Art Detroit Now Gets A Second Go, Revised: Five Questions

Grand Rapids, with its Art Prize contest now underway, is stealing a lot of thunder this week. But it’s not the only Michigan city in the art game this fall. Art Detroit Now, a weekend event set for Oct. 2 and 3, is an attempt to raise the profile of contemporary art and artists in the erstwhile Motor City, normally viewed as far from the madding art crowd. Buzz, the organizers believe, works.

The event, which involves an art crawl, gallery open houses, museum open houses and workshops at about 50 venues, began in 2008. It’s not unique, but I give the locals arts crowd credit for trying specifically to build on the momentum created by the reopening of the Detroit Institute of Arts two years ago and the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (above) in 2006.

Last time, in May 2008, Art Detroit Now involved “3 days, 75 galleries, 1000’s of artists” in and around the city center. This time, there’ve been a few changes. The full press release is here.

I thought it was an opportunity for a good Five Questions, and Marc Schwartz, a founding member of the event and this year’s chair, agreed.

1) There’ve been changes since 2008 — two days now, instead of three; fall instead of spring, etc. What prompted those changes, what did you learn from the 2008 event?

 

In Detroit, gallery and shows openings have historically been on Friday nights, or on Saturday during the afternoon or evening.  Last year, those venues that scheduled events on Thursday did not get the bump in attendance we had hoped for, so this year we decided that a 2-day concentrated effort would work better for everyone.  With regard to Spring vs. Fall, we’re new at this. The first time around, we decided on the Spring as an attempt to draw more people to art venues at a slower time of the year. This time, we through we’d use the start of the art season as a basis to build on. In a few weeks, we’ll assess everything, and start plans for a bigger and better 3rd edition.  

2) Did you have a model when you started, or are you attempting to create a model for other cities?

 

Art Detroit Now was initiated by an Ad Hoc group of Gallery Owners, Art Patrons, and Directors of the leading non-profit contemporary arts organizations in the Detroit area.  Several years ago, a group of 11 gathered to casually discuss what could be done to increase awareness of the great art and artists we have in this area.  We spent considerable time discussing what other metropolitan areas were doing, and flushed out several different big picture ideas.  We then had some “town meetings” where these ideas were flushed out and refined into a workable concept.  The details regarding Art Detroit Now were presented in monthly open meetings, and that input was used to define the details of the event.  

 

3) What role do artists play in this event?

 

This is a venue-driven event, with virtually each gallery, museum and non-profit during something special over the two-day period.  That’s where the artists play a key role, by giving a lecture, a workshop, a performance, or just being there to meet, greet and answer questions about their work.  This role should not be undervalued.  There’s a whole different set of emotions that the viewer usually experiences when they have the opportunity to interact with the creators of the work.

 

4) Have you set attendance goals, or other measures of success that you’re aiming for?

 

We’re hoping that up to 25,000 people will visit at least one venue over the two-day period.  Every venue, from the Detroit Institute of Arts to the Directors of cutting-edge project spaces have put forth their best efforts to create really special experiences for  art enthusiasts,but also people who may not have stepped foot in a gallery or museum for a very long time.

 

5) What can Art Now Detroit do to sustain the interest in art during the rest of the year?

 

We’re going to take a hard look at what happens over the weekend of October 2-3, and start discussing next steps. The first two editions of this event have been run by a group of hard-working arts advocates, without any organization or specific funding. It’s amazing, with all the economic challenges that Detroit is facing right now, how many arts initiatives, such as Kresge Arts in Detroit, have been launched over the last year or so.  Everyone involved with Art Detroit Now would like to find a way to add to this energy.