NOW:FUTURE Artist Summit; Unpacking Mutual Aid and Alternative Economies for Detroit Artists

Halima Afi Cassells is an interdisciplinary community-engaged artist/ facilitator/ mom/ urban gardener who calls Waawiiyaataanong (often referred to as Detroit, MI) home. She credits gardening as inspiring her move away from painting to a practice where she aspires to use materials and processes that lead to the thriving of all (human and non-human) communities.

Halima is the founder and co-director of the Free Market of Detroit, which explores notions of freedom, work, value, and disposability in a participatory context. As an advocate for all artists and cultural practitioners, she has spearheaded many community processes that uplift cultural capital from often-marginalized communities.

Over the past 15 years, Halima has facilitated diverse groups of people through conversations, workshops, and collaborative creation, with an intention of deepening relationships and strengthening our collective power. She is a founding member of the Oakland Avenue Artists Coalition, and facilitator with PeoplesHub. Within her work in the Detroit community, Halima often facilitates conversations that intersect culture and justice. She often works with Allied Media Conference, Detroit Narrative Agency, and leads training on the Cultural Community Benefits Toolkit.