The Ann Arbor Art Fair will welcome nearly half a million visitors from July 16-18.

There will be a thousand juried artists from across Michigan and the entire country. They will display their work at three simultaneous nonprofit events:

• The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original
• The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
• The Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair

A Youth Art Fair and Kids Collectors Club also emerges for grade school creatives.

Karen Bauer has been the executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair for 20 years, while Teesha Lieber is a Detroit marbling artist from Spontaneity Works. Both joined The Metro to talk more about this year’s festival.

Bauer says putting so many separate fairs together may seem like a lot, but experience is on their side. “These fairs have been working together since the early 60s, we are a well oiled machine at this point.”

Tune in to listen to the discussion with Bauer, Lieber to learn more about youth participation, and how art remains authentic during the digital age.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Detroit born and raised singer/songwriter Niko Noir lives and breathes music. 

As a graduate of Detroit School of Arts, Niko builds on those technical vocal skills to create her own sound. She released her first EP “Blame Niko” in 2021. In 2025, she released her first full album “Who Can Blame Niko.” In 2026, Niko has taken a leap of faith and has dived right into her career. She quit her full-time job to pursue her goals. 

Niko blends traditional R&B with hip hop and soul, as her vocals flow over the track with words she’s written from the heart. 

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building to showcase Detroit’s most promising creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

The Detroit Kite Festival returns to Belle Isle for its eighth year. The event takes place near the James Scott Memorial Fountain, on Sunday, July 12.

Besides an entry fee to the island, the Detroit kite festival will be free. Some activities include book nooks, music, bubble therapy as well as tents for cooling off and making a kite.

The Mint Artists Guild will be celebrating a ten year anniversary by hosting a Joy and Faces booth for complimentary face painting and crafts. They spent the last decade training and paying young adults from Detroit in the arts.

Lex Draper Garcia Bey is a fourth generation Detroiter and director of the Kite Festival. She’s also a co-executive director of the Black Bottoms Archive.

She became director of the Kite Festival after the founder had to step back. “I couldn’t stand the thought of me going to my absolute favorite festival and it feeling boring to me,” Draper Garcia Bey said.

She joined The Metro to chat about her experience with whimsy as she supports the event alongside volunteers.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Ice Cream Detroit is a seven-year labor of love turned premium, sometimes boozy, ice cream shop.

Ice Cream Detroit is run by Ysahai Honor-Marie and Kiaira May. They offer unique flavors From Red Faygo to pop rocks. Every scoop is made from scratch, with an optional liquor-infused twist.

The store started as a pop-up, but has had its own permanent home on Second Ave in Midtown since September 2025.

As the duo continues to grow, gaining loyal customers, the new clientele hasn’t changed who the shop is for. It’s for the community. Ice Cream Detroit offers discounts, which aims to connect to all members of the neighborhood.

Whatever’s next—a trailer, an ice cream bar, a second grand opening, it’s safe to say they’re doing it for the culture. They’re doing it for Detroit.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. It’s goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Though Clark Park became famous for hosting ice hockey during the winter, they are teaming up alongside Chandler Park with Motown Lacrosse to teach children box lacrosse this summer.

For those unfamiliar, founder of Motown Lacrosse Liam Mcllroy  says, “it’s a more fun version to train and compete in.”

As the U.S. celebrates a 250th birthday, these practices also serve as a secret history lesson; lacrosse began on Native American soil before the country was founded. “Lacrosse is the oldest team sport here in America,” says Mcllroy. He’s excited to be leading the next generation through the sport.

He joins The Metro to discuss the dynamics of box lacrosse from the costs to the indigenous roots behind the game.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The Michigan House proposes a complete elimination of funding for the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). If the MACC becomes disenfranchised, then museums, historic sites, and other cultural organizations will lose out on $11 million.

MACC is an agency whose grants are accessible to creative projects across the state. They stand for economic development, education, and engagement.

Lisa Craig Brisson is the executive director of the Michigan Museums Association. Her organization is supported by MACC. She says without tax payers, it’d be impossible to get anything done. “It’s very challenging for organizations to articulate all that is involved with our operations. Public funding is a part of what makes operations possible.”

Chad Swan – Badgero is Arts Education Manager for MACC.  He said often when funding cuts need to be made, MACC is the first stop. “When people are considering budget cuts, then that’s the first thing to go.”

Swan-Badgero and Brisson joined The Metro to discuss the history of funding from MACC being on the chopping block and the impact the council has on museums and other public spaces where arts and culture flourish. 

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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It has been almost two centuries since Canada declared independence. After the Constitution Act of 1867, Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick began governing themselves. That independence is observed annually as Canada Day on July 1.

But there is another, earlier date marking freedom that Canada also celebrates: Emancipation Day. Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act on August 1, 1834.

By the time Canada became a free nation, there were already free Black communities in the country, many of which were locatd in and around Windsor-Essex.

Lorene Brigden-Lennie is the Board Director of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society.

She joined The Metro to discuss the ways that Canada observes Canada Day and Emancipation Day through the lens of freed slaves.

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The Detroit Football Club’s supporting group, the Northern Guard, began Prideraiser in 2017. Every goal scored over the course of June would generate money for the Ruth Ellis Center, a social services agency fighting for LGBTQ+ youth since 1999. 

Prideraiser is now celebrating 10 years in Detroit.

They earned more than $300,000 over the past 10 years, all powered by local volunteer labor. Not only do they paint banners during the month of June, but they work with the community throughout the year. “It’s amazing to see everybody participate,” says Jam Johnston, a board member of the North Guard Supporters.

Johnston and Director of Development and Advancement at the Ruth Ellis Center Jake Lenz joined The Metro to talk about how grassroots organizations came together despite corporate and sports controversies to improve the lives of young queer people.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The Detroit Youth Choir has had an inspiring rise from the city of Detroit to some of the largest stages in the entertainment industry. Yet that hasn’t taken away from the mission of the organization: youth development. 

The young performers have lit up stages from America’s Got Talent to Carnegie Hall.

The Color Purple, a novel by Alice Walker, has been adapted for the screen and live performances.

The tale spans 40 years of life for Celie, a Black woman living in the south, beginning in the early 1900’s. After her abusive father marries her off to Mister, Albert Johnson, life does not improve. Celie finds love and connection where she can, including with supporting character Shug Avery. Throughout the novel, it’s Celie’s goal to find her sister.

The Color Purple performed by Detroit Youth Choir has four shows with two casts. They’re performing at The Hawk Theatre in Farmington Hills. Performances are set for June 26- 28.

Jala Jackson is director of theater production for Detroit Youth Choir. DJ Whitfield is a recent graduate of Taylor Preparatory Academy. He’s playing the lead role of Mister. Sydney Thomas will be a Junior at Novi Highschool. She is playing the lead role of Shug Avery.

They joined The Metro to chat more about the upcoming performances and why The Color Purple was chosen.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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This weekend is filled with events for film enthusiasts, and The Senate Theater is offering a way to start the summer off. 

The theater is launching its “Hot, Sweaty and Weird” summer film series of B-movies to keep audiences engaged this summer.

The series is launching with a Pride-themed event on Saturday, June 27 at 5 p.m. The screening will also feature the documentary “The Cockettes” and John Waters’ “Multiple Maniacs.” 

Larry Bohannan (Sister Gichi Gichi Yaya, or Larry the “T-Shirt” guy) and Elena Theresa (Sister Este Lauder, Harder, Faster) joined the show to discuss the series and the history of Motor City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a leading order of Queer nuns. 

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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In 1973, the Gay Radio Collective began producing Gayly Speaking through WDET. The Lesbian Radio Collective collaborated with them to shape episodes that resonated with the queer Detroit audience for a decade.

“They were not afraid to tackle broad topics in the community,” said Dr. Tim Retzloff, returning to WDET after celebrating the 40th anniversary of Gayly Speaking on the Craig Fahle Show in 2013. Now he teaches history and queer studies at Michigan State University.

Isabel Clare Paul is a freelance illustrator who graduated from the College for Creative Studies. She illustrated a comic book called “Come Out! In Detroit” with Dr. Retzloff in 2022. It was in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Michigan Pride.

Dr. Retzloff joins The Metro to discuss the leadership and impact of Gayly Speaking in Detroit. He and Clare Paul also spoke about “Come Out! In Detroit” and referred to it as a love letter to the first Pride of Michigan.

“I remember we were focusing a lot on color, because so many of the pictures we had were black or white,” Paul said. “I wanted to get across the historical time period of the 70s.”

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage honors America’s 250th with, Culture of, by, and for the People. The institution will hit the road, using cultural programming to tell the story America.

The Concert of Colors Neighborhood Series is a part of that plan. Its hosting an event called “All Humans Are Created Equal” at Mercado Plaza in Mexicantown on June 27. It kicks off the Concert of Colors Neighborhood Series reframing the phrase “We Hold These Truths”.

La Santa Cecilia, a Grammy-winning band, brings the cosmic barrio to Detroit. They will perform classics and music from their newest album, “Los Años.” 

Betto Arcos will serve as a moderator after their performance. Arcos is a radio journalist, writer, curator, and music promoter from Los Angeles. He’s watched La Santa Cecilia grow from an LA barrio to the Grammy’s.

Betto says La Santa Cecilia has crafted their own sound. “They started to create their own songs, their own original sound that was a mixture of all the things they grew up listening to in their homes, with their parents.”

Raymond Lozano is the executive director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, who is co-sponsoring the event. Ray and Betto joined The Metro to talk more about the event and Latino diaspora.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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When people don’t feel welcomed in a space, they create their own. In 1984, a third space came to life on 7 Mile and Woodward, that was Club Heaven. Decades later, the legacy of the community continues to thrive.

This month, in celebration of Pride, The Love Building is hosting a LOVE@Nite session called “A Place Called Heaven.” 

The gathering will center Black queer life through storytelling, music, and community connections, and a look back at more than 30 years of history.

The Metro spoke with Chris “Inpaq” Sutton, director of the film “Heaven In Detroit” and broadcast studio manager for LGBT Detroit, alongside Kwaku Osei-Bonsu, project manager at the LOVE Building. 

They talked about the impact of Detroit’s Black queer community, explored the need for safe physical spaces, and how their partnerships honors those who live their truths.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Iron Chef Detroit is an annual fundraiser that supports Cass Community Social Services. It returns for a third year at Eastern Market in Shed 5 There will be a contest where two Detroit chefs, Chef John Vermiglio and Chef Andy Hollyday, race against time for their dish to win the favor of the follow judges:

– Mamba Hamissi (Baobab Fare Chef)
– Anthony Lombardo (SheWolf and Medusa Chef)
– Jessica Care Moore (Detroit Poet Laureate, Author, Director, and Activist)

Carlos Parisi is the owner of Aunt Nee’s, an editorial contributor to Hour Detroit, as well as a TV and podcast host.

He will be hosting the event beside Jon Kung, a Chinese American chef, podcast host, content creator, and author of “Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third Culture Kitchen.”

They joined The Metro to talk about their love for food  and the importance of culinary arts leading up to the event.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Over 150 Michigan performers entered NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert this year. Only 10 of them will be eligible to appear in Sounds Like Detroit. It’s a local musical showcase that’ll take place at Batch Brewing Company on August 13.

Before the concert starts, Detroiters have the chance to select the top five musicians who go on to headline the show based on their entry videos. 

The top 10 are below:

– IIAJIDE
– Michelle Held
– Aisha Ellis
– KTCHN
– Jubilee Jackson
– Checker
– Vaughn Black
– Rose St. Germaine
– Mild Pulp
– Laurie Love

Jeff Milo is the host of MI Local on WDET. He also is the coordinator and main host of Sounds Like Detroit. He joined The Metro to talk more about the chosen finalists and how they are shaping the local sound.

For more information, go to WDET.org/TinyDesk and cast a ballot before June 19.

– Hayley Gavigan contributed to this piece.

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The city of Detroit is connected to larger cultural movements throughout its history. Yet, most people don’t realize the first free national public art museum has its roots in Detroit. 

Charles Lang Freer wasn’t born in the city, but moved here for opportunity and economic growth. He turned his Ferry street home into a living gallery, collecting thousands of American, Asian and Middle Eastern art works. 

He arrived in Detroit in 1880, when the city was on the brink of a cultural boom. The Detroit Institute of Arts opened in 1885. Pewabic Pottery opened in 1903. The Scarab Club began in 1907. The College for Creative Studies traces its roots to 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts.

Following the success of his railroad car business, Freer retired at the age of 47. He became a student of art, collecting, traveling and amassing an impressive collection. The collection went on to form the country’s first national museum and Asian art museum in Washington DC. 

Dr. Chase F. Robinson is the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.  He and his team worked closely with the Freer House in Detroit to curate a new exhibition in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. He tells The Metro more about the history behind the Freer House.

A Museum in the Making will be on display June 27 through August 8 at the National Museum of Asian Art in the Freer Gallery of Art. 

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Women-led organizations marched on Washington to be heard during their historic efforts to achieve social, political and economic equality. Yet, not all women were included in the conversation. Many of the early women’s suffrage groups excluded Black women and women of color.

Discrimination in the movement led to the formation of Black-led organizations like the Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs (DAWC).

Founded in 1921 at Ferry and Brush at the height of the women’s suffrage movement, the DAWC made it their mission to fight for their own version of equality—one that included both gender and racial parity.

So what happened to the DAWC, its founders, and its mission?

Every year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation compiles its list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America. 

This year, in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, the organization is centering its selections around the theme of equality—protecting and preserving spaces that have advanced the idea that all people are created equal.

The DAWC earned a place on this year’s list. Executive Director Candace Calloway joins the show to share what the designation means, and why its essential to preserve this historic space.

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“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” 

Why does that framing always skip over what we survived? Or how we’re still holding it all together?

New research published in American Psychologist is asking exactly that.

The study out of Michigan State University, Affirming Racial and Gender Identity Supports Mental Health, found that for sexual and gender diverse people of color, affirming your identity, is a source of real psychological strength.

But the research also finds something more complicated. Growing through oppression, developing yourself through the experience of discrimination, builds resilience. 

And it also costs something. The researchers named that honestly. And that honesty is part of what makes this work different.

Dr. Aldo Barrita is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. 

Dr. Joshua Parmenter is an assistant professor at Arizona State University and licensed psychologist specializing in the mental health of LGBTQ+ and marginalized BIPOC communities.

Both joined The Metro to talk more about the study and its results. 

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Detroit gave the world its sound. The world never gave Detroit its theaters back. Detroit has a pattern. It creates something extraordinary and the world takes it.

Techno was born here. In basements. By Black artists who poured everything into a sound that would eventually fill arenas in Berlin, London, and beyond. And somewhere along the way, the origin story got rewritten.

The same city that gave the world that music has spent decades without a downtown cinema. Over 300 theaters, gone. Big promises broken. The nearest commercial theater is still a 40-minute roundtrip from downtown.

Both of those stories come together at Campus Martius Park.

God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, the acclaimed documentary correcting the record on Detroit Techno’s Black origins, screens free. For everyone. 

The screening is hosted by Treuse Cinema, a boutique cinema concept working to bring film back to the heart of this city for good. And kickoff the Electric Roots Film Festival.

Jennifer Washington is the producer of God Said Give Em Drum Machines and the founder of the Electric Roots Film Festival. Kiara Williams is the founder of Treuse Cinema.

Both joined The Metro to talk more about the event and what this moment means for the city and techno. 

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