George N'Namdi looks at the portrait Jim Pallas painted of him from across the room, standing next to the portrait of Charles McGee.
Home > Galleries > Detroit > N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art
N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art
52 E. Forest Ave.
Detroit MI 48201
Gallery hours are on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (an extra hour in the morning was added as of February 11, 2016). Opening receptions are typically on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., generally coinciding with the nearby Detroit Artists Market, which is less than a block away.
The N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art is divided into three galleries: the Main Gallery, the Rose Gallery and the Black Box Gallery, each of which generally has a different exhibition going on (though occasionally one exhibit will occupy two of the galleries). The Black Box and Rose Galleries are often used to exhibit local artists. The center often hosts private and corporate receptions.
Owned and directed by George R. N'Namdi, the center brings important African artists to Detroit, as well as artists from the Caribbean. Any gallery that uses an international focus as an excuse to only show white European artists needs to look at the example set by the N'Namdi Center.
The Black Box Gallery of the N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art should not be confused with the Black Box Gallery in Dearborn.
Current exhibition
- Les Grands Espoirs, Stanley Février. Opened March 29.
Upcoming exhibitions
Not yet announced.
Past exhibitions
Jef Bourgeau and Jim Pallas at the N'Namdi Center, in front of the portrait the latter painted of the former.
- September 8, 2023 — ??? ??, 2023?
- A Long Time Coming, Anita Bates.
- The Color of Magic, Herbert Gentry.
- Passion Dance, Lucy Slivinski.
- Big Good Angel, Stephen Arboite. September 23, 2022 — ??? ??, 2022?
- Year of the Flood: White History Month, Tylonn Sawyer. February 26, 2021 — June 19, 2021.
- Mel Rosas. August 14, 2020 — ??? ??, 2020?
- Take Five, Anita Bates, Alicia Brown, Jocelyn Rainey, Jean-Marcel St. Jacques, Jamele Wright. November 22, 2019 — February? ??, 2020???
- July 19, 2019 — ??? ??, 2019:
- I, Too, Am Detroit in the Main Gallery.
- Ebony Broadsides, Celebration of the Masters in the Black Box Gallery.
- Minutes, Gregory Coates in the Rose Gallery.
- September 14, 2018 — January 5, 2019:
- Mitli Mitlak, curated by Bibi Sheikh, in the Main Gallery.
- Open Scene, Manuel Lopez Oliva, in the Black Box Gallery.
- American Gods, Tylonn Sawyer. June 22, 2018 — September 8, 2018.
- April 13, 2018 — June 9, 2018:
- Romare Bearden. January 20, 2018 — March 30, 2018.
- Round in Circles, curated by Jennifer Junkermeier. June 16, 2017 — September 2, 2017.
- February 17, 2017 — May 20, 2017.
- Emerging, Artis Lane.
- BLU/BLK, Stephon Senegal. This exhibit had a content advisory for ordinary casual nudity.
- Ed Clark. October 14, 2016 — January 7, 2017.
- 35th anniversary celebration. September 24, 2016 — October 8, 2016.
- July 16, 2016 — September 3, 2016.
- In the Main Gallery: Essay'd VI.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Then Again, Allie McGhee.
- April 15, 2016 — June 25, 2016.
- In the Main Gallery: Now & Then, Allie McGhee.
- In the Rose Gallery: Carole Harris.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Time Lapses, Antonio Carreno.
- January 15, 2016 — April 1, 2016.
- In the Main Gallery: Homage: Regular Folk, Johnny Coleman.
- In the Rose Gallery: Wood Constructions, John Egner.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Cosmic Spirits, Saffell Gardner.
- November 6, 2015 — January 2, 2016.
- In the Rose Gallery: Leonardo Benzant.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Jamea Richmond-Edwards.
- In the Main Gallery: Simbi dzebasa. Prof. Chido Johnson curates the work of four contemporary artists from Zimbabwe: Tapfuma Gusta, Masimba Hwati, Nancy Mteki and Gareth Nyandoro. September 11, 2015 — January 2, 2016.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Latin American Masters from the N'Namdi Collection, namely Emanuel Araojo, Mauro Machado, Manuel Mendive, and Vincente Pimentel. September 11, 2015 — October 31, 2015.
- June 12, 2015 — August 22, 2015.
- In the Main Gallery: Gregory Coates.
- In the Black Box Gallery: Sam Gilliam.
- In the Rose Gallery: Susan Aaron-Taylor.
- In the Black Box Gallery: McDonald's Celebrates Black History Moments on Canvas. May 1 — 30, 2015.
- In the Main and Rose Galleries: Mundo Mericas: Contemporary Art of the Americas, curated by Vito Valdez. March 27, 2015 — May 30, 2015.
- In the Black Box and Rose Galleries: Dick Goody. February 13, 2015 — April 18, 2015.
- In the Main Gallery: Michael Luchs, Christine Hagedorn and Anita Bates. January 16, 2015 — March 13, 2015.
- November 7, 2014 — January 31, 2015.
- In the Main Gallery: Herbert Gentry and some contemporaries. September 12, 2014 — January 3, 2015.
- ...might be missing one or two here...
- Elements of Whimsy, Adnan Charara. September 12, 2014 — October 25, 2014.
- ...many more, going back more than 30 years...
From 2015 and prior, these are the exhibits that were listed on the center's website (linked below) as of August 30, 2015. The complete list is much longer and includes Michigan artists like Tylonn Sawyer and Jim Pallas.
External links
News
- Tanya Britt, "Dick Goody The Making of The Dauphine at The N'Namdi Center for Arts", Examiner.com, April 21, 2015 .
- Alonso del Arte, "N'Namdi Center brings Manuel Mendive to Detroit", Examiner.com, May 18, 2014.
Reviews
- Ron Scott, "Dick Goody at N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Arts", artifizz, February 26, 2015.
- Jim Welke, "Elements of Whimsy: Adnan Charara at N’Namdi", artifizz, October 17, 2014.
- Jim Welke, "‘Do The Yale Thing’ at N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art Detroit", artifizz, March 4, 2014.