Since my more bohemian days as an artsy-fartsy 20-something living in a basement of a huge warehouse/art gallery, I've had bouts of nostalgia for those live-work spaces that literally make you live and BREATHE your very art. Dust, paint, fumes, sweat, tears, blood, and lord knows what else becomes part of the particulate air flow.
And of course Detroit has gotten a lot of press for being the new frontier for artists, the tabula rasa for experimenters and corporate-job-evaders but I admit to not witnessing much of this. Partly because all this opportunistic real estate and art endeavors are a little too ethically problematic for my taste, so I avoid them altogether.
But hey, when you need to go support someone for their MFA thesis project, you STFU and convert your reticence into acquiescence.
When all is said and done, I liked this space. Then again I'm a sucker for virtually anything housed in a domestic realm that is not traditionally domestic. There's a bathroom and a kitchen and two large'ish rooms in which to mill about and wax poetic. I saw a set of stairs leading up but did not take them (as it did not seem to be open to the public for this particular exhibition).
The images on the website also suggest that there are other houses and other yards/landscapes in which various artists display their work. Come summer it might be worth checking out.
From what I can gather, there are no set hours here - mostly just open for gallery openings. But I overheard someone saying that you can call ahead and make an appointment to stop by (perhaps the curators/owners/proprietors also live on premises).
If you're so inclined to hop on the Detroit-art-tourist train, this might be a worthwhile stop. If not, then just walk on by. read more