Painter and sculptural artist, Donald Calloway, has been essential in the Detroit arts community for nearly thirty years. Calloway recognized his passion for the arts at the tender age of three and has been solely dedicated to his artistic endeavors ever since. He honed the technical aspects of the arts at the Center for Creative Studies, then launched his practice at the Greektown Lofts, where his studio has famously remained.
Calloway’s wildly imaginative constructions often incorporate found and household objects that become nearly unrecognizable as human features, anatomy and accessories. His vivid use of color brings a sense of vitality and playfulness to the works, which are built upon a solid fine art foundation and powered by boundless invention. From oil paintings to sculptural wood and wire, the artist has developed several signature styles that are legendary and beloved throughout Detroit and beyond.
Donald Calloway’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions with such organizations as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Arts Extended Gallery, Delta Sigma Theta, Liberal Arts Gallery, and National Conference of Artists Gallery. His awards include the Plowshares Theatre Company Sankofa Arts Award, as well as a Wright Museum residency. As the 2020, Ford One Challenge winner, Calloway developed “Building Bridges-Connecting Communities,” a Corktown mural on Michigan Ave.
Calloway’s “Cheap Wine & Chicken” is an annual art show, sale, and fête that has taken place on Noel Night for two decades at the artist’s loft. After a two-year hiatus, due to the pandemic, “Cheap Wine…” returned at a new location, the Irwin House ELL – a transitional art space owned and operated by Irwin House Gallery, located just three doors east of the gallery at 2363 W. Grand Blvd. The event drew nearly 400 guests over the course of the night.
The “Cheap Wine & Chicken” exhibition has been staged throughout the house and runs through January 3, 2023.