OUR BOARD
Vince Carducci - Chair
Vince Carducci is a cultural critic and dean emeritus at College for Creative Studies. His essays, feature articles and reviews on the arts, culture and other topics have appeared in numerous publications since the mid-1980s, including Art and Australia, Art in America, BrandChannel.com, the Journal of Consumer Culture, Logos, Public Seminar and Sculpture magazine. Since 2010, he has published the blog Motown Review.
Past assignments include: Detroit correspondent for Artforum, contributing editor and Michigan editor for New Art Examiner and editor of Detroit Focus Quarterly. He has also been a contributing writer for Metro Times, Detroit's leading weekly newspaper, and a staff writer for PopMatters, a webzine of global culture.
Carducci has a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a master's and PhD degrees from the New School for Social Research in New York City. He received the Kresge Arts Fellowship for Art Criticism. He was born in Detroit in 1953.
Past assignments include: Detroit correspondent for Artforum, contributing editor and Michigan editor for New Art Examiner and editor of Detroit Focus Quarterly. He has also been a contributing writer for Metro Times, Detroit's leading weekly newspaper, and a staff writer for PopMatters, a webzine of global culture.
Carducci has a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a master's and PhD degrees from the New School for Social Research in New York City. He received the Kresge Arts Fellowship for Art Criticism. He was born in Detroit in 1953.
Saffell Gardner - Board Member
M. Saffell Gardner holds BFA and MFA degrees in fine art from Wayne State University. A multidisciplinary artist, art historian, curator, lecturer and educator, he teaches at private colleges and community colleges.
In fall of 2023 Gardner installed a monumental sculpture “Gateway to Black Eden'' at Michigan Legacy Art Park, which was commissioned by their collection committee. Another commission, “Detroit rePatched” was for a large memorial blanket sculpture.
“Sankofa”, one of Gardner’s larger sculptures was shown at the Krasl Biennial at the Box Factory in St. Joseph, MI 2022-23 and was in the 2020-2021 Chelsea Sculpture Walk.
Gardner’s sculptures have been juried into the 2021 and 2023 Regional Biennial at the Marshall M. Fredricks sculpture museum.
Gardner also participated in ArtPrize for 2014 and 2013, and he was invited to Participate in “The Venice Biennale”.
In 2015 Gardner was awarded a Kresge Fellowship.
In 2012, Gardner co-curated “Vision in a Cornfield '' for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
Gardner was selected as the Chivas Regal Artist in Residence at the Charles H. Wright Museum In 2000, which commissioned the painting “Door of No Return '' for their permanent collection.
Commissions include a painted receptacle for Detroit’s “Pretty City” project as well as major commissions for the COBO Center (now Huntington Place) and the Detroit Public Schools. Gardner’s work is in the permanent collection of The Henry Ford Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield, DMC, Total Healthcare, The Federal Reserve, Chicago, Renaissance High School and Southeastern High School and Detroit School of the Arts.
Gardner has also exhibited in Brazil and Ghana, Africa.
In fall of 2023 Gardner installed a monumental sculpture “Gateway to Black Eden'' at Michigan Legacy Art Park, which was commissioned by their collection committee. Another commission, “Detroit rePatched” was for a large memorial blanket sculpture.
“Sankofa”, one of Gardner’s larger sculptures was shown at the Krasl Biennial at the Box Factory in St. Joseph, MI 2022-23 and was in the 2020-2021 Chelsea Sculpture Walk.
Gardner’s sculptures have been juried into the 2021 and 2023 Regional Biennial at the Marshall M. Fredricks sculpture museum.
Gardner also participated in ArtPrize for 2014 and 2013, and he was invited to Participate in “The Venice Biennale”.
In 2015 Gardner was awarded a Kresge Fellowship.
In 2012, Gardner co-curated “Vision in a Cornfield '' for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
Gardner was selected as the Chivas Regal Artist in Residence at the Charles H. Wright Museum In 2000, which commissioned the painting “Door of No Return '' for their permanent collection.
Commissions include a painted receptacle for Detroit’s “Pretty City” project as well as major commissions for the COBO Center (now Huntington Place) and the Detroit Public Schools. Gardner’s work is in the permanent collection of The Henry Ford Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield, DMC, Total Healthcare, The Federal Reserve, Chicago, Renaissance High School and Southeastern High School and Detroit School of the Arts.
Gardner has also exhibited in Brazil and Ghana, Africa.
Regina (Mack) Jones - Board Member
Regina (Mack) Jones is a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in acting, writing, and performing across film, television, and stage, including productions like "Fake Friends," "WAM," and "This Is My Rhythm." She has appeared in over 1,000 performances and collaborated with notable actors in various projects. Academically, she holds a double B.A. from Wayne State University and pursued further studies at Michigan State University. Beyond her artistic career, she is a business owner, inventor, minister, author, public speaker, and founder of the Corporation for Artistic Development (CAD), a nonprofit supporting disabled individuals, foster youth, artists, and the unemployed by providing housing, jobs, and grants. Regina also serves on multiple community boards and maintains an active online presence through her organization's website and email.
Khalil E Hall is an experienced Operations Manager, Project Coordinator, and advocate for gender equity who has worked in real estate, property management, education, and non-profit development. I'm known for bringing an exceptional set of skills – operational system design, organizational development, HR and benefits administration, customer service, youth programming, data analytics, and facilities management – to each organization or initiative I'm involved with. A flexible professional with a multi-faceted background, I hold a bachelor’s degree from New York University, with a focus on Urban Studies and a minor in Economics. My passions include strategic planning and development for causes supporting healthy masculinity and mission-driven causes.
Caryn Shannon is a Public Policy Enthusiast | M.P.P. Graduate | Experienced in Policy Research & Equity-Driven Advocacy.
Caryn founded Impact Policy Partners, LLC, a consulting practice helping mission-driven organizations connect, empower, and transform communities through policy.
Caryn founded Impact Policy Partners, LLC, a consulting practice helping mission-driven organizations connect, empower, and transform communities through policy.
Robert Onnes - Founder and Treasurer
Robert Onnes is an established sculptor renowned for creating substantial figurative sculptures, exhibiting in many group and solo shows in New Zealand and Michigan. His background in electronics and in property development has greatly influenced his art processes and related endeavors. The use of steel and copper allows the construction of elegant minimalist forms, while maintaining an earthy organic quality that suit the themes of his work.
Onnes, a native of New Zealand, visited Detroit in 2012 and was captivated by its arts scene. He moved here to gain inspiration, and to help contribute to the strength and growth of the vibrant but fragmented arts ecosystem. He purchased a vacant, historic Highland Park factory and converted it into the exceptional art studios and gathering spaces known as 333 Midland. He then opened the adjacent Annex Gallery. These facilities, now celebrating their 10th anniversary, exemplify the affordable, flexible arts spaces that are highly sought after, but extremely difficult to find in and around Detroit. They offer dynamic, well-maintained studio and exhibition spaces, communal art facilities and resources, and a collaborative environment that welcomes artists, art audiences, and the community.
Onnes and his collaborators believe that the spaces, culture, and business practices of 333 Midland and Annex Gallery present a successful, sustainable, and scalable model for an even larger, multi-functional arts hub: The BIG Art
Onnes, a native of New Zealand, visited Detroit in 2012 and was captivated by its arts scene. He moved here to gain inspiration, and to help contribute to the strength and growth of the vibrant but fragmented arts ecosystem. He purchased a vacant, historic Highland Park factory and converted it into the exceptional art studios and gathering spaces known as 333 Midland. He then opened the adjacent Annex Gallery. These facilities, now celebrating their 10th anniversary, exemplify the affordable, flexible arts spaces that are highly sought after, but extremely difficult to find in and around Detroit. They offer dynamic, well-maintained studio and exhibition spaces, communal art facilities and resources, and a collaborative environment that welcomes artists, art audiences, and the community.
Onnes and his collaborators believe that the spaces, culture, and business practices of 333 Midland and Annex Gallery present a successful, sustainable, and scalable model for an even larger, multi-functional arts hub: The BIG Art
