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Museum Of Contemporary Art Detroit Celebrates 100 Years Of Surrealism With Fall Exhibition Season MOCAD’s Fall Season articulates surrealism in contemporary art through four distinct exhibitions spanning the museum. (Detroit, Michigan – October 8, 2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) celebrates 100 years of surrealism with four exhibitions exploring the many facets of surrealism in contemporary art. MOCAD is proud to present Chris Schanck’s A Surreality, ASMA Collective’s Wander + Pursuit, collaborative works from Clare Gatto and Kara Gut in Magic Circle, and a site-specific installation, Portal Fire: Shrine of the Torchbearer from Levon Kafafian in Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead. These new perspectives on the impactful art movement will be on view from November 22, 2024 to February 23, 2025. “As Artistic Director of MOCAD, I am thrilled to usher in four new exhibitions that reimagine and honor the legacy of surrealism. These visionary artists are breaking boundaries, challenging perceptions, and inviting us into worlds where the line between reality and the imagination blurs. We are excited to present these dynamic works that not only reflect the surrealist movement’s past but also shape its future in contemporary art here in Detroit,” says Jova Lynne, Co-Director/Artistic Director of MOCAD.

Kicking off the season, MOCAD is pleased to present Detroit-based artist and designer Chris Schanck’s first Detroit solo museum presentation A Surreality, featuring a collection of fantastic objects, sculptures, and furnishings that explore the expansive nature of science fiction, myth, and fantasy in crafting our reality. Located in Woodward Gallery, Schanck’s distinctive design practice prioritizes imagination and celebrates the transformative power of extraordinary experiences and otherworldly narratives. A Surreality features shimmering coffee tables, mirrors, tables, light fixtures, and ethereal chairs that transport you to another dimension. Schanck creates a new reality by sparkling and shimmering to underline the blurry nature of experience from science fiction to fantasy. Schanck’s work explores multiple layers of meaning, transforming each object into a vessel for discourse. His work contributes to the lexicon of craft practices, where objects, sculptures, and installations create undefinable and amorphous experiences. In Wander + Pursuit, ASMA creates a visual metaphor merging biological and artificial life as the office space. They use material technology, surrealism, organic shapes, and craft processes. Their installation is a site for two functions; an environment that instrumentalizes the body as a labor source and a place to transform into a recreational space, such as a romantic garden. Wander & Pursuit is populated with images of the pursuit of romantic love projected onto objects of immaterial labor, such as computers, printers, and other office components. In the words of ASMA, this space is “a ruin from a time in our past when life was divided into work and leisure”. Wander & Pursuit is the first museum exhibition in the United States of the Mexico City-based artist duo ASMA, formed by Hanya Beliá and Matias Armendaris. Magic Circle, Clare Gatto and Kara Güt’s first museum exhibition as collaborators, centers on fantasy roleplay video game design and motifs as points of departure and offers a glimpse into an alternate realm or reality. Through hybrid assemblages, the artists transform the gallery into an ambiguous “in-between” world that collapses the boundaries dividing the virtual from the “real.” They push and pull once-familiar images of the natural environment, including volcanic rocks, sand, and bricks, in and out of virtual space to create a library of textures that intentionally elude easy recognition. In Magic Circle, Gatto and Güt create a momentary glitch in the system and give us space to embrace a sense of fluidity and uncertainty in the ways we define what’s real. Rounding out the season is Portal Fire: Shrine of the Torchbearer, a presentation of new work by the Detroit-based artist Levon Kafafian. Borne from MOCAD’s partnership with New York based residency program International Studio and Curatorial Program Residency, Kafafian presents a series of immersive vignettes that invites viewers into the imaginary world of Azadistan, a sophisticated and highly stratified civilization where textiles have become symbolic markers of class and power and act as a narrative guide to the nuances of society. Portal Fire: Shrine of the Torchbearer demonstrates Kafafian’s creative approach to channeling the evolving realities of the Armenian diasporic experience. Inspired by the concept of ‘Armeno-Futurism,’ the exhibition centers a commitment to envisioning expansive futures in the wake of the historical and ongoing loss of ancestral Armenian homelands. Please join us on Friday, November 22, to celebrate our Fall 2024 Exhibitions. Doors open at 5:00pm for MOCAD members to view the exhibitions followed by a 6pm opening to the public. A talk featuring ASMA will begin at 6:15pm. ABOUT CHRIS SCHANCK Designer Chris Schanck’s work embraces the tension between dilapidation and opulence, asking us to find unconventional beauty in the imperfect. Schanck was born in Pittsburgh in 1975 and grew up in Dallas, Texas. He received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree in sculpture from the School of Visual Arts and a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in design from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Upon graduating in 2011, Schanck founded a studio in Detroit employing over a dozen artists, students, and craftspeople. Based in a former factory in Banglatown, a neighborhood with a dense immigrant population, the local community plays a key role in Schanck’s egalitarian studio practice, which brings outsiders into design culture. ABOUT ASMA ASMA is an artist duo based in Mexico City, formed by Matias Armendaris (Ecuadorian, b. 1990) and Hanya Beliá (Mexican, b. 1994). Combined, they hold an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from Emily Carr University, as well as a BFA in Visual Arts from the Facultad de Artes y Diseño (UNAM). The duo has exhibited internationally, including Manifesta Biennial, Marseille, Museo Tamayo, México City, The Chicago Artist Coalition, and Denver Art Museum. ABOUT CLARE GATTO + KARA GÜT Clare Gatto and Kara Gut are image-based digital media artists who have collaborated and shown work together over the past 10+ years alongside their independent practices. They attended Ohio State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. Güt’s work investigates the shape of human intimacy formed by internet lifestyles and constructed detachment from reality, while Gatto uses 3D rendering software to create and explore simulated bodies, egg sacs, and interstitial space. They live and work in Cleveland, OH, and Detroit, MI, respectively. In February of 2024, Gatto and Güt were artists-in-residence at The Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University. They both exhibited nationally and internationally as collaborators and independent artists. Güt is a 2023 Knight Art + Tech Fellow, and Gatto is a recipient of Culture Sources’ 2023 Creators of Culture and Flourish Fund. ABOUT LEVON KAFAFIAN Based in Detroit, MI, Kafafian holds a BFA in Fiber from the College for Creative Studies and a BA in Anthropology from Wayne State University in 2014. Kafafian has forthcoming exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, MI, and CUE Foundation, NY. They co-led a 7-week public educational weaving program in partnership with Trapholt Museum for Moderne Kunst, Denmark, in 2022, and regularly lecture and teach workshops across the U.S. Kafafian has notably exhibited their work at the University of Michigan, Stamps Gallery, MI, and the Arab American National Museum, MI. They have participated in the International Studio and Curatorial Program Residency (2023) and the Arab American National Museum Residency (2019). ABOUT MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. CONTACT Carolina Adams Sutton Communications [email protected]

Celebrating Resilience, Renewal, and Detroit’s Creative Spirit – November 1 at the Harmonie Club DETROIT, MI – The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) will host its 19TH ANNUAL GALA + ART AUCTION, PHOENIX RISING, on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 7–11 PM at the Harmonie Club in downtown Detroit. This year’s event honors nearly two decades of fearless creativity, celebrating Detroit’s vibrant cultural community as MOCAD prepares for its 20th anniversary in 2026. Themed Phoenix Rising, the evening will center on transformation and rebirth, reflecting both the museum’s enduring role in the city’s creative ecosystem and its forward-looking vision. Guests will enjoy a curated dinner, live activations, an art auction featuring works by local and national artists, and a special performance by Detroit-based musician SHIGETO, whose electrifying live ensemble is unmatched. The evening will be emceed by jessica Care moore, celebrated poet, writer, and performer. “This gala is a celebration of our city’s resilience and creative renewal,” said Marie Madison-Patton, Co-Director + Chief Operating Officer of MOCAD. “Detroit’s artists, thinkers, and cultural workers continue to inspire us to reimagine what’s possible. Phoenix Rising honors that collective spirit and the transformative power of art.” “Phoenix Rising celebrates our shared creative spirit—rooted in Detroit and connected to a global community of artists, thinkers, and collaborators,” said Jova Lynne, Co-Director + Artistic Director of MOCAD. “As we approach our twentieth year, we’re honoring those who’ve built this foundation—both here and beyond—while inviting everyone to imagine and shape the next chapter of Detroit’s creative future together.” The 2025 Gala will recognize several honorees whose work has profoundly shaped the artistic and cultural fabric of Detroit and beyond:

• dream hampton is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. She was Showrunner and Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, which earned her a Peabody Award. Hers is a practice that combats erasure and exposes the entanglement of art, violence, and power. In 2019, TIME magazine named hampton one of the most influential people in the world. On being honored hampton said, “It’s never been more important to take care of each other, to build independent institutions that center creative community” (like MOCAD).
• CARY LOREN has shaped Detroit’s cultural landscape through fearless experimentation across writing, music, visual art, and community building. Beginning with self-published art zines in the 1970s, he went on to co-found the influential band Destroy All Monsters, publish poetry and essays, and create zines, videos, and collage-based art. As co-owner of The Book Beat in Oak Park, Loren fosters dialogue through discussions of world literature and champions independent art and music. We celebrate him for his enduring commitment to nurturing Detroit’s creative spirit and documenting its rich, complex history.
• CHRIS SCHANCK transforms decay into elegance, uncovering beauty in imperfection through a fusion of the weathered and the opulent. After earning degrees from the School of Visual Arts and Cranbrook Academy of Art, he founded a Detroit studio in 2011 that engages local artists and community members in producing distinctive, handcrafted pieces. Best known for his Alufoil series, Schanck transforms discarded materials into fantastical yet functional objects, merging practical use with dreamlike forms. We celebrate him for reimagining how art, design, and place intersect in Detroit and beyond.
• JON GRAY is the cofounder of Ghetto Gastro, the Bronx-born culinary collective reshaping food as a cultural force. Blending his roots with a background in fashion and design, Gray creates immersive experiences that challenge narratives and celebrate the Bronx’s global influence. A TED speaker and Civic Practice Artist in Residence at The Met, he also guest-curated Jon Gray of Ghetto Gastro Selects at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, exploring Afrofuturist themes.
• THE KRESGE FOUNDATION has been a steadfast supporter of MOCAD since its earliest days, championing arts-based leadership and uplifting cultural movements that strengthen communities. A private, national foundation, Kresge works to expand equity and opportunity in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and community development— nationally and in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, and Fresno. We celebrate the Foundation for its visionary commitment to creative, lasting change and its profound impact on how MOCAD can show up for Detroit and beyond. On being honored, the Kresge Foundation reflects, “We are deeply honored by this recognition from MOCAD. The museum is a vital force in Detroit’s cultural life, and we are proud to stand alongside so many artists and partners who use creativity to strengthen community.”

JOIN US Tickets begin at $1,000, with sponsorships ranging from $2,500 to $100,000. Sponsors and guests directly support MOCAD’s exhibitions, education programs, and artist initiatives, while enjoying exclusive benefits such as VIP curator tours, private artist dinners, logo recognition, and invitations to special MOCAD events. Tickets and sponsorships are available on our Gala page or by contacting [email protected]. ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is a non-collecting institution dedicated to exploring contemporary art and ideas from Detroit and around the world. Through exhibitions, public programs, and youth education, MOCAD fosters experimentation, dialogue, and creative possibility. Learn more at mocadetroit.org or follow @mocadetroit on social media. CONTACT Carolina Adams Sutton Communications [email protected]

The Museum to honor Olayami Dabls, Linda Powers, and Omari Rush in a night of surrealist splendor (Detroit, Michigan – September 12, 2024) – The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is proud to announce its highly anticipated Annual Gala and Art Auction, taking place on Saturday, October 26th. The event, one of Detroit’s most prestigious and vibrant cultural fundraisers, is set to honor some of the city’s most influential arts and cultural figures, while celebrating the creative spirit that makes Detroit a global beacon for contemporary art and innovation. Proceeds from the event directly support MOCAD’s mission to connect Detroit with the international art world while fostering inclusive, forward-thinking cultural spaces within the city. Marie Patton, MOCAD’s Co-Director and Chief Operating Officer, shares: “For 18 years, MOCAD has served as a hub for contemporary art, building and fostering meaningful relationships across the city and around the globe. As we continue to grow, we’re paving the way toward a bright and inclusive future where art and community come together.” This year, the museum is thrilled to pay tribute to three extraordinary honorees who have each played pivotal roles in shaping Detroit’s cultural landscape:

• Esteemed artist, cultural organizer, curator and the founder of MBAD African Bead Museum, Olayami Dabls.
• Award-winning interior designer and longtime champion of MOCAD’s mission, Founding Board Member Linda Powers.
• Executive Director of CultureSource in Detroit and former Chair of the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council, Omari Rush.

Our honorees are partners in building vibrant, inclusive spaces where artists and audiences connect, experiment, and inspire each other. They embody the passion and resilience that define both MOCAD and Detroit, making art accessible and impactful for all. Jova Lynne, MOCAD’s Co-Director and Artistic Director, notes, “I am thrilled for MOCAD’s Gala and the incredible opportunity it presents to celebrate the brilliant individuals who make Detroit’s contemporary art landscape shine. Olayami Dabls, Linda Powers, and Omari Rush are people who are doing the work to elevate Detroit’s artistic communities. I am thrilled to celebrate them as a true reflection of MOCAD’s mission to support creativity, innovation, and the dynamic voices that shape our community.” AN EVENING OF SURREAL SPLENDOR The evening will bring together an illustrious gathering of artists, patrons, and supporters of the arts. Hosted by a distinguished committee that includes Charles Boyd, MD – Chair, Lisa Applebaum, dream hampton, Roz and Scott Jacobson, Eileen and Matt Kiriluk, Brian McKinney, Marsha Miro, Lauren Rakolta, and Nate Wallace, the 2024 Gala promises to be one of the most memorable events in Detroit’s cultural calendar. The Gala will celebrate these placemakers in a world of surreal wonder, where performers emerge from hidden architectural installations, and every moment is sure to surprise. The event will feature an art auction hosted by Artsy, a five-star dinner featuring surreal and sumptuous ingredients by local culinary experts, live musical performances by the experimental-pop duo CC Nobody and choreographer Leah O’Donnell, and a rare opportunity to meet and mingle with current and upcoming exhibiting artists. AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS Whether you’re a seasoned art collector or a first-time attendee, the MOCAD Art Auction offers something for everyone—a night of inspiration, discovery, and connection. This year, we’re teaming up with Artsy for our annual auction in support of our mission. For those attending in person, you’ll experience the thrill of a live auction on select artwork. Online bidding will open Monday, October 14th and close Monday, October 28th. Gala attendees will enjoy a preview of select pieces and the opportunity to talk about the works with MOCAD curators. VISIT ARTSY TO REGISTER TODAY! This year’s Art Auction highlights include work from LaKela Brown, Olayami Dabls, Conrad Egyir, Sol LeWitt, Danielle Dean, Chris Schanck, Jackie Ferrara, Sam Moyer and many more. JOIN US Tickets for the MOCAD 2024 Gala + Art Auction are priced at $1,000 each. Exclusive sponsorship packages that provide unique branding opportunities, VIP experiences, and special recognition throughout the event are also available. For more information about the evening, including ticket purchases and sponsorship opportunities, please visit our 2024 Gala + Art Auction page or contact Development Officer Emily Durnen-Weiss at [email protected]. ABOUT MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is a non-profit institution located in the heart of Detroit, dedicated to presenting art at the forefront of contemporary culture. MOCAD explores cultural and sociopolitical issues through diverse and dynamic exhibitions and programs, connecting Detroit with the global art world. The museum focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting the community it serves. MOCAD encourages innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars, enriching all who participate and educating visitors of all ages on the power of art. Welcoming creative voices from Detroit and around the world, MOCAD aims to guide us toward an equitable and inclusive future. The Museum believes that art can change us and is committed to holding a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coexist. 2024 GALA HOST COMMITTEE Charles Boyd, MD — Chair Lisa Applebaum dream hampton Roz + Scott Jacobson Eileen + Matt Kiriluk Brian McKinney Marsha Miro Lauren Rakolta Nate Wallace CONTACT Carolina Adams Sutton Communications [email protected]

(New York, NY, September 10, 2024) – Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) is pleased to announce that the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is the 2024 recipient of The Ellsworth Kelly Award, a $45,000 annual grant from FCA to support a solo exhibition for a contemporary artist. The grant to MOCAD supports the museum’s Spring 2026 exhibition of works by multidisciplinary artist Karyn Olivier, which will include a range of installations and sculptures, and a newly commissioned site-specific work. Working across the intersections of race, history, and identity, Olivier’s monumental sculptures and public art often re-contextualize everyday objects and encourage the viewer to explore what is familiar, historical, and commemorated. Olivier’s exhibition at MOCAD will feature works that engage the ongoing contributions of Black communities and address their omission to expand historical narratives. FCA’s Ellsworth Kelly Award was created to support a solo exhibition for a contemporary artist, driven by Kelly’s own recognition of how transformative an in-depth solo exhibition could be for an artist’s career—and the important role that U.S. regional museums and university and college art galleries play in creating such opportunities. This by-invitation, annual grant of $45,000 is intended to support an institution in providing a significant exhibition opportunity to a visual artist whose artistic achievements merit wider recognition, regardless of career stage. FCA administers the selection process and award, which was launched during Ellsworth Kelly’s lifetime is endowed by the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Applications in this cycle were invited from a small number of institutions on the eastern side of the U.S. In 2025, the award will focus on institutions on the western side of the country. The commission from MOCAD will enable Olivier to travel to Detroit to gather materials and engage with local histories to develop the work. A former Detroit resident, Olivier is familiar with the challenges and changes that have characterized the city’s recent past, and how its economic “revitalization” has also engendered a sense of cultural alienation—particularly for long-time residents within its predominantly Black community. Her multidisciplinary approach to making is an act of social practice with the potential to build a more complex understanding of shared history. “Curating Karyn Olivier’s exhibition is a profound opportunity to illuminate the critical narratives embedded in her work” said Jova Lynne, exhibition curator and MOCAD’s Co-Director/Artistic Director. “This exhibition will amplify the voices and histories that Olivier so powerfully brings to the forefront, offering a space for contemplation and dialogue. The Ellsworth Kelly Award is instrumental in realizing the ambitious scale of this exhibition, allowing us to fully honor Olivier’s artistry and impact. We are confident that this show will resonate deeply with our community and beyond, marking a pivotal moment in Olivier’s career and in MOCAD’s commitment to presenting transformative contemporary art.” “We are honored to assist MOCAD in bringing Karyn Olivier’s exhibition to audiences in Detroit through The Ellsworth Kelly Award,” said Kay Takeda, Executive Director of Foundation for Contemporary Arts, “Olivier is a tenacious and bold artist who asks questions of history and engages viewers in a personal and expansive way. MOCAD’s treatment of her thought-provoking work, the scale of vision for the project, and the way it furthers a collaboration between the artist and Co-Director/Artistic Director Jova Lynne are timely and compelling to us.” MOCAD’s proposal was selected for support by FCA’s Board of Directors, including Cecily Brown, Anne Collier, Anthony B. Creamer III, Jennie C. Jones, Julian Lethbridge, Richard Maxwell, Dean Moss, Okwui Okpokwasili, Emily Wei Rales, Matana Roberts, James Welling, and John Yau. In making the award, FCA’s Directors seek projects that are in earlier stages of planning at the time of review and require the financial catalyst provided by The Ellsworth Kelly Award to help propel them from planning to realization. Since its inception in 2016, the Ellsworth Kelly Award has helped to realize substantial solo exhibitions of artists such as Dakota Mace, Lydia Ourahmane, Shahpour Pouyan, Cauleen Smith, and dana washington-queen. The award has been presented to institutions across the United States, including university and college galleries in Augusta, Georgia; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Richmond, Virginia; and San Francisco, and at cultural institutions and museums in Nashville, Tennessee and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Awarded institutions have regularly illuminated and contextualized an artist’s practice and have engaged artists to realize new work, explore new methods and collaborate with new communities. ABOUT KARYN OLIVIER Karyn Olivier, born in Trinidad and Tobago (1968) and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans sculptures, installations, and public art. Her practice engages with themes of erasure and memory, often focusing on historical movements and figures that have been marginalized or overlooked. Olivier’s work creates powerful monuments that bring these hidden stories to light, challenging views to reconsider their understanding of history. Olivier’s art is deeply informed by her diverse heritage and personal experiences, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersections of race, history, and identity. Her installations often feature large-scale, thought- provoking pieces that invite viewers to engage with complex social issues. Olivier’s contributions to the art world are significant, as she continually pushes the boundaries of contemporary art through her innovative and impactful works. Olivier received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She is currently a professor of sculpture at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her work has been featured in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial, Prospect.6 Triennial, and the Malta Biennale. She has received multiple awards and fellowships, such as the Anonymous Was a Woman Award, the Nancy B. Negley Rome Prize, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT (MOCAD) The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) was founded in 2006 and is located in the heart of Detroit’s Midtown cultural district. Housed in a 22,000 square foot former auto dealership, MOCAD has maintained the building’s historic character while providing a versatile space for contemporary art exhibitions and events. As a Kunsthalle, MOCAD is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting rotating exhibitions of new and experimental art. MOCAD’s mission is to present exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary art, connecting Detroit to the global art world. The museum focuses on art as a vehicle for social change and human understanding, reflecting the community it serves. MOCAD encourages innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars, aiming to educate visitors of all ages about the transformative power of art. In 2023, MOCAD hosted over 144 public programs, drawing large audiences through its diverse and inclusive programming. Under the new leadership established in 2023, MOCAD has continued to forge meaningful partnerships and present exhibitions that engage with critical social issues, further solidifying its role as a vital cultural institution in Detroit. ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS (FCA) The mission of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts is to encourage, sponsor, and promote innovative work in the arts created and presented by individuals, groups, and organizations. Since FCA’s inception, more than 7,300 grants to artists and arts organizations—totaling over $25 million—have provided opportunities for creative exploration and the realization of new work. FCA’s unrestricted, by-nomination Grants to Artists recognize 23 artists each year with awards of $45,000 for their pioneering work across the fields of dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, and the visual arts. Its Emergency Grants provide urgent funding to more than 200 artists annually to respond to sudden opportunities to present their work, or unexpected expenses for projects close to completion. Artists are primarily responsible for the Foundation’s existence, its growth, and its continuation. To date, over 1,000 artists have contributed artwork to help fund FCA’s grant programs; and financial contributions from like-minded individuals and foundations significantly enhance FCA’s ability to recognize and support innovative artists. FCA was established by John Cage (1912-1992) and Jasper Johns in 1963. At the time, emerging visual artists were experiencing modest financial success, while many of their peers working in dance, music, and theater struggled to find funding for their work. FCA was initially operated on a volunteer basis by a group of artists who together organized benefit exhibitions, made grants, and produced performances by innovative artists. Many of the artists who participated in those early years would go on to make significant contributions to American arts and culture. www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org ### For more information, please contact: Sascha Freudenheim PAVE Communications & Consulting [email protected] 917-544-6057

The Fall season opens with three solo exhibitions and two shows that engage with the Museum’s history and mission. DETROIT, MI — The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is pleased to announce its Fall 2023/Winter 2024 Season, on view from September 29, 2023 to February 4, 2024. The Fall/Winter season features three solo exhibitions, a celebratory show about the exhibition history of MOCAD, and a non-traditional exhibition taking the shape of a series of programs inspired by the mission of Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead of fostering “art as service.”

• MOCAD is pleased to present the first solo museum show of multidisciplinary artist Mark Thomas Gibson. A Retelling exhibits Gibson’s extensive research and visual archive of race in proximity to American culture and identity. The comedic cadence of Gibson’s work pokes fun at how information is passed on, produced, and retold from news sources. It addresses how power structures and information technologies impact our collective reality. Through an ensemble of works that engage with the intertwined and complex history of painting and caricature, Gibson explores the potentiality of retelling by creating a palimpsest of race in America.
• MOCAD: Doors Open celebrates the 17th anniversary of MOCAD, honoring the Museum’s rich exhibition history and commitment to the expanded field of contemporary art. The exhibition displays archival materials and collections related to MOCAD’s history, including artists’ books, commissioned artist prints, access to digital archives, exhibition ephemera, and publications. It offers a diagrammatic map that gives the public a glimpse into the institution’s rich history of supporting contemporary art on a regional and international scale, reimagining the idea of a traditional museum.
• In shadowworking, multidisciplinary artist Kevin Bernard Moultrie Daye (KBMD), also known as SPIRITUALS, reimagines how Black communities monumentalize intangible heritage and ancestry. KBMD employs time as a versatile canvas, underscoring that culture transcends mere artifacts interwoven with rituals and the flow of time. Through a fusion of digital, virtual, and industrial methods, the artist reshapes the concept of “folk” art, erasing the boundaries between tradition and ingenuity.
• Transcendence is an immersive experience inspired by artist Kesiena Wanogho’s investigations of White Supremacist uprisings in America, paralleled with an inquiry into the legacies of liberation movements led by Black femmes. In this exhibition, Wanogho’s avatar, KESSWA, guides you from the Deep South to the North Star–Detroit–the final stop on the Underground Railroad. Visitors will enter this domain and leap through space, time, and landscape to experience joyful moments of a Black femme vernacular

Join us on Friday, September 29, to celebrate our Fall 2023/Winter 2024 Exhibitions! Doors open at 4:30pm with an artist talk and performances from 5:30pm–10:30pm. After opening four major exhibitions, MOCAD celebrates its seventeenth birthday on Thursday, October 26, by mounting Mike Kelley’s Space for Public Good (MKSPG). Dedicated to community engagement and inspired by the vast nature of community alliances that the iconic Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead has fostered, the space includes activations in collaboration with Detroit arts and culture groups deeply ingrained in defining community. MKSPG activates organizations such as Intersectional Press, Cinema Detroit, and the Detroit Recovery Project. It will host a pop-up exhibition featuring work by artists in Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC), an organization that supports individuals with various disabilities. These activations are a means to spotlight MOCAD’s network while continuing to support Community Cares, a series designed to respond to local crises by providing life-saving training to the public.

The Museum to pilot an art field trip program with the support of The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation. (Detroit, Michigan – August 21, 2024) – The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is honored to announce the launch of an art field trip program offered to the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), addressing the critical national need for equitable access to arts education. This initiative aligns with MOCAD’s mission to serve the Detroit community through presenting art at the forefront of contemporary culture and to explore cultural and sociopolitical issues through diverse and dynamic exhibitions and programs. Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, the program will provide six field trips to MOCAD for students from three Title 1 schools within DPSCD. These schools were selected based on their commitment to arts education and their need for additional resources to support such initiatives. Approximately 300 students will benefit from guided exhibition tours and hands-on learning activities, all provided at no cost to the district. The program ensures these experiences are accessible by covering transportation, student lunches, and activity materials. “Launching this art field trip program is a significant step for MOCAD and our community,” said Jova Lynne, Co-Director at MOCAD. “Having started my career in museum education, I understand the profound impact of such initiatives. This program is vital for DPSCD students, expanding our educational outreach and reinforcing our mission in the power art has to transform and reflect our community while underscoring our commitment to making contemporary art accessible to all.” Art education plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and cultural awareness among students. “Our goal is to introduce students to contemporary art and encourage their own interpretation of it through hands-on activities and exhibition exploration,” said Meghan Morrow, Curator of Education at MOCAD. “The lesson plans we develop will align with Michigan and DPSCD education standards, ensuring that the field trips are both educational and inspiring.” This pilot program is part of MOCAD’s broader commitment to educational outreach and community engagement. In addition to these field trips, MOCAD offers free Family Days every second Saturday of the month during exhibition seasons, providing families with the opportunity to explore contemporary art together through hands-on artmaking and interactive family tours. MOCAD invites the community to join in for these enriching experiences and see firsthand the impact of contemporary art on education and personal growth. This program is made possible by the generous $11,700 USD gift from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation. For more information about the program, our free monthly Family Days, and other educational initiatives at MOCAD, please visit www.mocadetroit.org. MUSEUM HOURS:

• Wednesday to Sunday: 11 AM – 5 PM
• Thursday: 11 AM – 8 PM
• Closed on Monday and Tuesday

ABOUT MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is a non-profit institution located in the heart of Detroit, dedicated to presenting art at the forefront of contemporary culture. MOCAD explores cultural and sociopolitical issues through diverse and dynamic exhibitions and programs, connecting Detroit with the global art world. The museum focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting the community it serves. MOCAD encourages innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars, enriching all who participate and educating visitors of all ages on the power of art. Welcoming creative voices from Detroit and around the world, MOCAD aims to guide us toward an equitable and inclusive future. The museum believes that art can change us and is committed to holding a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coexist. ABOUT THE VERA AND JOSEPH DRESNER FOUNDATION The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives in profoundly positive ways through grants focused on health, youth and family services, education, human services, and animal welfare. CONTACT: Carolina Adams Sutton Communications [email protected]

Following a Temporary Closure, MOCAD will Reopen with Exhibitions in a Reimagined Space DETROIT, MI — As the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) approaches its 20th anniversary in 2026, it is preparing for a transformation and lineup of new exhibitions. Celebrating two decades at the heart of Detroit’s cultural and artistic movements, MOCAD will temporarily close its main building for essential renovations beginning AUGUST 25, 2025, and reopen in early 2026 with a refreshed building and bold Winter season of programming. The renovation will focus on critical infrastructure upgrades, including HVAC improvements, and will feature a redesigned Woodward Avenue facade with a new public window display, reflecting the museum’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and its visitors who travel to the museum from across the globe. While the main building is closed, MOCAD will continue programming in the Mike Kelley Mobile Homestead. Opening October 24, Heart Land, a solo exhibition by Detroit-based artist Mary-Ann Monforton, will be free and open to the public. Through sculptural works, the show reimagines icons of American wealth and ambition, challenging the spectacle of power and offering hope and play as alternatives to the status quo. The anniversary year will kick off with a dynamic series of exhibitions featuring artists Carole Harris, Martha Mysko, and the first museum retrospective of legendary Detroit artist Olayami Dabls. Known for founding the MBAD African Bead Museum, Dabls has spent over four decades blending African spiritual symbolism, Black history, and Detroit’s industrial landscape into transformative public art. Guided by the theme “Radical Imagination, Intersectional Futures,” the anniversary program will honor MOCAD’s roots as a site of civic engagement, experimentation, and collective visioning. It will invite artists, neighbors, and culture-bearers to celebrate MOCAD as a platform for knowledge sharing, joy, and community building. “As we celebrate our twentieth year, we’re honoring MOCAD’s role as a civic commons,” said Jova Lynne and Marie Madison-Patton, Co-Directors of MOCAD. “This renovation is an investment in the museum’s future—one that will allow us to better serve artists, audiences, and the city of Detroit. As we look ahead, it’s just as important to reflect on our past as it is to imagine what’s possible.” The museum will remain open through AUGUST 24, 2025, the Gun Violence Memorial Project on view (closing August 24). Visitors are encouraged to experience this impactful installation before the renovation begins. To stay informed about the upcoming Mobile Homestead exhibition and reopening plans, please visit our website or follow MOCAD on social media @mocadetroit.

Funding will support exhibitions and public programming under the museum’s renewed leadership vision. DETROIT, MI — The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a major grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This competitive grant marks the first time in 15 years that MOCAD has received support from the Foundation, which is widely recognized for its commitment to advancing contemporary visual art through risk-taking and experimental work. The multi-year funding will directly support MOCAD’s exhibitions and their accompanying public programs, furthering the museum’s mission to present innovative, accessible, and community-rooted contemporary art in Detroit. This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for the museum, as it moves forward under the co-leadership of Executive Director Marie Madison-Patton and Artistic Director Jova Lynne. The Foundation’s support is a reflection of the institution’s renewed clarity of vision and its bold approach to curatorial practice and community engagement. “MOCAD is honored to join the cohort of grantees supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts,” said Co-Directors Madison-Patton and Lynne in a joint statement. “This grant not only affirms the strength of our evolving curatorial direction, but it also empowers us to deepen the impact of our exhibitions and the ways in which our public programming reflects and responds to Detroit’s vibrant communities.” ABOUT THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS Following Andy Warhol’s will, the mission of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is the advancement of the visual arts. The foundation manages an innovative and dynamic grants program while also preserving Warhol’s legacy through creative and responsible licensing policies and extensive scholarly research for ongoing catalogue raisonné projects. To date, the foundation has given over $310 million in cash grants to over 1,000 arts organizations around the country and abroad and has donated 52,786 works of art to 322 institutions worldwide

MOCAD’s Summer Season opens with an innovative and multidisciplinary group exhibition in Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead. (Detroit, Michigan – May 17, 2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) proudly presents Word of Mouth in Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead on view from June 28 to October 4, 2024. Word of Mouth highlights the connective networks of arts workers at MOCAD. Organized collaboratively by MOCAD staff, this group exhibition presents a diverse range of mediums, levels of experience, and points of exploration. The participation of staff from outside the curatorial team highlights the extensive knowledge, labor, and material expertise that exists across the museum. Using a peer-to-peer approach to curatorial decision-making, MOCAD activates its wider creative networks to celebrate acts of collectivity and exchange. Word of Mouth calls attention to the underlying ecosystems that support and sustain the people powering the art world. The exhibition continues the communal mission of Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead, a permanent public artwork located on the museum’s grounds. Kelley conceived it to host experiments deeply tied to community care. Participating artists include: Sarah Addy, James Alexander, Judith Banham, Leah Barnett, Sofia Bicego, Thelonius W. Bone, Mophead Bop, Brook, Casey Sayer Brooks, Kyler Clodfelter, Maya Davis, Rachel DeBoard, Doblespiral, Mike Donigan, Bhavika Dugar, Laura D. Gibson, Abel González Fernández, Brea Harris, Michael Hass, Lehna Huie, iT!, Meg Kelley, Miranda Kyle, Mace, Carson Matlock, Cassandra Mayela, Zoelle Patton, Arya Rana, Chris Riddell, Troy Rushing, R. Schade, Daniel Sharp, Mark Sleeman, Paula (Miz Korona) Smiley, and Juvana Soliven. Join us on Friday, June 28, to celebrate our Summer 2024 Exhibitions. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. About MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. General Media Inquiries [email protected]

Join us for our 12th Annual Monster Drawing Rally Live Drawing Event + Fundraiser for the whole family! Detroit, MI — The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s wildly popular live drawing event and fundraiser is back and better than ever! This exciting event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to watch artists in action, creating artwork in real-time. During three one-hour shifts, local artists will be drawing their hearts out. Each piece will be bagged, tagged, and available for you to buy your favorite work of art right then and there for just $50 each! When you purchase a Monster Drawing Rally piece, you help to support the incredible artists, performers, and speakers who travel from near and far to bring their work to us and the cultural vibrancy of our city. Unique, one-of-a-kind art pieces make great gifts and support a young Museum that dreams big. Your purchase and attendance help provide our community with ground-breaking exhibitions and not-to-be-missed live programming. This year, we have 116 participating artists! To date, over 900 artists have participated in Monster Drawing Rally, generously donating their talent, time, and artwork to MOCAD. This fundraiser is an extraordinarily interactive gathering to view new talent, support the Detroit artistic community, and MOCAD’s programming all at once.

Participating Artists ARTISTS ROUND 1, 5:30–6:30PM Aidel Finman Alex Fischer Alice V. Schneider Allison Janicki ALPHONSO COX Ashley McFadden Asia Hassan Brandon Slewion Brent Mosser Codi Barbini Dalia Reyes Emma Greschak erik mylenek Hana Ichikawa Helena Hill (Lenasscanvas) Imani Smith Jacob Smith (mazysuzan) Jasmin Smith (Jazzy Aris) Jennifer Gustafson (Very Large) Jon Wilcox Kelly Vander Kley Keto Green Kevin Joy Kimberly Copeland (KIMIK) Kristi Spence Law Stout Marjorie Gaber (Marge Makes Comics) Mark Sarmel Michael DuPree Michael Ross Mike Williams Nathaniel Edmiston ngianhormua yang Nick Pizaña Olivia Beelby (ORB) Paige Showalter (PaigeyKat) Poppy Lyttle-king Rachelle Tolwin Rola Kadi Stacey Malasky Talon Adams William Bevan ARTISTS ROUND 2, 7:00–8:00PM Amelia Burns Anna van Schaap Anthony Reed (Ren) Bri Frey Chyna Jones Deymachah Brown Earl Williams (Davinci Detroit) Evan Condron Gyona Rice Heidi Kumao Izaiah Ford Jamario/Thalamus Morris James Alexander Jennifer Gariepy Jess Fendo Jessica Livingston John Dominguez Joseph Fuentes Kamiko Duncan Kar Devidasi Kate Maggart Kathryn Poremski Kayla Stafford (Kayla Renela) Laney Taylor Lar Yang (Lartheealien) Libby Anderson Martyna Alexander Melanie Janisse Melinda Ruth Rushing Natalie Berry & Trevor Stone Nicole Miazgowicz Noel Vitale Philip Carrel Rachelle Baker Ravyn Dobine Sarah Nesbitt sarah cohen Scott Everett Zeke Emmanue ARTISTS ROUND 2, 8:30-9:30PM Anica Presley Anthea Calhoun Brook Banham Christopher Morris (CWM) Corrie Baldauf Craig Paul Nowak Danielle Ward (Danyeller) Darrell J. Dinges Diamond Coleman Gary Schwartz Genevieve Klick Jacob Dombrowski James Cherewick Jeff Cancelosi Jennifer Mones (Senomneart) Jim Cherewick (Gymsee) Jinx Kay (HiJiN(X)) Jocelyn O’Leary Krysti Soence Lindy Marie Shewbridge Martina Sanroman Mason Sultana Matt Thornton (Emskript) Maurice Greenia (Maugre) Megan Major Nathan Margoni Pauly M. Everett Roy Sproule Sarms Jabra Sean Bieri Steven Shik Timothy Smith Toby Millman Trae IsAAc Troy Rushing

A cash bar with specialty drinks and snacks will be available. This year’s special musical guest is DJ LADYLIKE. MC Miz Korona will lead the crowd as the artists draw during this fun-filled night. Saturday, June 8, 2024 Doors open at 5:00pm Shift 1: 5:30-6:30pm Shift 2: 7:00-8:00pm Shift 3: 8:30-9:30pm Admission: $10 (Free for MOCAD Members) Visit our Membership page to join or renew today! About MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. General Media Inquiries [email protected] Monster Drawing Rally is an event concept originally developed by Southern Exposure in San Francisco, CA, who proudly share it as an open source fundraising model. MDR combines the energy of a monster truck rally with the creativity and brilliance of the local art community.

MOCAD’s Summer Season highlights the cultural legacy of Gallery 7, a groundbreaking art venue dedicated to promoting Black artists. (Detroit, Michigan – May 10, 2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) proudly presents a group exhibition showcasing the cultural legacy of Gallery 7, on view from June 28 to September 8, 2024. In 1969, McGee was invited by the artist-centered organization, Detroit Artists Market to curate an exhibition that uplifted the visibility of Black artists in Detroit that previously had limited representation. Titled Seven Black Artists, the exhibition featured works by James Dudley Strickland, Lester Johnson, James King Jr., Robert Murray, James Lee, Harold Neal, Robert J. Stull, and McGee himself. Following the enthusiastic response to the exhibition, McGee started Gallery 7, one of the first art venues promoting all Black Artists, and championed Black abstract artists. From 1969 to 1979, the gallery gave voice to rich conversations about the role of figurative and abstraction in expressing the systemic violence against Black communities. Kinship: The Legacy of Gallery 7 explores the context when essential art objects were produced in Detroit, changing the artistic landscape of the city. The abstract expressionism and the concrete shapes presented at this venue contrasted with the social realism promoted by the Black Art Movements, which had an important chapter in Detroit. Underrepresented to this day, Gallery 7 contributed to the cultural agency of Black artists. This exhibition is the first approach to a broader conversation and research about the impact of Gallery 7 on the local and national artistic community. Kinship: The Legacy of Gallery 7 features works by Lester Johnson, Gilda Snowden, Allie McGhee, Charles McGee, Harold Neal, Robert Stull, Elizabeth Youngblood, and Naomi Dickerson. The works engage with abstraction and precede, align, and succeed Gallery 7’s legacy. Join us on Friday, June 28, to celebrate our Summer 2024 Exhibitions. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. To commemorate Charles McGee’s impact on the art world, MOCAD is pleased to collaborate with Library Street Collective to present a sister exhibition at the Shepherd titled McGee: Time is Now. A groundbreaking artist, McGee’s career spans six decades of artistic exploration in painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Known for his iconic approach to visual storytelling through a semi-abstract style, McGee spent his lifetime building a rigorous practice that amplifies abstraction as a movement that permeates across generations. Time is Now will be on view from May 18 to July 20, 2024, at the Shepard. About MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. General Media Inquiries [email protected]

MOCAD’s Summer Season opens with Meleko Mokgosi’s first exhibition in Detroit. (Detroit, Michigan –May 3, 2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) proudly presents Meleko Mokgosi’s first Detroit museum presentation, Zones of Non-Being, on view from June 28 to October 4, 2024. Zones of Non-Being features recent oil paintings, etchings and new works on paper from Mokgosi’s recent residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Visually applying philosophy and critical theory, Mokgosi’s work brings together fragments of familiar imagery and texts from across African and Diasporic history and culture to create compositions that play with our expectations. Through this methodology, Mokgosi provokes viewers into questioning established narratives and colonial systems of categorization and control. Anchoring the exhibition is a group of fifteen large-scale works-on-canvas titled Spaces of Subjections: Zones of Non-Being. Mokgosi uses illustrations from Sara Cone Bryant’s Epaminondas and His Auntie, a children’s picture book from 1911 that relies heavily on racist tropes and stereotyping. He recontextualizes the illustrations by including writings of James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and other Black scholars onto the paintings. These works are part of Mokgosi’s artistic approach to interrupting known tropes that contribute to the construction of Black Identity, and how that imagery shapes Black self-identity and its perception by others. “Mokgosi’s thought-provoking work challenges viewers to confront themes of colonialism, liberation, and identity, resonating deeply in a city that itself has been a battleground for racial equality and economic revival.” Says MOCAD Artistic Director Jova Lynne. “This exhibition highlights MOCADs mission of being a place where knowledge exchange and conversation around challenging cultural paradigms can thrive”. By urging viewers to embrace a sense of mistrust and displacement, works presented in Zones of Non-Being challenge the basic assumptions through which we perceive ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Join us on Friday, June 28, to celebrate our Summer 2024 Exhibitions. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with an artist talk at 6:30pm for a conversation between Meleko Mokgosi and Michael Stone Richards. MELEKO MOKGOSI (born in Francistown, Botswana; lives and works in Wellesley, MA) is an artist, Associate Professor and co-director of graduate studies at the Yale School of Art, and the co-director of the Interdisciplinary Art and Theory Program. Mokgosi received his BA from Williams College in 2007 and participated in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study program that same year. He then received his MFA from the Interdisciplinary Studio Program at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011, and was an Artist in Residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem from 2011-2012. Mokgosi’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including the Botswana National Gallery, Gaborone, Botswana; The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art Museum, Peekskill, NY; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Culture Center, Los Angeles, CA; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA; and the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, France. His work is included in public collections such as the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA; the Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art for Rollins College, Winter Park, FL; and the Colby Museum of Art, Waterville, ME. His most recent solo exhibition at Jack Shainman Gallery is Democratic Intuition at The School and Pan-African Pulp (2019). About MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. General Media Inquiries [email protected]

MOCAD’s Summer Season opens with LaKela Brown’s inaugural solo presentation, “From Scratch: Seeding Adornment”. (Detroit, Michigan – April 25, 2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) proudly presents LaKela Brown’s inaugural solo museum presentation, From Scratch: Seeding Adornment, on view from June 28 to October 4, 2024. Spanning two gallery spaces, From Scratch: Seeding Adornment presents Brown’s work in two segments, Seeding and Adornment, celebrating the nature in which Black ancestral and cultural legacies have permeated across generations despite incredible odds. Brown creates sculptural assemblages using plaster reliefs to produce dialogue, reflection, and collective memory across contemporary Black life. Her work explores nourishment practices across the African diaspora to cement Black culture as a conduit of liberation. In Seeding, Brown creates sculptural assemblages that uplift the significance of plant life in the formation of Black Identity. The sculptures serve as a homage to how memories are planted across generations within the African Diaspora, addressing the legacies of migration. If Seeding is Brown’s depiction of where memories are planted, Adornment is her returning to the soil only to discover towering trees now deeply rooted in Detroit’s landscape – a testament to the growth that flourishes from the seeds of determination and resilience. Adornment uses plaster reliefs of door-knocker earrings, rope chain necklaces, and gold-capped teeth to further Brown’s practice as an archivist of Black freedom and joy. The wall works record how the iconography of ornamentation can serve as a vessel for hopes and dreams to be passed down from generation to generation. “LaKela Brown’s work is a testament to the Museum’s ongoing commitment to amplifying non-traditional perspectives in contemporary art. Brown’s innovative exploration of identity and culture across the African diaspora is the work of a visual archivist. Her work celebrates the diversity that thrives in Black communities. This expansive presentation demonstrates the rigor and care of Brown’s approach to documenting Black life. It is a monumental ode to intergenerational storytelling and ancestry,” says MOCAD’s Co-Director and exhibition curator, Jova Lynne. “I am deeply proud to present LaKela Brown’s first solo museum exhibition in her hometown here in Detroit.” Throughout the exhibition, Brown will further activate the propagation of Black culture and legacy through public programs. These include but are not limited to an artist talk, an exclusive screening of the documentary film Grown in Detroit by filmmakers Mascha and Manfred Poppenk, and a seed preservation workshop organized in partnership with Keep Growing Detroit – a local organization equipping city residents with the necessary tools for food sovereignty. From Scratch: Seeding Adornment illuminates the interconnected threads of ethnobotany, fashion, cultural adornment, and historical consciousness, offering a multifaceted exploration of Black identity. This exhibition is curated through a practice of reconciliation and reclamation to recognize Brown’s commitment to archiving the continuity of memory amidst the Black diasporic movement and culture. Join us on Friday, June 28, to celebrate our Summer 2024 Exhibitions. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. LAKELA BROWN (b. 1982) is from Detroit, Michigan, where she attended Detroit Public Schools and graduated from the College for Creative Studies in 2005. Brown has participated in solo and group exhibitions globally, including at Reyes | Finn, Detroit; 56 Henry, NY; Swiss Institute (SI), NY; WE BUY GOLD, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), NY; and Lars Friedrich Gallery, Berlin, and has presented a solo installation of her work at Rockefeller Center in partnership with Art Production Fund and at The Armory Show in 2023 with 56 Henry. Brown’s work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, and Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL. About MOCAD The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) presents exhibitions and programs that explore the best of contemporary art, connecting Detroit and the global art world. MOCAD focuses on art as a means to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting our community. We encourage innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars to enrich all who participate and to educate visitors of all ages in the power of art. Whether from Detroit or worldwide, we welcome creative voices who can guide us to an equitable and inclusive future. We believe that art can change us, and it’s our responsibility to hold a space where challenge, acceptance, hope, and beauty can coincide. General Media Inquiries [email protected]

Lynne will co-lead with Marie Madison-Patton, who became Chief Operating Officer on January 1, 2023 DETROIT, MI — The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is thrilled to announce that effective April 3, 2023, Jova Lynne will serve as MOCAD’s first Artistic Director. Lynne has a long curatorial history with the Museum. She first joined the institution in 2017 as a Ford Foundation Curatorial Fellow and, in 2019, became the Susanne Feld Hilberry Senior Curator. Lynne will co-lead the Museum alongside Marie Madison-Patton, who became Chief Operating Officer effective January 1, 2023, and has held leadership roles at the Museum since 2012. Lynne will lead the curatorial team to develop the Museum’s artistic vision, exhibition schedule, and accompanying programming, and Madison-Patton will oversee the Museum’s operations and development activities. MOCAD also recently brought on Paul Andrews to serve as Director of Development. Andrews comes to MOCAD from the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY, where he served as Chief Development Officer. He has nearly a decade of experience leading fundraising efforts at arts and culture organizations, primarily in Michigan. Andrews reports to Madison-Patton. Lynne completed a bachelor’s degree in video art and education at Hampshire College and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art. In her tenure at MOCAD, Lynne curated Nep Sidhu: Paradox of Harmonics, dream hampton’s Fresh Water, 2+2=8: Thirty Years Heidelberg, Dual Vision, Amna Asghar: Well Wishes, and many more. Lynne has previously worked at the Museum of Moving Image in Queens, New York, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. She has led international media-based projects in Kingston, Jamaica, and Berlin, Germany. Her experience as an artist and curator informs her mission to facilitate inclusive and creative ecosystems. “We are thrilled that Jova is returning to MOCAD as our Artistic Director,” said Lynn Arsht Gandhi, Co-Chair of the Museum’s Board of Directors. “Her dedication to contemporary art and community building in Detroit is undeniable and will be a critical part of the museum’s continued success.” “Jova brings a superb curatorial eye along with deep knowledge and connections within both the local Detroit community and national artistic community,” said Dr. Charles Boyd, Co-Chair of the Museum’s Board of Directors. “Her style of meaningful engagement brings out the best in our presenting artists and internal team and is a crucial part of nurturing the premiere exhibitions MOCAD is known for.” MOCAD’s spring season opens on April 14 with the following shows:

• Sydney G. James presents Girl Raised In Detroit in the Woodward Gallery.
• Liz Cohen presents Café Pan-Soviético Americano in the Central Gallery.
• Gina Osterloh presents Her Demilitarized Zone / Image Without Weapon in the Front Gallery.
• Jennifer Harge and longtime collaborator and filmmaker Devin Drake present an additional chapter within a .fable series, a video titled a clearing in the Black Box Gallery.
• Currently in Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead is a MOCAD collaboration with The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and the Michigan Justice Fund titled Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan.
• Also on view at Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead lawn is the newly installed Kennedy Yanko’s Tilted Lift, an outdoor sculpture commissioned for Monumental Tour, a traveling exhibition series contributing objects to the public realm that tell a more honest and representative story of our shared history.

MOCAD’s Spring/Summer 2023 exhibitions are made possible with generous lead support from Pensole Lewis HBCU, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Michigan Justice Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The Kettering Family Foundation and Linda and David Whitaker have provided additional support.