Like any other kid growing up in southeastern Michigan, I was told that our big city, Detroit, was a dangerous place I should always be wary of. The city has faced a lot of problems, especially due to the pullout of much of the auto industry, Detroit's reason for flourishing in the first place. When the cars left, a lot of the people left. Ever since I've been around (the late 1990s) Detroit has been considered unsavory and scary by much of the suburban Michigan population. This is ridiculous because it's no scarier than any other city. If you were to go to any major city in America you would have a higher chance of crime than you would in a little suburb so it's time to stop giving just Detroit a bad rap.
My family has always been a bit less harsh on the city. My dad worked in Detroit when I was little. My grandparents took my cousins and I to the Detroit Institute of Arts and to see plays at the Fisher Theater. I've been a fair share of times, but I certainly am not an authority on Detroit. It wasn't until recently that I truly fell in love with the city.
Standing by my favorite painting at the Detroit Institute of Art
My best friend attends school at the College of Creative Studies (CCS), located (surprise surprise) in Detroit. She has become my Detroit expert and shown me the really wonderful side of the city nobody seems to talk about. I spent a weekend with her at school a few months back and it made me fall for the city. The arts community in the Detroit is big, diverse, and beautiful. It is becoming a haven for artists of all ages, supported by CCS and the Detroit Institute of Art. As an art student myself I feel very comfortable in a place so supportive of my passions. One of my favorite art spots in Detroit is the Heidelberg Project, an outdoor art project created in 1986 by Tyree Gibson in response to the rapid dilapidation of his Detroit neighborhood after the famous Detroit Riots of 1967. The project still stands and in my opinion is a beautiful representation of Detroit and how misunderstood it is.
Me at the Heidelberg Project
The art scene in Detroit goes beyond visual art. Historically it has been a haven for music (motown anyone?), but modern artists have also popped out of the D. Most notably are Eminem and Jack White. Jack White often returns to Detroit and puts money into the city. He saved the historic Masonic Temple a few years back and recently opened a new Third Man Records downtown.
Jack White before throwing out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers Game
The film industry has flocked to Detroit a lot in recent years as well. Notable films include "Batman Vs. Superman", "It Follows", "Only Lovers Left Alive", "Grand Torino", and "Transformers". My favorite movie filmed in Detroit is Ryan Gosling's "Lost River", a neon soaked fairytale with a plot that acts as a metaphor for the decline and potential rise of Detroit itself.
A still from "Lost River"
As you might have picked up by now, Detroit is alive and well, but not because of the auto industry this time. Art is and always has been the answer for Detroit. If Michigan continues to support the arts community of the city maybe scared suburbanites will be able to see it for what it really is.
