Designing After Hours: Artwork by Detroit Public Library Staff features painting, photography, and poetry, as well as textiles, mixed media works, and fashion accessories - all created by Detroit Public Library staff. This exhibit runs from August through September 2025.
Learn MoreMarch 12th - April 30th
Sisters Siana and SuVon Treece of Artistic Expressions Gallery presented Sisters Speak, an art exhibit featuring vibrant works that capture the
beauty and joy of life through paintings, drawings, and digital art.
November 9th - 30th
The Color of Sci-Fi is a series celebrating and uplifting the genre of science fiction and the people of color who create and enjoy it. Located in Detroit, this series includes art exhibitions, author talks, and panel discussions on the science of science fiction.
August 21 - October 31, 2024
Presented by FHLBank Indianapolis as part of their “Voices of Our District” series, this exhibit celebrates the rich cultural heritage and artistic expression of Native American communities in Michigan and Indiana. Through a diverse collection of works, Native American artists share their stories, perspectives, and experiences, offering a unique lens into their traditions and struggles. Since 1932, FHLBank Indianapolis has supported the arts as a vital part of community building, and this exhibit continues their commitment to fostering cultural dialogue through creative expression.
Starting in 2018 Focus Hope brought to Detroit - Focus on Detroit, an outdoor photography festival. This festival was created to showcase the creative and highly talented photographers of Metro-Detroit with a special focus on the stories and people of Detroit.
The National Conference of Artists (NCA) was founded in 1959 to preserve, promote and develop African American culture through the visual arts and to foster the creative forces of artists that emanate from the African American and African World Experience. The organization includes African American visual artists, art educators, art historians, museum personnel, students, collectors and supporters of art. The National Conference of Artist Michigan is a chapter of NCA and was founded in 1974. It is the largest and most active chapter in the country and is located within the Northwest Activities Center at 18100 Meyers Road in Detroit where it operates an art gallery. Through the NCA Gallery and exhibits like this at the Detroit Public Library, the Michigan Chapter aims to offer local artists an opportunity to expand their creative expression while providing a greater exposure for them as African American artists
Desiree Kelly is an award winning artist and Detroit native. Raised on the Eastside, she became inspired by the environment and developed a style of storytelling through portraits. Her portraits of public icons are historically immersive and reflect on the narrative of her subjects by including artifacts and phrases within each piece. Ms. Kelly is known for her distinctive mixture of “street art” and traditional oil technique.
You can see Ms. Kelly’s work all over metro Detroit in permanent and temporary public collections—from Easter Market, dPop! the Alger Theater, Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles, and even the Mayor’s office. Additionally, her work is part of museum collections such as the Charles H. Wright Museum and the Flint Institute of Arts.
In 2019, Ms. Kelly was named by Crain’s Detroit Business as a “Twenty in their 20s” honoree—the first visual artist in the magazine’s history. She has been commissioned by a growing number of clients which include The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Converse, Jack Daniels, Pandora, Kroger, City of Royal Oak(MI), Beaumont Health, Atwater Brewery, FootLocker INC , PUMA and more!
The library is honored to host an historic art exhibit created by an historically significant native Detroit artist.
Founded in 1944, the Birmingham Society of Women Painters (BSWP) has provided formal instruction and workspace for women painters for 75 years. Today, the BSWP is a dynamic organization of 50 artists working in diverse media. Membership to the organization is limited—new members are chosen through a highly selective nomination and portfolio review process. Throughout the year, members exhibit their work both individually and in group shows in galleries, public spaces and corporate settings, winning awards and national and international exposure. The Detroit Public Library Galleria is honored to host an exhibit of the BSWP for a second year.
The Association of Chinese Americans (ACA) is hosting a traveling exhibit to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States that spotlights the critical contribution of Chinese labor in its construction. “The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental Railroad” is a seven panel exhibit from a collaboration between the Chinese Historical Society of America and the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project by Stanford University.
The Art of Jerome Brown
In his first retrospective exhibit, Jerome Brown's inspiring abstract pieces are unique and entertaining. The whimsical discord and lyrical nature of his process is evident in this collection of collages, assemblages and paintings.
Throughout the ages, cloth has been used not only for protection and adornment, but for spirituality amongst various religious and cultural traditions. For many women and men, wrapping their head, whether in a gele style, turban, wrap, hijab or simply draping, becomes a visible extension of their personality and identity. But many find that wrapping also has the power to immediately transport you to a place where you feel closer to the creator, and as a result, closer to your true spirit.
Located in the Cass Hallway at Main Library, The Neighborhood Native photo series features notable Detroiters returning to the neighborhoods they grew up in.