Detroit illustrator’s creations are brought to life

'Live in the D' guest-host performs her song "I Thank God'

Hear how this Music Monday artist took his two passions to continue his family legacy

A festival that includes only local Detroit jazz artists

When you first walk in, you may think the Gathering Coffee Company is just another coffee house, but it isn’t, and, the writing’s on the walls. “Alone is nothing that you are,” said, Emily Steffen, owner of the Gathering Coffee Company. This is a passage written on the walls of her business and a term she says she’s used since college, not knowing one day it would be the mission statement for her coffee shop, “I wanted to create a very intentional space with the community that incorporated both art, storyelling, the concept of gathering together over a product that has no time frame,” Steffen told “Live in the D’s,” April Morton. That product she says is coffee, and unlike a meal that once it’s eaten you get up and leave, typically when enjoying a cup of coffee with someone, you stay awhile, and are more engaged, even with those you may not know. That’s a space she says is important to have in our community. “That is why we exist, that’s why we’re here to be better, to grow and to have the community be the one who’s writing our story and we’re just listening and advocating for that and constantly changing with the community, with ourselves and just with everything we’re going through right now,” Steffen said.

If you take a visit to the Scarab Club in Detroit this month, there will be amazing local artwork.

The vibrant art community in Detroit will see a boost as the city invests more than $150,000 to beautify its buildings.

DETROIT – Two Detroit artists are getting national attention for their custom shoes. Sydney G. James and Tony Whlgn designed custom Vans shoes to celebrate Black History Month. She’s black, like, she’s coming out and fully aware of her blackness,” Sydney G James said. I feel like a lot of the conversation in this country has been in black and white,” Tony Whlgn said. READ: ‘Black Art Library’ exhibit at MOCAD celebrates work of artists through booksAdTony Whlgn is a visual artist from Detroit.

DETROIT – A new exhibit at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is celebrating the work of Black artists through books. “I love Black art. I love art books and my background is in art education,” said Asmaa Walton. “A large part of exhibit is inviting people to appreciate Black art.”Walton called the collection Black Art Library. The Black Art Library runs until April 18 at MOCAD with strict social distancing guidelines in place.

More often than not, the arts are the first thing cut, but one program in Detroit has solved that budget problem. The Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit on Antietam Avenue has educated an estimated 10,000 young people since it was founded. National philanthropic organization The Lewis Prize for Music awarded three grants in 2021 to support the arts for young people. Competing against hundreds of programs across the country, the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit earned a $500,000 grant spread over the next three years. More information on the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit can be found on its official website here.

DETROIT – The arts in Detroit are getting a big boost of exposure Monday. The city is launching a year-long program called “UNDEFEATED.” It aims to showcase artists of every genre and every background. I want people to understand that Black history is a part of everything else. They’re going to see Black artists and Black musicians alongside white artists, Indian artists, Arabic artists and then we can understand that it’s not just about one thing,” Riley said. More: Black History Month stories