Michigan Central Art Program
The Michigan Central Art Program aims to establish Michigan Central as part of Detroit’s arts and culture scene, an already established global destination, rooted in a vibrant local community and engaging the world. The Program explores the intersection of art, technology, and society, and shares the guiding principles and philosophy of Michigan Central, by celebrating innovation, equity, and inclusion. The Art Program aspires to engage audiences, encourage collaboration, foster community, and inspire discovery.
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Reddymade, me + you
An interactive AI light sculpture, me + you represents the coevolution between human wisdom and technological advancement—a primary theme of the Michigan Central Art Program. Originally created by Reddymade’s founder Suchi Reddy in 2021, this new iteration of me + you is a transformative experience that responds to the distinct historical architecture of the Station’s South Concourse.
The Michigan Central x Newlab Art + Technology Residency
The Michigan Central x Newlab Art + Technology Residency program was founded in 2024 administered by Cézanne Charles and John Marshall, rootoftwo. Foregrounding emerging and mid-career artists based primarily in metro Detroit, the Artist-in-Residence program offers studio space, hands-on training, professional development and a $30,000 unrestricted stipend for six artists and creative practitioners to pursue projects at the intersection of art, design, science, and technology.
Bagley Mobility Hub Public Art
Bagley Mobility Hub opened in spring 2023 and includes the first series of original artwork within the Michigan Central Art Program. Responding to an open call, Detroit-based artists and organizations were chosen for their ambition and concept: Patrick Ethen created a light installation in the south stairwell; Senghor Reid created a vinyl installation on three on-site water cisterns; and Amelia Duran, Director of Garage Cultural, worked in collaboration with artists and the local community to produce a visual lenticular installation on the Bagley Street facade.
Meet the Artists
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Garage Cultural (Art on the Block)
@garagecultural
@demaciio
@maspazBagley Street Facade
Dynamic and expressive, Garage Cultural’s lenticular commission at the Bagley Mobility Hub considers the relationship between nature and technology. Led by Amelia Duran, Garage Cultural has served as an arts and cultural anchor in Southwest Detroit for more than 40 years, and Art on the Block – Arte en la Cuadra is their long-standing community public art initiative.
For the Bagley Mobility Hub, Garage Cultural in collaboration with Detroit artist Demaciiio and Washington DC-based artist Mas Paz, created a large-scale mural spanning a 97-foot stretch along Bagley Street at ground level. The concept of the colorful installation, “For Us, By Us,” honors those involved with the Detroit Community Technology Project’s Equitable Internet Initiative, and furthers Garage Cultural’s advocacy for community access to technology. The work features illustrated vinyl wraps, produced by Detroit’s Vector Lab and installed on vertical metal slats, and marks Garage Cultural’s first non-painted mural.
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Patrick Ethen
South Stairwell
Patrick Ethen’s site-specific commission features slow-moving neon light patterns that illuminate the southern-facing stairwell of the Bagley Mobility Hub. Ethen is an architecturally trained artist and designer and a resident of Corktown who has been working in Detroit since 2015. The moving light sculpture uses neon bulbs to produce saturated color frequencies that create a glowing wall, generating interest from both within the building and from the exterior.
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Senghor Reid
www.mcontemporaryart.com/artists/senghor-reid
Water Cisterns
Senghor Reid’s commission is realized across three outdoor water cisterns at the Bagley Mobility Hub. Reflecting Reid’s exploration between the human body and the environment, his site-specific commission centers on water. The 40-foot water cisterns are wrapped in vinyl, with each featuring an illustrative, textured depiction of major bodies of water in Michigan including the Great Lakes and Detroit River.
