Students from Escuela Avancemos visited The Alley Project as a way for participants from this summer’s Photo 101 to share about their experiences with their friends, explore TAP, and learn about ways that photography is changing people’s lives in their community.
Stephanie Ruiz, a member of La Sirena Studio on The Alley Project, shared about her experiences in Photo 101 classes and how she has built her own photo business over the years since graduating from high school. Students asked questions and started to share a bit about what they would like from another Photo 101 as part of the after school program.
Camilla Cantu is a musician and independent artist from Southwest Detroit. She believes in developing spaces in the Detroit community that uplift other women artists through mentorship, relationship building, and providing resources for up-and-coming creatives.
Camilla is the founder and director of member of Mariachi Femenil, “a female-based mariachi ensemble aiming to promote gender equality in music and performing arts, especially within the mariachi genre.” according to their Facebook Page.
Engaging and raising awareness around issues of documentation for undocumented residents through music and the visual arts is a passion and driving force behind Camilla’s practice.
Camilla is joining us as a resident artist at The Alley Project doing exactly that!! She is working with a creative team of neighbors, youth, and colleagues to collaboratively create the visuals for her new song, ‘Lights Out’. Her residency is helping us inaugurate our new outdoor classroom on Avis near Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP.
The PoTAP residency with Mark Tucker is being celebrated through weekly workshops ahead of Dia de Los Muertos at The Alley Project. This year students will be able to show off their works at an outdoor showcase at The Alley Project.
In addition to community-based arts, Mark Tucker serves as art director for the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts where he develops and designs innovative arts programming and also teaches art classes, primarily for non-art majors, at the University of Michigan. Several of his students accompany him each week, traveling together to The Alley Project to deliver instruction and hands-on support as youth learn a new art form.
This is some of the progress the students have made so far. The residency will extend beyond September throughout October until the projects are completed and the weather turns on us—whichever happens last.
The physical part of Rebel Nell’s process of jewelry making begins with the procurement of paint from a range of surfaces.
For years The Alley Project has welcomed Rebel Nell to visit and to learn histories as layered as the paint they will work with. They eventually select surfaces and harvest paint from the alley, among other places, to make jewelry with.
This year, the youth get to join in as they learn how to make their own jewelry. And this particular surface is special. It is the garage door from a mural in 2011 by Pherz which was painted over several years of activities, sharing time, building relationships and art through painting for the completion and opening of Studio Luevanos and the lots.
Mark Tucker is an artist born in Vermont, living in Michigan, whose current creative work revolves around community collaborations making large-scale public art sculptures, theater sets, and unique outdoor spectacles celebrating the Arts as a catalyst for creative community engagement.
Mark is joining us as a resident artist at The Alley Project!! He is helping us inaugurate our new outdoor classroom on Avis near Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP.
Tucker is the founder of FestiFools, an annual large-scale public art event held in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, and co-founder of the non-profit WonderFool Productions who facilitates the event each year .
Mary Luevanos, community artist and activist and long-standing member of the Porch On TAP curation team introduced Mark to The Alley Project and we are lucky to have him (and Mary) each week for the duration of his residency.
A handful of creatives from around the neighborhood have come together to share time and space with Demaciiio for some basics in aerosol, oil paint, and mural planning.
The mural, as a product, will be featured at the upcoming SW Fest to be held at Senate Theatre on Michigan Avenue in Southwest Detroit on Saturday, September 4th.
As a process, the outdoor mural workshops are providing space to build relationships, skills, and working collaboratively during this extended period of time of limited interaction with one another.
The final mural design incorporated themes of community building, sustainability, and collaborative imagined futures.
Almost 10 years ago we were introduced to Amy and Diana, business partners, who were starting a company that made jewelry from decayed, flaking paint of local murals. We had questions. They had intentions. We got together around those things and it was the start of a relationship that continues to this day between Rebel Nell and The Alley Project.
We are honored that Rebel Nell has joined us at The Alley Project for a residency where youth and neighbors will be able to learn how to make their own jewelry, Rebel Nell style, from start to finish!
Zoey, Russel, Amanda, and Ethel have been spending time with two cohorts of participants to create jewelry from start to finish—from harvesting to shaping, placing, and finishing their custom jewelry. .
“Rebel Nell began in 2013 with the mission to provide employment, equitable opportunity, and wraparound support for women with barriers to employment. By repurposing meaningful materials into wearable art, we mark life’s important moments and connect them to your personal journey.”
Be sure to check back soon for updates to see how the process and pieces turn out.
DeMaciiio is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Southwest Detroit. He believes painting is a way to explore yourself while building with others and that art is evolutionary.
For years he has worked, independently and in community with fellow artists, to write and record countless songs in the studio, perform live, organize for social change, and design and paint small and large scale mural projects.
Demaciiio is joining us as a resident artist at The Alley Project!! Currently he is facilitating a series to collaboratively develop a mural that represents the beauty and flow the Southwest community holds for display at the upcoming SW Fest at the Senate Theatre in Southwest Detroit. Something that the community can see itself in as others see it.
He is helping us inaugurate our new outdoor classroom on Avis near Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP.
This summer Inside Southwest Detroit is working with Escuela Avancemos to offer Photo 101 to their summer program students as a way to strengthen visual literacy and photography skills.
Students are learning about photography and creative process as a “license to see”—to engage, document, and create in liberatory ways.
Alongside an introduction to the histories and practices in photography we are reading a novel and creating heart maps as a way of exploring concepts of self, community, and other.
Together we are printing a zine at the end of the summer to present a collection of the youth’s photography and discoveries. This keepsake will allow them to remember and share their work for years to come.
Come visit the outdoor exhibition in person between November 18 - January 31 in front of Michigan Central Depot at Michigan Avenue and Vernor Hwy.
In March of 2020 Capturing Belief and Inside Southwest Detroit created the #RemoteAllyProject, a place for youth to process what they were going through as their school year was abruptly interrupted and they were forced into isolation by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For 15 weeks, 18 students from Detroit and 4 from Kenya, France, and Italy were encouraged to maintain a positive focus while working with 8 teaching artists, developing communication and critical thinking skills while learning about visual storytelling.
We know that you need Wi-Fi access, and you need it now.
That’s why the Equitable Internet Initiative (Eii) of Southwest Detroit is in the process of installing public hotspots at different locations around the community.
Access to information and communication are such important parts of staying healthy, informed, and connected to each other under shelter in place orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even if you already have internet in your home or on your phone it might not be doing everything you need it to during this unique time—unreliable connections, speed caps, and data limits can affect your ability to stay in touch or get information when you need it.
Locations
Currently there are two public hotspots in the neighborhood and Eii is working on building with different community partners and schools to add more public hotspots.
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, 8300 Longworth, Detroit, MI 48209.
Grace In Action, 1725 Lawndale, Detroit, MI 48209.
There is no password so it is very easy to access and use. Just access the Wi-Fi Network: EII-GO-Free-WiFi on your cell phone or laptop.
These public hotspots will help anyone in need of the use of internet whether it's for homework, work, activities or just for fun. We know times are difficult and we want to offer our families and community access to the internet during this hard time.
There will be more locations coming soon so check back here for updates. See the FAQs below to learn how you can help bring new hotspots to your side of the community. Until then you can access the internet at the locations above.
Just pull up and access the network free of charge!
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this service free to the community?
Thanks to our partner locations where our hotspots are hosted, we are able to provide the Wi-Fi free of charge.
Will it work on my cell phone and/or laptop?
Any device that can connect to wifi can connect to our hotspots.
How fast is it and can I game on the hotspot’s Wi-Fi?
On any device you can get up to 8MGBs p/s download and 2 mgbs upload, per person. This will allow people enough speed that they are able to comfortably explore the internet, watch videos, do homework and listen to music. Wifi speeds can alter determined by how many users are on the network downloading and uploading media at a time.
Is there a limit to how much data I can use?
There is no cap on data usage currently.
How can we access the hotspot while maintaining social distancing?
The hotspots are placed in strategic places that allow enough space to practice social distancing properly and stay safe. For example: parks, community centers with large parking lots. We recommend not sharing devices between people without sanitizing hands or devices prior. Make sure that you are 6 feet away from others not within your household at these locations.
How can our block get a hotspot?
Contact one of our Eii representatives by phone or e-mail to set up a site survey.
Additionally if you know of any local community businesses, non-profit organizations, or churches with open space nearby that are interested in being a host for a high-speed community Wi-Fi hotspot please call an Eii representative immediately to get things moving.
Ask your favorite local business, organization, or church—you may be surprised to find how easy it is to help your community get connected!
Who Are We?
The Equitable Internet Initiative is a collaboration between the Detroit Community Technology Project, Allied Media Projects, Grace in Action Collectives, NEWCC, and the Church of the Messiah's Boulevard Harambe Program.
In 2016, we began working together to ensure that more Detroit residents have the ability to leverage digital technologies for social and economic development.
While we are figuring out how to get Wi-Fi Into your home while adhering to social distancing guidelines we want to offer you a free way to use Wi-Fi immediately and safely and that is why we are providing these access points in your community.
Eii of Southwest Detroit is in the process of developing a worker owned, utility cooperative to continue to increase Internet access through the distribution of shared Gigabit Internet connections in and around Grace In Action on Lawndale while increasing internet knowledge by offering internet training to residents of Southwest Detroit.
We made a zine together. In community. And we sold (out) a zine together. In community.
Alana Rodriguez offered her store, Mama Coo’s Boutique on Trumbull and Bagley, to host a release party for the limited edition run of ‘The Southwest Detroiter’.
The Southwest Detroiter is a curated, multimedia community storytelling project. It centers hyperlocal wisdom, experience, and creativity of Southwest Detroit.
The premiere issue features Zoë Villegas’s ‘Standing In The Shadows of Love’ with photographs by Erik Paul Howard.
With the support of friends, fans, fellow artists, and local businesses all 25 copies were gone in less than two hours. Projects like this give everyone an opportunity to chip in where they fit in.
Everyone that purchased a copy contributed to the youth and community programming that makes it possible, the materials to make the zine, and supported their local artists and businesses.
The project, a special limited edition run of The Southwest Detroiter featuring Zoë Villegas’s ‘Standing In The Shadows of Love’ with photographs by Erik Paul Howard, was hand-assembled during Gabriela Baginski’s weekly Photo Arts sessions at La Sirena Studio on The Alley Project.
She led the group through a series of hands-on book making lessons.
More than a dozen hands helped put it all together over several weeks—measuring, sewing, and learning how to make books along the way in a community setting.
And now they’re done. The limited edition of 25 zines will be made available to the public and proceeds support youth and community development through the arts as well as your local artists.
Gabriela Baginski facilitated portrait sessions together with mentee Pedro Aguilera at Detroit Southwest Pride’s annual Southwest Detroit Community Christmas Party at Grace In Action this year.
Each family photographed received prints of their portraits on the spot to commemorate the holiday and the spirit of giving—part of the tradition of how the annual event comes together each year, with partners sharing their talents and creativity.
The collaborative portrait session was done as part of her Porch On TAP artist residency in a temporary studio they built the morning of the party.
Each year Detroit Southwest Pride goes hard for community. The holidays, especially, provide a unique opportunity to impact the community through individuals and families. And their annual Christmas party is no exception.
This year’s Southwest Detroit Community Christmas Party, held at Grace In Action on Lawndale, saw more than 100 attendees of all ages show up to celebrate the season and one another with music, food, and a variety of gifts for the community, from the community.
Neighbors and organizations nominate families to participate and, if they accept, each has opportunities to participate, giving and receiving in ways that meets each where they are. A collection of organizations, neighbors, and local artists willing to share hands, heads, and hearts get it all done… together.
DJ Skipz and two young DJ’s he mentors in weekly sessions provided the soundtrack for the party. Other youth in attendance were inspired by what they saw and brought questions about craft along with their requests. Skipz took the opportunity to inspire the next generation showing them around the board while spinning their songs.
Families enjoyed a meal from El Nacimento on Vernor as they received toys, clothes, groceries, gift cards, family portraits, and other items they self-identified as needing this holiday season. Stitching Up Detroit printed shirts on the spot featuring local artwork.
Gabriela Baginski facilitated portrait sessions together with mentee Pedro Aguilera as part of her Porch On TAP artist residency in a temporary studio they built the morning of the party. Each family received prints of their portraits on the spot to commemorate the holiday and the spirit of giving with their talents and creativity.
Stitching Up Detroit hosted a launch party this week—with food, live screen printing and performances, DJs, and info booths for local artists and orgs—as a formal celebration of their evolution.
Formed in 2012, Stitching Up Detroit began as a youth-run co-op and was one of the first that made up Grace In Action Collectives, a network of youth-run and worker-owned collectives and cooperatives in Southwest Detroit.
Specializing in graphic design, screen-printing, and vinyl, they had fulfilled orders in a storefront on Vernor, a church on Central, and a one-press garage on The Alley Project before building out their current space at Grace In Action on Lawndale.
Co-founder David Camarena said the launch was important for several reasons, "It is a good way get people to gather, meet new people, and celebrate the transition from a youth run co-op to a worker-owned collective, with the same members, now as adults."
The party featured live performances by Motor City Street Dance Academy and Object The Band and booths by local artists and organizations including Garage Cutural, Philip Patrick, and Freddy Diaz. DJ Skipz and two young DJ’s he mentors in weekly sessions provided the soundtrack for the party. This week was their first time performing in front of a live audience. They took requests while taking turns spinning tunes from start to finish.
Akito Tsuda is a photographer from Osaka, Japan who spent time in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago in the early 1990s photographing the people and places of the neighborhood. He was welcomed with open arms at the time and, in recent years residents past and present are lifting up his photographs as a celebrated portrayal people and place in Pilsen.
After sharing dozens of never before seen photographs on Facebook in 2014-2015 with the help of organizers and activists he was able to reconnect with his subjects as they reconnect with their past and with each other. Eagerly Akito engaged for months answering questions and searching his archive to find lost photos of relatives and spaces that are no longer around. Tsuda has since published several limited run volumes of his Pilsen photographs that people can purchase to have in their homes.
Akito is joining us from Osaka as a resident artist at The Alley Project. The respect he has shown in his processes and the holistic perspective his visual story employs to tell stories about Pilsen, per residents of the community, is why he has been invited to the Porch on TAP artists residency. He is helping us inaugurate our new home on Avis and Elsmere as we transform our front porch to a setting for artistic exchange during our artist residency program, the Porch On TAP!!