DETROIT (Sept. 24, 2015) - Renowned artist and urban planner Theaster Gates comes to Wayne State University Oct. 8 for the 2015 Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum. Gates is the founder of the nonprofit Rebuild Foundation, an organization that endeavors to rebuild cultural foundations of underinvested neighborhoods and incite movements of community revitalization that are culture-based, artist-led and neighborhood-driven. Gates is a professor in the Department of Visual Art and director of the Arts and Public Life initiative at the University of Chicago. Gates' expanded practice includes space development, object making, performance and critical engagement with many publics.
Gates' keynote lecture, "To Build a Bank: Notes from the Construction Site," will recount the story of his latest project, the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago. The opening of the Arts Bank - days before Gates arrives in Detroit - will coincide with the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Gates will share the story of the building and the process that led to its renovation since acquisition in Aug 2013.
The lecture will be followed by an interactive conversation with leaders of innovative, place-based arts, cultural and participatory planning projects in Detroit, including Lauren Hood, director of Live6 Alliance, a new collaborative focused on revitalization of the Livernois-6 Mile commercial corridor,; Erik Howard, co-founder and director of Young Nation and The Alley Project; and Rebecca "Bucky" Willis, founder of Bleeding Heart Design and project manager at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center. Gates and the panelists will explore what it means to create places that represent the intersection of art, institutions and community.
The lecture and discussion will take place on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m in Wayne State's Community Arts Auditorium, 450 Reuther Mall, Detroit. The event is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception with beverages and appetizers in the adjoining McGregor Memorial Conference Center. RSVP at bit.ly/wsugates.
The Van Dusen Forum, in partnership with Live6 Alliance, will also hold a half-day workshop on Friday, Oct. 9, at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). The workshop will include a brief bus tour and visioning walk along the McNichols business district and residential neighborhoods, followed by a facilitated session with Theaster Gates and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center at UDM. Workshop participants will explore the process by which Live6 can best serve as a steward and convener for the Livernois-6 Mile community and generate ideas to inform its approach and focus areas. Space in the workshop is limited. Visit vandusen.wayne.edu to learn more.
The Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum at Wayne State University brings together national experts with existing and emerging local leadership to: demonstrate new ways of thinking, sharing and problem-solving; inspire individuals toward action; and provoke intergenerational knowledge transfer by intentionally driving diverse audiences into the same room.
Live6 Alliance is a grassroots alliance of partners working to revitalize the Northwest corridor near 6 Mile Rd. and Livernois. The alliance strives to represent the passions, needs and experiences of the community through the creation of neighborhood advisory councils and by leveraging other resources.