Michelle Andonian tells powerful, memorable stories through still photographs, videos and multimedia exhibitions. 

Moving fluidly between the worlds of journalism, art, and commerce, she has documented narratives of compassion, history and humanity in her native Detroit and around the world.

Her most recent work, Core 375, narrates the eons-deep history of Detroit through an imaginative, multimedia collaboration between artists, musicians, historians and scientists.

Her most personal work, documented in museum exhibits and her 2015 book, This Picture I Gift, tells the stories of Armenian Genocide survivors as well as the continuing aftermath of the 1988 Armenian earthquake.

And whether documenting the last days of Detroit’s landmark J.L.Hudson department store, the workers and assembly lines of Ford and General Motors, or the evolution of the spontaneous urban art of the Dequindre Cut, Andonian’s work has always reflected her deep roots in the city of her birth.

Other credits include documenting the work of modern American innovators for The Henry Ford Museum; capturing the global fleet and crew of Royal Caribbean Group; traveling to six continents to record the work of the One By One philanthropy program; and working with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Gleaners Food Bank, The Community Foundation, and numerous commercial agencies.

Before starting her own company, Michelle worked as a photo editor at The Washington Post Magazine and a senior editor at Detroit Monthly. She began her career as a staff photographer at The Detroit News, where she was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Michelle studied at The College for the Creative Studies in Detroit. Her photographs are in the permanent collection of The Detroit Institute of Arts, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, The Grand Rapids Art Museum and public and private collections worldwide.

Musician

https://davemcmurray.com

https://marshamusic.wordpress.com

DJ, producer, and influential figure, Salar Ansari’s musical journey transcends borders and genres. Born and raised in Tehran, he emerged from the city’s vibrant underground scene, immersing himself in diverse musical influences that later Shaped his signature blend of techno, house, and Persian rhythms. Embracing Detroit as his second home, Ansari’s deep understanding of sound engineering made him a sought-after collaborator, working with some of Motor City’s finest artists. His own productions garnered him the 2021 Detroit-Music Award for Best Electronic Album, solidifying his place in the Detroit musical family, but his impact extends far beyond the stage. He co-founded the Feeder-Loft Studio with Luis Resto, a creative hub nurturing the next generation of electronic music talent. From global performances to credits on seminal record labels like Blue Note Records, Ansari’s career is a testament to his unwavering dedication to pushing creative boundaries. He remains a global citizen of electronic music, consistently shaping the soundscape of tomorrow, all while staying true to his underground roots.

Alice Sun is a Detroit-based musician/composer of indigenous and immigrant roots working to use sound to reconnect the line of spirit to our humanness. She hopes to create a space, through music, in which to experience oneself growing and watered. An emphasis is placed on breaking through limitations and with this she is inspired and explores music lineages from her family and from the surroundings in which she was raised.

Enrolled Citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, recognized descendant of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewas and Eastern Shawnee Tribe of OK and Purepecha peoples.

Rosebud is a farmer, producer and community organizer. Currently, she is the co-director of Education and Engagement at Keep Growing Detroit, a non-profit urban farm with the mission to cultivate a food sovereign city where the majority of fruits and vegetables consumed by Detroiters are grown by residents within the city’s limits.

As an Anishinaabe farmer and producer here in this community, she continues to provide traditional foods across turtle island. Rosebud remains dedicated to supporting the health and wellness of our community by educating on the importance of revitalizing Indigenous foodways. Her lifelong goal is to give her children and the coming generations the knowledge and skills to live a well-rounded healthy life woven with our ancestral ways.