Public Matter:
L. Kasimu Harris

L. Kasimu Harris

Library Street Collective’s 2025-2026 iteration of Public Matter is curated by Allison Glenn and features the work of artist L. Kasimu Harris. Since 2018, Harris has been developing his Vanishing Black Bars series, chronicling the disappearance of Black-owned bars across his hometown of New Orleans and the country. During Spring 2025, Harris visited Detroit, documenting the interior life of Black-owned bars across the city, including Jolly Old Timers and Zell’s Corner, while getting to know the owners and patrons of these establishments. Vanishing Black Bars & Lounges: Detroit aims to document the business owners and communities who have held strong despite the changing landscapes of Detroit.

Alongside these new photographs, Harris will include one advertisement, where he reimagines a vintage liquor ad that features iconography that embodies the city’s unique style and history. This ad is steeped in the spirit of Anansi, the trickster in West African folklore, while subversively addressing gentrification.

“Detroit has always been a mythical city to me. From the  audaciousness of gators and furs, to the unmistakable sound of Motown, the classic cars that Black assembly line workers  built while simultaneously building the Black middle class of the Motor City, and transforming America,” Harris said. “Detroit reminds me of my home, New Orleans—unapologetically Black and ever changing—both places where too many of our stories were never told. As I traveled throughout the African Diaspora and learned stories of Black bars, I knew the narrative would be incomplete without Detroit.”

Public Matter: L. Kasimu Harris will be on view in the Belt from August 9, 2025 through Summer of 2026.