Cristina Towell is a Ferndale painter specializing in landscapes, portraits, and representational art. She returned to painting only about five years ago, after having attended the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies) in the 1960s before focusing on raising her child. During the intervening years, Christina focused on fiber art, including knitting, felting, and creating accessories. Her return to painting was inspired by meeting Liz Franklin, painter and instructor, at a Noel Night event at the Lawrence Institute of Technology. She took a painting class with Liz Franklin at Articipate in Berkeley, which led to a wonderful group of artist friends and her first portrait being accepted into the Scarab Club gold medal exhibition in 2021. This achievement has led to many more shows and local successes.

https://www.instagram.com/christinatowellart/

Zuri McWhorter is a writer, artist, and publisher of the Detroit-based digital zine, Juste Milieu. Juste Milieu embodies “the happy medium” between art and life and writing and visual art, and features erasure poetry and collages, among other artistic styles. It’s currently on its 19th issue. Zuri, Detroit native, is part of the Detroit art scene that is making waves “as cool as New York’s.” Get the latest issue of Juste Milieu at: https://justemilieuzine.bigcartel.com/

Sue Majewski aka SUMAJETSKI is a notable Michigan mosaic artist and Wayne State design grad with decades of mosaic experience. A Michigan native and Great Lakes lover, she got her start in mosaics through commissioned pieces of freighters. One of her most well-known pieces showcases the legendary freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which was featured at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Before the pandemic, Sue was an art curator for hospitals. She has since taken her mosaic business full time, sharing her work in art shows across Michigan and teaching mosaic workshops at The Hawk in Farmington Hills.

Sue Majewski Website

Sing Out Detroit is a diverse chorus made up of LGBTQ+ community members and allies from Detroit and surrounding areas. Their mission is to foster a supportive community, spread joy through music, and inspire audiences to participate in positive social change. The nonprofit arts organization is a proud member of the GALA choruses. Founded in 2008, the group has grown in notoriety over the last decade, performing at pride parades and well-known venues across Metro Detroit.

Sing Out Detroit Website

Samah Kthar is an abstract painter who works with memories and emotion to influence elements like color, pressure, and movement in her work. In the past, Samah has led expressive arts workshops for at-risk youth. Currently, she works as an occupational therapist using art as a healing modality for people with brain injuries. Samah’s art has been featured in many galleries across Michigan, including the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Detroit Historical Museum, Scarab Club, and the Heidelberg Project. Various news outlets, such as PBS, WJZZ, Fox 2 News, CBS 62, and The Oakland Press, have spotlighted her work.

Art by Samah Website

Brick Town Glass features fused glass work by Metro-Detroit artist Alysa Diebolt. Alysa started her entrepreneurial journey at age 14 in the Upper Peninsula, vending in art shows across Michigan. While she is adamant about creating art that “doesn’t mean anything,” she is also inspired by the Great Lakes, poppies, and other natural elements Michigan has to offer and that makes people happy in their Michigan discoveries. Her art appears in several galleries, and she organizes a few art shows a year.

Brick Town Glass Website