It feels so good to go to an art show you can actually touch.

At this mini-show for textile artist Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In,” you can actually sit down on one of her pieces. 

It’s a small foam cushion called “Soft Landing” (a steal at $250!) sewn with competing flannel-esque textiles on the outside. It’s warm and inviting with at least one patron sprawling out on “Soft Landing” to take a photo.

You know how good it feels to go to a show that’s actually functional? 

When I say “mini-show,” it’s not a comment on the substance of the show. It’s the fact that it’s actually quite small. Not just the collection itself (six pieces total), but the space it’s in.

Grüna Gallery is basically a makeshift hallway separating the facade and the artist studio of Louise Jones, who operates Grüna and is hosting “The Room Breathes In.” The location blends in with the rest of the brick-and-mortar retail on this block in Grosse Pointe Park.

It’s a bite-sized model I’d love to see more artists’ consider using their own space for.

Outside of the use of space and location, the show itself is a lovely one that likely wouldn’t feel as welcoming and comforting in a larger space, or if it was stuffed in as part of a group show. 

Like the natural fibers she’s using, Santa Ana Jose’s textile creations breathe. Aside from the cushion, the rest are hanging pieces — perhaps as standalone art but here mainly envisioned as curtains allowing light to pour into the mini-gallery. As guests walk by, they grab the fabrics and stretch them out to see the details and let go to watch the fabric waft back into its hanging position. It’s a simple yet utterly satisfying part of “The Room Breathes In.” It’s material you’re used to, but presented as art, which you’re never able to play with like this (gently, of course).

For this show, they are made from a bunch of leftover aprons and other oddities from a former butcher shop in Mount Clemens that she stumbled upon during an estate sale. You can see some of the original logos and uses for these materials still on her creations.

That’s the beating heart of her practice — breathing new life into old fabrics or, as it’s described in a release about the show, the “process of grief becoming material reconstruction.” Because the fabrics she’s using are natural fibers (for this show, mainly cotton and linen), they can “ultimately return to the earth, completing a cycle of reuse and regeneration.”

“Upcycling” is the common term thrown around, but that feels cheap and a bit overused for something like this exhibition, which feels elegantly simplistic and light and fresh. 

That’s likely because it’s got an actual ethos behind its creation that goes far beyond a buzzy term.

Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In” is located at
Grüna Gallery, 15304 Kercheval Ave. in Grosse Pointe Park.

This story was originally published on Midbrow. 

The Paint the Park Mural and Art Festival returns to Allen Park, in partnership with the Downtown Development Authority and The Mural People. It’s free and open to the public Aug. 22-23.

This year’s event has grown with more activities for the entire family. Guests can grab an Allen Park watercolor kit, or watch live demonstrations of glass art, woodworking ceramics and more.

Eight muralists will create large-scale public artworks throughout the city, showcasing the vibrancy of the community. There will also be more than 50 artist and maker booths. 

Bike lovers are also encouraged to come out and ready to roll. This year Slow Roll Detroit will complete its first Downriver ride and mural tour led by founder Jason Hall on Saturday.

Jason Hall and Dan Armand, co-founder and co-owner of The Mural People, joined me to talk more about the festival and the Downriver communities.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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

Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The American Human Rights Council and the Dearborn Police Department are urging the public not to engage with outside groups expected to attend Dearborn’s city council meeting on Aug.18. Far-right influencer and activist Jake Lang may attend the meeting.

Chief of Police Issa Shahin says outside groups have come to the city to seek attention and provoke confrontations in the past. Shahin says the most powerful thing the community can do is refuse to give them an audience.

Tuesday’s council meeting is the first since Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Senate. 

Additional headlines for Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026

Attorney General Nessel warns about scammers

Michigan’s attorney general says scammers posing as banks or credit unions are targeting customers.

Dana Nessel says they use spoofing technology to make their caller ID look legitimate. When the target answers the phone, the scammer claims there’s an issue with the consumer’s account and offers to resolve it in exchange for personal information they can use to steal their money.

Nessel says people who get a call they’re not expecting should hang up and call their financial institution directly.  

Healthy Homes Resource event

The Wayne County Treasurer’s Office and the City of Detroit are holding a Healthy Homes Resource and Foreclosure Prevention Event this Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents can receive assistance with their homeowner’s property exemption application, meet with representatives from the assessor’s office, water department, and more.

Attendees will also have a chance to win a flat screen TV, gift cards and more.

Those who need a ride can call 866-313-2520 to schedule a ride with the Lyft rideshare service. The event will be held at Joesph Walker Williams Center at 8431 Rosa Parks Boulevard.  

Veterans meeting

Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity Department (CRIO) is hosting a Veteran’s Task Force meeting next Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 2:30-4 p.m. over Zoom.

The meeting is an opportunity for veterans to have their voices heard, share input, and tell city officials about their needs. The event is in partnership with Council member Mary Waters and the Office of Veteran Affairs.

Grant for experimental artists

The non-profit arts organization Culture Source is announcing the Flourish Fund in partnership with the Andy Worhol Foundation.

The grant supports experimental artist-organized projects in Southeast Michigan. The Fund offers six $10,000 grants toward innovative, public-facing projects across the seven counties of Southeast Michigan. 

Applications close Sept. 11.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The United Farm Workers Foundation, which advocates for farm workers and immigrants in the U.S., recently released a survey finding most farmworkers are worried about detention and deportation because of the Trump administrations latest immigration crackdown. 

Anna Hill Galendez is the managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. She leads the team providing legal services to farmworkers throughout Michigan.

“So while we haven’t seen large-scale raids at agricultural sites in Michigan during this administration, the constant threat or potential threat of that enforcement has really created a chilling effect and climate of fear for farmworkers in Michigan,” says Galendez.

The UFW Foundation surveyed over 2,200 farm workers in 12 states including Michigan.  The survey found that beyond deportation, people are afraid of seeking medical help, shopping or using social media.   Many have been working in the U.S. for more than 10 years.  

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

ProsperUs Plan to Profit

The nonprofit ProsperUs Detroit is hosting a Financial Readiness Accelerator program. The free 3-week program is for entrepreneurs who face financial barriers or have limited access to resources. The courses will cover how to build credit, manage debt and prepare for future funding. 
 
The cohort will be held Sept. 9 through Sept. 23 on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The courses will be held at the JHub at 950 Selden Street. 
 
People have until Aug. 16 to apply at prosperusdetroit.org.

El-Sayed talks with Obama

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed says he spoke with former President Barack Obama and hopes Obama will campaign with him and other Michigan Democrats. El-Sayed told NBC’s Meet the Press the conversation was warm and inspiring.

Obama did not endorse anyone in the state’s primary election. El-Sayed’s main Democratic rival, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, campaigned on her ties to the Obama administration, where she worked on reviving the auto industry. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in November. 
 
-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Work summit for refugees, immigrants

Registration is open for a workforce summit which aims to create networking opportunities for refugees and new immigrants.

The Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative is hosting the 2026 Opportunity Workforce Summit to introduce refugee and immigrant job seekers to employers, workforce organizations and educational institutions.

The event takes place Sept. 22 from 10  a.m to 3 p.m. at the Schoolcraft College, mVistaTech Center in Livonia, Michigan.

Wellness summit

A global movement is bringing a wellness summit to Detroit in October. The Hearth Summit Detroit is focused on communal wellbeing through art and reflection.

Event organizers hope to attract 200 changemakers from Detroit and Wayne County to discuss art, philanthropy and mental health. The organization says they want educators, entrepreneurs, artists and mental health practitioners to work toward a more just and equitable society. 
 
As of last year, there have been 27 regional summits hosted in 18 countries. The event in Detroit will take place Oct. 8-10 at the Kintsugi Village in Corktown. People can sign up at hearthsummitdetroit.com. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Kiara Williams is a dedicated movie lover. Some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories involve watching movies at her grandmother’s apartment and going to the theater with her friends as a teenager.

Last year, while watching the film “Sinners” at the theater, Williams realized it took her over 20 minutes to get there, and it would take her over 20 minutes to get back. The New York native thought it was ridiculous to need a vehicle and a hefty commute to see a movie. 

So, she decided to start her own theater, Treuse Cinema, in the heart of Detroit. 

Williams says movies bring hope—something the city deserves. 

“Movies give us the ability to dream,” Williams says. “One of the elders here that I’ve connected with in Detroit, his name is Maurice, he told me that when movie theaters stopped existing in Detroit, they took away the ability for Detroiters to dream.” 

Williams believes that Detroit should have access to quality films just like any other city.

 She hopes to build that access from the ground up.  

“Detroit has always been a city of stories, and I believe that the lack of a cinematic infrastructure for that medium to be shown, for those stories to be told, is devastating,” Williams said. 

More than just a movie theater

Williams is currently building community support for her project, Treuse Cinema, an expansive tri-use space. 

“This space exists in many different contexts,” she explains. “It’s for filmmakers to come and get inspired, for people to have a good movie-going experience, for the broader film industry to connect with the Detroit talent that’s already been here.”

Right now, Treuse Cinema is just an idea. Williams is searching for a permanent location in the city. Meanwhile, she and her partners have hosted various events to get Detroiters engaged with the concept.

Filmmakers Influx: Detroit

Williams hosted “Filmmakers Influx: Detroit” at The Shepard Art Gallery in July.

The event was designed to connect creatives and encourage collaboration ‘to have an energy of people connecting, stories overlapping that people would have never thought would overlap.’

The event had music, food and a panel of three Detroit-based filmmakers, who spoke about their experiences.

Filmmaker Paisley Sutton sees the need for film spaces in the city. “Detroit has such an amazing art scene, we’ve set the tone for so much culture around the world,” Sutton said. “So, I think it’s only right that we have strong communities, especially film communities here in Detroit.” 

Another panelist, Liv Morris, says that with so many big corporations coming into Detroit, communities like the one Williams is creating are extremely important. “There are a lot of institutions and big corporations coming in, in order to make something of Detroit, versus people who are actually trying to connect with artistic communities—and I think Kiara is one of those people,” Morris said. 

Community is one of the most important aspects of the project for Kiara Williams. She says she wants to create a space where movie-going can become a local, people-focused event. 

“I believe in people power,” Williams said. “I no longer see the power in corporatism, I know they have power with money, but we can access that, we can get the money, and I don’t need to waiver on my dream. I don’t need to waiver on what I believe and if there’s not alignment, then they’re not a part of the dream.” 

Above all else, Williams wants her future movie theater to be a place where Detroiters can connect with each other and with their dreams. 

Williams plans to continue organizing pop-up events until Treuse Cinema finds its forever home. 

Fantastico: Wild and Winsome Posters from Mexico’s Golden Age, 1936-1960 will open to the public for free on the evening of Thursday, August 6 at Galerie Camille in the Cass Corridor.

There will be posters and lobby cards that feature genres such as Mexican film noir and rumberas movies, or cabaret melodramas made famous from their dance numbers.

Dalia Reyes, an interdisciplinary artist and arts administrator from Southwest Detroit, co-curated the exhibition. “There’s something about being able to compare what we see here in the US and then what Mexico was doing during that time,” Reyes says.

Reyes joined The Metro to discuss the art, culture, and innovation behind the timeless items of Mexican cinema. “You can expect a variety of categories anywhere from crime, drama, musicals, noir, and then some of those major Hollywood movies,” Reyes says.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has lifted the precaution to avoid bagged mixed salad mixes. Officials say new cyclosporiasis case reports and emergency department visits are on the decline. Data show most exposures occurred in late June and early July.

Officials are saying the majority of contaminated lettuce is likely no longer available for consumption. The department will continue updating outbreak data every Thursday. Officials continue to recommend avoiding the recalled lettuce. 

 Additional headlines for Aug. 6, 2026

Dearborn Homecoming

The City of Dearborn’s 45th Homecoming Festival starts tomorrow Aug.7. The festival opens at noon at Ford Field Park with an official ribbon cutting will take place under the park’s covered bridge at 12:30 p.m.

The event will feature live music, carnival rides, an arts district, a vendor village and more. Musical headliners include country singer Martina McBride on Saturday and Grammy award winning artist Chance the Rapper on Sunday. Both performances will be followed up by a fireworks show at 10 p.m.

Festival hours are noon to 10:30 p.m. daily. After 4 p.m., children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Admission is free. The festival runs this weekend only.

 Supplemental food program expands income threshhold

More Michigan families may qualify for Woman, Infant, Children (WIC) benefits. The state health department has increased the income threshold for the program, which provides women, infants, and children with supplemental food, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services. A family of four can now qualify with an annual income of up to $61,050.

WIC helps about 187,000Michigan residents every month. 

 DDOT public hearing

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting a public hearing on August 20 at 4 p.m. to discuss and receive feedback on potential service changes taking effect on Sept. 7. The public hearing will be virtual.

The public can submit feedback through email to ddotcomments@detroitmi.gov  until Friday, Sept. 4.

 Asian American artist showcase

The Asian American based non-profit Rising Voices is announcing their 2026 artist and creative cohort exhibition. Titled “Revolution, Resistance, and Joy”, the exhibition showcases the work of Michigan Asian American artists.

The show starts August 7 with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. at the Swords into Plowshares Gallery located on 33 East Adams Street in Detroit. The exhibition runs through Aug. 22.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The PBS show ‘Spice Road’ took a trip to the densest city in Michigan to get a taste of the thriving Bengali culture in Hamtramck. Their first stop was Amar Pizza, which was named of the top 22 pizza places in the country by The New York Times.

Rupak Ginn, host of ‘Spice Road,’ says the boldly flavored Naga and Ghost Pepper Pizzas stand out from other fusion-foods he’s tasted on the show. “There were flavors that were similar to home, so I thought that was so innovative.”

Documentary Film Producer Razi Jafri directed and produced the latest episode of Spice Road. He lives in Hamtramck and says with food tourism shows, it’s important to strike a balance between spotlighting a restaurant and upending the charm of a local favorite.

“We want people to know about this cuisine, but we also want to keep it a secret as well,” says Jafri.

Jafri and Ginn joined The Metro to talk about Hamtramck’s one-of-a-kind culture and what the public gets wrong about the city.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Documentary photographer Syed Yaqeen is the founder of the American Muslim Experience documentary project. He created the project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

“It’s just everyday lives of folks going through their struggles, kids going to school, people going to their work, and all of that is what the one thing that connects. And they happen to be Muslims,” he says.

Yaqeen began American Muslim Experience as a passion project around 2017. The multimedia platform became a nonprofit in December 2025.

Coming to Michigan

This week, the Pennsylvania-based photographer is visiting Hamtramck, Detroit, and Dearborn to gather pictures of people. 

“Michigan is so interesting because you can go in a half-mile drive radius and have every different ethnic background Muslims and their specific areas where there are specific people from parts of the world, but also in between you have the local and long term Black Muslim community, which are such a historic community, ” he shares.

Yaqeen says he was inspired to begin this project after noticing that American Muslims are portrayed negatively in the public eye. 

“When you think of a Muslim in America or a Muslim, who that person can be, and you might not imagine the person you’re seeing right now as what you think a Muslim is,” he says.

A diverse religious community 

He says American Muslims are among the most diverse Muslim communities in the world. 

Yaqeen, who has two sons, says he also wanted to create positive representation of everyday Muslims for his kids, and others.

“It’s definitely a learning process for myself, and I want to share that with the rest of the community, with everyone,” he says.

Yaqeen says the American Muslim Experience project is a way for Americans to learn about Muslims, but also for Muslims to see themselves in the public. 

“Even inside the Muslim community, it’s such a needed visual representation,” he says.

Yaqeen previously worked on the Muslims for American Progress by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which featured Muslims from all walks of life. He says he got a taste of what this work could look like long-term.

“A lot of this misunderstanding comes from a point of where whoever has that negative idea so often, if not almost always, has never actually met someone who’s Muslim or don’t know anyone who is Muslim,” he explains.

“They just have this stereotypical idea in their head, and they go with it. So all of this work, I think ISPU’s work, and what I’m trying to do, comes back to that point that… get to know the folks.”

Contemporary archive in the making

American Muslim Experience is now a nonprofit. Yaqeen says the work will expand to include educational programming and community conversations.

“We’re hoping for it to be a place where a lot of different storytelling and… community events and all that stuff is housed in one place, so it’s easy to access,” he says. 

Yaqeen says this work is important for years to come.

“Not just a Muslim community, because you hear such negative talks most of the time. But then, when you’re on the ground with the people, you realize there is so much going on. They’re doing amazing work. They’re building community,” he elaborates.

He says American Muslims have played an important role in the country.

“We’re very much part of the history of this country, but also we plan to be part of this country going forward. So to you know have that documented, recorded, and preserved going forward, I think will be very important,” he says.

Yaqeen is collecting photographs and interviews this week. You can find him on Instagram @americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session.

Michigan is reporting the first two fatalities among people suffering from the disease cyclosporiasis. Officials say medical records indicate the people had significant underlying health conditions. Officials add the disease, which can cause cramps and explosive diarrhea, is generally non-life-threatening. Deaths from it are uncommon in the U.S.

The state reports more than 11,000 cases since June, although it’s not clear how many of those people may have already recovered from the disease.  

-Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

American Muslim Experience

Documentary photographer and visual storyteller Syed Yaqeen is visiting Michigan this week as part of the American Muslim Experience— a documentary project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

He says he began the project to document stories of everyday Muslims to counter negative stereotypes and showcase what it means to be Muslim in America.  

“Like the complicated lives of everyday people who again happen to be Muslim. So for them to be able to see themselves as young kids, students going to school, getting jobs, first job, learning how to drive-you know-all these little simple things that people tend not to think of when they are, I guess, put in a specific group.”  

Yaqeen says his focus is on documenting the present-day lives of American Muslims to preserve that for the future.  

He is taking pictures in Hamtramck, Detroit and Dearborn.  

People can contact him on Instagram at americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session. 

Language access failure

The city of Detroit has failed to translate information in emergencies as required through an ordinance created last year to translate public service announcements, says the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Bridge Detroit reports that includes hazardous smoke and extreme heat warnings. City officials say they will make improvements to provide Detroiters whose first language is not English access to resources or information.  

Meanwhile Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has tasked the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO), Office of Immigrant Affairs, and Media Services departments to improve language access in the city. 

BridgeDetroit found much emergency-based information was only posted in English on the city’s website or Facebook. 

The city hopes to provide translated information in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, and French. Meanwhile, residents can use Detroit’s alert system and choose a language of their choice to access the city’s website. 

Detroit has spent more than $362,000 on language access services in the past year.  

Blood donations at extreme low

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.

Sydney Henry is with the Michigan region of the American Red Cross. She says blood donations typically drop in the summer, but this summer is worse than usual.  

That’s likely because of the extreme heat events and wildfire smoke that choked some states, especially Michigan. 

Henry says the Red Cross has less than a day’s supply of type O positive blood. That blood can be given to most people in an emergency. 

-Reporting by Tracy Samilton

Brittini Ward is a multi-media artist and the founder of EYE N EYE LLC. It’s a creative studio, using storytelling for healing, care and cultural preservation in the city of Detroit.  

The Emmy-winning artist has been featured in The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Detroit Institute of Arts, Motown Museum and has partnered with local organizations like Black Bottom Archives and Plowshares Theatre Company, just to name a few.  

Ward graduated from The University of Michigan Flint and has her masters in Social Justice and Community Organizing from Prescott College. 

Today, her work builds on her educational pursuits, allowing her to bring people together around art. Through her exhibitions, she’s intentionally creating spaces that hold community stories.  

Listen to the episode and learn more about Detroit based artist Brittini Ward.

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. Its 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.

Tune into The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming On-demand. Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, music from the late Glen Hansard from his solo catalog. Also, classic August album releases from The Supremes, Beyonce, Bootsy, Boston and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for August 1, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Leave A Light On” – Dervish ft. Glen Hansard
• “The Light (4 PM)” – Cautious Clay
• “Sick Of The Times” – THAO ft. TuneYards, The Linda Lindas
• “If I Let You” – The Womack Sisters
• “When It’s Right, It’s Right” – Nick Behnan
• “Stretching Out (In A Rubber Band)” – Bootsy Collins (August 1976)
• “The Boy In The Bubble” – Paul Simon (August 1986)
• “If Your Girl Only Knew” – Aaliyah (August 1996)
• “Wake Up Everybody” – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
• “Technopagans” – Jesse Welles
• “Winning Streak” – Glen Hansard

HOUR TWO:

• “Rock And Roll Band” – Boston (August 1976)
• “Ring The Alarm” – Beyonce (August 2006)
• “You Can’t Hurry Love” – The Supremes (August 1966)
• “Big Man On Mulberry Street” – Billy Joel (August 1986)
• “I Don’t Understand” – MT Jones (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Cigarette Curls” – Beth Orton
• “Your Love Is Electric” – Leon Bridges
• “But, Nvm” – Baby Rose
• “Yes We Can Can” – The Pointer Sisters
• “This Land Is Your Land” – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
• “All You Fonies” – Dropkick Murphys
• “Say It To Me Now” – Glen Hansard
• “Roll On Slow” – Glen Hansard

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

The Belle Isle Art Fair will celebrate 11 years this weekend. The two day festival will feature over a hundred juried artists from more than a dozen states.

Those with a state park pass get free entry.

Mark Loeb is the director of Integrity Shows and the ongoing producer of Belle Isle Art Fair.

Mady Chen is a featured artist of the Belle Isle Art Fair. She serves as the owner of Apple and Thistle Press and the organizer of We The People – A Resistance Art Exhibit.

 Both joined The Metro to discuss what the public should expect from the event and how the revolution can be found through linocut printing.

“If you reach out to other people, everyone is happy to come together, and then there’s so much more to it at that point,” Chen says.

WDET is supported by The Belle Isle Art Fair.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit remembers the legacy of John “Jammin” Collins, who served as the vice chair on The City of Detroit Entertainment Commission.

He did everything, from being a DJ, radio host, and a booking agent. He was part of the foundational techno collective, Underground Resistance, and left his mark on Detroit electronic music.

“If you give a crowd what they want, what they want to hear, you can take them where you want to go,” Collins said in a 2021 interview with WDET Creative Producer Conor Anderson. They discussed the shows he produced for the Underground Resistance, his experience with overseas techno, and his kidney transplant.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts,Spotify,YouTube,NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Arts funding has been on and off the chopping block. At the same time, art and culture organizations are facing financial and political pressure from the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, funding for the National Endowment for the Arts held steady this year at $207 million. This comes after the administration threatened to eliminate the agency altogether. 

Mary Anne Carter is the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts. It’s the second time she’s been in this role both serving under President Donald Trump.

Carter joined The Metro to talk about her tour in Michigan as part of an America 250 tour.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming  On-demand. Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcast

More stories from The Metro

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, we play the first of 3 EPs from Leon Bridges, fun new tunes from Yard Act and This Is Lorelei.

Also, an amazing covers record coming from Meshell Ndegeocello, a new life for Inner City’s “Good Life” and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for July 25, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Light The Way” – Leon Bridges
• “Keep Moving” – Jungle
• “Keep On Movin'” – Devon Gilfillian
• “That Rose” – Margaret Glaspy
• “On Foot Out” – Infinity Song
• “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” – Meshell Ndegeocello & Cynthia Erivo
• “New Beginnings” – Yard Act
• “Just Like Saturday” – Allison Russell & Ruby Amanfu
• “Let Me Speak To Bobby” – Low Cut Connie
• “Kind” – Joy Oladokun
• “Love You Madly” – Cake (this week, 2001)
• “Johnny Appleseed” – Joe Strummer (this week, 2001)

HOUR TWO:

• “OurHome” – Rodrigo y Gabriela
• “In The Night” – Beck
• “Good Life” – Inner City
• “Bring Your Love” – Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter
• “Billy Came Back” – This Is Lorelei
• “the cure” – Olivia Rodrigo
• “High Heels” – The War & Treaty
• “You’re Poison” – Nick Piunti
• “You And Your Folks, Me And Mine” – Funkadelic
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

In this episode of CuriosiD, listener Fatema Haque asks the question:

Who is playing cricket in Detroit?

The short answer

An international sport played in Detroit

Fatema Haque, a lecturer at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, wanted to know about people playing the sport of cricket in Detroit.

Haque grew up in Bangladesh, and later in Detroit, where her family still resides. 

“One of the things that I’ve been noticing is over the last few years is that during the summer there’s these group of folks who are playing cricket at Jayne Field, they’re in the full cricket regalia, and I’m wondering how this got started and who all participates in this sports activity,” she asks.

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Haque says she’s surprised the sport has sprung up in popularity the U.S.

“I grew up in Bangladesh, and so I saw it everywhere, but while growing up in the US, I did not see it anywhere. So to suddenly see it emerge and have a piece of my culture just out and about made me really curious about who’s organizing, who’s playing, who all is supporting this,” she says. 

Out on the field

A batsman hits the cricket ball as folks cheer on the field, kicking off the first practice of the season at the Lasky Cricket Field on Detroit’s east side.

Saiyed Ahmed works for the Michigan Youth Cricket Academy as a coach. He’s been playing cricket since he was a kid. Ahmed moved from Bangladesh to Detroit in 2002. He wanted to continue playing the sport.

“I always used to pass by the park and see these baseball fields just sitting empty, and no one utilizing them, then, but on the other hand, for us who come in from Bangladesh, and it’s a big crowd here. We want to play our sports, but we don’t have a field to play,” he shares.

He and his friends would play in the parking lot at the Detroit Library at Conant and Davison, scraping their knees during the games.

But one day he noticed city officials passing through the area and he approached them to open a cricket field. He was put in touch with Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson who represents District 3.

Benson says he was on board. 

“We had the old disc golf field, and no one was using it. And members of the cricket community approached me and said, “Well, what do you think about a cricket pitch? I said, “Well, why not? Let’s do it. So I approached the city, I advocated, talked to the Parks and Rec department at the time, talked to Mayor Duggan,” she says.

The city opened Lasky Cricket Field in 2017, after three years of community advocacy.

Just two years later, another cricket field was inaugurated at Jayne Park in Banglatown, as part of the city’s beautification and revitalization efforts. It also gave a nod to the growing presence of the city’s Bangladeshi community in the Detroit area.

A British sport, with international and local expansion

Cricket is a British sport that has been played in England since the 16^th century. It was later organized with rules in the 18^th century.

By the late 20^th Century, the sport became popularized due to televised coverage and international matches, bringing more countries to the playing field, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Back on the field, Ahmed describes how the sport works.

“So the two guys that start standing, that they’re called batters, so they will be two batters each time, and then the field, the fielding team has 11 players. So basically, just like baseball, baseball says catchers, but in cricket it says keepers; they will be behind the stump and behind that batsman, but depending on if it’s a fast bowler, he will stay back,” he explains.

Tayefur Rahman is an electrical engineer. He moved to Hamtramck in 2010. Like Ahmed, he was looking for a community of cricket players when he moved to Michigan. He now lives in Sterling Heights.

Rahman runs the Michigan Cricket Association, which began with 4 teams in 2001 and now has 106 teams.

“We have 2000 plus active players playing in that league as well,” he shares.

He also serves as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Association, which was established in 2017.

“This is for our community base, because by the time we see our community, people are growing in Hamtramck, Warren, and Sterling Heights area, so they were thinking, why shouldn’t we do some community-based cricket, like Bangladesh cricket community,” he says.

Rahman says the international sport has expanded in Southeast Michigan.

Practices are held on weekdays, but games are played on the weekends.

“Sunday we play at least 27 to 33. (It) depends on how grounds availability,” he says.

Beyond the field

The games are now livestreamed in Michigan. 

Rahman says cricket has become a way to connect beyond the field, creating friendships and even leading to job opportunities.

“Because of cricket, these communities are bonding really good,” he expresses.

Afser Hussain is a cricket bowler who plays for the Macomb Cricket Club.

“I led this team for seven years, you know, we have several championships,” he says.

Cricket had a stint in Michigan in the late 1800s, mid 1950s, and in the early 2000s in Detroit.

Hussain says cricket has come a long way since those days.

“You can take cricket as a profession in Michigan—you have the coaches, you have the infrastructure, you have indoor nets. So, yeah, it’s a different cricket than 2006,” he shares. 

The excitement for cricket has also expanded to nearby cities like Warren, which recently allocated a cricket field at Shaw Park, and Troy, which opened a new cricket field at Boulan Park for $900,000 in May.

Many of the cricket games take place at fields across Southeast Michigan.

So next time you’re out and about in Detroit or nearby cities, you may just catch a glimpse of this international sport in your American backyard.  

We want to hear from you!

Have a question about Southeast Michigan’s history or culture? Send it our way at wdet.org/curious or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.

The Concert of Colors is celebrating its 35th anniversary and commemorating Ismael Ahmed, who co-founded the event and passed away earlier this year. Building on a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration, the festival organization is now led by Njia Kai.

“One thing Ismael was clear about is that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we should all take care of each other,” says Kai.

Dozens of musical performers and bands from around the world join Detroit-area artists on the festival lineup including Sheila E, The Don Was Detroit All Star Revue, Dengue Fever, Charity Ward, Kasan Belgrave, Steel Pulse and Martha Redbone.

Beyond music performances and a memorial for Ismael, there will be a community forum at the Majestic Theatre Complex presented by the Arab American National Museum.  The conversation will be led by NPR’s Neda Ulaby. There will also be a grant writing workshop, youth programming, and a story circle at N’Nambi Center for Contemporary Art.

“We get to bring in all these interesting cultural, contemporary traditions, folks who are following age-old patterns that are true to their ethnic history,” Kai says.

Njia Kai, Concert of Colors festival organizer, joined The Metro to discuss this year’s festival.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music… we’ve got a lot of new music to catch up on after two weeks of special shows! New Detroit stuff from Apropos and Lilly Macphee, plus Kelela, Phoebe Bridgers and Alabama Shakes.

Also, we’ll spin some classic tunes from July albums celebrating anniversaries, including Parliament, R.E.M., Cameo and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for July 11, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “There’s Nobody There” – Jack White
• “nosedive” – Aubory Bugg
• “Maggie’s Farm” – Margo Price
• “Carolina Rain” – Rhiannon Giddens
• “10th Floor” – Apropos
• “New Shoes” – Paolo Nutini (released July 2006)
• “Itzsoweezee” – De La Soul (released July 1996)
• “Reason To Believe” – Tim Hardin (released July 1966)
• “If I Were A Carpenter” – Bob Seger
• “Knock Knock” – Swamp Dogg
• “Better” – Baby Rose
• “Hit Me In The Head” – The Rolling Stones
• “Street Of Dreams” – U2
• “Word Up” – Cameo (released July 1986)

HOUR TWO:

• “Point Nemo” – Melanie Charles
• “The Bridge” – Kelela
• “I Feel Hope Coming” – Alabama Shakes
• “This Sun Has Set” – Beabadoobee
• “When It’s Right” – Lilly Macphee
• “Eight Miles High” – The Byrds
• “Do That Stuff” – Parliament (released July 1976)
• “Fall On Me” – R.E.M. (released July 1986)
• “Lost Boys” – Phoebe Bridgers
• “Beyond The Brilliant Haze” – Everything Is Recorded
• “Javelin” – Kevin Morby (Acoustic Cafe preview)
• “Cool Cat” – Us3
• “Let Me Speak To Bobby” – Low Cut Connie
• “Super Bon Bon” – Soul Coughing (released July 1996)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org