When Shepherd opened its doors in Detroit’s Little Village in May of this yr, its goal was to educate, uplift, and supply diverse resources to the encompassing area in addition to the humanities community at large. Co-founded by Anthony and JJ Curis of Library Street CollectiveThis Romanesque-style constructing is a logo of possibility and houses the work of a number of the most influential artists of this generation. On August 3, the gallery will host an exhibition curated by Allison Glenn, her first since being appointed artistic director of Shepherd’s.

The upcoming exhibition explores emerging narratives and materials, and showcases over twenty artists working in a wide range of media. In creating a gaggle exhibition, Glenn reflects on the influences that inspired the direction. “I’m constantly taking notes from photographs, and sometimes I’ll photograph things that I see as trends, and that’s something I’ve been tracking for the past year,” she explains.

“Artists who are thinking in some way about surface, process, form, very active ways of wrapping, pouring, dyeing silk, and then more surreal ways of painting, like Ilana Savdie’s work,” Glenn continues. “When I took on this role, there were two exhibitions on the calendar, so I knew I had to work pretty quickly, and I thought this would be a great exhibition to start really thinking about these very embodied implications of the materials that artists are looking at.”

Many of the artists within the project explore history through methods reminiscent of transfer, collage, and casting. Kennedy Yanko, Ed Clark, and Angel Otero refer to the paint, film, silicone, and nylon they use as “skins,” while artists like Cameron Harvey push the boundaries of their bodies, sometimes comparing the human form to objects in nature and the like. Surfaces, materiality, spirituality, and mythology are further explored within the work of Wangechi Mutu, Naudline Pierre, and Paul Verdell, amongst others.

The works of the 2 artists within the exhibition might be available to the general public for a yr. Genevieve Gaignard’s work might be displayed on a series of billboards in Beltwhile a 26-foot, illuminated sculpture by Zak Ové might be displayed on the Shepherd campus, just down the road from the previous church. Ové’s installation resonates with Glenn in a special way, especially because it’s her first project since accepting a position on the gallery. “I wanted to bring it to Detroit because Mothership speaks to the city, and borrowing Zak Ové’s sculpture is a metaphor for that homecoming,” Glenn tells ESSENCE.

“The work in particular references the mud masks of Mali,” he adds. “There are Vévé symbols in the trunk, which refer to the culture of the African diaspora in Haiti, the Cadillac lights refer to Motor City consumerism, Western design, and of course it is a literal and lasting signal of the future.” But most significantly for Glenn, it also references the long-lasting Parliament Funkadelic concept album, which was recorded at United Sound Systems in the guts of the town. The Wayne State University graduate says, “I thought about going back to Detroit and coming back to a Mothership of sorts just felt like a beautiful feeling.”

Highlighting the work of Gaignard and Ové also speaks to a broader conversation about providing more accessible viewing opportunities in public spaces, but additionally constructing foundations that can thrive for years to come. The Shepherd, and Little Village on the whole, is far more than simply an artist’s haven, it’s a project that’s invested within the neighborhood through which it’s situated.

“That’s what Detroit is known for, the city of neighborhoods,” Glenn says. “It’s in the neighborhood, it’s not building something new, it’s using what already exists. That’s definitely going to be the ethos of our work. Nothing I do is isolated, it’s deeply collaborative with my collaborators, and I’m really looking forward to working with other organizations and finding ways to create really meaningful artistic experiences together.”

on view at Shepherd in Detroit’s Little Village from August 3 to October 12, 2024.