WILD THINGS

Participating Artists: Jamille Berry, Caleb Brazill, Stanley Brown, Jerri Burks, Therrin Burns, Alyce Carter, Sereal Crawford, Dwayne Curry, Ashley Hawkins, Joseph Lucas II, Scott Maciejewski, Billy Medley, Kimberly Petteys, Khiry O’Neil, Alsendoe Owens, Ray Smith, Willie Whitehead, Lauren Williams, and Promise Vos. 

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 13, 2025, 5 pm - 7 pm

Exhibition Dates: March 13, 2025 - April 19, 2025 

Location: PASC, 9301 Kercheval Ave, STE 2, Detroit, MI, 48214 

PASC Detroit Gallery Hours: Th, Fr, & Sa, 12 pm – 5 pm, and by appointment 

Curators: Mandy Demorest, Detroit Angel Tweety, and John Peterson

WILD THINGS marks the third iteration of our Artist-Curator series, featuring curators Mandy Demorest, Detroit Angel Tweety, and John Peterson, all artists from our PASC Westland studio. For this exhibition, they have selected artworks from all three PASC studios that explore the presence of animals in the natural world. The chosen works highlight the connections between human experience and the animal kingdom, showcasing the delicate balance between nature and humanity. Adding depth to the exhibition, short poems, animal quotes, and fascinating facts selected by the curators accompany the artworks.

From the curators’ perspective, many encounters with wild animals occur at zoos, evoking nostalgic memories of childhood field trips. Sereal Crawford’s Untitled Structure 3 recalls the penguin exhibit at the Detroit Zoo, while Therrin Burns’s Wolf nods to the ancestral lineage of domesticated dogs and the enduring strength of their wild counterparts. Dwayne Curry’s Steven Spielberg and ET blurs the line between the human and extraterrestrial worlds, embracing anthropomorphic qualities that suggest deep interconnection.

Mandy Demorest, a Canton-based artist, creates precise cartoons with a ’70s pastel palette, blending pop culture, history, and sports—Disney, Michigan football, and military generals—into geometric compositions. Detroit Angel Tweety, also from Canton, produces vibrant acrylic paintings of pets and exotic animals, blending romantic realism with a Rousseau-inspired style. John Peterson, a Taylor-based artist, works prolifically across portraits, landscapes, and comic-inspired narratives in colored pencil, watercolor, ink, and acrylic. His goal is to be a professional working artist and gallery employee.

WILD THINGS was facilitated by PASC Art Advisor Eleni Zaharopoulos and PASC Gallery Assistant Amber Nax. Both supported the curatorial process by engaging the three curators in dialogue and providing curatorial guidance. This exhibition was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), supporting PASC’s curatorial program for artists with disabilities.

Launched in 2021, PASC is the first progressive art and design studio in Detroit and Wayne County dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences in advancing their artistic practices and careers. PASC is a program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP), a non-profit service organization founded in 1972 that provides services and support for more than 1,400 individuals with disabilities and mental health differences across Southeastern Michigan.