Above: Previous Allied Media Conference participants. Photo by Ara Howrani, courtesy of Allied Media Projects.

There is nothing like the spring-to-summer transition in Detroit to watch the art scene explode in a flurry of activity. The unseasonably warm and humid temperatures that scorched the Detroit Metro area over Memorial Day weekend did nothing to hamper the various official and unofficial throwdowns associated with the 2016 Movement Festival—a longstanding celebration of Detroit’s history with electronic music, which has become, in recent years, more expensive, more regulated and more targeted to a coterie of international visitors and tourists—and less accessible overall to actual Detroiters.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons behind the Trip Metal Fest, which received $10,000 in Knight funding to throw a two-day festival that not only featured some outrageous talent within the genre, but had an option to attend entirely free of cost—much like Movement once was, in its pre-rebranding DEMF (Detroit Electronic Music Festival) heyday.

Trip Metal Fest organizers Nate Young, John Olson and James Baljo. Photo courtesy of Wolf Eyes.

Nate Young, John Olson and James Baljo are the festival’s organizers, and also the members of Wolf Eyes, a popular local trip metal band that has been playing since 1997. Festival attendees were extremely excited for headline acts including Chicago artist Hieroglyphic Being, and the legendary Morton Subotnick. Between the two festivals and a host of related activities—including a sunrise rave at the Lincoln Street Art Park (which also receives Knight funding), where never-say-die revelers welcomed in Memorial Day with a bonfire and free massages—the weekend was a colorful expression of Detroit’s continued off-the-grid network.

After all that fun in the sun, you may find yourself in need of a little downtime, preferably somewhere equipped with air conditioning. Take heart, indoor kids and movie lovers–thanks to continued funding from Knight and others, the annual Cinetopia Film Festival is back, with more than 120 offerings that will continue to unfold from June 3-12. The offerings and locations are so abundant, it requires a 68-page guide to catalogue them all, but the website is well-organized and easy to use, outlining programs by venue, geographical location and film type. The program looks absolutely stunning, with something for every area of interest. As the torpor-inspiring heat shows no immediate signs of forgiveness, we can all look forward to taking a little break at the movies over the coming weeks.

Black Survival Mixtape. Courtesy of Allied Media Projects.

Once you’ve refreshed and cooled down at Cinetopia, it’s time to get amped back up for the 2016 Allied Media Conference. With continuing support from Knight, Allied Media Projects persists in creating one of the most interactive and responsive platforms for media-based activism and grassroots networking in the country. As usual, there is an abundance of potential activities happening simultaneously—it is very much in your interest to peruse the program guide to decide the best way to maximize what will surely be a busy and productive conference. Of note is the new Black Survival Mixtape track, co-coordinated by Knight Arts grantee Write-A-House’s inaugural winner Casey Rocheteau, who continues, in all things, to conceive and implement strategies for daily living and survival with and for people of color.

Tips for June: Stay hydrated, plan wisely and let’s kick off summer strong, with Detroit showing how deep we roll, how much we offer, and in how many different ways art is impacting our reality.