Detroit Salon: The Artistic Director and Founder Talk Bringing Motor City's Creative Energy to the World
In a bold move, Detroit Salon is taking its mission to promote the city's art scene globally. This year, the organization staged three projects in Paris during Art Basel week, including exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo, Hotel de Talleyrand, and the Grand Palais.
For Juana Williams, artistic director and chief curator of Detroit Salon, the goal was to reframe how Detroit is perceived in the art world – not as an outlier, but as a vital engine of creativity, innovation, and resilience. By building a platform that connects Detroit artists, curators, designers, and thinkers with international audiences, Williams aims to create space for a different kind of dialogue: one rooted in community, Detroit's long artistic history, and cross-cultural collaboration.
"We're addressing the gap between Detroit's creative communities and global recognition," Williams explains. "By partnering with major institutions and developing international exhibitions, we're amplifying Detroit's voice while challenging the systems that define cultural value."
Williams chose a cohesive narrative centered on the Detroit art community for the Paris debut, exploring its rich legacy and present vibrancy. Each exhibition highlights a different facet of the story: "Blueprint of Relevance: Building Detroit's Artist Legacy" focuses on community; "Stitched Into History: The Legacy of the Avenue of Fashion" explores fashion as an element of self-expression in Detroit; and "Domestic Dialogues: The Art of Living in Detroit" celebrates the role collectors play in supporting the arts community.
For Julie Egan, founder of Detroit Salon, the goal is to position Detroit not just as a local story but as part of a global conversation about creativity, community, and renewal. By launching in Paris during Art Basel week, the organization aims to amplify Detroit's creative excellence on a scale that's not possible stateside at this stage.
"We're carrying the legacy forward," Egan says, "celebrating a city built by makers, visionaries, and innovators who have always defied expectation." The international rollout involves exhibitions in Paris and seven other cities before culminating in the Detroit Salon flagship contemporary art show in 2028.
For Williams, conversation is about creating conditions for discovery – a space where artists, thinkers, and audiences can meet on equal footing and challenge one another's assumptions. Beyond the exhibitions, Detroit Salon keeps that spirit alive through an ongoing talks and performance program in Detroit and globally, gatherings in homes and intimate spaces, digital storytelling, and global partnerships.
The takeaway from "A Blueprint of Resonance" and the other offerings in Paris should be that Detroit isn't on the margins of the art world – it's been a center of cultural creation all along. As Williams puts it, "Detroit's art community is a living ecosystem... made up of artists who build together, lift up each other, challenge each other, and keep creating even when resources are limited." This resilience isn't just survival – it's innovation.
Ultimately, Detroit Salon is reimagining the salon model for our time, where artists aren't just exhibiting work but making new encounters, dialoguing across disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences. The conversation happens in museums and galleries, yes, but also over dinners, in studios, in collector homes, in neighborhoods.
In a bold move, Detroit Salon is taking its mission to promote the city's art scene globally. This year, the organization staged three projects in Paris during Art Basel week, including exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo, Hotel de Talleyrand, and the Grand Palais.
For Juana Williams, artistic director and chief curator of Detroit Salon, the goal was to reframe how Detroit is perceived in the art world – not as an outlier, but as a vital engine of creativity, innovation, and resilience. By building a platform that connects Detroit artists, curators, designers, and thinkers with international audiences, Williams aims to create space for a different kind of dialogue: one rooted in community, Detroit's long artistic history, and cross-cultural collaboration.
"We're addressing the gap between Detroit's creative communities and global recognition," Williams explains. "By partnering with major institutions and developing international exhibitions, we're amplifying Detroit's voice while challenging the systems that define cultural value."
Williams chose a cohesive narrative centered on the Detroit art community for the Paris debut, exploring its rich legacy and present vibrancy. Each exhibition highlights a different facet of the story: "Blueprint of Relevance: Building Detroit's Artist Legacy" focuses on community; "Stitched Into History: The Legacy of the Avenue of Fashion" explores fashion as an element of self-expression in Detroit; and "Domestic Dialogues: The Art of Living in Detroit" celebrates the role collectors play in supporting the arts community.
For Julie Egan, founder of Detroit Salon, the goal is to position Detroit not just as a local story but as part of a global conversation about creativity, community, and renewal. By launching in Paris during Art Basel week, the organization aims to amplify Detroit's creative excellence on a scale that's not possible stateside at this stage.
"We're carrying the legacy forward," Egan says, "celebrating a city built by makers, visionaries, and innovators who have always defied expectation." The international rollout involves exhibitions in Paris and seven other cities before culminating in the Detroit Salon flagship contemporary art show in 2028.
For Williams, conversation is about creating conditions for discovery – a space where artists, thinkers, and audiences can meet on equal footing and challenge one another's assumptions. Beyond the exhibitions, Detroit Salon keeps that spirit alive through an ongoing talks and performance program in Detroit and globally, gatherings in homes and intimate spaces, digital storytelling, and global partnerships.
The takeaway from "A Blueprint of Resonance" and the other offerings in Paris should be that Detroit isn't on the margins of the art world – it's been a center of cultural creation all along. As Williams puts it, "Detroit's art community is a living ecosystem... made up of artists who build together, lift up each other, challenge each other, and keep creating even when resources are limited." This resilience isn't just survival – it's innovation.
Ultimately, Detroit Salon is reimagining the salon model for our time, where artists aren't just exhibiting work but making new encounters, dialoguing across disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences. The conversation happens in museums and galleries, yes, but also over dinners, in studios, in collector homes, in neighborhoods.
Detroit's art scene is getting the recognition it deserves - finally! 
It's about time the world sees more than just a gritty cityscape on the surface. The fact that Juana and Julie are taking this initiative is a major win for creativity and innovation. I'm loving how they're repositioning Detroit as a global player, not just a local story 
! They're really tackling that gap between Detroit's creative communities and global recognition. I mean, it's cool to see a city like Detroit getting the art world attention it deserves 
. But what I think is even more impressive is how they're positioning Detroit not just as a local story but as part of a global conversation about creativity, community, and renewal 
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. And Julie Egan's point about celebrating a city built by makers, visionaries, and innovators who have always defied expectation? 
That gives me chills! It's like Detroit Salon is taking the very essence of Detroit's creativity and resilience and amplifying it for the world to see 
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. But Detroit Salon is changing that narrative, and I'm here for it 
!
. I think it's dope that they're redefining how people perceive Detroit as not just an outlier but a vital part of the art world 
. The fact that they're creating spaces for community, collaboration, and cross-cultural dialogue is so on point 
. It's about time we recognize the rich artistic history and present vibrancy of cities like Detroit 
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. They're bringing together the who's who of the art world to rub shoulders and make deals. Meanwhile, the little guy is still struggling to make ends meet 
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. There's always more to the story than what's being told on the surface.
. But Juana Williams and Julie Egan are all like "Hey, no way! Our city is actually this amazing engine of creativity and resilience" 
. And I think it's super cool that they're taking this approach globally, with exhibitions in Paris and other cities before culminating in a flagship show in Detroit 
The fact that they're creating these international exhibitions and partnerships is a game-changer. We need more of this kind of initiative in the art world, you know? 
It's time for us to be talking about Detroit as a major player on the global stage, not just some city that's trying to make it happen. 
for building a platform that connects Detroit's creatives with international audiences 
. It's all about community, cross-cultural collab, and celebrating resilience 
, they're like a masterclass in storytelling 
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, it's like they're proving that art can be a force for good 
. This is the future of art, folks! 
it's like, we've always known detroit has been a hub for artistic expression, but this is taking it to a whole new level 
plus, they're talking about community, cross-cultural collaboration, and resilience... it's like, the ultimate conversation starter 
Detroit's artistic director Juana Williams is on a mission to change the narrative around the city's art scene 
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