WDET's STAR Program

Detroit Artists Market

For over 75 years, The Detroit Artists Market has been an outlet for local artists seeking to make a reputation for themselves. The gallery and shop in the city's midtown neighborhood attracts attention from all over the Metro area, holding exhibits, garden party, and holiday sales throughout the year.

T"he Detroit Artists Market (DAM) was founded in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression.  A group of local art patrons, led by Mrs. H. Lee Simpson, recognized that local artists needed a place to exhibit and sell their work."

Originally called Detroit Young Artists Market, the gallery was created to provide a source of income for artists under the age of 30. In 1936, the gallery’s name changed to Detroit Artists Market (DAM), which reflected the growth of the organization as it began to exhibit both emerging and established Detroit artists of all ages and stature.

Opening this Friday is a show dedicated to the interplay of images and the written word. Wordage, curated by Jack O. Summers, exhibits work in a variety of mediums from a hand-picked group of local artists. The reception begins at 6 at the DAM while the exhibit runs through July 24th. This Saturday, Wordage artist Randy Asplund will be on hand to discuss his creation of illuminated texts.