Quote Originally Posted by Detroitnerd View Post
A few thoughts:

The stated intention of 555 is to work on their neighborhood arts programs. That's a noble intention. But how does owning a building on the east side square with the southwest Detroit location? Are they committed to the neighborhood they're in? If so, why did they buy the other building? It's the sort of thing that diminishes their claims of "neighborhood arts programs" when you get the sense they'd be happy to move to another location if the funding came together.

Also, I don't think they knew what they were getting into. It was a local photographer who rallied them to the task of acquiring the artwork. Nobody ever talks about that guy. But it seems clear he was the first one with dollar signs in his eyes.

I think that the Banksy has been a lead weight around the organization. They knew they could sell it, and I'm guessing that plays into the way they haven't aggressively sought funding or grants. I'm not saying they did that to claim poverty and find a rationale for selling it, but when you have a gold mine socked away, maybe the board thinks the organization doesn't need to raise those funds.

Last time I checked, none of their board members lived in the city. So how invested is the neighborhood in the group?

I'm not saying they're terrible people, but when you put all this stuff together, you just find it very hard to take them seriously.

In my most cynical imaginings, I predict the group will take the money from the sale, pour it into the building on the east side, and leave the "neighborhood" flat. That would be a nice scam: Nonprofit arts organization as real estate speculation entity.

But don't say bad things about them. They're doing it all for their "neighborhood arts program," in some neighborhood, somewhere, at some point. Or so they claim.

Won't be the first time they did something like that. Remember their old location on Grand River and Warren? Before they left they completely trashed the place. Never seen an art gallery move around so much like the 666 gallery.