Detroit exhibit tells Black history through Black art
(CBS DETROIT) - In honor of Black History Month, the Carr Center and Bedrock have teamed up to reimagine Black storytelling through art.
CBS News Detroit's Amyre Makupson takes us inside this student-run exhibit covering everything from quilting to graphic design.
"The important thing what we do is show Black art through a Black lens, and that's all we do," said Oliver Ragsdale Jr., president and CEO of the Carr Center. "What we like to talk about is content and context. That experience that you have is a full Black experience."
The exhibit aims to bring Black history to life through art, as seen by Black artists.
"It's dance, it's music, it's theater, it's the visual arts, it's quilting, it's culinary arts, it's fashion. It's all those kinds of things. But all of the things that we do impact everyone's daily life. That's a really unique piece to the puzzle," Ragsdale said. You can't go a day without hearing a piece of music. You can't go a day without putting a sheet or a blanket on. All of those types of things. That is the functionality."
The exhibit is showcased in an environment outside of the classroom that feels a lot like home.
"We're just welcoming, and it's almost like going to grandma's house and just feeling that warmth and just making memories. We're building memories in this space," Melinda Anderson, an exhibit architect.
The goal is to share the Black culture visually with the Metro Detroit community.
"With this art and all of the art that we do, looking not just to do Black for Black, but we want people to experience Black art of all colors," Ragsdale said.
