WDET-YO Amo Southwest

     Several vacant storefronts have been turned into a temporary art gallery showcasing the people and places in Southwest Detroit. WDET’s Rob St. Mary reports.

     (click the audio link above to hear the story)

     Photographer Lisa Luevanos points to some of the photos in the windows of an empty restaurant on West Vernor near Central. From Cinco de Mayo celebrations to Day of the Dead and even more personal events… the photos capture the essence of Southwest Detroit.

     “This was actually at my grandfather’s funeral. They played outside for like a half-hour before everybody left… the mariachis.”

     Luevanos and fellow Southwest resident and photographer Erik Howard are the artists behind the images of “Yo Amo Southwest” which means “I Love Southwest” in Spanish. The public art exhibit was created by the Southwest Detroit Business Association through a Cool Cities grant. Vittoria Katanski is with the SDBA. She says for about $1,500 four store fronts on West Vernor were transformed into photo galleries reflecting life in the community.