Temperatures may have been frigid the evening of Feb. 18 in Detroit, but the spirit of family, friends, and community warmed up those at the grand opening of , a stationery shop and event space located in the David Sidney Building in Detroit’s East English Village neighborhood.
There, founder and owner Robin Wilson painted pictures of her family for attendees, sharing stories of how Vesey Lane Goods came to be and the creative relatives from generations past who inspired her to start her business. Guests communed over warm bowls of rice and gumbo from The Kitchen by Cooking with Que and wines from , two Black-women-owned businesses in Detroit.
The grand opening also served as the opening reception for the store’s art exhibit, é: Unity, Peace, & Power, which is on display through July 19 and was curated by Wilson. Cake was later cut to celebrate not only the store and exhibit but also Wilson’s 41st birthday.
Wilson says Vesey Lanes Goods is more than a place where folks can buy greeting cards, home decor, and gifts. It’s a gathering space for people to nurture their creativity and feel empowered by their cultures and lineages.
Indeed, Wilson has created the ideal space for those connections to blossom. The very ethos of Vesey Lane Goods is paying homage to where you come from; Wilson was inspired by her late grandmother, who was a milliner and poet, to become an entrepreneur herself. Inside the store, a long wall is painted a warm yellow color and adorned with several portraits of Wilson’s relatives over decades. Displays showcase greeting cards, handmade jewelry, apothecary items, work by local artists, children’s books, and more. A wall at the back of the store depicts a mural of flowers and a quote by late artist and writer Romare Bearden that reads, “You should always respect what you are and your culture because if your art is going to mean anything, that is where it comes from.”
“I come from a long line of creatives and entrepreneurs as well as educators, and I’m all three,” Wilson said during the grand opening. Over the years, she’s worn the hats of artist, educator, children’s book author and public speaker — but after having an ischemic stroke four years ago, Wilson decided to pursue art as a full-time entrepreneur. She sold her handmade greeting cards at markets and shipped them to customers across the country. Wilson later found her current location for Vesey Lane Goods’ brick-and-mortar and held a well-received soft opening in September 2024.
Five months later, Wilson celebrates a new chapter for her business with the é: Unity, Peace, & Power exhibit, which features 11 Detroit-based artists: April Anue-Shipp, Inez Brown, Larry Green, Faye Gibson, Cheryl Haithco, Trish Howell, Ruby Johnson, Patricia Kabore, Dora Kelley, Jennifer Maples, and Deborah Walters. The exhibit is a collection of art made by, and featuring, Black women, as well as a celebration of their heritages and contributions to society. “é” is a Yoruba word meaning “yes” or “I’m with you.”
Visitors will see notable figures in some of the pieces, including Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Maya Angelou, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. As Black History Month comes to a close and Women’s History Month approaches, “é” seamlessly blends the meanings of these two observations, depicting the legacy and beauty of Black women, both known and unknown.
“It’s so important that we express ourselves and we have the opportunity to express it through art,” featured artist Inez Brown said at the grand opening. The 76-year-old artist contributed three pieces to the exhibit. “I’m excited about the future because I have a lot of ideas in my mind that I want to put on canvas. I want to show that older women, older people, add a lot to society and the artist community.”
And even after é ends, Wilson will continue holding space for all creatives to learn and feel inspired at Vesey Lane Goods.
“I have grown up around gracious, creative and strong Black women,” Wilson says. “[Vesey Lane Goods has] a pretty diverse customer base. Regardless of what your background is, you should celebrate your roots and your heritage.”
Vesey Lane Goods is located at . é: Unity, Peace, & Power is on display through July 19.
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