The Detroit Culture Council is a series of public convenings ignited by artists and cultural leaders addressing the growing need for a Detroit department of cultural affairs. The inaugural event brought together leading arts advocates, curators, policy makers, educators, philanthropic organizations, and cultural activists to collectively project the shape and aspirations such an entity might take in Detroit. For the occasion, Anya Sirota and the team at Akoaki created a pop symbol and architectural threshold in the form of a gold arch. Composed of architectural replicas, art objects, and landscape elements, the 21-foot nomadic arch playfully pays tribute to the enduring allure of Detroit’s popular aesthetics and serves as a sign to temporarily transform existing sites into stately, though ephemeral, public institutions.

The project was made possible through a grant from Creative Many Michigan. Additional support was provided by the University of Michigan Office of Research.