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Art-Up Weekend is a grassroots cultural engine built to uplift our communities, facilitate artist collaboration, and bridge the gap between creators and the public. Starting in Southwest Detroit, our goal is to support working artists and local neighborhoods through 48 hours of live creation, collaborative storytelling, and community ownership.
Our Origin Story: From Start-Up to Art-Up
Our Origin Story: From Start-Up to Art-Up
The concept for Art-Up Weekend was born out of a unique collision of worlds. Our founder, spent years participating in—and winning—entrepreneurial "Startup Weekends." He was captivated by the high-octane, collaborative magic that happens when you lock passionate minds in a room for 48 hours to build a business from scratch.
However, as an artist and musician, Eric struggled to find that same energy in the creative scene. While traditional art workshops, jam sessions, and gallery shows allow creators to showcase their work, they lack a transparent, raw connection to the public. The magic of the process was still hidden behind closed studio doors.
So, we asked a radical question: What happens when you bring the high-energy, 48-hour sprint format of the tech world to the creative ecosystem, pay artists equitably, and let the community write the story?
Art-Up Weekend makes two promises: bring the disruptive energy of a start-up, and uplift local creators and neighborhoods. By inviting the public to watch the raw, messy, beautiful process of creation live, we turn art from a static product into a collaborative experience.
We want everyone to participate in Art-Up Weekend. Whether you create alongside us virtually, share your story as a member of the community, or simply want to be a part of something bigger, we're here to capture all of the beautiful stories that make the community unique and wonderful.
Why We Archive Stories
Why We Archive Stories
Physical spaces change, neighborhoods gentrify, and demographics shift. When a neighborhood undergoes large transitions, its local histories and lived memories are often the first things to be erased, overwritten, or locked away behind institutional archives.
We build "Living Archives" to ensure that local stories remain in the hands of the people who lived them. By pairing real-time neighborhood narratives with physical artwork, we create a multi-dimensional snapshot of a community’s heart at a specific moment in time. Digitizing these stories and hosting them in our permanent, open-access Digital Storybook democratizes history. It ensures that the legacy of Southwest Detroit cannot be bought, sold, or forgotten—it belongs permanently to the public.
Our Core Pillers
Our Core Pillers
Artists First (Economic Equity)
Artists First (Economic Equity)
We don't believe in the myth of the "starving artist." We're committed to dismantling predatory commission models for all artists.
Every featured artist in our live sprint receives a guaranteed $1,000 baseline advance, up to a $400 upfront material subsidy, and retains 100% of all silent auction proceeds above their baseline. When artists thrive, communities thrive.
Living Archives (Cultural Preservation)
Living Archives (Cultural Preservation)
Every neighborhood has a heartbeat. Through our physical "Story Stations" and permanent "Digital Storybook", we invite Detroit residents to document their memories, struggles, and celebrations. We don’t just display art; we archive the living history of our communities.
Radical Scalability (A National Movement)
Radical Scalability (A National Movement)
This October 2026 event in Southwest Detroit is our foundational pilot, but our vision is boundless. We're building Art-Up Weekend as an open-source movement. Our goal is to expand this model nationally to empower organizers, community advocates, and creatives. We want to inspire 48-hour sprints across every creative medium—including music, dance, theater, and visual arts.
The Collaborative Force Behind the Movement
The Collaborative Force Behind the Movement
Eric Zhong
Eric Zhong
Executive Director of Art-Up Weekend
hello@artupweekend.org
Candace Cavazos
Candace Cavazos
Executive Director of The Deep End Cafe & Gallery
contact.tdecafe@gmail.com
The Deep End Cafe & Gallery (Venue Partner)
The Deep End Cafe & Gallery (Venue Partner)
Located on Livernois Ave in Claytown/Southwest Detroit, The Deep End is a dynamic social enterprise, cafe, and creative hub that serves as the perfect home for our 48-hour sprint.
Their mission aligns seamlessly with ours: providing a platform for artists who face life's difficult circumstances, enter "the deep end," and under pressure, turn those experiences into diamonds.
Garage Cultural
Garage Cultural
A cornerstone of Southwest Detroit’s cultural landscape, Garage Cultural is a Chicanx-led arts and community organization dedicated to neighborhood-level arts education and historical preservation.
Through their 501(c)(3) sponsorship, all Art-Up Weekend partnerships are fully tax-deductible.
Join the Movement.
Join the Movement.
Whether you're an artist ready to take on the 48-hour challenge, a local business looking to sponsor our pilot, or an organizer excited to launch an Art-Up Weekend in your own city—there's a place for you. We're fully committed to sharing our resources, blueprints, and open-source models to help you uplift your local community.
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