By Jenise Williams, Guest Columnist
What started as me accompanying my sister on a work trip quickly turned into one of the most profound experiences of the year, as I got to witness Detroit’s creative force take center stage in the City of Lights during Art Basel Paris 2025.
Art Basel has become a global phenomenon, hosting Basels in Miami, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Qatar, and Paris. In 2024, I had the privilege of traveling to Art Basel Miami with the Detroit Institute of Arts’ (DIA) Friends of African and African American Art, where I experienced the incredible range of artistic mediums and styles. It brought together artists, collectors, and art lovers from around the world. But this October, Paris offered something uniquely special: Detroit wasn’t just attending – we were commanding attention.
DETROIT SALON, led by Julie Egan with curatorial direction from Juana Williams, helped so many others bring the “Paris of the West” to France. The exhibitions featured 30 Detroit artists across three phenomenal exhibitions.
The moment I walked into the Palais de Tokyo exhibition (one of three Detroit exhibitions during the week), I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. This wasn’t just art on display – this was Detroit’s story, our resilience, our excellence, and our undeniable place in the global conversation.
The exhibitions – “A Blueprint of Resonance: Building Detroit’s Artistic Future,” “Domestic Dialogues: The Art of Living in Detroit,” and “Stitched into History” – showcased what those of us in Detroit have always known: our city’s artistic legacy runs deep, rooted in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, and continues to flourish today. Detroit has long been a city that creates culture rather than simply consuming it, and these exhibitions proved that to an international audience.
What made this moment even more meaningful for me personally was seeing three artists whose work the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Founders Junior Council (FJC) acquired through our African American Art Endowment fund featured prominently between the exhibitions: Tylonn Sawyer, Carole Harris, and Tiff Massey.
As a member of the Founders Junior Council, I’ve witnessed firsthand how intentional investment in Black artists creates a ripple effect. When we launched our African American Art Endowment fund, we were ensuring that Detroit’s diverse creative voices would be preserved and celebrated for generations to come by acquiring pieces for the DIA’s permanent collection.
Seeing work from some of the artists the FJC acquired work from in Paris, knowing that institutions and collectors from around the world were experiencing what we’ve known all along, filled me with indescribable pride. This is what happens when we invest in our own. This is what happens when we refuse to wait for outside validation and instead create the platforms and opportunities ourselves.
Beyond the visual art, DETROIT SALON brought the full Detroit arts experience to Paris, which for Motown, also included music. The programming included parties that showcased Detroit talent from DJs Kesswa and SkyJetta to the Detroit Public Schools Community Districts’ All-City Marching Band. Being from a city that’s provided the soundtrack to movements and life’s milestones, it was only right to import our distinct sound for the occasion.
There’s an energy and momentum within Detroit’s art scene right now that’s undeniable. It’s not new – it’s been building for decades – but it feels like we’re finally receiving the recognition we deserve. Our artists aren’t just creating beautiful work; they’re telling stories that need to be told, challenging narratives that need to be challenged, and representing communities that have too often been overlooked.
The work doesn’t stop here. As the first Black woman to be elected president of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Founders Junior Council in our 60-year history, I know that we have a responsibility to continue this momentum. We must keep acquiring work from Detroit artists, keep showing up at local galleries and exhibitions, keep supporting the cultural institutions that make our city special, and keep telling the world that Detroit’s artistic excellence is not just our past or our future – it’s our present.
For those inspired by DETROIT SALON’s success in Paris, there are countless ways to support Detroit’s thriving arts scene at home. Visit the DIA and become a member of auxiliary groups like the Founders Junior Council or Friends of African and African American Art. Attend exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Cranbrook Art Museum, and local galleries throughout the city. Purchase work from Detroit artists, attend their shows, and share their stories.
Detroit’s art scene is flourishing not by accident, but because of deliberate community investment and support. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring this momentum continues.
Standing in Paris, surrounded by Detroit art and Detroit people, I realized we don’t need the world to validate us. We know what we have. And as Detroit said “What up doe?” to Paris receiving a resounding “bonjour” in return, one thing became clear: this wasn’t just our debut at Art Basel Paris, it was our hello to the global art world.
Jenise Williams currently serves as the President of the Detroit Institute of Arts Founders Junior Council Board of Directors. She is youngest person and the first Black woman to be president of its board.
