BENEATH THE MOONLIGHT: MICKALENE THOMAS BREAKS NEW GROUND AT DETROIT’S THE SHEPHERD
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Pigment International recently made the short journey east to Detroit for the opening of Beneath the Moonlight, a solo exhibition of new work by Mickalene Thomas, presented by Library Street Collective at the Shepherd — a breathtaking arts center carved from a 1912 Romanesque Revival church in Detroit’s East Village neighborhood.
For more than two decades, Thomas has cultivated a signature visual language rooted in photography and brought to life through paintings embellished with rhinestones, collage, acrylic, and enamel. Her celebrated body of work centers Black women posed within richly patterned interiors that draw from art history, fashion, and the domestic sphere, reclaiming aesthetic traditions that have historically excluded them. Beneath the Moonlight marks a pivotal departure: for the first time, Thomas turns her lens and brush toward masculinity — exploring the Black male body with the same rigorous attention to beauty, agency, and representation that defines her practice.
“Thomas creates images that challenge dominant representations and make space for vulnerability, sensuality and strength within portrayals of Black masculinity.”
Featuring large-scale paintings, collage, and photography, the exhibition approaches masculinity not as a fixed identity but as a spectrum. Working with a range of models — including non-binary and trans men — Thomas creates imagery that challenges dominant representations, carving space for vulnerability, sensuality, and strength. Notably, several of Thomas’s characteristically bold abstract pieces seem to echo and pay homage to the luminous stained glass of the church that now houses them, bridging the sacred history of the space with her visionary aesthetic.
Guests also had the opportunity to step inside vignettes staged in Thomas’s distinctive style, placing themselves within the world of the exhibition for photographs — an immersive touch wholly in keeping with her participatory artistic vision. The exhibition’s opening weekend featured a compelling conversation between Thomas and Dexter Wimberly, exploring Thomas’s decision to pivot toward the male figure.
The Shepherd itself is a destination. The three-and-a-half-acre Little Village cultural district site — brought to life when Anthony Curtis and his wife JJ in 2012 decided to transform the family’s real estate legacy into a cultural vision — now encompasses a skate park, a sculpture garden honoring the late artist Charles McGee, a boutique bed-and-breakfast, a bar, two restaurants, and nonprofit office space. Among the notables in attendance at the opening was April McGee, daughter of the celebrated sculptor whose legacy graces the grounds and artist Mario Moore, recently returned from the Venice Biennale.
Beneath the Moonlight is on view through August 23 at The Shepherd, 1265 Parkview Street, Detroit, MI 48214. Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 11AM–5PM; Sunday, 12PM–4PM.
PIGMENT INTERNATIONAL JOINS HISTORIC OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER GRAND OPENING WATCH PARTY (Image of Obama by James Nelson)
Pigment International is proud to participate in the Obama Presidential Center’s (OPC) Grand Opening Ceremony Official Watch Party on Thursday, June 18, at Midway Plaisance Park in Chicago’s Hyde Park community. As one of a select group of local businesses, cultural organizations, and restaurants invited to be part of this historic community celebration, Pigment will showcase the work of six acclaimed artists whose practices reflect the creativity, resilience, and cultural impact of Black artists.
Visitors to the Pigment International booth will experience artwork by Robert Lewis Clark, Reggie McFly, Edo, James Nelson, Howard Simmons, and Salome Jaffe. The exhibition offers a dynamic cross-section of contemporary visual storytelling, from photography and portraiture to mixed media and fine art.
The event serves as a community-centered prelude to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, a landmark institution that celebrates leadership, civic engagement, and the power of community. Pigment’s participation underscores its ongoing commitment to elevating artists of color and connecting audiences with meaningful cultural experiences.
Programming will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with vending and community engagement activities running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Midway Plaisance Park. Attendees are encouraged to stop by, meet the artists, and celebrate this historic moment for Chicago and the nation.
FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: ART, HISTORY, AND HEALING ON JUNETEENTH
On Friday, June 19, 2026, the Woodlawn & South Lakefront Tourism Center in Chicago’s Obama Presidential District will host a special Juneteenth Wine, Cheese & Storytelling Fundraiser celebrating history, resilience, and the transformative power of art.
The evening will feature the unveiling of three new works by renowned New Orleans artist Jean-Marcel St. Jacques, inspired by reclaimed wood from the historic Emmett Till family home in Chicago’s West Woodlawn neighborhood. The home is being preserved and developed as the future Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley House Museum by Blacks in Green.
St. Jacques, whose acclaimed sculpture A Wooden Quilt for Big Mama was acquired by The Henry Ford Museum in 2023, has created a series that honors the legacy of Emmett Till, Mamie Till-Mobley, and the generations who transformed personal tragedy into a movement for justice. Two of the works will be sold during a silent auction that evening.
The program will include storytelling by members of the Till family and reflections on the continuing journey from the Great Migration to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Two companion artworks will be offered during a silent auction, with proceeds supporting preservation and educational initiatives connected to the Till family legacy.
This Juneteenth gathering invites the community to celebrate memory, culture, and the enduring pursuit of freedom.
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