City’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship gets new headquarters space, kicks off citywide contest to name new kids’ gallery
The City will open a new headquarters for its Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship on May 16, completing a relocation from the Marygrove Conservancy campus and continuing the office’s pledge to be housed in a neighborhood rather than downtown.
The new headquarters will feature the first-ever, city-sponsored children’s art gallery to showcase the exciting work being done by talented schoolchildren across the city. The gallery will host youth exhibits and events, some in partnership with the City’s Poet Laureate, Composer Laureate and Official Historian.
The City of Detroit’s Youth Affairs Team (YAT) joined Detroit ACE to launch a March open call for art to be displayed in the gallery sponsored by the Hudson-Webber and Kresge Foundations.
Detroit ACE is also announcing a contest to name the gallery. The winning name will be placed above the gallery, and the person whose name is chosen will win four summer passes to Cedar Point, the Ohio theme park that is home to 68 amazing rides. The pass is good for unlimited visits all summer through Labor Day. Suggestions should be sent by April 18 via email to [email protected] with contact information.
The May inaugural exhibit, titled “This is How We Do It: Detroit Youth Look to the Future,” will feature works that reflect Detroit’s past, present and future through a lens of unity and hope.
"We have tremendous talent of all ages in Detroit," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "Thanks to the support of the Kresge Foundation and Hudson-Webber Foundation, this exhibition will give young artists in Detroit the opportunity to have their work displayed inside the new headquarters for our Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship when it opens this spring."
Michelle Johnson, senior program officer with Kresge’s Detroit program, agreed. “Detroit has always been at the forefront of supporting and nurturing artists and the cultural bearers that make our city a dynamic place,” said Michelle Johnson, senior program office with the Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program. “The new ACE office at Butzel – and ACE’s efforts to engage youth and the next generation of artists with this exhibition opportunity – is another strong example of our city’s dedication and investment into the arts and the next generation of artists.”
Any children, parents and teachers still interested in submitting art can do so by April 14 and should adhere to the following guidelines:
Young artists must be age 10 to 18.
The artist should email a letter to [email protected] with the following information:
o Name, address, email address and phone number
o Parent or guardian’s name, email address, and phone number (if under 18)
o Name of the artwork
o One paragraph describing how their art fits the theme
o High-resolution photo of original artwork (jpeg, pdf, or png file)
All artwork must be submitted by April 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Late submissions will not be considered. More information about the exhibition and the contest is available at detroitartsandculture.com.
About YAT
Founded in 2023, the City of Detroit Youth Affairs Team is a dynamic, youth-led group mentored by the Department of Neighborhoods (DON). The team is committed to attracting and retaining Detroit's young talent while amplifying the voices of youth within the city and its hundreds of neighborhoods.
About ACE
Detroit ACE partners with organizations across the region to enhance and grow investment in the fine and performing arts, culture and history with a special focus on artistic entrepreneurship and support for Detroit’s creative workforce.
Follow ACE at @detroitcityarts on Instagram and @detroitcityarts on Facebook. See five years’ worth of ACE work at heyzine.com/flip-book/ae8130edcc.html.
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