DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit will light up once again with the return of DLECTRICITY this year.
The all-outdoor festival, to be held on Sept. 24-25, will feature art and light installations and focus on "safe visitor experiences" throughout the Cultural Center District and Beacon Park.
The festival will be free to the public.
"We are incredibly grateful to DTE Energy Foundation and our foundation partners for supporting the return of DLECTRICITY,” said Sue Mosey, Executive Director of MDI, in a press release. “We are committed to producing a beautiful outdoor event and have engaged expert partners as we plan to safely come together, connecting with art and one another.”
The event is inspired by other international festivals known for bringing contemporary light and technology-based arts to the streets of major cities from all over the world.
DLECTRICITY 2021 marks the fourth edition and includes the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, College for Creative Studies, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Public Library, Michigan Science Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), The Scarab Club, the University of Michigan’s Rackham Building and Wayne State University. The festival debuted in 2012.
“The symbolism of DLECTRICITY bringing us together around art and light in the darkness takes on new meaning in 2021 – and we are elated,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge’s Detroit Program, in a press release. “Yes, we face hard work for many months to come, but DLECTRICITY underscores the promise of safely rebuilding public life in public spaces as we bring the pandemic under control.”
With a safe visitor experience as the top priority, organizers are exploring the creation of more pedestrian plazas and the use of open spaces.
The organization is working closely with health and safety experts, including the global public health organization NSF International, to develop public health and safety protocols for DLECTRICITY.
