Lumpen Radio at MdW Summit 2026 in Detroit!
Last month, Lumpen Radio was present at MdW Summit 2026 in Detroit, MI, joining hundreds of artists, organizers, and cultural workers for a week of conversations, connections, and creative exchange.
Held at the Boyer-Campbell Building in collaboration with BULK Space, the gathering brought together more than 300 artist organizers from over 150 platforms and projects. Together, participants explored questions around what it means to be an artist organizer, how we document and share our practices, and how we build networks of support across communities.
Lumpen was there to listen, record, broadcast, and join the conversation!!
Step Into the Radio Booth
As part of MdW’s programming, Lumpen Radio hosted a pop-up Radio Booth, inviting attendees to grab a mic and share their thoughts, stories, and conversations.
Over the course of the Summit, we heard from people about artist-run organizations and the work they do, individual artistic practices, lessons learned from organizers past and present, and the ways artists can become organizers and agents of change.
People also reflected on MdW itself—sharing what brought them to Detroit, the connections they made, and the ideas and questions they planned to carry home.
By the end of the gathering, we had recorded more than twenty conversations. You’ll be able to hear them as part of our upcoming MdW Atlas on Air programming on Lumpen Radio.
Stay tuned!
MdW on Lumpen TV
Beyond the Radio Booth, Lumpen TV recorded and streamed a selection of panels and conversations from throughout the Summit.
These recordings capture some of the ideas and exchanges moving through MdW and give those conversations a life beyond the gathering—something to return to, share, and continue thinking about long after everyone has left Detroit.
States in Play
Lumpen was also present through the Public Media Institute as part of States in Play: MdW All Partners at the CCS Gallery, an exhibition bringing together MdW’s network of partner organizations and highlighting the many artist-run projects, platforms, spaces, and experiments happening across the region.
Between the Radio Booth, Lumpen TV, and States in Play, we found different ways to do what we love most: create spaces for people to speak, listen, connect, and share their work and ideas.
A huge thank you to BULK Space, the MdW Coalition, and everyone who made the gathering happen—and especially to everyone who stopped by our booth and shared a conversation with us.
We came home with more than twenty conversations and plenty more to share. Recordings will be released as part of our MdW Atlas on Air programming. Stay tuned for more information on when you can listen to them.