Detroit Salon's Artistic Director and Chief Curator, Juana Williams, and founder Julie Egan are redefining how America perceives a city like Detroit as a hub of creativity, innovation, and resilience. DETROIT SALON is a platform that connects Detroit artists, curators, designers, and thinkers with international audiences.
Their mission is to challenge the existing art world systems that often marginalize extraordinary creative communities like Detroit's. The organization aims to address visibility and accessibility issues by partnering with major institutions, developing international exhibitions, creating new exchange pathways, and showcasing Detroit's artistic talent globally.
For their Paris debut, DETROIT SALON presented a cohesive narrative highlighting the city's rich legacy, present vibrancy, and future potential. Each exhibition explored different facets of this story, including "Blueprint of Relevance: Building Detroit’s Artist Legacy," which focused on community; "Stitched Into History: The Legacy of the Avenue of Fashion," which highlighted fashion as an element of self-expression; and "Domestic Dialogues: The Art of Living in Detroit," which celebrated the role collectors play in supporting the arts community.
The biggest challenge in moving Detroit's local energy into a European institution like Palais de Tokyo was bridging two different worlds while maintaining authenticity. DETROIT SALON prioritized artists whose work authentically engages with local themes, reflects social and cultural dynamics, and fosters genuine community involvement.
The organization chose to start the international rollout in Paris rather than in the U.S. because it offers a unique platform for Detroit's creative excellence on a global scale. Paris during Art Basel week is a hub for artists, collectors, institutions, and press, making it an ideal location to amplify DETROIT SALON's mission.
For Egan, conversation means creating conditions for discovery – gathering new ideas, learning, and honest exchange. DETROIT SALON draws from this lineage but has reimagined it for the modern era. The organization keeps that spirit alive through talks and performance programs, digital storytelling, global partnerships, and gatherings in homes and intimate spaces.
Ultimately, Detroit's art community is a living ecosystem made up of artists who build together, lift each other, challenge each other, and create even when resources are limited – innovation and resilience. DETROIT SALON wants to show that Detroit isn't on the margins of the art world but has been a center of cultural creation all along.
Their mission is to challenge the existing art world systems that often marginalize extraordinary creative communities like Detroit's. The organization aims to address visibility and accessibility issues by partnering with major institutions, developing international exhibitions, creating new exchange pathways, and showcasing Detroit's artistic talent globally.
For their Paris debut, DETROIT SALON presented a cohesive narrative highlighting the city's rich legacy, present vibrancy, and future potential. Each exhibition explored different facets of this story, including "Blueprint of Relevance: Building Detroit’s Artist Legacy," which focused on community; "Stitched Into History: The Legacy of the Avenue of Fashion," which highlighted fashion as an element of self-expression; and "Domestic Dialogues: The Art of Living in Detroit," which celebrated the role collectors play in supporting the arts community.
The biggest challenge in moving Detroit's local energy into a European institution like Palais de Tokyo was bridging two different worlds while maintaining authenticity. DETROIT SALON prioritized artists whose work authentically engages with local themes, reflects social and cultural dynamics, and fosters genuine community involvement.
The organization chose to start the international rollout in Paris rather than in the U.S. because it offers a unique platform for Detroit's creative excellence on a global scale. Paris during Art Basel week is a hub for artists, collectors, institutions, and press, making it an ideal location to amplify DETROIT SALON's mission.
For Egan, conversation means creating conditions for discovery – gathering new ideas, learning, and honest exchange. DETROIT SALON draws from this lineage but has reimagined it for the modern era. The organization keeps that spirit alive through talks and performance programs, digital storytelling, global partnerships, and gatherings in homes and intimate spaces.
Ultimately, Detroit's art community is a living ecosystem made up of artists who build together, lift each other, challenge each other, and create even when resources are limited – innovation and resilience. DETROIT SALON wants to show that Detroit isn't on the margins of the art world but has been a center of cultural creation all along.