one year anniversary of little village inauguration
featuring work from exhibitions at the Shepherd and I.M. Weiss
It’s been a year since the newly revitalized block in Little Village was unveiled. In that year this inclusive cultural corridor has been featured by Forbes and made Time’s 2025 World’s Greatest Places list. It will be highlighted as part of the only American city—Detroit! —recommended by Lonely Planet’s latest International Art Destinations Guide due out this Fall (I know this because I wrote it). All of the spaces associated with this neighborhood were open the night of the anniversary celebration.
The second portion of a two-part exhibition series focusing on the intersecting histories–and current landscapes–of Detroit through the work of artists’ practices, The Sea and the Sky, and You and I, presents artists and cultural organizers who consider the enduring relationships between humans and subterranean, terrestrial, and imaginary landscapes in Detroit and beyond.
An interpretation of a lyric from “All Blues,” a 1959 jazz composition written by Miles Davis, The Sea and the Sky, and You and I considers the histories of place and human impacts on the environment. With a strong focus on Detroit, over half of the artists in The Sea and the Sky, and You and I are based in the city, engaging with themes of Drexciya, detritus, land use, and more.
JJ and Anthony Curis aren’t anywhere near satisfied. They’re currently rehabbing the adjacent Stanton Yards marina where Scott Hocking created this rusty Self Portrait of Hieronymus Bosch in the Garden of Earthly Delights which is interpreted from the egg-shaped figure in Hell (right panel of the famous triptych) that is purportedly Bosch’s self-portrait. Hocking excavated and assembled discarded structures formerly employed in the care and deployment of vessels launched from this location. Via a marina forklift and some amenable longshoremen, the colossal piece was negotiated across a busy Jefferson Ave to its new home in the Shepherd Art Altar.
This depiction of Detroit’s participation in the Underground Railroad is in line with Moore’s narrative but departs from previous representations which focused on the figure rather than the surrounding environment. The visible herringbone patterning underneath the cool blue palette accompanies the couple flying over the Detroit River to freedom in Canada.
I.M. Weiss’ Parkview space is a cozy display of visually unusual yet utilitarian pieces for the home. This finely made walnut chair polished to perfection would elevate any room’s décor.
Multiple coats of paint applied then rubbed into irregular layers produces a colorful texture that softens the rough, spikey backing to this eccentric but sturdy chair.
Little Village currently boasts 5 exhibition spaces hosting several galleries which present inspired fashion to imaginative interior design to premier visual arts. This area is expected to continue its innovative trajectory which will likely blend with the historic Indian Village district showcasing homes designed by Albert Kahn, Louis Kamper and William Stratton.
The Sea and the Sky, and You and I is on view through August 30th at the Shepherd 1265 Parkview Detroit. Full list of participating artists on the website.
house, warming is on view through June 21st at I.M. Weiss 1501 Parkview Detroit.
*images are mine
direct quote from museum materials
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