Tiff Massey
7 Mile + Livernois
Tiff Massey creates installations, public art, and wearable sculptures inspired by adornment. Trained as a metalsmith, Massey scales up her jewelry to the size of architecture, creating sculptures that celebrate Detroit's evolving neighborhoods and the history of West African and Black American culture and style.
Massey merges her art practice with meaningful community engagement to explore the relationship between identity, public space, and community. 7 Mile + Livernois refers to the neighborhood at the heart of Detroit’s Black business and fashion district. It is also where Massey grew up, and the site of a new art and community space Massey is building that blends her craft with her drive for community kinship.
7 Mile + Livernois is Massey’s most ambitious museum installation to date, featuring new sculptures commissioned by the DIA in conversation with works by several other artists from the museum’s collection. Massey’s work reimagines art’s role in the community and offers a vibrant, inclusive view of Detroit. Her art invites us all to celebrate our collective identity, ancestral flyness, and beauty.
Exhibition:
Tiff Massey
Dates:
May 5, 2024 - May 11, 2025
Location:
In the Museum
General museum admission is FREE for residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
From the Exhibition
Artwork From the Exhibition
I came to seduce and to make you question why these objects exist.
Tiff Massey’s work is a testament to the power of art to inspire, provoke, and ultimately, connect us to our shared humanity
Tiff Massey: Mile 7 + Livernois is organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Lead support is generously provided by the Alan Kidd Estate, The Gilbert Family Foundation, and Cadillac.
Additional support is provided by the Marjorie and Maxwell Jospey Foundation, Brian T. McKinney, Center Line Electric, Inc., the Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the Friends of African and African American Art.
A Note on the Exhibition
“There are those who look at the early generations of this country from the turn of the century, the industrial era, as the great people of Detroit. Then, later on, in the post-World War II era, as those who reconfigured the city after the challenges that were experienced here.
But there is yet another generation that has manifested itself after we baby boomers. They are often disparaged and decried; they are often treated with contempt. The young men and women that inhabited this city when it was at the pinnacle of its devastation — and yet they carried on by creating their music, their art, and, in the case of Tiff, creating an entire articulation of the grandeur, the sheer magnificence of Detroit itself.”
These powerful words from Detroit cultural icon and DIA board member, Marsha Philpot, aka Marsha Music, were shared at the opening of Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois at the Detroit Institute of Arts, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. She spoke to the overwhelming joy and power that so many people — so many Black Detroiters, especially — felt upon seeing Detroit artist Tiff Massey’s exhibition.
Director Salvador Salort-Pons
Related Events
Talks & Tours
FJC's Private Exhibition, Tour & Celebration of Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois.
Tour & celebrate the exhibition Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois with Founders Junior Council and enjoy lite bites and entertainment immediately following.
Wed
Apr 16, 2025
Examining Adornment: InsideOut Literary Arts Writing Workshop
Join InsideOut Literary Arts for a hands-on creative writing workshop led by acclaimed poet, artist, and educator Brittany Rogers, inspired by Tiff Massey’s exhibition 7 Mile + Livernois. Participants will explore Massey’s vibrant tribute to Detroit while discussing themes such as adornment, beauty, and class. Through poetic forms like odes and ekphrastic poetry, participants will craft their own creative responses to the exhibition. This workshop is designed for teens and adults.Participants will meet in Dining Room A & B (on the main floor next to the cafeteria) before visiting the exhibit.InsideOut Literary Arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts is made possible by Tri-County millage support and Joseph C. Richert, Esq.
Sat
Feb 1, 2025
Performances
Closing Party for Tiff Massey's 7 Mile + Livernois: After Dark with DJ KESSWA and Donavan Glover
Join us for the closing event for Tiff Massey’s celebrated exhibition, 7 Mile + Livernois, on May 9, 2025 from 6:30–9:30 p.m.! Get a last look at Massey’s exhibition before it closes to the public on May 11, 2025, and dance under the stars on the Woodward Avenue Plaza during special performances from Detroit-based DJs KESSWA and Donavan Glover.Cash bar available.DJ sets will not be seated.ScheduleExhibition open all day, starting at 10:00 a.m. Last entry at 9:00 p.m.DJ experience: 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Last entry at 9:00 p.m. Approx. Set times:Donavan Glover: 6:30 - 8 p.m.DJ KESSWA: 8 - 9:30 p.m. Advanced registration is now CLOSED. Only guests who are pre-registered may enter the outside DJ performance area from Woodward Avenue. Guests needing to check-in without registration, including DIA members and residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, must do so at the Farnsworth or John R entrances and enter the DJ performance area from inside the museum through the Woodward Avenue door. Admittance to DJ area, exhibition, and dining venues will be subject to capacity limits. Click here for information on dining, parking, and museum admission.Additional self-parking is located at WSU Rackham Structure (45 E. Warren), and WSU Welcome Center (61 Putman). Debit and Credit cards accepted, no cash. For information on parking fees at Wayne State University visit their website.About the performersDetroit native Kesiena Wanogho didn’t really get to hear the music she wanted on the local scene, and her longing for a calming and grounding element within electronic music soon turned into her mission. DJ Kesswa now blends jazz and electronica, soul and ambient music with the rhythms and structures of traditional Nigerian music to create a common feeling: a meditation and affirmative attitude towards the world. In 2020, Kesswa was granted a tandem residency in Berlin and Detroit, during which she collaborated with DJ, radio host, and curator Tereza. Born in Detroit’s lower-eastside, and raised downtown in King Homes, Donavan Glover discovered the knack for the arts at a young age. He began making a name for himself in the photography and documentary spaces as early as 2010, with high profile directing and videography credits for acts such as Talib Kweli, Slum Village, Amp Fiddler, Dej Loaf, Royce Da 5’9, Dave Chappelle, jessica Care Moore, Travis Scott, Saul Williams, Vic Mensa, and countless Detroit acts. Glover’s work led him to win multiple awards and fellowships, before embarking on his next artist journey as a music producer and DJ in 2018.
Fri
May 9, 2025
Performances
7 Mile + Livernois After Dark with DJ Nick Speed
Tour the DIA’s new contemporary exhibit, 7 Mile + Livernois, by artist Tiff Massey. Then, at 7:30 PM, join DJ Nick Speed for dancing and a cash bar in Rivera Court and the Great Hall.7 Mile + Livernois is Tiff Massey’s new gallery installation, featuring sculptures commissioned by the DIA in conversation with works by other artists from the museum’s collection. Massey’s work reimagines art’s role in the community, offering a vibrant, inclusive view of Detroit. Her art invites us to celebrate collective identity, ancestral flyness, and beauty. Gallery experience: 7 – 9 p.m.DJ experience: 7:30 – 9 p.m.
Fri
Jan 24, 2025
Lectures
A Conversation with Tiff Massey and dream hampton
Please join the DIA for a conversation between internationally recognized artist Tiff Massey and award-winning filmmaker and writer dream hampton. This talk will explore the themes behind Massey's celebrated exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 7 Mile + Livernois, on view through May 11, 2025. This event is an official part of the program for the 2024 Detroit Month of Design. This citywide project gathers designers, consumers, residents, and the greater community to celebrate Detroit's role as a national and global design capital.
Thu
Sep 26, 2024
Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois Member Preview
Open to all current members. Come see Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois!
Sat
May 4, 2024
Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois Public Opening, with a live performance by Rimarkable
Join us for an opening reception celebrating Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois on Saturday, May 4, from 7–10 p.m., featuring a performance by Rimarkable, festive snacks, and a cash bar. This event is free with advance registration, with timed ticketing to enter the exhibition galleries. Access to the exhibition will be limited to 20-minute timed entry slots, reserved in advance. Registration is nontransferable. Please enter the museum via John R Street entrance. Complimentary coat check is available. Parking is available in John R Street public lot for $7. This opening reception is generously supported by the Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Founders Junior Council. About the exhibition: Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois is presented by the Detroit Institute of Arts and will be on view May 5, 2024 – May 11, 2025. About Rimarkable: Detroit native Rimarkable is a DJ, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. She has lit up the stage with world stars including George Clinton, Madonna, and Erykah Badu, as well as legendary DJ colleagues Louie Vega, Todd Edwards, Francois K, Pete Tong, and Roger Sanchez. Rimarkable is known for her unwavering knowledge of where electronic music comes from and where it is going. Alongside her multi-hyphenate musicianship, Rimarkable is also an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in the Clive Davis Institute, where she teaches the younger minds about ’The Alchemy Of DJing’. Quite literally a party starter, she’s produced several successful, long-running events in New York, Detroit, and the Bay Area over the past 20+ years. In early 2021, Rimarkable signed with UK house music institution Defected, including the Defected Music publishing arm, and stepped up as a presenter for the weekly Defected Radio show. Rimarkable currently spends her time between Detroit and NYC.
Sat
May 4, 2024
Member exclusive
Member Lecture: Tiff Massey
Join us for an exclusive member lecture with renowned artist Tiff Massey as she shares the inspirations and stories behind her acclaimed exhibition 7 Mile + Livernois. Gain unique insights from Massey as she explores the cultural and personal significance of her work, reflecting on Detroit's vibrant history and community.
Sat
Jul 27, 2024
Related Writings
Blog
Tiff Massey at the DIA: A Love Letter to Detroit
Jun 27, 2024
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