NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e p S
NOVEMBER 29, 2023 candgnews.com
Oakland County papers
Oakland University and other Michigan colleges have felt the enrollment effects of the pandemic.
The artists featured in “Skilled Labor: Black Realism in Detroit.” Photo by Sarah Blanchette
File photo provided by OU
Cranbrook presents ‘Skilled Labor: Black Realism in Detroit’ BY MARY GENSON
mgenson@candgnews.com
BLOOMFIELD HILLS/ BIRMINGHAM — Until March 3, Cranbrook Art Museum will be showcasing art from the local community of artists through the exhibition “Skilled Labor: Black Realism in Detroit.” All work in this exhibition is realism created by artists who have worked in Detroit over the last decade. All pieces are paintings and drawings that demonstrate Black culture and life through each artist’s lived experiences. “I really want people to see the incredible skill and ingenuity that is coming from the Detroit art scene,” Cranbrook Art Museum Chief Curator Laura Mott said. This is a multigenerational show where roughly three generations are represented, including some younger artists for whom this is their first museum show.
Some of the artists are familiar with the Cranbrook Art Museum and have been featured in their collections before, and some are past or current members of the Cranbrook community. Artist Joshua Rainer attended Cranbrook Schools in the ninth and tenth grade. Since his high school years, this is the first time his work has been shown at Cranbrook as an adult. Rainer learned to oil paint in 2012 at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and now teaches at the art center. At the time, he had recently transferred out of Cranbrook to a Detroit charter school, and he received a scholarship to attend classes at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. “That was my first introduction to oil painting, and the versatility and just openness and freeness that the medium allowed was just something very liberating and brandSee EXHIBITION on page 6A
ENROLLMENT DOWN IN MICHIGAN, TUITION GOING UP BY KATHRYN PENTIUK AND MARK VEST kpentiuk@candgnews.com, mvest@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — It’s no secret that college enrollment rates have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. But while enrollment has been down, costs have been up, and local universities and community colleges have reported tuition increases. Oakland Community College has five campuses, which are located in Southfield, Royal Oak, Auburn Hills, Waterford and Farmington Hills. OCC Chancellor Peter Provenzano said there are currently about 21,900 students enrolled for the year, compared to approximately 24,400 five years ago. “Tuition costs have increased about 13% over the last five years, and then enrollment has decreased by about 10% over the last five years,” Provenzano said. Provenzano shared how OCC approaches tuition costs. “What we believe in is steady increases,” he said. See COLLEGE on page 11A