DETROIT (WXYZ) — As Black History Month comes to an end, we're talking about the future. Children lead the way, and in a new series coming to Detroit, four young Black men are exploring careers in the arts and taking us all on a ride with them.
I sat down with three of the young men behind "Mixture of Four" — Cleveland Gregory, Oscar Callahan, Sy'aire Liddel and David Winkler, all sixth grade students at University Prep Art and Design.
Cleveland, Oscar, David and Sy'aire Liddel will soon debut their own show, interviewing different people in the City of Detroit with careers in the arts.
The show was made possible because of Detroit Contemporary, The Chalfonte Foundation and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
“So when people watch the show, how do you want them to feel?" I asked.
"Happy. Joyfulness, inspired," they said.
"Inspired? Good, why inspired?" I asked.
"You don’t have to set your limits low," they said.
The guests on definitely setting the bar high. On one episode, Oscar cooked with the executive chef of award-winning Midtown Detroit restaurant Selden Standard.
"I made country fried ribs, i made little jam cookies," Oscar said. "It tasted amazing”
Also on the guest list – Painter Sabrina Nelson, Nivek Monet, and performing artist Satori Circus.
"What did you learn the most out of this experience?" I asked.
"Different mediums, like texture, paint and i learned how to color with charcoal," Cleveland said.
Cleveland is already a working artist. His first purchased piece hangs proudly on the wall upstairs of Detroit Contemporary. Just below, a photo captures the time when teacher Bri Hayes realized their chemistry and developed the concept for the show.
“I think a lot of times people under-estimate the power of children and the power of the arts and I hope they take something from it that inspires them," Hayes said.
Five one-hour episodes are expected to air this spring, launching on the Detroit Broadcasting Channel's YouTube page.
