“Canvas Detroit” by Julie Pincus and Nichole Christian: Wayne State University Press

“Canvas Detroit,” 5 years in the making, was a labor of love. The idea for this this book came when Julie Pincus noticed unusual, but increasingly numerous art interventions on many a street corner, in fields and on buildings that were both vacant or occupied. It appeared there was a movement afoot, but what was happening exactly? It happened to be a turning point in the next renaissance of Detroit – artists were coming from all corners of the globe and making this rustbelt city their home. At the time buildings were cheap, nobody cared if they used a vacant building as a canvas, and the city had that gritty je ne sais quois that attracts young artists. During the five years the book took to bring to fruition the city changed from being the place known for “ruin porn” to a place fostering innovative culture.