Detroit Museum Celebrates 60 Years of Black History with New Art Show

At the Charles H. Wright Museum, "Luminosity: A Detroit Arts Gathering" brings together works from 60 local artists. The show marks six decades of growth since the museum's start, running until March 2026.

"He had always been fascinated with the culture and wanted to do something to teach–particularly young people–about their history and about how significant and powerful African nations are and were," said museum president Neil Barclay to Forbes.com.

Back in 1965, Dr. Wright started small. His home collection grew into something bigger. This Alabama-born doctor mixed his medical work with social change, pushing to end unfair treatment in Detroit hospitals.

Split into "DayLight" and "NightLight," the show takes two paths. Guest expert Vera Ingrid Grant picked art that shows both daily street scenes and deep meanings in Detroit's Black life.

The building stands as more than just walls and windows. It became sacred ground twice - first for Rosa Parks in 2005, then for Aretha Franklin in 2018, as crowds gathered to say goodbye.

"We just continue to tell the truth about the stories that we know particularly from a lived experience that African Americans have had," Barclay said. People cross oceans to see how Black voices shaped American freedom.

Across town, art spaces join the birthday party. New tech meets tradition at the Museum of Contemporary Art's "Code Switch." Meanwhile, Library Street shows fresh views of Detroit through LaKela Brown and Mario Moore's eyes.

On June 29, GhostLight Arts will toast two stars: Njia Kai, who brings art to streets and stages, and George Shirley, who broke barriers at the Met Opera.

Inside the Wright's walls, each piece tells a story. Some whisper of street corners and family dinners, others shout of change. Together, they paint sixty years of making art while pointing toward tomorrow's bright spots.