NOVA24 photo and film festival fills gaps in Detroit art scene

The founders of a new art festival in Detroit were inspired to create more opportunities for photographers and filmmakers to address the scarcity of options, compared with other art forms.

The big picture: NOVA24 runs through Aug. 1. It showcases the innovative work of local and international lens-based artists with exhibitions, film screenings, discussions and more.

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• The founders, artists and curators Mara Magyarosi-Laytner and Raymar , tell Axios they wanted to help fill gaps and bring together the region's siloed photography and film communities.

Flashback: The idea for NOVA24 began when Magyarosi-Laytner, who has shown internationally and participated in other cities' photo festivals , sought a local place to do a solo exhibition.

• She and Raymar tell Axios they started talking about how other cities — including Philadelphia and Cincinnati — have long photography celebrations "crucial" for generating traction in the field.
• Magyarosi-Laytner says she's been told "over and over again" that to be successful in photography, she needs to leave Detroit.

A still from the short film "Miguel y Estrella" by Sebastian Rivera . Image: Courtesy of Sebastian Rivera

If you go: The monthlong festival started July 5. But there's plenty to do , including a Thursday film series at the Carr Center.

• There's an exhibition called FemmeVoyant on display at the Congregation café .
• Visit a projection gallery at the main Detroit Public Library branch July 23-30.
• A closing party and gallery launch are planned for 6-9pm July 31 in the Guardian Building.

"Give Me My Flowers" and "The Guardian," also for the Testify exhibition. Photos: Courtesy of Takeisha Jefferson

Zoom in: Among the participating artists is Takeisha Jefferson , a Southeast Michigan native who tells Axios she's one of few photographers in most local art spaces she enters. She adds that there's a "major lack of respect for photography as art."

• She first got into photography through looking at her grandmother's and great-grandmother's old photo albums.
• From that inspiration, her black-and-white work blends historical photography with contemporary, ethereal themes. She "deconstructs" her work with textures, scratches and water stains.
• Jefferson's solo exhibition , Testify, is open through July 31 at the MSU Detroit Center.

Another artist is Sebastian Rivera , whose short film "Miguel y Estrella" was screened last week at the Carr Center.

• The film centers on two strangers going about their day in Southwest Detroit, continually bumping into each other until the conclusion that "leaves the audience wondering if it's coincidental," Rivera tells Axios.
• His work focuses on bringing a more authentic lens to storytelling about Latino and Mexican communities, which is often seen in big-budget films.