I have a confession--I am not a big clubgoer. Every once in a while I may decide to go clubbing with some of my girlfriends, but this is a rare occasion. Last Friday was one of these atypical times as I decided to go and check out the Kid Capri party at MGM Grand's "V" Nightclub.

I'm so glad that I did.

Kid Capri performed at last year’s homecoming celebration at Michigan State, my beloved alma mater.  My friends who attended told me that he absolutely killed it, so I was anxious to see him at V.  I still remember seeing Kid Capri on “Def Comedy Jam” years ago…before my dad would make me turn it off (it was pretty raunchy).

Upon entering "V", my friend and I were greeted by the sounds of DJ Surab Deb, playing a great mixture of old and new school hip-hop and pop. He got the party started, keeping the crowd dancing. I never knew that people could dance to the classic Queen hit "We Will Rock You", but hey, he made it happen!  I suggest you keep DJ Surab in mind – check him out when you can.  

Detroit’s beloved Heidelberg Project has received praise from not only the Detroit community but from art lovers internationally. Started in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton, the project was a response to the damaging effects of the Detroit riots, from which the city never quite recovered. Tyree, armed with a paintbrush, a broom, and neighborhood children, sought to create beauty on his street, Heidelberg.  Tyree transformed the street into a massive art project, converting vacant lots and abandoned houses into creative instillations. Visitors, such as myself, often return to the Heidelberg multiple times a year to find inspiration in the work of Tyree and the volunteers that work with him.

The continued support of the local and international community has allowed the Heidelberg project to prosper under Tyree’s leadership. The Heidelberg Project’s vision statement demonstrates the organization’s commitment to serve the public through art by promoting artistic endeavors as a means to bring communities together to create a way of living that enriches lives.  

The Heidelberg has recently expanded on their goals to place a particular emphasis on youth by creating the Young Associates of Heidelberg (YAH) – I was very inspired by the organization’s vision of Detroit as a center where young people have an opportunity to thrive and play a key role in the ongoing revitalization of the Detroit community.

“#1 Find a Place of Refuge

Does everything around you seem topsy-turvy? Do you feel like darkness is covering you? If so, you need to find shelter. Find your place of refuge.”

This is the first of eight principles outlined by Versandra Kennebrew, author of Thank God for the Shelter: Memoirs of a Homeless Healer, a book about Versandra’s personal experience as a woman unable to find affordable housing.  Versandra’s struggle with addiction, depression and an inability to find shelter is now the inspiration behind her campaign to provide safe and supportive housing for young girls facing homelessness.  As she outlines on her website, 40% of the United States homeless population is under the age of 18.  With the proceeds from her book, which encourages girls to embrace her eight principles to ensure success in their lives, Versandra has been able to open the Hunter House, a place for girls to learn self-sufficiency.

The Hunter House, a vision of Versandra’s for years, will not only be a safe haven, but a learning experience. The six young residents will learn how to lead successful and independent lives and as Versandra says, “learn to live a life of thriving, not just surviving.”

Within 3 minutes of searching “Detroit graffiti,” I came across more than a few sites dedicated entirely to this viewpoint. As it turns out, it’s not just campaigning politicians and frustrated freight train companies that hate graffiti, apparently the “whole world” does too.

…I guess I must have missed the memo. I’ve always maintained a great love and appreciation for graffiti art and know plenty of people out there that, like me, are enthralled with the world of graffiti.

As someone who appreciates the work of the graffiti artists of Detroit (FAR, turtle, Rodeo) and beyond (Banksy), I’m dumbfounded as to why the artistic value of graffiti is often overpowered by the stigma it receives from those “artists” who practice recklessly and the figureheads who seek to punish them.  That’s why, in my inaugural post on doDetroit.com, I’d like to feature the work of one Detroit graffiti artists who has received a lot of praise for his work, MALT.