thealleyproject — iSWD Programming — Inside Southwest Detroit

Youth Harvest Paint for Their Jewelry with Rebel Nell at TAP

The physical part of Rebel Nell’s process of jewelry making begins with the procurement of paint from a range of surfaces.

For years The Alley Project has welcomed Rebel Nell to visit and to learn histories as layered as the paint they will work with. They eventually select surfaces and harvest paint from the alley, among other places, to make jewelry with.

This year, the youth get to join in as they learn how to make their own jewelry. And this particular surface is special. It is the garage door from a mural in 2011 by Pherz which was painted over several years of activities, sharing time, building relationships and art through painting for the completion and opening of Studio Luevanos and the lots.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitSeptember 16, 2021rebel nell, potap, porch on tap, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, tap833, outdoor classroom

An Evening of Spoken Word Performance with Candida the Poet

Candida the Poet hosted an evening of spoken word performance as her middle school participants performed alongside their instructor and guest poets in front of 20 parents, youth, and neighbors for the Porch On TAP artist residency program.

If the youth were nervous… it barely showed. Their amplified voices fluctuated with the power of their stories. Topics ranged from relationships to family, incarceration, faith, politics, and beauty. Family and friends clapped and cheered.

Candida and Justin Gordon, both members of The Guild Poetry Collective, performed pieces of their own acclaimed work much to the excitement of the youth and the rest of the audience.

The evening ended with talk of how this is something that is missing… and that they would like to do something about it. Open Mic nights and poetry workshops is something they said they would like to make sure happens beyond the residency.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitOctober 19, 2018potap, 8869avis, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, thealleyproject, spokenword, candidathepoetComment

Students Return For Another Round of Basics with DJ Skipz

DJ Skipz’s students returned for another workshop to recall the basics from the previous session and build on them with some new challenges and techniques. Matching beats, juggling, and even a little scratching kept everyone around until the sun went down.

Parents and a few guests dropped in to enjoy the space and each others’ company. Several neighborhood DJs have come through and are meeting each other for the first time… and have been throwing around some ideas about how to get together more regularly in a way that keeps the youth engaged in the culture.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitOctober 8, 2018potap, djskipz, thealleyproject, swdetroit, southwestdetroitComment

Weekly Mariachi Guitar Classes with Machetes

Youth and several adults are coming twice weekly for mariachi guitar with Machetes. Together they are also developing a medley to perform at the building in several weeks for neighbors, youth, and other musicians and artists.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitOctober 3, 2018potap, thealleyproject, 8869avis, swdetroit, southwest detroit, mariachi, machetesComment

Spoken 101 with Candida

Candida ran back-to-back workshops this week—Spoken Word 101 with elementary age participants in the morning and continued work with her small group of new, young middle school poets throughout the afternoon.

Team builders, videos, demonstrations and other activities introduced the young audiences to poetry in ways they hadn’t seen or done themselves.

The middle schoolers worked this week on building their confidence by working in teams with critical feedback and performing in front of themselves.

You can see the difference in the questions they are asking and in their work. They are preparing works for a public presentation in the coming weeks where they will perform an evening of poetry in front of a modest audience of no more than 20.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitSeptember 29, 2018potap, candidathepoet, thealleyproject, swdetroit, southwest detroit, 8869 avisComment

DJ Skipz Welcomed As One of Several Community-Selected Porch On TAP Artists in Residence

We’re honored to welcome DJ Skipz as one of several community-selected Porch On TAP artists in residence helping to activate our new space on Avis and Elsmere!! DJ Skipz grew up here in Southwest Detroit and mixes live weekly on the Inside Southwest Detroit LiveMix on Facebook.

During his residency Skipz will be focusing on exposure and skill building with young aspiring DJs that have little to no experience to support youth interest and talent in the culture.

The Porch On TAP invites youth, neighbors, and artists to share time and space during workshops, a community meal, and public installation to help activate the building. Together we are building and celebrating community through creative processes.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitSeptember 27, 2018thealleyproject, southwest detroit, swdetroit, potap, 8869avis, djskipzComment

Machetes Welcomed from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, as One of several Community-Selected Porch On TAP Artists in Residence

We’re honored to welcome Machetes, joining us from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, as one of several community-selected Porch On TAP artists in residence helping to activate the new space!!

Machetes is an accomplished mariachi who has been playing for over 30 years and specializes in the vihuela, a small, five-stringed guitar with roots in 15th century Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

When traveling Machetes plays with local mariachis and offers lessons in the specialized techniques of the vihuela. During the residency he will be instructing small groups twice weekly for four weeks leading up to a public performance here at the building.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitSeptember 25, 2018vihuela, potap, thealleyproject, 8869avis, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, machetesComment

Candida The Poet Welcomed as Artist in Residence For Porch On TAP

Candida The Poet is a writer, performer, and an advocate from Southwest Detroit. Her poetry and instruction demonstrate the power of voice and introspection, often challenging systemic injustice while raising awareness about a range of social topics including violence, incarceration, and addiction. Candida’s poem about gentrification, “Painfully Painted”, has been recognized for its relevance and perspective and is currently integrated into the Political Science curriculum at Wayne State University.

Candida is joining us as a resident artist at The Alley Project!! She is helping to inaugurate our new home on Avis and Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP.

During her residency she will focus her work with a small group of middle school poets who have never composed and performed original works for an audience—working to develop experiences and skills in writing, collective participation/feedback, and performance. Additionally she will facilitate Spoken Word 101 workshops with younger youth to promote exposure to written and performance arts.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitSeptember 22, 2018thealleyproject, 8869avis, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, candidathepoet, spokenword, potapComment

Walking The Alley, Andrea Identifies Public Art Installation Location

Andrea walked the alley along TAP to identify potential locations for her public art installation. In the end she found a perfect location that both she and the property owner are excited about.

She was curious about and interested in local plant life along the alley and shared a little about several plants native to the region around Mexico City, where she is from.

After the walk and talk she identified this garage as an ideal location. We reached out to the owner and he was excited to offer it as a canvas for her installation. This garage is ideally arranged and located to host an installation that celebrates our collaboration by housing two engraved poster prints of plants local to Detroit and to Mexico City. One on each side. In the middle will be a mural depicting bird houses with several birds, local to Michigan and to Mexico, by Southwest Detroit artist Bryant Valdez.

During Andrea’s residency Bryant was exposed to printmaking for the first time and took an immediate interest in it—learning new techniques and approaches daily with her instruction. Eventually he attended almost every workshop she offered during her time here.

They are eager and excited to work together on this project to create an installation, in partnership with the homeowner, for the community to enjoy.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitAugust 16, 2018potap, 8869avis, thealleyproject, swdetroit, southwest detroit, andreanarnoComment

Graficanarno Welcomed As New Porch On TAP Artist in Residence

Graficanarno is a printmaker born and living in Mexico City. She believes art is a powerful tool for radical social transformation, especially in our uncertain times. Together with her collective, Mujeres Grabando Resistencia , she has engaged in campaigns to raise awareness about and challenge various social conditions including femicide in Mexico.

She is a teaching spirit and values creative processes as an important part of community building. Graficanarno travels around Mexico and internationally to share skills through workshops and public installations.

She is joining us, fresh off a workshop series in Chicago and Milwaukee, as a resident artist at The Alley Project. She is helping to inaugurate our new home on Avis and Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP!!

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitAugust 14, 2018mujeresgrabandoresistencia, thealleyproject, 8869avis, swdetroit, southwestdetroit, potap, andreanarnoComment

Mural Installation Progress Party on Avis and Elsmere

More than 60 neighbors, youth, and artists gathered today to share a meal and watch the mural installation progress with Pherz and Freddy on Avis and Elsmere.

Several of The Alley Project’s networks enjoyed each others’ company, many visiting the building and even meeting for the first time.

The porch was animated with food, music, sketching, stories, laughter, and children everywhere you turned.

As the sun set those who stuck around took it indoors to enjoy the AC and got to see the building lit up and entering sleep mode after a full day of use.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitJune 4, 2018potap, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, 8869avis, pherzComment

Inaugural Community Meal at TAP

The faces and places in and around the building are fully activated after a community meal that hosted more than 60 neighbors, youth, and artists.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitJune 4, 2018potap, pherz, swdetroit, southwest detroit, thealleyproject, 8869avis, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Blackbook Sessions with Pherz

Pherz held blackbook sessions this week inviting artists and their families to gather, pass books and stickers around, and sketch.

Everyone leaves with something from someone else who’s work they respect and has the chance to return the favor. The sessions serve as recreation, skill share, and community building.

Freddy and Pherz got to kick around concepts and logistics for the mural installation that will begin within the next couple days.

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitJune 2, 2018potap, pherz, 8869avis, thealleyproject, swdetroit, southwest detroit, blackbook, freddydiazComment

Pherz Welcomed as Porch On TAP Artist in Residence

Pherz is a street artist and muralist from Missouri. He lived in Detroit for several years in the early 2000s and was a regular visitor to The Alley from 2004-2007 as it was just beginning to take shape.

Pherz and writers from his crew spent time with youth, neighbors, and invited other artists to do the same—impacting the early years and development of The Alley Project.

Now Pherz is rejoining us from St Louis as a resident artist at The Alley Project. He is helping us inaugurate our new home on Avis and Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP!!

ProgrammingInside Southwest DetroitMay 31, 2018potap, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, pherz, 8869avisComment

Light Play and Construction Meeting

Enjoying the light play during the construction meeting today. The board, architects, and contractors reviewed recent progress together as we are compiling a final punch list to draw the long construction process to a close. Soon we will be in the building running programming.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitJanuary 5, 2018tap869, 8869avis, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, thealleyprojectComment

Finishing Touches

Finishing touches are underway. This week picking colors for the wood panels, final cleanup in the tenant space, and paint for the rear wall of the building are all complete. We’re not there yet but the final vision is really showing through.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitDecember 22, 2017tap869, 8869avis, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, swdetroitComment

Installation of Ceiling Panels

The panels for the ceiling have been delivered and are currently being installed. The 40-piece construction is comprised of 10 panels, with 4 pieces each, installed along the steel beams. The cuts reveal a glimpse of the wood between panels. The installation is tedious and time consuming.

The new ceiling conceals the structure and plywood underneath that levels the two ceiling heights—one of the original building and the other of the extension on the Avis side.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitDecember 11, 2017tap869, 8869avis, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, thealleyprojectComment

Mural Installation

Freddy works at night to install the parts of the mural that enter the interior space. They will be visible from the main programming area inside the building as well as from outside. Especially at night.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitNovember 7, 2017tap869, 8869avis, swdetroit, thealleyprojectComment

Diseños Screen Installation

Diseños returned to the site today to install the screens, completed after several rounds of sample installations and feedback.

The finished product honors and will interact with the mural installed on the building as it complements the style and line work of Tead’s graffiti art.

The screens will also cast a beautiful shadow across the interior of the building and on the shades as a result of the amount and direction of light the building receives each day all year long.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 30, 2017tap869, swdetroit, thealleyproject, 8869avis, disenosornamentalironComment

Completing the Installation of the Interior Screens

Diseños completed the installation of the interior screens in the tenant space and in our office. They frame Elsmere as we look out from the inside of the building.

Also we now have a glimpse of the shadows they cast that will become a signature part of dusk here at the building.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 22, 2017tap869, 8869avis, swdetroit, thealleyprojectComment