In 1969, muralist and sculptor Charles McGee leveraged his growing reputation to establish Gallery 7 in Detroit, a space dedicated to Black artists exploring abstraction and minimalism. The gallery operated throughout the next decade, a tumultuous time in the city marked by the aftermath of the 1967 uprising, during which the National Guard and police suppressed Black activists' calls for civil rights. This led to increased White flight to the suburbs and a decline in city services. Despite this social upheaval, art and identity thrived in Detroit’s predominantly Black communities, where the social realism favored by many in the Black Arts Movement was complemented by artists delving into African influences and abstraction, featuring geometric designs, jazz-inspired pieces, and West African masks and textiles.

Currently on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) through September 8, "Kinship: The Legacy of Gallery 7," curated by Abel González Fernández, highlights key works from artists associated with Gallery 7, reinforcing the notion that support for Black art in the city remains vital.

McGee, who passed away in 2021 at 96, was motivated to create Gallery 7 after successfully curating a group show of seven Black male artists at the Detroit Artists Market in 1969. Four artists from that show—McGee, Lester Johnson, Harold Neal, and Robert J. Stull—are featured in "Kinship," along with abstract painter Allie McGhee. Fernández also includes a newer generation of artists, such as Naomi Dickerson, Gilda Snowden, and Elizabeth Youngblood. While not all of these artists directly engaged with Gallery 7 during its active years, they resonate with its mission and artistic values, with Dickerson, Snowden, and Youngblood contributing to gender representation.

A striking feature in the exhibition's foyer is Johnson's wall-mounted series of ornamental staffs, titled “The Sorceress and the Dreamtime Spirits” (1974), previously showcased in his 1975 solo exhibition at Gallery 7. This early piece reflects Johnson's ongoing exploration of sculpture inspired by Yoruba traditions of adorning objects with fibers, shells, and beads for ceremonial significance.

“When I began researching for the show, exhibiting artist Lester Johnson opened his archive to me,” Fernández shared with Hyperallergic. “Not only did I discover a masterwork that had been stored for over 30 years, but I also delved into the rich history of a generation engaged in the Black Arts Movement, Minimalism, abstract art, the Civil Rights struggle, and Pan-Africanism.”

The appeal of abstraction continues for younger artists in the exhibition, evident in Youngblood’s sculptural works and graphite drawings. Youngblood became involved with the Gallery 7 community during her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, encouraged by McArthur Binion—who held one of his first solo exhibitions at Gallery 7 in the 1970s—to pursue graduate studies in design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, located just outside Detroit. "Kinship" features one of Youngblood’s recent works, “Untitled” (2024), a bold painting on mylar, alongside two sculptures from 2015, “Lean” and “Loop 8,” which resemble striking jewelry made from black wire suspending porcelain elements. Additionally, a 1976 lithograph by Dickerson, “Second Score for Black Opera,” incorporates minimalist marks into a composition for an imagined soundscape.

“Detroit is a city where artist-curators and artist-run spaces thrive,” said Jova Lynne, MOCAD’s artistic director, in an interview with Hyperallergic. “Kinship is just one of many upcoming exhibitions that will celebrate the spirit of the artist-led community.” It is encouraging to see MOCAD, which has faced challenges in defining its role as a guardian of the arts in Detroit, embrace the true strength of the city: its local artists.

Sayart / Amia Nguyen, amyngwyen13@gmail.com