The Re:View Contemporary in Midtown Detroit represents a diverse collection of artists who exemplify unharnessed energy, craft and conscious thought in their work. In its loft-like space that is used as a design store, Cedric Tai, Kresge Fellow and one of the most motivated gentleman I have ever met, shines alongside intricate works by co-founder of Popps Packing Graem Whyte and minimal steel drawings by Adam Shirley. I fell in love with each of their works and was sort of sad to move onto the actual gallery space next door. But the sadness changed to excited when I realized much of this energy has been transferred. Re:View Contemporary is one of the most welcoming art spaces in the city, as well as one of my favorites in terms of looks. Located next to Avalon International Breads and Goodwells on Canfield, there is a great deal of excitement at all times, and its large windows offer beautiful streaming light, complete with a nice patio for the summer months. Before this becomes another advertisement for Midtown, lets move on to Re:View’s current show “Re:Collect.”

“Re:Collect” is Re:View’s end-of-the-year celebration inviting guests to collect work from their initial roster of Detroit artists, along with the addition of six special guests. It is interesting to see how each artist reacted to the caveat that no piece could exceed 16 inches by 16 inches by 16 inches. The resulting works flow surprisingly well, despite the multitude of different mediums and subjects. It would appear the artists used the size limitation as a challenge to focus in on the details of what they were exploring. If I try to describe too much, I run the risk of rambling, but I could not resist the line work in Andy Kems “Parabolic Stool” or the playfulness of out-of-focus painting “Swing” by Chris Lujan. The Re:view Contemporary represents some of the most promising artists in the city, and this show is a testament to that. Do yourself a favor and go see this show before Christmas Eve.

“Re:Collect” runs until Dec. 24th, 2011. Re:View is located at 444 W. Willis St., Units 111 & 112, Detroit, Mich., 48201. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday: noon until 6 p.m. or by appointment. Admission is free.