Russell Industrial Center

'Imagination' from belozero at "Detroit: A New Beginning" at the RIC.

If there's one reason -- and one reason only (not that there could ever be just one) why we love the Russell Industrial Center it's this: the place just doesn't look like an art gallery. At first glance anyway.
 
Of course, it was never intended to be one. Like so many other hulking ziggurats that hover above our expressways, the Russell was originally a factory and its interior still echoes a past that links it to Detroit's manufacturing hubris.

The place is close to 85 years old, which ironically makes it a relatively "modern" piece of downtown architecture. For the record, though, a genuine artist did build it - a fellow by the name of Albert Kahn.
 
Today the Russell is all hustle, bustle and exhibiting plenty of creative muscle. It's home to a number of Detroit artists who have studios within and exhibition space everywhere.

Bands drop in on a regular basis. It even has an-going Bazaar where food, designer clothing, jewelry, and other local products are marketed and sold. Packaging "stimulus" is an old story here.
 
And two stimulating events are on the agenda right now.
 
Detroit: A New Beginning (March 13-April 11) is the newest exhibition at the Russell Gallery. It's a mixed-media jamboree with an impressive cast of regional talents showing what it can do with metalwork, painting and the camera.

We were especially taken with the works of Belozro, an artist who is gaining fame for pieces that blend a unique style of "neo-calligraphy" with the elegant and more familiar lines of expressionism.

No less intriguing is the man's personal credo regarding both his life and his artistic goals. "My pen name is Belozro," he explains on a web site, "because compared to time, I'm less than nothing. My work must be loved and inspire for generations. It has to stand on its own without me there to speak for it."
 
It is standing, bro - and standing tall at that.
 
Now speaking further about that hustle and bustle ...
 
On March 21 and 22 the Russell will open ALL its doors and ramps and elevators for a Spring Open House and Sale.

This annual event is your opportunity to show up again or make a memorable first visit. Check out those studios, enjoy the cuisine, rev with the vibe, and (most important) bring some cash and start your own collection of home-grown objets.

We've got some names: Mark Arminksi, Audrey Pongracz, SLAW (great tiki bar!), Joe Crachiola, Robert Stewart, and Motor City Candle Works. Keep those flames burning!