From its high point of affluence and influence and a population of nearly two million in the 1950s, Detroit suffered decades of devastating civil unrest, economic crisis, governmental corruption, and the loss of nearly two-thirds of its population. Today - from bankruptcy and blighted neighborhoods - a new Detroit is arising, enlivened by the creativity of artists whose work is transforming the city, inspiring its residents, and bringing about a sense of renewal and hope.

Dr. Marion “Mame” Jackson, Professor Emerita, Art History, Wayne State University and The University of Michigan, focuses on relationships between art and community and art’s role in preserving culture and nourishing spirit. She has spent years in the Canadian Arctic and Brazil studying art of ordinary people and its power to express culture and empower imagination. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for Humanities, Fulbright, and the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada.

This is the fifth of a six-lecture series. The subject is The Power of Art. The next lecture will be April 2, 2020. The title is: From the Grove to the Gallery: A Personal Journey with African Art.