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MOCAD’s Co-Directors On What a Museum Owes a Changing City

As Detroit undergoes significant reinvestment and development, MOCAD's artistic director Jova Lynne and COO Marie Madison-Pattosee are creating space for artists and communities to critically engage with a city in transformation.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit reopened in April after eight months of renovations, celebrating not only its 20th anniversary but also a vision for art and experimentation that has only grown stronger over the years. The museum has been reimagining institutional engagement with community since its inception, with a people-first ethos that extends beyond visitors and artists to the city as a whole. It is one of the premier sites for cultural and social practice in Detroit, continuing the longstanding legacy of innovation that has come to define the city.

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They have a distinct co-directorship model, where the leadership responsibilities are shared between artistic director Jova Lynne and COO Marie Madison-Patton. Together, they combine their individual expertise in artistic practice and museum operations to expand the bounds of how a museum can serve its diverse collaborators and communities. Observer sat down with both Lynne and Madison-Patton to discuss the reopening and their outlook for the museum’s next chapter.

As an institution deeply rooted in community from the start, what does this next chapter mean for continuing to grow your people-led vision?

Jova Lynne: As we move into this next era, we’re thinking deeply about sustainability, care and responsiveness. A people-led institution means listening closely to our communities and recognizing that contemporary art can be a platform for dialogue, experimentation, healing and collective........

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