The Best Things To Do In Detroit With Artist Tiff Massey

When most people picture Detroit, it's dilapidation they see. They think about Eminem’s film 8 Mile, post-apocalyptic scenes from RoboCop, and automobile factories left to decay. Talk to people in Detroit, though, and they’ll be quick to dispute such portrayals.

Because Detroit is actually… hot right now. Following the fresh makeover of Michigan Central Station – the once-abandoned train depot that came to signify the city’s decline, now a sprawling tech and culture hub – and the transformation of the city’s 1908 Lincoln Factory into a vast art complex, the former automobile town is becoming a canvas in itself for both local and international artists.

To get the lowdown on Motown – and find out where to find some of the city’s hottest creative crowds – we spoke with local artist Tiff Massey. Born and raised near the intersection of 7 Mile and Livernois Avenue, the beating heart of the city’s Black business and fashion district, Massey’s art explores and reacts to themes of Black culture, family, imagination and the beauty of growing up in Motor City. Her current exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, “7 Mile and Livernois”, is named after this neighbourhood and has been internationally lauded for its representation of Detroit culture.

We caught up with Massey to discover some of her favourite places to hang out in “the D”.

Tiff Massey | Credit: Taizon Taylor

What’s the vibe in Detroit?

Before, the vibe was Black opulence. Right now, I think there’s a lot of motion, there’s gentrification, there's a lot of newness, but not necessarily newness you can get attached to because of the waves of change. I would also have to say… winning. We’re winning in so many different ways. It's more than a vibe. We’re hot right now. You know what I’m saying? Everyone is dope.

When is the best time to visit the city?

You definitely want to come in the spring because that’s when everybody comes outside. It's really beautiful. We have all the seasons. You could come right now and it’ll be fun, but spring or summer, there’s concerts, festivals... I mean, we cute right now!

Our food situation is on point as well. Don’t slip on us for a culinary experience

Where should we be heading for food?

Oh, man, this is hard... Some people might get their feelings hurt because I don’t name them. I have places that hold me down, but then that’s very different to some of these restaurants that are creating experiences for you, right? The Selden Standard is super-consistent. They’ve been here probably the longest, offering small-plates American cuisine – essentially shareables. I also like Takoi and Flowers of Vietnam

What about places that hold you down?

Oh, Mudgie’s [a deli and wine shop in Corktown].

They just took part in Detroit Sandwich Week, right?

They sure did, and I was there in the middle of all that craziness. It was like a porchetta [sandwich]. It was like, shit, y’all need to keep that on the menu. Can we get a Friday “Porchetta Day?” Like, what’s going on?! Ottava Via holds me down, too, and then, to just clear my head and see some of the best performances, there’s Spot Lite [a fusion of a record store, art gallery and bar].

Like I said, we’re a large city but, you know, often it operates like a small country town and there’s a lot of love. Everybody is one person removed. And so that love is being amplified. I know quite a few of the owners of these establishments but I think it's really the people you know that take care of you on a regular basis – like Two Birds, a small bar on the east side. Or Nemo’s. So, yeah, it’s really the people. If you wanna come to Detroit, you gotta come vibe with the people.

The entrance to Candy Bay at the Siren Hotel, left, and Tiff Massey | Credit: Christian Harder, Taizon Taylor

Any museums and galleries you recommend?

Nope. I’m not doing that one. We’re going to skip that, you know. I think there’s a lot of great curation happening. I think the artists in Detroit, like, we bad, you know. So I’d rather speak to that than trying to hype an institution. But we gon’ claim that DIA [the Detroit Institute of Arts], oh we gon’ claim that.

Are you working on anything else in the city? What’s next for you?

I’m heavily focusing on the other aspect of my practice – this philanthropic arm that I’m building out, and developing these buildings. I’m working on a Tiff Massey permanent sculpture park, where people can interact with these objects. The public space is very much as important as the institutional space. I like to operate in both realms. Also, I’m working on an installation. It's a commission for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in North Carolina. I really like larger-scale things. Half because it's a challenge, and then because it's an opportunity to explore and do things I’ve never done before. It’s like, how can I outdo what I did the last time?

So, where should we go out on a Detroit Friday night?

What time are we starting?

Takoi, Detroit

After dinner. Let’s say 10pm.

I would go to Spot Lite. Pretty much. Spot Lite, UFO...It really depends on the vibe but there’s always going to be some live music or a different DJ. You just never know what you’re going to get at Spot Lite. You could get a 40-piece orchestra that’s playing hip-hop, or it’s Arabian night. You just never really know, so I would always just go and check in there.

If you just wanna get some cocktails, hole in the wall, nothing really too fancy, I would go to Two Birds – their cocktails are amazing. If you go in the spring, they’ve got custard on the other side of the wall, too. And if you want a nice little small place, I would go to Candy Bar, just because it's beautiful.

And where else? Where else would I go? MotorCity Wine in the summer. It's just the Sunday patio experience. Those are pretty much the secrets. I’m like, I better get a spot now… I better get a spot every time!

Anything else you want to say?

We want people to come and pull up before the show closes so they can see what we’re talking about. Of course we want to say come and check out this exhibition, “7 Mile and Livernois”. It is my largest exhibition to date. And, you know, we have probably like over 150,000 people that have come to see it so far. So, like, come, come pull up, come meet the people here in the D. I think that’s usually what it is, part of the unforgettable experiences that people have is like the level of community, the sense of community, and the fact that we’ll talk to you. You know, a lot of people in other cities don’t. I guess it’s like that southern hospitality you’re experiencing but with a little remix.