This week, we’ve got art experiences centered around students, cover concerts honoring some of Detroit’s biggest stars and unbeatable bargains from produce to paperbacks.

Plus, some eco-friendly entertainment for your belated Earth Day celebrations. Read on to learn more.

Art experiences

The Detroit Institute of Arts’ 88th Annual Detroit Public Schools Community District Student Art Exhibition is open online and in-person now through May 25. This annual exhibition is the longest standing continuous relationship the DIA has with an educational organization and features imaginative works created by DPSCD students in grades K–12, ranging from paintings, prints, drawings and photography to ceramics, video, jewelry and more. The exhibition is on view on the first floor in the Wayne and Joan Webber Education wing and is free with museum admission, which is always free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. For more information, visit dia.org.

On Friday, April 25 from 5–8:30 p.m., teens ages 13–19 are invited to the DIA to join renowned Detroit artist Tiff Massey for a jewelry-making workshop. Participants will explore Tiff Massey’s “7 Mile + Livernois” exhibit, take part in a wire-wrapping activity and engage in conversation with the artist herself. All supplies and dinner are provided. This event is free with general admission, but registration is required. For more information, visit dia.org.

Cranbrook Academy of Art’s 2025 Graduate Degree Exhibition is also on display now through Sunday, May 4 in Cranbrook Art Museum’s Upper Galleries. Featuring innovative works from the next generation of architects, artists and designers, the Degree Exhibition showcases pieces that are the culmination of two years of studio work from a diverse group of graduates as they launch their careers. For more information, visit cranbrookartmuseum.org.

Cover concerts

This weekend, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra presents the latest concert in their PNC Pops series, “Women Rock!” In this special show, the DSO and guests will perform rock hits by Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Pat Benatar and more. Tickets start at $20 at performances are scheduled for Friday, April 25, Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. For more information, visit dso.org.

On Saturday, April 26, The Loving Touch in Ferndale is hosting Detroit x Detroit XIII. This annual celebration of Detroit music features local artists performing 3-song cover sets of other local artists, ranging from The Supremes to The White Stripes. Highlights include Skonie & The kLOUDs as Marvin Gaye, Vaega as Mike Posner and Lauren Blackford as Madonna. Tickets are $10 and doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, visit detxdet.com.

Unbeatable bargains

Hey Y’all Detroit, a local organization that provides resources for disenfranchised communities, is back with their first Free Farmers Market of the season on Sunday, April 27. Community members can pick up free produce at Rosemont-Acacia Park in Detroit between 12:30–2:30 p.m. For more information, visit @heyyalldetroit on Instagram.

Bookstock, metro Detroit’s largest used book and media sale, returns to Laurel Park Place in Livonia this weekend for its 21st year. From Sunday, April 27 through Sunday, May 4, visitors can shop for over 300,000 pre-sorted gently-used books, records, DVDs and more. Proceeds benefit Detroit-area education and literacy programs, and all leftover books are donated to local nonprofits and charities. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit bookstockmi.org.

More Earth Day celebrations

On Saturday, April 26, the Detroit Parks Coalition is holding a Belle Isle Earth Day Spring Cleanup, where participants can pick up litter at their own leisure while exploring the park. At the end of the cleanup, participants will weigh the litter they collected and document the impact they made on Belle Isle and along the Detroit River. The cleanup goes from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and starts and ends at the Belle Isle Aquarium. For more information, visit detroitparkscoalition.com.

Then on Sunday, April 27, People for Palmer Park is hosting an Earth Day celebration that puts some creativity into spring cleaning. During “Art in the Trees,” participants can search for Aziza fairy doors as they pick up trash, enjoy art installations and live musical performances throughout the park’s old growth forest, and even create some eco-friendly art of their own. Light refreshments will be served, and participants are encouraged to bring their own trash bags, tools and gloves if they have them. The event goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II’s entry into the 2026 Michigan governor race; an upcoming panel highlight jessica Care moore, Tiff Massey and other women building connections between hip-hop, design and culture; and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Gilchrist makes bid for Michigan governor

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist declared his candidacy for governor today.
Speaking live on WDET, Gilchrist said he’s the best candidate because he’s delivered for Michigan residents on issues such as housing.

“When I talk to people all across Michigan, including in the city of Detroit, who said that we didn’t have enough affordable housing and that there were not enough people who could afford homes in the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, I pushed millions of dollars of funding into our state’s housing trust fund that’s brought 60,000 new housing units online.”

Gilchrist says he’s proud of the work he’s done alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who can’t run again due to term limits. Asked what he would do differently, he said Michigan needs a leader who can make technology such as artificial intelligence work for the people, not victimize them.  He joins Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the race for the Democratic Party nomination.

Reporting by Pat Batcheller, WDET

Panel to highlight women connecting design, culture and community

Panel on hip-hop and design Hip Hop Architecture Lecture Series is celebrating Women’s History Month

The University of Detroit Mercy will host a panel discussion celebrating Women’s History Month next Wednesday, March 19, as part of Michael Ford’s Hip Hop Architecture Lecture Series.

Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore, Avalon Village Founder Mama Shu, interdisciplinary artist Tiff Massey, hip-hop artist Mama Sol, Hip-Hop Architecture Fellow Asia Williams, and Hip Hop Architecture Founder Michael Ford will participate in the discussion — which will center around women at the intersection of hip-hop culture and design.

The event, sponsored by Michigan Central, will begin at 6 p.m. with “Bites and Beats,” followed by the panel discussion at 7 p.m. inside U of D’s School of Architecture and Community Development. 

Pulitzer on the Road coming to Michigan Central

A group of Pulitzer Prize winners will gather at Michigan Central later this month to talk about the state of cultural criticism. Journalist, historian and Dean of Columbia School of Journalism Jelani Cobb will moderate the discussion. Detroit Free Press restaurant critic and 2023 Pulitzer finalist Lyndsay Green, film critic Justin Chang from the New Yorker and NPR’s Fresh Air, and New York Times pop culture critic Wesley Moore will be panelists. The free event — part of the Pulitzer on the Road will take place on Wednesday, March 26. The panel discussion starts at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.