Detroit has long had a vibrant arts scene. Originally it was fueled by automotive moguls who pumped millions into grand institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), The Scarab Club and Cranbrook Art Academy.
More recently, it has been driven by young artists taking advantage of Detroit’s post-industrial landscape and cheap warehouse space to launch an underground arts revolution.
Detroit Artists Market (313.832.8540; www.detroitartistsmarket.org), founded in 1932, has a history of exhibiting emerging and established Detroit artists. It is considered one of the finest nonprofit contemporary galleries in the Midwest and is a vital anchor of Detroit’s Cultural Corridor—an area rich with art galleries and studios located in a several-block radius around the DIA and the College for Creative Studies.
Located in a former car dealership, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (313.832.6622; www.mocadetroit.org), better known as MOCAD, is dedicated to exploring new ideas in contemporary art. Its cavernous 21,500-square-foot galleries scream post-industrial Detroit and make a hip urban setting for events.
CAID (313.899.2243; www.thecaid.org), aka The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, is an artist-driven collective of galleries with a focus on urban culture, contemporary art and creative communities. Highlights include CAID Gallery, a two-story brick house behind a fence of colorful graffiti; Ladybug Studios, a ceramics gallery that offers workshops for groups; and Mass iV, a 5,000-square-foot, post-Industrial space with soaring ceilings.
MassiV is located at The Russell Industrial Center (313.972.7009; www.ricdetroit.org). This sprawling auto body plant laid dormant for decades before its recent revival as an artists’ colony. Today it is home to over 125 tenants—clothing designers, woodworkers, glass blowers, architects and artists from every imaginable medium. RIC hosts art festivals, weekly bazaars, classes, performances and tours.
Hastings Street Ballroom/Tangent Gallery (313.873.2955; www.tangentgallery.com) is located in a barely renovated industrial building and highlights independent arts and music. Venues include The White Room, a sky-lit warehouse gallery with 20-foot ceilings, and The Dark Room, a fully equipped theater and ballroom.
For something totally different, consider PuppetART, Detroit Puppet Theater (313.961.7777; www.puppetart.org) a theater and museum run by Soviet-trained puppeteers and artists. Shows in their 70-seat auditorium are followed by tours of the museum and a workshop in the studio.
