By Juana Williams, Art Curator
Over fifty Detroit community members traveled to Paris last month to support a new contemporary art initiative set to launch in 2025 and participating artists.
This multi-year initiative will create a tapestry connecting Detroit to multiple cities across the globe to celebrate the artists, as well as the arts and culture of Detroit. It will simultaneously bring the international art world to Detroit.
The trip to Paris was a preview of how this new initiative will promote Detroit’s arts economy and build on previous efforts of cultural diplomacy between the two cities and between the United States and France.
Art is foundational to what’s known as “cultural diplomacy” – using cultural tools to foster mutual understanding among people from different places and backgrounds.. Art can serve as a powerful tool in developing mutually respectful relationships and promoting a city or place. Art creates opportunities to celebrate differences and recognize a shared humanity. This potential to break down barriers and to affect people psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually, makes art instrumental in the toolkit of cultural diplomacy. And Detroit artists have an important role to play.
The initiative aims to promote the Detroit arts economy by providing professional opportunities for local artists, curators, and cultural workers who form the backbone of the arts community. It will establish Detroit as a globally recognized and respected arts destination for everything from culinary and visual art to theater, music, and fashion. Through this unique initiative, the Detroit contemporary art community will gain continual access to a network of opportunities within a broader geographical range. It will also bolster the local economy by bringing additional visitors to Michigan to support its museums, artists, and galleries.
As Rewa Zeinati, Curator of Public Programs at the Arab American National Museum reflected on the trip, she mentioned, “It is a privilege to get the chance to spend time with some of the most incredible artists and curators of Detroit (all in one room and in Paris!), to dream up ways to uplift Detroit-based artists in the ways that they deserve, and to continue to discover and highlight the great talent that exists in our city.”
Earlier this year, an Artist Advisory Committee, consisting of Detroit-based artists, was formed to further the mission of the initiative. The overarching idea behind the Committee was to prioritize community engagement. By highlighting first the voices, needs, and desires of Detroit’s artists, the Committee identified relevant ways the initiative could continue the legacy of the arts while fulfilling the most pressing needs within the cultural sector of the city. It was paramount for the project first to seek the input of artists who live and work in and around Detroit, with the goal of collecting authentic feedback.
The artists who acted as Detroit cultural ambassadors in Paris were members of this Artist Advisory Committee and provided additional guidance on future Detroit programming in Paris. The artists reflected
positively on this unique program, noting the benefits of global opportunities and their impact on individual artistic practices, as well as the value of experiencing this opportunity with other Detroiters.
Artist Tylonn J. Sawyer reflected on the trip, “Paris gave me the best four days of this year. I’m still reflecting on how deeply this experience touched me. The city felt like stepping into a painting. It was romantic and enchanting, but the true magic came from my Detroit cohort. Sharing these moments with such brilliant, beautiful, and inspiring people was everything. I can’t remember the last time I felt so consistently happy. For me, every single moment in Paris was filled with joy, and for that, I’m beyond grateful.”
Through conversations over multiple days, Detroiters uncovered the differences and similarities between the cultural sectors of the two cities, while considering opportunities for future partnerships.
Detroit’s local art patrons are also championing the development of this initiative. Over a dozen Detroit area art patrons and community supporters participated in the Paris trip as advocates of how collective action can result in invaluable opportunity.
A final aspect of the program involved immersion in the Paris art scene. The Detroit cultural ambassadors participated in private tours and curated visits to Parisian museums and Art Basel, visited galleries, shared a Detroit music experience at a vinyl listening bar, exchanged ideas over dinner inside a fashion installation, and toured sites for future exhibitions.
For over 100 years, Detroit has built its name and brand recognition through its creativity and ingenuity in the automobile and music sectors. Detroiters are known for being innovative and for translating the tastes
of working people into visual and artful expressions that people from all walks of life can love and appreciate. This effort builds on the city’s rich cultural legacy. Detroit artist Cydney Camp offered a fitting description for what’s to come, “Together, we glimpsed and cultivated Detroit’s enduring cultural legacy. I’m very excited for the many ways this initiative will enrich
our artists and community!”
For more information on this cultural trip and upcoming announcements regarding this new contemporary art initiative, you can visit salonniere.co or follow @salonniere on social media.
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Juana Williams is Director of Exhibitions at Salonnière™, a Detroit-based cultural organization with a mission to connect traditionally underrepresented voices in art and culture to the global art world by curating cultural experiences, projects, and conversations.