Gods From Afar
Participating Artists: Michael Jalen Adams, Julieanne Dombrowski, Lewis Foster, Michelle Funk, Khristopher Harris, Rodney Hudson, Shawn Jackson, Cedrina Jones, Richard Marshall, Nathanel McNeal Jr., Dameon Miller, Vanessa Montgomery, Denise Munlin, Khiry O’Neil, Angela Rhodes, Phillis Rogers, Gregory Rosati, Amanda Ross-Ferree, Lauren Samuels, Stephan Tatum, Alverna Tyler, and Promise Vos.
Curated by Amber Nax
Exhibition Dates: July 24, 2025 – August 23, 2025
Location: PASC, 9301 Kercheval Ave, STE 2, Detroit, MI, 48214
PASC Detroit Gallery Hours: Th, Fr, & Sa, 12 – 5 pm and by appointment
“The stars ignite, burn, age, and cool, always evolving, just as we do.” - Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower.
Gods From Afar showcases artwork from all three PASC studios—Detroit, Southgate, and Westland. The exhibition title is drawn from a work by Michael Jalen Adams titled ‘Gods From Afar’ and the celestial, otherworldly imagery it evokes. The artworks in this exhibit embrace the diversity of art throughout our program, with a few artists presenting publicly for the first time. Gods From Afar reminds us that to become the change we wish to see, we must use kindness as a tool to ease society’s transformations. It calls on us to embrace diversity and recognize divinity within people, landscapes, and abstraction. Also featured are two original fine arts books by Julieanne Dombrowski.
To see people as divine, as God-like or within God’s vision, is often viewed as controversial or political, yet it is a radical affirmation of our shared humanity. Rooted in the words of Earthseed, created by novelist Octavia E. Butler, based on the idea that "God is Change" and that to change we must look to the stars for guidance, seeing beyond our circumstances. Richard Marshall and Rodney Hudson both depict versions of themselves in the selected artworks, positioning the artists as subjects and affirming their identities as beings from far-off places. Stephan Tatum’s Shape Connecting series emerges from his imagination echoing his love of geometric forms and uniting some of his favorite colors into abstract compositions. Dameon Miller, inspired by organic shapes, often traces his fingers to generate forms, building his works on fields of watercolor overlaid with intricate line-work as a second layer.
The paintings of Phillis Rogers showcase ‘divinity’ through the abstract and patterned-based colors and line-work that reflect her zeal and vivacious energy. Vanessa Montgomery’s ‘People in the Purple House’ references her earlier works, often rendered in shades of pink and purple. An expression of joyfulness she finds in her relationships with family and friends. Denise Munlin and Lauren Samuels from our Westland Studio both create ornamental abstract artworks, evoking geometric or dotted landscapes of color. Denise’s artwork titled ‘Walking in the Dark, Seeing Shapes and Colors’ reflects on the notion of seeing through the darkness, as well as a celebration of new and exciting ways of experiencing life and all its wonders. ‘Separation of Light From Darkness’ by Lewis Foster reflects this sentiment in title, while both he and Promise Vos showcase fantastical characters that blur the line between God and gods. All of the artworks featured in this exhibit illustrate the diversity of artistic expression across the PASC program.
Amber Nax (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and independent curator, native to Detroit, MI. Nax received her B.F.A from Wayne State University with a concentration in Black American and African history, contemporary art, and folklore. Her professional journey has spanned arts administration, programming, urban farming, and museum studies. Currently, she is the Gallery/Curatorial Assistant at PASC Galleries.
Launched in 2021, PASC is the first progressive art and design studio and exhibition program in Detroit and Wayne County dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences to advance artistic practices and build individual careers in the art and design fields. PASC is a program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP), a non-profit service organization founded in 1972 that provides services and support for more than 1,400 individuals with disabilities and mental health differences across Southeastern Michigan.
