Explore “Solvency” and engage in a creative seed bomb workshop with the artists on Nov. 13
“Although cities are shaped by economics, politics, infrastructural projects, and powerful institutions that may seem beyond our control, they are also shaped by small acts of solidarity, neighborhood block clubs, churches, after-school programs, and grassroots organizations,” said artists Halima Afi Cassells and Shanna Merola in a shared statement. “The relationships we engage in on a micro level may feel small when compared to the larger systems that govern our lives, but they are what create the actual heartbeat that reverberates throughout our cities. Detroit and Flint residents are building spaces of care and resistance every day. With our work, we are just holding up a mirror to reflect these efforts.”
In spring 2023, Halima and Shanna were invited to create a new exhibition as part of the inaugural cohort of artists showing work in the Gallery of Revolution, located inside the historic home of Civil Rights leaders James and Grace Lee Boggs.
That space continues to serve as a catalyst for visionary organizing, movement building, and self-determining communities in Detroit, and the artists were excited to contribute to the growing roster of exhibitions, which included the work of Detroit luminaries like Wayne Curtis and Leni Sinclair.
Drawing on the many organizing meetings, study groups, celebrations, and political conversations relevant to this space, and connecting to their previous interests in ecological crisis and the rights of nature, they came up with the idea for “Solvent.”
Artworks in the show invoke the world between memory, history, collective storytelling, and liberation at the water’s edge.
They were guided by the memory and advocacy of water-rights matriarchs Charity Hicks and Mama Lila Cabbil, whose portraits feature prominently in the show, placing them in their rightful role as guardians of the water, watching over us.
In this latest exhibition at Riverbank Arts, some concepts and visuals have expanded, but the core vision stayed the same. On one hand, the artists want to show the destructive forces of economic extraction — corporate pollution, unregulated waste, mass consumption, surveillance, etc. — while also uplifting imagery that illustrates the resistance seen from frontline communities.
Interspersed throughout are references and tiny altars that pay homage to the natural abundance and beauty of the Great Lakes region’s ecosystem and sacred waterways.
Halima and Shanna brought their exhibition to Riverbank Arts because of their love for the gallery’s community—specifically, how engaged and collaborative everyone has been, from staff to students to faculty. Some of their favorite local artists have shown work at Riverbank Arts, and they’re excited to be part of that.
Riverbank Arts feels like an extended community for Halima and Shanna, shaped by the arts and cultural organizations they collaborate with in Detroit, where a shared ethos around art accessibility runs deep. With Flint’s own fierce legacy of activism —from the union workers’ auto strikes of the 1930s to the current-day water protectors — they’re looking forward to hearing stories and reflections from the community throughout the exhibition.
Creative Seed Bomb Workshop | Friday, November 13th | 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
During the November Flint ARTWALK, Halima and Shanna will host a creative seed bomb workshop at Riverbank Arts. During this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to make your own seed bombs while exploring the importance of milkweed and its role in protecting monarch butterflies. Free and open to the public; no registration required.
