Ashley Cook
September 21, 2026
Communion by Jessica Wildman Katz at Season Contemporary. Photo by Ashley Cook
On Friday, October 11th, Amani Olu and a collection of gallerists, artists, and cultural workers celebrated the opening of Season 2 at The Shepherd. The Detroit-based non-profit art fair was activated by the participation of twelve exhibitors of contemporary art from around the United States whose booths were complemented by artist talks, tours of the fair, and Detroit Presents: Other Routes—an exhibition of emerging artists in Detroit. Both Buffalo Prescott and Grüna Gallery rang in their first year with Season through their collaborative feature of Jessica Wildman Katz’ sculpture, Communion. There is a particularly meaningful exchange between the fair’s setting—a 1912 Romanesque-style Catholic sanctuary reopened as a cultural arts center in 2024—and the creative practice of this artist.
Jessica Wildman Katz honors the complexities of life through her porous relationship with the world around her, embracing the material and conceptual echoes that are inherent in coexistence to discover and nurture unexpected harmonies. Her metaphorical employment of the zipper and copper piping unites two elements whose roles in ritual and domesticity are vital yet often overlooked. Allegory is a common tool used by Wildman Katz to demonstrate the influence that motherhood and homemaking has on her work; the press release for Communion offers an intimate view into the birth of meaning that fueled the creation of this installation.
Communion (detail). Photo by Ashley Cook
As shared in the writing, Wildman Katz inherited a backstock of zippers after the death of a tailor who specialized in first communion and confirmation dresses, and while sewing one onto her daughter’s Halloween costumes, she became captivated by the profound symbolism represented in such a humble mechanical device. Its function as a connector is mirrored by her use of copper pipes, which have connected water sources to homes around the world for thousands of years. The armature of red-orange metal shapes the textile that conceals it, and their symbiosis creates the home. The artist’s gentle recruitment of the mundane as actors in the infinite realm of enchantment encourages viewers to engage in more playful observations of affinity themselves. She reminds us that there is spiritual and creative power in the expression of subjective interpretations.
While personal narrative is a driver of Jessica Wildman Katz’s conceptual thought, her expression of these encounters also reveals how relatable her own perspective can be, and how these shared experiences serve as the life blood of community. Wildman Katz is an artist in residence at Buffalo Prescott, an organization whose mission is to support artists through no-cost residencies, exhibitions, and public programming.
Samara Furlong, the founder and director of Buffalo Prescott, is a mother herself, and aims to offer essential resources to women who are balancing life, motherhood, a career, and an arts practice. She recognizes the need that women with children have, and the quality that they bring to conversations on art, spirituality, and community. In the work of Jessica Wildman Katz, this manifests through contemplations of interdependency, and the poetics that breathe magic into the tapestries of life.
Communion was presented by Buffalo Prescott and Grūna Gallery during Season 2 at The Shepherd in Detroit on September 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2026.
Jessica Wildman Katz is a Highland Park-based artist, mother, musician, and longtime maker whose practice spans sculpture, installation, textiles, performance, and photography. Her work is deeply rooted in material exploration, care, and the everyday rituals that connect us to one another. For artist Jessica Wildman Katz, life and art are part of the same spiritual journey. She is a first generation college graduate, earning her BFA and MFA from Wayne State University where she received the Award of Excellence from the Academy of Scholars for her creative research. Her work has been presented at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, MoCAD, and Muskegon Museum of Art, among others. She maintains a live-performance practice, recently activating a plethora of public spaces in Detroit-Metro with her performance-turned-short film Motherling, which premiered on public access television on Mother’s Day 2025.
Buffalo Prescott is a Detroit-based nonprofit artist incubator and cultural hub dedicated to nurturing the growth of the city’s contemporary art ecosystem. The organization provides direct material support to artists through a dynamic residency program, while fostering meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and public engagement through exhibitions, workshops, and educational programming. Committed to meeting artists where they are in their careers and personal lives, Buffalo Prescott offers studio space, resources, and a supportive network designed to propel emerging artists into the next phase of their practice. Its public programming is focused on addressing gaps within Detroit’s arts landscape by collaborating with local institutions and creatives and amplifying the city’s deep well of artistic talent. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and work–life balance, Buffalo Prescott is particularly committed to supporting artists with families, helping to create an environment where artists can build thriving practices while remaining rooted in community.
Grūna Gallery is an exhibition space in Grosse Pointe Park run by Detroit based painter Louise Jones. In the spirit of artist-run galleries, Grüna is fueled by artist directed programming and champions experimental projects by providing an alternative to market-focused gallery models.
Season Contemporary is a Detroit-based nonprofit art fair and cultural initiative focused on building market infrastructure for artists, galleries, and cultural workers. Founded and directed by Amani Olu, Season approaches cultural development through the demand side of the art ecosystem — expanding opportunities for sales, visibility, and professional growth.
For more information, visit:
jessicawildman.com
buffaloprescott.org
season-fair.com
grunagallery.org
olucompany.com