Detroit

City of Asylum Detroit was founded in 2020 by a group of trans-disciplinary writers and artists who value free creative expression. The birthplace of Motown and techno, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, and Iggy Pop, Detroit is a natural home for writers and artists. Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Grace Lee Boggs made their homes in Detroit, and Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera completed seminal works in one of the most progressive cities in the USA.

Detroit's art scene is driven by community engagement, with numerous festivals such as the Movement Electronic Music Festival and Theater Bizarre grown out of grassroots initiatives into beloved institutions which attract visitors the world over.

Detroit joined ICORN in 2020, supported by key partners such as City of Asylum Pittsburgh, Artists-at-Risk Connection, Michigan Community Resources, Wayne State University, Schoolcraft College, Maamoul Press, and Viridiana Homes. Detroit's first writer in ICORN residence arrived in 2022.

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