shows, watching her father do photography and explore the avenues of art at a young age. Having worked professionally as a graphic designer, led her into using her creativity for a more real-world approach picking up a camera and capturing faces from all around. Her photography on portraits and conceptual photography captures the beauty of others in a unique way. She has been in the photography industry for two years now being featured in Ebony Magazine, shooting for Afropunk Atlanta and shooting many familiar faces in the industry. The future is very unimaginable for what's next on her radar but now she will have her camera in hand for the next moment. 

The reception will take place on May 13th from 6pm-10pm.