Dell Pryor says she's always had an eye for what's hot, and it's hard to argue with her.
The
art gallery owner has a knack for picking the right artists to promote,
the right types of art to showcase and the right times to host a show,
which is how she has built a reputation as one of the leading gallery
owners in the market.
Her ability to spot trends has allowed
Pryor to stay in business in this town since the 1970s. Despite a
handful of moves over that time, mostly due to circumstances beyond her
control, she has remained on the cultural radar and very much relevant.
She's
also found strength through a business concept she put together called
the Spiral Collective, located at the corner of Cass and West Willis on
the same block as Avalon International Breads and Flo Boutique. The
businesses housed within the collective are an amalgam of female entrepreneurs, each creatively doing her thing.
Art meets businessPryor,
a native Detroiter, is an art maven with an artsy yet matronly elegance
that sometimes hides her business acumen. She spent time on the East
Coast growing up, which helped broaden her horizons.
"I come
from a family that's very art-oriented, so it's something I've been
exposed to all my life, including art, visual and performing arts,"
Pryor says.
She worked as an interior designer for about 12
years before chasing her love for art. Back in the 1970s, she realized
there wasn't much gallery space for artists, particularly black
artists, and looked to fill the void.
"It gave me an opportunity to introduce many African-American artists," Pryor says.
Her
experience in interior design helped introduce those artists to her
business clients. She started showing art in Eastern Market, and then
eventually moved to Greektown, where she built a modest following over
a decade. Business boomed for a while, as the Trapper's Alley location
built a reputation as a popular cultural destination during the 1980s,
but ultimately gave way to the Greektown Casino. While she was there,
she experienced the attraction of a collection of arts dealers
assembled in close proximity.
Displaced, but undeterred, Pryor
moved her business to Harmonie Park, a place many an urban planner
worked to build into an inner-city entertainment hub.
She made
the most of her time there, showcasing local artists and bringing in
national artists and lecturers, as well as live jazz performers and
performing artists, which built her a following. As more restaurants
moved into the increasingly popular enclave, Pryor was pushed out again.
One day as the gallery owner was driving through the Cass Corridor, a corner space caught her eye. It was a nondescript
building with not much to offer, but she saw potential. "I had vision.
That's my thing. I have always had vision," Pryor says.
The
building had no windows or walls at first, she says, calling it "a
barn." She says that, looking back, it's easy to understand how her
friends and family could doubt her judgment. She brought in contractors
to cut in windows, erect walls and install lighting.
"What drew
me to it was the excitement of taking something raw and brining it to
life," she says. "Nobody could see it. … All they could see was a
space. But I said, 'Let's just get in there, it'll be alright.'"
The
building did have location as an advantage. It is a stone's throw from
the Cultural District, the expanding Detroit Medical Center, the
steadily sprawling Wayne State University and a gradually growing
collection of loft developments that are turning once shuttered
buildings into vibrant housing, offering access to clientele, a base
she doesn't see going anywhere soon. "All of these communities are
starting to connect," Pryor says.
And it's worked. Backed by
Pryor's decades of art-world connections, her deep knowledge of what
collectors want and her reputation, she's put on many splashy shows,
some of which drew in wall-to-wall audiences. One show featured
photographers from the Million Man March, another piggybacked of an
exhibit by the Detroit Institute of Arts of black photographers by
bringing in larger collections of their work. She's showcased artists
like Chuck Stewart – whose vintage works are invaluable collectors
items.
Collective strengthThen join you with them like a rib of steel, to make strength stronger, said William Shakespeare.
With
the 2002 opening of Spiral Collective, Pryor saw an opportunity to
create the same kind of communal art experience that brought customers
in droves to Trapper's Alley.
Today, the Spiral Collective is
home to Source Booksellers, Tulani Rose gift gallery, and Textures by
Nefertiti (a natural hair shop), along with Pryor's art gallery. Women
own all the businesses, and share everything, including space, expenses
and marketing.
Janet Jones, proprietor of Source Booksellers,
joined the Collective after 14 years of selling books in the city,
mostly at fairs and various events. "I really think being in a shared
space is cutting edge contemporary marketing," she says. "We do
cross-fertilize with each other."
Customers are the biggest beneficiaries, Jones says, because they can shop for several different products and services under one roof. "All the way around I think we complement each other."
Pryor
says it also helps that the business is attached to a stable cultural
community, and relishes being part of the Detroit neighborhood.
"My
passion for art is more than just making money. I fell like I am a part
of a very important movement," Pryor says. "I've always been on the
frontline with each one of these projects. So you might say to some
extent I'm a bit of a pioneer because of what I've had to endure with
each of these projects, but I thought it was important for me to be
here."
Rodd Monts is an East Side Detroit-based writer and contributor to Model D. He writes a
blog, too. Send feedback
here.