Central United Methodist Church of Detroit

Support Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery as we move forward into 2024! (Central United Methodist Church is our generous fiscal sponsor)

Our center operates as an independent voice for justice, community, and cultural organizing amidst a city rapidly being transformed by wealth. Every dollar we raise goes to help us keep our doors open for events, shows, new artists, old leaders, community partners, and visionary activists.

In 2023 we hosted work by more than 200 local, regional, and national artists. We held shows denouncing exploitative energy monopolies and apartheid, and envisioning what a future of justice for all could truly look like. We partnered with established Detroit artists as well as first time creators to welcome new curatorial voices to our space.

We built upon new programming like our monthly "political artists meetups." These gatherings have welcomed scores of local artists for discussions around cultural organizing, radical history, the art market, capitalism, national liberation and more. Artists in the first year of their careers have rubbed shoulders with veterans of the scene and movement history- all digging into the pressing issues for us today!

We also launched our new Political Artists Residency, welcoming our first artist Paul Darnell as the inaugural resident. Paul received a studio space, stipend, and support from a committee of local activist and artists as they used the space to develop both their political and artistic approach! We hope to build up this program through further fundraising in 2024!

And through it all we worked with local progressive organizations who needed a space for meetings. Offering space for gatherings large and small on a sliding scale based on the organization's ability to pay

ALL THIS TO SAY

we have been very busy, and our space rarely if ever has all the resources we need to pursue this work. Our space has one part time staff person, and everything else is purely volunteer passion, time and donations.

Every dollar you donate through this fundraiser will go right back into improving this programming and keeping our doors open.

If our space has meant something to you, if our work has given you hope or community, if you want to help us hold this space amidst an increasingly dark and turbulent time- please consider donating.