Artwork, whether it’s a drawing, sculpture or photograph, is created to send a message or make an emotional impact. The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words,” comes to mind.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is hosting an exhibit called “30 Americans” which contains work from contemporary African American artists like Kehinde Wiley, Kerry James Marshall, Nick Cave, and others.

Kai Patterson: When the opportunity came to go to Youmacon, I was thrilled beyond words. I am probably the biggest nerd I know and until very recently, I wasn’t okay with that.

HFC’s Sisson Gallery hosted the Michigan Mud exhibit which features pottery work from both student artists and professional artists in their respective crafts. The event lasted from October 23 to the following day though the artwork is still on display at the Sisson. Fine Arts Professors such as Hashim Al-Tawil and Steve Glazer participated along with students like Nate Zrnich, Sophia Hart, and Sarah Boswell. All represented HFC in the exhibition that included various other schools from Michigan and Northern Ohio.

In Detroit, the decay of the urban landscape is nothing new. Entire neighborhoods are reduced to mere ghosts of what they were in their heyday. That is our reality. Nature is reclaiming what was once its own, with ivy vines covering entire sides of abandoned houses and moss reaching inside buildings to line the floors with fantasy-like carpet. With so many buildings falling apart, a question sneaks into the mind: should we allow nature to reclaim these symbols of our failures?