Earth Month 2023 #SolarPoweredConcert

Ash Arder

Ash Arder (she/they) is an artist, organizer and educator who has spent the last decade transforming DIY, hacker and experimental approaches to problem solving into formalized programs, projects, and collaborations. Her creative work is rooted in a research-based approach to expose, deconstruct or reconfigure physical and conceptual systems – especially those related to ecology and/or industry. Ash manipulates physical and virtual environments to explore mark making, mechanical portraiture and sound design as tools for complicating dynamics of power between humans, machines and the lands they occupy.

Visit Ash Arder's website or follow her on Instagram.

Whoop House

Whoop House is a completely solar-powered sound sculpture that records and plays back instruments and voices of community members. Whoop House uses music and storytelling as a catalyst for intergenerational gathering and connection, while creating a space for neighborhood stories to be captured, shared, and preserved.  

This project foregrounds hyper-local stories of resilience and triumphs to uplift Detroiters experiencing disproportionate economic and health disparities before and after COVID-19.

Supercoolwicked (Morgan Hutson)

Supercoolwicked is a multidisciplinary artist born and based in Detroit, MI. Working out of the “DaughtaShip” (her home studio named as a révérence to the P-funk which shaped her artistic identity as a child) she conceptualizes, produces, and writes new musical works; live performances; film concepts & music videos; choreography; and lesson plans with the intentions of honoring her inner child, finding freedom, and preserving and honoring the traditions, historical narratives, and genealogies of African American peoples.

She has performed and featured work in conjunction with institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, UMMA at The University of Michigan, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Allied Media, Sidewalk Detroit, and The Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit, MI. Supercoolwicked is an eager collaborator, citing working partnerships with local artists Ian Finkelstein, SALAKASTAR, and Sasha Kashperko, and more widely known talents Esperanza Spalding, Tunde Olaniran, Omar S, and visual artist Susannah Pilar. She has collaborated and performed internationally, most recently with Vancouver-based artist ZDBT on his album ‘Evening Star’ under the record label SPECIALS WORLDWIDE, and is a working member of the theater ensemble, A Host of People.  

Supercoolwicked cares about her community and the environment. She has provided musical support for the political rallies of Bernie Sanders in his most recent presidential run and Rashida Tlaib and her “Squad” consisting of Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Jones, and AOC. Supercoolwicked hosts a bi-monthly karaoke night at the glowing downtown Detroit venue Deluxx Fluxx. She is also co-founder of the environmentally minded virtual club SustainaBaes and is eager to explore more environmentally friendly practices concerning live performance and fashion, as well as daily life. They look forward to the creation and release of their cinematic variety show, “Heirloom”, which seeks to artfully preserve Black memory, and their debut album and musical, “Negro, Spiritual”, an explorative journey through African American music tracing back to the invention of the pentatonic scale by our African ancestors.

Visit Supercoolwicked's website or follow her on Instagram.

King Wayne

King Wayne Neeley (he/him) is a Detroit-based organizer and community service advocate who uses bicycles to connect a multi-generational crew of riders and DIY-builders to one another, and to others at local and global scales. He founded the East Side Riders Bike Club in 2008 and has been celebrated for his ability to reuse and transform a variety of materials into custom bikes. The East Side Riders have been featured in magazines, television shows, films, and an international exhibition celebrating Detroit design.

Planet Detroit

Planet Detroit is an independent nonprofit local news organization designed to inform you about the environment and public health in Detroit and Michigan. We focus on accountability, solutions and community reporting, and we have a deep commitment to engaging with the community. 

Planet Detroit teamed up with local film production group Reel Clever Films and the Detroit Equity Action Lab at Wayne State University to produce the short film "Claiming Connections," highlighting work to connect BIPOC Detroiters to Michigan’s natural resources. We know that people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and persons of color disproportionately lack access to open space and natural resources in Detroit and Michigan. We also know access to such spaces is crucial for building mental health and resilience. The film features advocates with groups like Black to the Land Coalition, Detroit Outdoors, and Detroit Forest School to understand their work to try to afford BIPOC Detroiters opportunities to access Michigan's land, woods, and water.