Steps toward Justice: Artis Lane’s Portraits of Rosa Parks

Steps toward Justice was a successful past project that featured portraits of Rosa Parks by the renowned 94-year-old painter/sculptor Artis Lane, whose bust of Parks was selected for President Biden’s Oval Office.

The exhibition, featured multimedia imagery — from paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and prints to a Presidential medal — relating to Civil Rights icons/issues across the globe. It also documented Lane’s design process, exploring the ways in which she channels her personal experience/inspiration to the viewer through art.

Experiential activities in the galleries allowed viewers to connect on a personal level with the artist, her subjects and with deeper social justice issues, past and present.

A talk by art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky addressed Lane’s Civil Rights imagery and the role of art/artists as instruments of social justice.

This event was part of the Detroit Month of Design program. Programmed by Design Core, Detroit Month of Design is a citywide celebration of creativity that gathers designers and the greater community to celebrate Detroit’s role as a UNESCO City of Design.

This event was a collaboration between Art Impact Connect, Collected Detroit, and Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit.

Instruments of Justice: Artis Lane’s Civil Rights Imagery – PRESS RELEASE

This event is part of the Detroit Month of Design. Programmed by Design Core, Detroit Month of Design is a citywide celebration of creativity that gathers designers and the greater community to celebrate Detroit’s role as a UNESCO City of Design.

Deborah Lubera Kawsky received her Ph.D. in art history from Princeton University. As an Adjunct Associate Professor at Madonna University and a board member of Docomomo Michigan, she has coordinated community outreach projects and events relating to Detroit art architecture, and urbanism. Her 2018 book Alexander Girard Architect: Creating Midcentury Modern Masterpieces was published by Wayne State University Press.

This event is part of the Detroit Month of Design. Programmed by Design Core, Detroit Month of Design is a citywide celebration of creativity that gathers designers and the greater community to celebrate Detroit’s role as a UNESCO City of Design.

Deborah Lubera Kawsky received her Ph.D. in art history from Princeton University. As an Adjunct Associate Professor at Madonna University and a board member of Docomomo Michigan, she has coordinated community outreach projects and events relating to Detroit art architecture, and urbanism. Her 2018 book Alexander Girard Architect: Creating Midcentury Modern Masterpieces was published by Wayne State University Press.