To Whom Much is Given

To Whom Much is Given is an exhibition and a complimentary suite of programs about the lives and careers of Dell Pryor and Josephine Love.

Pryor and Love contributed—in ways both small and grand—to the current arts ecosystem of Detroit and were institutional prototypes for the Midtown we know and experience today.

The exhibition will showcase their lives through engaging artifacts and contemporary art exploring the historical significance of both women.

To Whom Much Is Given will use Josephine Love and Dell Pryor’s collections and public archives, alongside newly commissioned works to weave two brilliant narratives into a moving exhibition. Inspired by Dell's passion for music and its incorporation into her work as a curator and Josephine's virtuosic skill as a concert pianist, To Whom Much Is Given will be experienced in three movements.

The first movement will describe and articulate the early lives of both creative entrepreneurs, providing context for the people and places that grounded them and inspired them to soar. The second movement will explore the launch and apex of their careers as arts entrepreneurs and community makers in Detroit's cultural centers. The third and final movement will delve into their long-term impact on arts and culture in Detroit and beyond. It will also introduce the works of commissioned artists to articulate—via literary and contemporary art works—the import of these two giants.

Opening at 7 PM on October 1, 2022, To Whom Much Is Given will be the first original exhibition in a recently redesigned gallery and serves as the project's anchor. Beyond the exhibition itself, several complementary programs including the opening event (which will feature a piano sonata), a curator talk, and a family art workshop a la Your Heritage House will also take place.

Featured artists include:

• Dr. Anita Bates, Adger Cowans
• M. Saffell Gardner
• Jessica Care Moore
• James Charles Morris
• Jasmine Murrell
• Aaron Ibn Pori Pitts
• Eric Pryor
• Senghor Reid
• Gilda Snowden
• Charles “Chuck” Stewart

To Whom Much Is Given is made possible by the generous support of the Knight Foundation, Midtown Detroit Inc., the Detroit Public Library Foundation, and Detroit ACE. Its partners include: Detroit Artists Market, The Scarab Club, Octane Design, We Found Hip Hop, BasBlue Detroit, and the Detroit Month of Design.