Visiting The Lowriders together in Saginaw
On October 24th, a bus left Grace In Action in Southwest Detroit bound for the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University.
Inside Southwest Detroit organized the trip so that neighbors, young people, families, and others connected to The Lowriders: From Detroit to L.A. and Back could experience the exhibition together. Others met the group in Saginaw.
Many of the photographs on display were made in places familiar to those visiting. For Richie Cortez Roldan, part of the experience was traveling more than an hour "just to see our neighborhood on display." For others, the photographs brought unexpected opportunities to share their own histories. Augie Browe, who attended with his oldest son, Travis, hadn't realized he would appear in the exhibition. Seeing those images together gave his son a glimpse into his father's life around the age he is now.
During the artist-guided tour, visitors gathered at different stops to look, listen, and share stories. Participants read excerpts from interviews with lowriders from coast to coast, bringing their voices into the room.
For photographer Mello Dez, seeing the work as physical prints was particularly meaningful. He left thinking differently about printing his own photographs and continuing to document stories close to home.
The visit extended into the museum's sculpture garden, where people enjoyed the warm fall afternoon among some of Fredericks's original works on the beautiful grounds of SVSU's campus.
There were opportunities to catch up with friends and spend time with younger generations, with conversations continuing into the bus ride home.
Cindy Mata shared that traveling together had transformed what could have been "just a visit to a museum" into "a family reunion." Creating access to the exhibition was the reason for organizing the trip and what people experienced together gave that journey its own significance.
“…I want more than anything in the world to do Sculpture which will have real meaning for other people, many people, and might in some way encourage, inspire, or give them happiness.”
— Marshall M. Fredericks, “Credo”, 1955
The Lowriders: From Detroit to L.A. and Back remains on view through December 19th, 2026, at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University. Admission is free.