Down With D Arts
By:  Lanie Dixon
lanieblaze@eXcapethematrix.com

Rome, New York and Paris are definitely on the list of cities one may think of when asked where the world looks for the latest and greatest in the fine arts.  But there’s a gem of a city whose institute of art houses one of the largest, most significant collections in the United States.  It is also native land to some of the most ingenious, inspired, imaginative and inventive musicians, poets, dancers, designers, actors, playwrights and architects in history and of our time.  The city of which I write…is Detroit.

Music 

Best known as the birthplace for the intensely contagious “Motown Sound,” Detroit was a pivotal landmark throughout the evolution of American music in the 60’s. 

It is also home to some of the most successful gospel artists of today.  The impressive list includes Aretha Franklin, Fred Hammond, J. Moss, The Winans Family and the Clark Sisters.

“Local sculptors, painters and graphic artists cultivate their creativity through collectives like the Detroit Artists Market.” 

Detroit’s most current musical offerings come in an array of hip hop, funk and soul performers.  From Miz Korona’s raw, in your face flows, to Doc Holiday’s smooth and sultry voice, to Amp Fiddler’s persuasive grooves, to my personal favorite, the rappin’, singin’ & dancin’ Monica Blaire, the D has enough new music to fit your every mood. 

Visual Art 

The Detroit Institute of Arts is home to Vincent van Gogh’s “Self Portrait,” the first van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum collection.[1]   The vast collection of American, European, African and Asian art would surely satisfy the most avid art aficionado.  Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry, a collection of related murals, come together to form the breath taking center of the museum. 

The city is alive with a multitude of small galleries whose artist’s work can be found throughout the world.  Local sculptors, painters and graphic artists cultivate their creativity through collectives like the Detroit Artists Market.  Some of my favorites include works by Brian Kremer and Jo Powers, which are graceful and soft yet powerful and profound. 

Dance 

Chicago has its stepping and Detroit has its ballroom.  Detroit Style Ballroom Dance is an urban contemporary form of hand dance derived from the basic Cha Cha.[2]  The dance has all the grace and elegance of traditional ballroom dancing with some serious urban flavor.  Detroiters take their ballroom dancing seriously and can be found groovin’ into the wee hours of the night on any given night at the Paradise Club in Southfield.

“From Miz Korona’s raw, in your face flows, to Doc Holiday’s smooth and sultry voice, to Amp Fiddler’s persuasive grooves, to the rappin’, singin’ & dancin’, Monica Blaire, the D has enough new music to fit your every mood.”

Theatre 

The theatre is alive and well in Detroit.  Historic theatres like the Gem Theatre and the Detroit Repertory Theatre host productions of both classic and contemporary works.  An African American performance by the name of Classic Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, is one to catch this seasons. The main focus is centered on the fractured Parker family, whose aging patriarch struggles to hold onto memories of his heyday while his daughter toils at a dead-end office job. 

So the next time someone wants to go on and on about how nothing good comes out of Detroit, cars included, feel free to advise them to take a closer look.  They’ll be pleasantly surprised at the array of art and culture that flourishes there.