EMB ART

Honoring the work by deepening the dialogue. Curatorial Liaison Henton Stinson guiding guests through our 313DAY presentation of Hair Is the Garden We Wear™.

In every healthy arts ecosystem, transparency isn’t optional — it’s the glue.
When artists, galleries, and collectors honor agreements (contractual or otherwise) and keep communication clear, everyone benefits. The work circulates with integrity, the community grows stronger, and the value of the art — culturally and financially — stays protected.

Every now and then, though, we see folks who try to sidestep that process.
Little side‑door maneuvers, quiet back‑channel deals, or attempts to outsmart the very ecosystem they claim to support. What’s wild is that these shortcuts rarely work out the way they think. When artists and galleries stay aligned, transparent, and principled, those tactics usually end up costing more — literally and figuratively.

And let’s be clear:
No names, no callouts.
Just a gentle reminder that the community pays attention. Patterns don’t go unnoticed. Integrity has a long memory, and so do we.

To the collectors, artists, and partners who move with honesty and respect — thank you.
You’re the reason Detroit’s art scene continues to thrive, evolve, and hold its own on a global stage.

To the others… well, enjoy that side‑eye. You earned it.

Please note the updated exhibition details: Hair Is the Garden We Wear™ will now open on 313 Day — Friday, March 13, at Jo’s Gallery on Livernois. This adjustment, prompted by external conditions outside of EMB Contemporary’s control, ensures the exhibition is presented at the level of excellence expected by our artists, partners, and community.

This shift represents a strategic elevation, positioning the exhibition in a space fully aligned with its vision, its stakes, and its cultural weight. The work remains monumental in scope and intention, and the curatorial direction remains firmly in command—uncompromised, undiminished, and fully committed to the standard originally set. Even with updated logistics, Hair Is the Garden We Wear™ continues to stand as a luxury cultural offering, honoring the artists, the lineage, and the community with the depth, rigor, and representation it deserves.

Please note the updated exhibition details:
Hair Is the Garden We Wear™ will now open on 313 Day — Friday, March 13, at Jo’s Gallery on Livernois.
This adjustment reflects external conditions outside of EMB Contemporary’s control and ensures the exhibition is presented at the standard of excellence expected by our artists, partners, and community.

This pivot is not a downgrade but a strategic elevation, ensuring the exhibition is held in a space aligned with its vision and its stakes. The work remains monumental in scope and intention, and the curatorial direction stays firmly in command—uncompromised, undiminished, and fully committed to excellence. Even with the updated logistics, Hair Is the Garden We Wear™ continues to stand as a luxury cultural offering, honoring the artists, the lineage, and the community with the standard of representation originally promised.

HGWW returns with six artists who engage hair, scalp, cotton, fiber, paint, sculpture, and mixed media as living archives—sites of ritual, reclamation, memory, and sacred design shaping a new Detroit canon.

click the link in the BIO to RSVP
Deep gratitude to the partners and cultural stewards who make this work possible — JBWC Just Because We Care, Sacred Spaces Detroit, Curvy Level Couture, Barber Station Detroit, Shift/ShFT, EVOLVE Style Studio, Y‑Arts at the Boll Family YMCA, the Institute for the Humanities at U‑M, and CCS Alumni. Your support strengthens the roots of HGWW and the creative ecosystem we’re building in Detroit.

BlackArt BlackArtists FiberArt ContemporaryArt DetroitGalleries ArtExhibition CuratorialPractice MaterialStudies CulturalMemory ArtInDetroit SupportTheArts ArtistCommunity DetroitCulture ArtCollectors GalleryLife Barber Hair BlackHair FineArt

ARTIST OPEN CALL — Hair Is the Garden We Wear™

Exhibition: Feb 27–Mar 15, 2026
Submission Deadline: Feb 15

Across barbering, painting, ritual, and archive, these works trace the lineage this exhibition stands on.
Now it’s your turn.

We’re inviting Detroit artists whose practice engages Black hair as concept — not material. Identity, memory, cosmology, technology, embodiment, inheritance… if your work speaks to the intelligence of Black hair in any form, this call is yours.

Presented in partnership with Sacred Spaces Detroit and supported by the Institute for the Humanities at the University of Michigan.

Submit via the link in bio.
Space is limited. Curation is intentional. Bring your strongest work.