• $175,000 in total grant funding will support Detroit Artists Market (DAM), Mint Artists Guild and Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC).
  • Grants focus on capacity-building, accessibility and youth engagement, helping arts organizations hire staff, expand programming and provide more paid opportunities for Detroit artists.

DETROIT (Oct. 30, 2025) – Gilbert Family Foundation today announced a new round of arts and culture funding opportunities for Detroit artists to earn income, grow their practices and contribute to the city’s economic growth. The grants will support three leading arts organizations – Detroit Artists Market, Mint Artists Guild, and Progressive Art Studio Collective -each of which are strengthening the city’s creative ecosystem through paid opportunities, professional development and inclusive arts and culture programming.

“Detroit’s creative community has long been one of the city’s most powerful assets, shaping cultural identity, driving innovation and fueling economic growth,” said Akua Hill, Director of Arts and Culture, Gilbert Family Foundation. “Our goal is to expand access and opportunity for Detroit artists, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds or in the early stage of their careers. With these grants, we are supporting the important role these organizations playin helping artists build visibility, generate income, and actively contribute to Detroit’s growing creative economy.”

At Detroit Artists Market, one of the city’s longest-running nonprofit galleries, Gilbert Family Foundation is making the largest single gift in the organization’s history. The $100,000 capacity-building investment will support the hiring of a full-time staff member to manage education and community programs, as well as technology upgrades that allow for more accessible hybrid programming. DAM will also partner with a disability consultant, provide stipends for emerging artists and restore its online artist database and promotional tools. These efforts will help strengthen DAM’s role as a hub for both local artists and the communities they serve.

“This grant is a clear vote of confidence in DAM’s future,” said Miah J. Davis Gardner, Executive Director, Detroit Artists Market. “After an extraordinary year of rebuilding, the Gilbert Family Foundation’s investment allows us to expand our team, modernize our systems, plan for the future, and ensure Detroit artists have the resources and visibility they deserve.”

Founded in 2021 as Detroit’s first studio for artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences, PASC supports more than 190 artists weekly across three locations. A program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP), PASC will receive a $50,000 grant to strengthen operations and expand visibility for its artists and exhibitions in Detroit’s Little Village arts district. The funding will support a part-time gallery assistant, marketing assistance and the production of a short documentary film highlighting PASC’s mission and artists to be used for ongoing fundraising.

“PASC is thrilled to be included in the Gilbert Family Foundation’s support for the Detroit creative community,” said Anthony Marcellini, PASC Founder and Manager. “For artists with disabilities to be considered a key player in the art world of Detroit suggests not only the impact of the talent of PASC artists, but also a commitment by the Gilbert Family Foundation towards greater inclusion in the art world at large.”

Mint Artists Guild will also receive a $25,000 grant for Art in the Parks 2025–2026, a program that brings together Detroit youth and teaching artists to create mosaic benches for Clark Park, Palmer Park and Chandler Park. Alongside the bench installations, Mint will host free, youth-led arts and crafts programming in city parks and a community mosaic workshop in the spring. The first bench was dedicated at Clark Park earlier this month and additional installations are planned for spring 2026. These projects not only beautify beloved neighborhood spaces but also provide paid opportunities and mentorship for young Detroiters to launch creative careers.

“We at Mint highly value art for all and generosity, and this grant allows us to extend our creative generosity to three Detroit parks,” said Vickie Elmer, Executive Director and Co-founder, Mint Artists Guild. “It also allows us to extend our youth employment to a few young artists over the winter months.”

All three grants are a part of Gilbert Family Foundation’s $500 million, 10-year commitment – shared with Rocket Community Fund – to build opportunity in Detroit neighborhoods. From the time the investment was announced in 2021 to the end of 2024, Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund have deployed or committed to approximately $232 million of the funding.

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About Gilbert Family Foundation

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in the city of Detroit. The Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers.

For more information on the Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.

About Detroit Artists Market

Detroit Artists Market is a non-profit gallery committed to contemporary art and to connecting artists, collectors and communities.

About Mint Artists Guild

Mint Artists Guild guides talented Detroit teen artists to learn, grow and thrive in creative careers and serve their communities.

About Progressive Art Studio Collective

Launched in 2021, Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC) is Detroit and Wayne County’s first art and design studio dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences. A program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP), PASC provides studio space, exhibition opportunities, and career development for more than 190 artists each week across locations in Detroit, Southgate, and Westland. Through its progressive, artist-driven model, PASC empowers artists to build independent creative practices and careers in the arts.