Red Bull House of Art Flourishes in the Eastern Market with New Gallery Opening
On Friday night, over 1,800 patrons packed historic Eastern Market to take in the fifth cycle of Red Bull House of Art. The gallery walls gleamed with locally produced art representing a diverse set of eight artists from around Detroit. The result was a one-of-a-kind show featuring everything from handcrafted porcelain tiles to the first steel sculpture arrangement ever displayed in the gallery.
Red Bull House of Art, which launched a year-and-a-half ago during Movement Electronic Music Festival, unveiled 10-weeks of creative work to ring in the fifth opening. In the heart of the Motor City, Red Bull House of Art brought together all aspects of the art community for a defining experience that spoke vividly of the art scene in Detroit today.
“No matter what challenges we face as a city, the art community always overcomes and brings together a really diverse range of positive people,” says curator Matt Eaton. “There’s nothing that can stop creativity in this town.”
Since opening, Red Bull House of Art has given 40 Detroit-based artists the opportunity, tools and wings to create by their own means and opened the door for collaborative efforts between the artists in residence. Within that year, Red Bull House of Art has become a pillar in Detroit’s art scene, drawing rave reviews from local media and becoming a must see, must attend seasonal event.
“Thousands of people come through these openings,” says Red Bull House of Art artist Jesse Kassel. “There’s no gallery in the city that warrants this kind of attention. It’s completely unrivaled. Plus, there’s a really good group of people who are behind this, too. They understand the art and the neighborhood.”
The eight artists featured included mixed media artist Jesse Kassel, the large scale creations of Bryan Lacey and the neon-and-sculpture manipulations of Steven McShane, who introduced the idea of full scale sculpture into the Red Bull House of Art for the first time this cycle. Social entrepreneur and artist Elysia Vandenbussche created unique clay and ink pieces while Desiree Kelly’s wicked sense of humor in her paintings lightened up the exhibition. Fine artist Christopher Batten and pastel painter Carolyn Webber brought their sincere passion for the arts to the table. Camille LaMontagne’s experience in make-up artistry translated beautifully to her canvas work.
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