photo credit: Asia Hamilton

Photo Credit: Asia Hamilton

Founder: Mandisa Smith

“I am an artist, art-based workshop leader, and community educator. I am also the founder and former co-owner of Detroit Fiber Works, a fiber art studio in Detroit that I operated with Najma Ma’at from 2013 to 2019. Together, we created opportunities for Detroit artists to exhibit and sell their work, often providing a first platform for artists to share their work with the public. AKOMA Art House & Garden continues that tradition of creating space for local artists to be seen, supported, and celebrated.

My artwork has been exhibited at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Scarab Club, Collected Detroit Gallery, Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, Detroit Artists Market, Norwest Gallery, Harper Galleries of Art & Interiors, WCCCD Brown and Juanita C. Ford Art Gallery, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, The Colored Girls Museum in Philadelphia, and other galleries locally and nationally.

I specialize in wet felting and eco-dyeing, using my hands as tools to transform loose wool fibers into decorative, functional, and wearable works of art. I am fascinated by the transformation that takes place when wisps of wool become something tangible and expressive—something that can reflect personal experience, cultural heritage, and the world around us.

For me, fiber is a language. It communicates through texture, touch, color, pattern, and symbolism.

Although I am not a quilter, I come from a long line of quilters. My grandmothers and great-aunts transformed fabric into art, and working with fiber gives me a profound sense of connection to my ancestry. Their resourcefulness also inspires my commitment to sustainability. They repurposed fabric that might otherwise have been discarded; in my practice, I transform wool fiber into felt without creating waste. I use every bit of material, leaving nothing behind.

Through my art and through AKOMA, I am honoring the creativity and resourcefulness of those who came before me while creating opportunities for artists and community members today. It is my way of connecting art, ancestry, community, and sustainability - and carrying the tradition forward.”

Partner: Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

A North End Treasure

For over a decade, amidst the challenges of extreme poverty, Oakland Avenue Urban Farm has been a stabilizing force in Detroit’s historic North End. By cultivating healthy food, offering educational programs, creating cultural gathering spaces, and generating jobs, the Farm is realizing its vision of a vibrant civic commons that will serve the community for generations to come.

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is the ideal home for AKOMA Art House & Garden, and we are thrilled to embark on this new chapter. We are excited to partner with an organization that so closely aligns with our values and vision for community empowerment and sustainability.