Artists

Samuel Albaugh

Samuel Albaugh (b. Flint, MI. 1996) is an artist living and working in Detroit, Michigan. Through his anti-disciplinary studio practice he engages with visual culture, political history, and philosophy. His work is focused on interrogating ‘the painting’ as a designed object by questioning assumptions of the value, function and display of art. He holds a BFA from college for creative studies and has exhibited work in Detroit, Chicago, and New York.

Emily Fisher

Emily Fisher (To Dye For LLC) is a leather worker based in metro-Detroit who specializes in high end repairs and dye work. After a two year apprenticeship at Bloomfield Plaza Shoe Service, she made the decision to go freelance in 2023. Emily refinishes leather handbags, furniture, car interiors, and jackets. A full leather refinish may consist of cleaning, conditioning, and custom mixed dye work. She also offers suede cleaning. Emily handles repairs for Royalty Cleaners and has done work for Gucci and Chanel.

Frank Lepkowski

Frank Lepkowski explores the role of modern technology in society, both in his subject matter and his artistic process. He combines custom digital tools, printing and embroidery to create maximalist, multi-layered compositions that reflect the noise and stimuli of the digital age.

His work has been commissioned by Louis Vuitton, Takoi and Complex Media. He was a recipient of the 20/20 Emerging Artists Fellowship through Playground Detroit and the Knight Foundation. He has mounted solo and two-person exhibitions at Playground Detroit, LVL3 Gallery (Chicago, IL), and Skylab Gallery (Columbus, OH).

He is a special lecturer in Oakland University’s department of Art and Art History.

Ardele Monk

Ardele Monk is a multidisciplinary artist passionate about exploring the unusual, the cute, and the uncanny. Her work revolves around themes of personal taste, humor, sadness, and the obscure. She draws inspiration from visionary worlds, history, pop culture, cinema, and domestic adornment when creating her objects and environments.

Ardele was born and raised in Washington, DC, and currently resides and works in Detroit, MI. She holds an MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and a BFA in Fine Art from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. She is a member of the Surface Design Association, Detroit Fiber Club, The Detroit Theater Organ Society, and The Senate Theater Film Committee. She is also the co-founder of Mouse, an artist-run gallery and experimental basement art space in Detroit, MI.

Gabrielle Soltis

Gabrielle Soltis is an eponymous, woman-owned bespoke shoe brand based in Detroit, Michigan. Gabrielle primarily specializes in made-to-measure shoes, ranging from oxfords to loafers. Additionally, she has a small line of made-to-order leather goods such as bags, belts, and wallets. 

Mitch VanAcker

Mitch is a writer and visual artist based in Detroit. He is a member of the local art collective Cave and a contributing editor to the MacGuffin literary magazine. He enjoys brooding beside large bodies of water and impromptu visits to strange cities.

Abigail Rist

Abigail Rist is a Detroit based artist born and raised in Michigan, she graduated from College for Creative Studies with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Fibers/Textiles and Metals. She is an artist in residence at CAVE collective where her studio atelier is located within the Russell Industrial complex. Abigail creates whimsical and ethereal garments and capsule collections using sustainable and up-cycled materials. Her work takes remnants and found objects and transforms them into sculptural wearable garments. Her inspirations are widespread including , rococo, mythology, fairy tale, steampunk and the female form. She creates her avant-garde wearable art, by combining traditional craft techniques with adaptive design. The primary focus of her work is eco-consciousness and sustainability, this drives her material choices and unique artistic style. She explores our tactile relationships with garments, the subconscious, plants, nature and the planet. She seeks to find the potential in any material and believes that anything can be given new life. Through Repurposing discarded materials she alchemizes them beyond their origins to another purpose and thus avoids their end, a landfill.

Jarvi Kononen

Suzy Poling

Manal Shoukair

Dylan Spaysky