"Detroit will host its first contemporary art fair this week, when Season (25-28 September) debuts with presentations by 11 galleries plus a special exhibition featuring ten local artists on the sixth floor of Michigan Central, the city's renovated former train station. Season has evolved out of Detroit Art Week, which was launched in 2018 by the curator, writer and public relations entrepreneur Amani Olu."
"Olu, a collector himself, says he has watched the local scene flourish firsthand. "I didn't parachute in on this Detroit revitalisation narrative," he says. Olu arrived in Detroit for family reasons in 2016, after 11 years in New York. But he didn't get involved in Detroit's arts community until 2017, when "my friend Ingrid LaFleur, the only artist I knew in Detroit, ran for mayor", he says recalls. LaFleur asked Olu to be her press officer, and he accepted."
""I was looking at market consolidation," Olu says. "Private money, hedge funds-they're here. They're at the art fair table. They're consolidating." What's more, he was aware that many galleries are not interested in participating in huge fairs, or simply cannot afford to. "The future of fairs is going to be smaller and regional," Olu adds. A stand at Season costs $2,500, he says. The works on offer will be available for purchase at the fair and via an online viewing room for two we"
Season launches in Detroit from 25-28 September on the sixth floor of Michigan Central with presentations by 11 galleries and a special exhibition of ten local artists. Season evolved from Detroit Art Week, launched in 2018 by Amani Olu, and aims to draw attention to Detroit while activating the local and Midwest collector base. Olu moved to Detroit in 2016 and became active in the arts community in 2017 through Ingrid LaFleur. Detroit Art Week expanded in 2018 and 2019 but paused for Covid-19. Season prioritizes a smaller, regional fair model with affordable stands and online sales.
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