Art X Detroit Showcases Detroit's Flourishing Arts Scene, 4/10

Kresge Arts Experience will take over Midtown this spring as the free, five-day arts experience celebrates Detroit's arts scene April 10-14, 2013. Throughout more than a dozen venues in the vibrant Midtown district, the public is invited to experience an exciting collection of visual art installations, dance, musical and theatrical performances, literary readings, and much more created by the Kresge Eminent Artists and Kresge Artist Fellowship Awardees. Art X Detroit is funded by The Kresge Foundation. A complete schedule of events is available at www.artxdetroit.com.

"A thriving arts and cultural community not only enriches the quality of life for residents and visitors to southeastern Michigan, but inspires fresh ideas and fuels the creative vitality of theregion," said Rip Rapson, Kresge's president and CEO. "In attracting local, national and international audiences to experience the works of these artists, Art X Detroit celebrates the Detroit metropolitan area as a hub of innovation and human energy. We're proud to support the event and celebrate the Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist Fellows."

The Kresge Foundation has provided $2 million to support more than 70 artists living and working in Metro Detroit through its Kresge Eminent Artist and Artist Fellowship programs since 2008. The Eminent Artist and Artist Fellowship programs are administered by the College for Creative Studies.

The event will feature exceptional works and performances by acclaimed Eminent Artists Bill Harris and Naomi Long Madgett, and art enthusiasts will experience some of Detroit's most creative talents at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, the College for Creative Studies and other great venues in Midtown's Cultural Center. A special visual arts exhibition runs through April 28 at MOCAD.

The opening night of Art X Detroit is a multi-venue celebration on Wednesday, April 10, 6:15 p.m. 11:00 p.m. at MOCAD and the N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, with special live performances at the First Congregational Church and Wayne State University. The opening night reception is free to the public; however, registration is required. RSVP by Monday, April 8 at www.artxdetroit.com/opening-night or call 313.420.6000.

Art X Detroit is made possible by The Kresge Foundation and is supported by its partners ArtServe Michigan, the College for Creative Studies and MOCAD. It is produced by Midtown Detroit, Inc., a nonprofit organization that has spearheaded reinvestment in Midtown through the arts, beautification and economic development.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.ArtXDetroit.com and Facebookfor exciting updates. For more information on the Kresge Arts in Detroit program, visit, www.kresgeartsindetroit.org.

About The Kresge Foundation
Kresge is a national philanthropy with deep roots in Detroit. Six of its seven program areas support nonprofit organizations across the United States, assisting with work to create access and opportunity for underserved communities, improve the health of low-income people, support artistic expression, increase college achievement, and address global climate change

The foundation's Detroit Program focuses on Kresge's hometown. Using a comprehensive framework, Kresge's Detroit Program invests in efforts to foster long-term economic opportunity that advances social equity, promotes cultural expression, and re-establishes the city as the center of a vibrant region.

Kresge Arts in Detroit is part of that program.

In 2012, Kresge's Board of Trustees approved 410 grants totaling $130.6 million; $150.3 million was paid out to nonprofit organizations over the course of the year.

About Midtown Detroit, Inc.
Midtown Detroit, Inc. (MDI) is a nonprofit planning and development agency charged with revitalization of Detroit's Woodward Corridor. Representing over 100 area stakeholders, including Detroit's anchor educational, medical and cultural institutions, MDI provides public space maintenance and security services; marketing support; technical assistance; infrastructure and real estate development; grant administration; and arts programming for the district. MDI and its predecessor organization, the University Cultural Center Association, have raised over $60 million in direct support for Midtown initiatives over the past ten years for streetscapes, greenways, parks, community gardens and commercial and residential developments.

In 2010, MDI and its philanthropic partners secured over $22 million in loans and grants through the Living Cities Integration Initiative. New programs launched as a part of this national project include a residential incentive program for anchor employees, financing for targeted mixed-use developments, procurement initiatives and a community land trust. In addition, MDI is developing a neighborhood arts district with support from the New Economy Initiative and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). www.midtowndetroitinc.org.

SOURCE Art X Detroit