Detroit

In Brief

The Artist Who Moved a Detroit House to Europe Left a Mess Behind [UPDATED]

Last month, Berlin-based Ryan Mendoza pissed off a lot of people when he tore down an abandoned house in Detroit and shipped the structure off for display at this year's Art Rotterdam.

Art

Found Material Sculptures that Radiate Residual Energy

DETROIT — Perhaps I should preface my discussion of Homage: Regular Folk with a brief declaration of my own sentiments regarding the energetic qualities of inanimate objects.

Art

Florida, Bob Ross, and a Collaborative, Conceptual Art Journey

DETROIT — Painter and art instructor Bob Ross, host of the legendary public access show The Joy of Painting, was known to say, “There is no such thing as a mistake, only happy accidents.”

Opinion

Artist Relocates Abandoned Detroit Home, Dropping it at the Corner of Appropriation and Ruin Porn

DETROIT — You can’t really talk about expatriate American artist Ryan Mendoza's “The White House” project without talking about appropriation.

Interview

“I Would Be Devastated to See It Destroyed”: An Artist Sues to Protect Her Detroit Mural

DETROIT — Michigan kicked off 2016 with all kinds of breaking litigation news.

Opinion

Galapagos Art Space Founder Attempts to Flip Detroit Building for $6.25 Million

Just over a year ago, Robert Elmes made waves when he announced that the beloved Brooklyn art institution he'd founded 20 years prior, Galapagos Art Space, would be closing up shop in New York and moving to Detroit.

Art

Diaper Cakes, Rotten Candy Vases, and the Artistry of Upcycling Detritus

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. — One can detect a sense of barely contained glee underlying Dylan Spaksky's effort to include everyone in his fun.

Art

Composing the Sounds of Detroit into a Symphony

DETROIT — The sounds of the city have long been an inspiration to composers — think of iconic soundscapes from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to Bernstein’s West Side Story score.

Art

Plumbing the Highs and Lows of Pop Cultural Desire

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. — “I want to know what love is,” artist Scott Northrup confides in me via email, and his reference to the Foreigner song of same name is neither ironic nor unintentional.

Art

Two Tony Suburban Galleries Move into Detroit

DETROIT — As the saying goes: be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Art

An Abandoned House in Detroit Blooms with Aromatic Plants

DETROIT — Two common themes in the Detroit lexicon: blighted houses, and nature persisting despite architectural ruin. Lisa Waud’s visually striking Flower House plays into both motifs.

In Brief

Christopher Columbus Statue Gets an Axe to the Face

Someone in Detroit celebrated Columbus Day this year by taping an ax to a bust commemorating the explorer, splashing on some red paint for full dramatic effect.