Tiff Massey, (American, b. 1981). Everyday Arsenal, 2018. Steel. Collection of the artist.
Museum Hours and Admission Tuesdays – Thursday – 9:00 am‒4:00 pm Friday – 9:00 am‒9:00 pm Saturday – Sunday – 10:00am‒5:00 pm
Tiff Massey. Photo by Justin Milhouse.
DETROIT, MI — Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) presents Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois, featuring new and recent works by interdisciplinary Detroit-based artist Tiff Massey. The artist’s creations reimagine art’s role in the community and offer a vibrant, inclusive view of Detroit, while exploring the relationships between identity, public space, and urban transformation.
Massey creates installations, jewelry, public art, and wearable sculptures inspired by adornment that shape a sense of identity and belonging. Trained as a metalsmith, Massey scales up her jewelry to the size of architecture, forming sculptures that can take up entire galleries, celebrating Detroit’s evolving neighborhoods and the history of West African and Black American culture and style.
The show’s title – 7 Mile + Livernois – refers to the crossroads of Detroit’s Black business and fashion district where Massey grew up.
The site is also the center of a developing art and community space that blends her creative craft with her drive for community kinship and connection.
On view at the DIA for a year – May 5, 2024, through May 11, 2025 – Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois marks Massey’s most ambitious museum installation to date. Spanning four galleries in the DIA’s contemporary wing, the exhibition will include new sculptures commissioned by the DIA alongside works from the museum’s permanent collection, offering a fresh perspective on artists who have long inspired Massey’s own practice. Massey’s work combines traditional African art, and minimalist sculpture, 1980s hip hop culture, and histories of architecture and design.
Two new sculptural works will be shown in conversation with pieces from the DIA’s permanent collection by Donald Judd and Louise Nevelson, demonstrating the continued relevance of the DIA’s collection for the artists, ideas, and issues of today.
The show also includes earlier works by Massey that contextualize her practice, demonstrate her craftsmanship, and draw on her own history and personal experiences in Detroit.
“Tiff Massey’s work is a testament to the power of art to inspire, provoke, and ultimately, connect us to our shared humanity,” said DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons. “With a deep connection to her Detroit hometown, Tiff is a bold, passionate artistic voice who brings her community together through engaging and emotionally resonant works. We are proud to provide a platform to share and elevate her artistic statements to audiences from Detroit and beyond.”
“Paying homage to the neighborhood that raised me, 7 Mile and Livernois is where the essence of Detroit comes alive, where Black opulence and fashion aren’t just words, but a living, breathing reality,” said Tiff Massey. “I’m honored to share this work with the world, as it’s a physical tapestry of memories woven from the threads of family, fashion, and undeniable spirit.”
7 Mile + Livernois is part of the DIA’s commitment to presenting thought-provoking and vibrant contemporary works reflecting a broad range of perspectives and issues immediately relevant to Detroit audiences and communities.
