WDET Announces ‘Artist Next Door’ Initiative

Six Southeast Michigan artists have been selected by a jury of artists and journalists to demonstrate their art, heritage and culture through an innovative program, The Artist Next Door, hosted by WDET-FM (Detroit) and made possible by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA).

The artists representing mixed media, painting, pottery/sculpture, printmaking and music disciplines are:

• Halima Cassells, Detroit
• Daniel Ross Michelsen, Dearborn
• Timothy Orikri, Detroit
• Allison Scout Waite, Highland Park
• Xiao Dong Wei, Livonia
• Danya Zituni, Dearborn

“The Artist Next Door is a project created to give our community a greater understanding of cultural heritage and bring us closer as a region of neighbors,” said WDET Program Director Joan Isabella. “Our goal is to illuminate and celebrate Detroit area artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds and disciplines to enhance awareness and understanding of our communities and cultures.”

WDET listeners and the general public nominated the artists and the jury ultimately selected six artist fellows to create an original piece of artwork. The artist’s process and work will be
photographed by Detroit Photographer Erik Paul Howard and the artists will be profiled by WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper on the CultureShift program which airs from noon to 2 p.m.
weekdays. Each artist will receive a $1,000 stipend when their piece is completed. Art communities will be encouraged to highlight the work of the artists, and WDET will host virtual
artist events for interactive conversations.

To follow the project, visit https://wdet.org/series/artist-next-door/