CYRUS TETTEH in the Gallery

September 1 – September 29

The Carr Center Gallery
15 E. Kirby Street
Detroit, Michigan 

GALLERY HOURS: 
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday NOON – 5:00 PM
Friday : NOON – 8:00 PM

“I am a born and raised Detroiter and k-12 by product of Detroit Public Schools. I grew up in Detroit at a time when no one ever appreciated the city or its design. I lived through countless headlines that depreciated my city and capitalized on our hardships. Yet, I never felt like I lived in the city that wider media painted us to be; and I want to use my photography to change that. In 2017, I started as one of only two photographers for City of Detroit Media and the Mayor’s Office. I’ve been able to document Detroit’s biggest moments of the past 6 years with a front row seat to the city’s everchanging design.

The collection of works in “Only in Detroit” is not aimed to highlight “design” directly, but to offer a redesigned perception of Detroit to the world. I have hopes for the exhibit to not only invigorate a more exciting allure to investing in the city’s future design, but also show that we have really been exciting the whole time. Only in Detroit is a response to the years of negative headlines and “ruin porn” photography that has shrouded my city. 

The exhibit shows off large scale events that were recently designed in the city like Forbes Under 30 Summit with Serena Williams, the installation of KAWS in Campus Martius and President Biden speaking at the 2022 Auto Show.  It highlights our colorful traditions like the Annual Thanksgiving Parade, Movement Festival, and Southwest’s Blessing of the Lowriders. I also included moments of Detroit music accolades like  Big Sean receiving the Key to the City, Kash Doll doing an interview with TIDAL, and Mary Wilson, of the Supremes, in the Brewster Projects. These serve to preserve our African American music history in Detroit and be the representation that may inspire youth to be future creators!

I want this exhibit to celebrate, preserve, and make people think about Detroit’s design in a way that I have grown to.”