Two Oakland University students, Isabell Owens and Danielle Pagano, recently had their artwork featured in an up-and-coming gallery located in Southwest Detroit, The Voyeur Bordello. The show was titled “The Blue Condition” and opened on Feb. 6, featuring a two-day open house and then running via appointment until Feb. 14. 

The Voyeur Bordello is a small gallery founded by Miles Marie and Connery McDowell, which prides itself on being an affordable venue for artists to showcase their work. 

“The Voyeur Bordello is a working class gallery. We run by artists, we’re for artists. We take probably the lowest commission in the city,” Marie said. “There’s a lot of gatekeeping on getting into these spaces so we’re really trying to create a level playing field for any stage of an artist’s career. I would say that our focus is definitely on emerging artists and middle class, working artists.”

“The Blue Condition” was a show told from the perspective of one hundred local artists on the many interpretations of the color blue. From the soft, soothing side of the color to the bitter, isolated aspects. Pagano and Owens both chose to interpret loneliness in their work, though they both hail from different backgrounds. 

“My artistic practice centers mainly on exploring over-consumerism, isolation and loneliness,” Pagano said. “I’ve been painting from a very lonely place recently and it does also stem from the larger issues going on in the world, like having a more difficult time connecting with one another even though we’re all so present on social media.” 

“My work also explores self-identity and isolation, more so in communities that I would technically be represented in, but I still feel like I may not necessarily be a part of or as deep into it as others,” Owens said. “Or in spaces where I should feel welcome, but I don’t, and it’s not for any other reason except for myself. So, dealing with that kind of loneliness, not necessarily being alone, but still lonely.”

Owens is a Fine Arts, Studio Arts and Art History double major who is getting back in the groove of putting artwork out into the world after a brief break to focus on technique. She comes from a background rooted in creativity, even boasting several scholastic art awards in high school.

“My whole family is creative,” Owens shared. “My grandma was an artist, she went to CCS [College for Creative Studies, Detroit] and had some of her pieces featured throughout Michigan, even at the DIA [Detroit Institute of Arts]. My mother was also a fine arts major and she’s a big inspiration for my life and my dad is a musician, so I’m surrounded by creativity all the time and it’s always been encouraged.” 

Recently, Owens had two murals featured in Rochester’s “Magical Mural Tour,” prior to her piece at the Voyeur Bordello. 

Pagano has chosen a different path, majoring in Computer Science rather than Art, but she still takes any opportunity to share her artwork. She didn’t grow up with the same support as Owens, but the different background and career path have not hindered her artwork. She now boasts an exciting landmark in her art career, thanks to the Voyeur Bordello.

“This was my first time selling a piece in the gallery, so that was kind of a big deal for me because I’m emerging right now,” Pagano expressed. “This gallery is a really good entry point for newer collectors and newer artists to be able to meet in one place.”

Marie and McDowell are proud to support the network of artists honed by their space, Oakland University students included. 

“The creative community here is really sort of a petri dish of a bunch of different elements of the Detroit Arts scene and I think it’s something that students should be a part of as well,” McDowell said. 

Each artist who enters the gallery brings a new perspective that students can interact with and soak up like a sponge. Art inspires art, and the Voyeur Bordello is the perfect place for students to dip their toes into the world of showcasing artwork. 

“When we look at submissions, we’re not looking at your professional resume in the same way that some of the upper echelon galleries might be looking,” McDowell shared a look at their selection process. “We’re looking at your work, so if you have work that fits the theme for one of our open calls, definitely submit to one of our shows.”

Submissions for their next open call gallery themed and titled “Under the Femme Gaze” are being accepted now through Mar. 2, this upcoming Monday. The show will be partnered with the Hydra Fund, a Detroit-based mutual aid organization seeking to improve the state of female reproductive rights. 

“Some stuff is going to be more political, and some stuff is going to be more intimate, but it’s all going to be created by female-identifying voices,” Marie said. “10% of all the art sales and half of the submission fees will go to the HydraFun. They will also be tabling and taking donations.”

Marie and McDowell shared about their success in working with non-profits in the past. Each year, they host a dog-themed show partnered with Rebel Dogs and a cat-themed show partnered with Detroit Ally Cats. Both shows have earned around $3000 for their respective organizations. 

“Those are the types of shows, the dog and cat show, where you get submissions from all corners of the art world, including hobbyists who have never shown work before in a gallery, but want to be part of a show that helps out dogs and cats,” McDowell said. 

Pagano and Owens both speak highly of their time working with the Voyeur Bordello, applauding Marie and McDowell each for their openness, communicative nature and the community they have fostered. Being a part of a gallery is a learning experience for everyone involved, regardless of their past experiences or skill level. 

To engage more with the Voyeur Bordello, check out their website at https://thevoyeurbordello.com/, follow them on Instagram @thevoyeurbordello, or head on over to the gallery on Feb. 27 from 6-10 p.m. to view their next solo show titled “Greeting from a Perilous Realm” by artist Theodore Bihun. 

Pagano’s artwork can be found on her website DaniellePaganoArt.com or on her Instagram @DaniellePaganoArt. 

Owens’ artwork will be featured in the Senior Thesis Gallery at Oakland University’s very own art gallery, located on the main floor of Wilson Hall. The opening reception will be on April 16 from 5-7 p.m. Her artwork can also be found on her Instagram @IsabellOwens.Art