Erik Paul Howard
Erik Paul Howard is a lens-based artist and cultural organizer born and raised in Southwest Detroit. Howard’s work serves
as a comprehensive visual index of his community’s traditions, culture and history. For Howard, photography and video is a tool for building and expanding cultural capital and forging a future that prioritizes generational wisdom, mutual aid and justice.
Howard’s work is deeply rooted in his two decades of community organizing and the philosophy of Popular Education. He is the co-founder of Inside Southwest Detroit, a collection of initiatives that promote youth and community development; The Alley Project, a community-driven, indoor-outdoor art environment; and Young Nation, which promotes holistic development of youth through mentoring and passion-driven projects.
Howard’s work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Detroit Metro Times, Lowrider Magazine, the Detroit Tigers, WDET and on NBC, NPR and PBS. He has been featured in exhibitions worldwide, including at Framed By WDET, Henry Ford Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, PhotoVille NYC and the Venice Biennale.