Essay'd Partners With BBAC And Anton Art Center To Present Free Artist Talk Events

From Essay'd: Essay’d, The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC), and Anton Art Center today announced a new partnership formed to present a monthly series of free artist talk events, featuring conversations with 10 renowned Detroit-area artists, specially-selected by the Essay’d editorial team. The talks, which will be held alternately at the BBAC in Birmingham and Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, are free and open to the public.

The series, which kicks-off on Feb. 9, 2017, will include talks from:

· Feb. 9, 2017 – Andy Malone (Anton Art Center)

· March 9, 2017 – Mike McGillis (BBAC)

· April 13, 2017 – Jo Powers (Anton Art Center)

· May 11, 2017 – Carole Harris (BBAC)

· June 8, 2017 – David Philpot (Anton Ar t Center)

· July 13, 2017 – Levon Kafafian (BBAC)

· August 10, 2017 – Chido Johnson (Anton Art Center)

· Sept. 14, 2017 – Melanie Manos (BBAC)

· Oct. 12, 2017 – Kathleen Rashid (Anton Art Center)

· Nov. 9, 2017 – Saffell Gardner (BBAC)

All talks take place at 6:30 p.m. Attendance and parking are free of charge, with no advance registration required. Images of work by Mike McGillis, Jo Powers, Melanie Manos and Saffell Gardner are available here.

Essay'd (essayd.org) is an online writing project by Dennis Alan Nawrocki, Steve Panton, Matthew Piper and friends, which publishes short, illustrated essays about contemporary Detroit artists on a regular basis. If it continues at its current pace, it will reach 100 artists by early 2018 – an unprecedented survey of Detroit art. The first 30 essays were published in print form by Wayne State University Press in August 2016, and a second volume is scheduled for publication in August 2017.

Steve Panton, co-founder of Essay’d, said, "Regional art centers like the Anton Art Center and the BBAC, and the communities they serve, are a vitally important part of the Detroit art scene. Essay'd is delighted to help present a diverse group of Detroit artists through this series of talks."

The Anton Art Center, which has a mission to enrich and inspire people of all ages through the arts, is located at 125 Macomb Place in Mount Clemens, Mich.

“After last year's series of successful talks by Essay'd artists at the Anton, we were excited for the opportunity to engage Essay'd again this year, and happy that we were able to partner with the BBAC to offer an extended schedule of talks at both locations. These talks are a great opportunity for our community to connect with world-class artists who are living and working right here in southeast Michigan,” remarked Phil Gilchrist, Executive Director.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the BBAC, located at 1516 S. Cranbrook Rd. in Birmingham, Mich., is a regional, non-profit art center that promotes visual arts experiences and provides access to “art for all.”

“At the BBAC, we don’t see 8 Mile Road or Oakland County as boundaries,” said Annie VanGelderen, President & CEO. “Our goal is to make thoughtful and deliberate efforts to showcase as many regional artists as possible and give them space to tell their stories.”

For more information on the artist talk series, visit www.BBArtCenter.org, www.TheArtCenter.org or www.Essayd.org.

Image Via Pixabay