DETROIT — One of Detroit’s many claims to fame in the popular imagination is the tendency among the citizenry to set things on fire. Bolstered by the special intensity of Devil’s Night fires — on the wane in recent years, thanks to citywide efforts — Detroit still leads the nation […]
CLEVELAND, Ohio—There is a specific subset of US identity that holds the Second Amendment especially dear. Our country’s militaristic roots have formed a kind of echo chamber, and these days the prominence and pitch of gun violence in everyday US society has increased to terrifying levels over the past half-century, manifesting […]
If you know me, you know that I hold a special kind of disdain for the specific cultural practice of weddings. I’m fine with people getting married to whomsoever they love, or wish to legally partner with, or quietly hate but use for financial stability, but I find it tremendously […]
As any art collector will tell you, you can’t put a price on the singular aesthetics and pedigree of an artist like Claes Oldenburg. Unfortunately for us plebeians, Oldenburg soft sculptures are far beyond our reach. So where, I ask, can the humble among us with $5,000 or so dollars […]
In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, photographic artist Lisa Barnard undertook a quest in pursuit of one of the most sought-after materials in human history. Her resulting book, The Canary and The Hammer, presents a heady combination of images and thoroughly researched essays that carve out a core […]
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When it comes to reporting on the controversy surrounding the Disability Drag Show, there are many angles to consider regarding the legalities and politics of the event. Originally slated as part of opening weekend programming in the Critical Infrastructure installation at ArtPrize’s inaugural Project [1] launch, […]
As you may or may not know, I love to jury shows, particularly those regional to the Midwest. It’s an amazing way to get to see a huge cross-section of artists that I might not otherwise encounter, and to try to create some kind of conversation amongst them. I had […]
Performers from a London-based avant-garde drag troupe, Drag Syndrome, and their partner organization, DisArt, are rallying in the face of setbacks to their scheduled performance at this year’s ArtPrize, set to open on Friday, September 6. Drag Syndrome has a specialized focus on drag kings and queens with learning disabilities, […]