Mario Moore brings Black representation to the cultural canon

The Detroit artist joins CultureShift to talk about his paintings being in the DIA, his artistic inspiration and the determination of Detroit culture.

Mario Moore's painting, "The Council," which depicts three Black men and a Black woman talking at a table, wearing sweatshirts, sneakers and baseball hats.

Mario Moore's "The Council," on display now at the DIA.

The College for Creative Studies launched their 2023 Woodward Lecture Series earlier this month. Hundreds of incredible artists and doers have spoken at this series since it launched in 1998, and this year is no different.

Detroit artist Mario Moore led this year’s Lecture Series. Moore lives and works in Detroit, and he’s one of the most acclaimed artists working today in the city. His paintings can be described as figurative realism, stunning scenes that play around themes of Black liberation, identity and history. Ahead of his keynote speech, Moore joined CultureShift to talk about his paintings being in the DIA, his artistic inspiration and the determination of Detroit culture.

“In New York, you hustle because you have to… In Detroit, you hustle because you want to.” — Mario Moore, artist

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Author

  • Ryan Patrick Hooper inside the WDET studio.
    Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.