Detroit — Eight months after it shut down for major updates, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is gearing up to reopen again and now has windows facing Woodward Avenue, giving visitors a glimpse of the art on display.
Along with that, an exposed ceiling reveals a shiny new HVAC system, preserving the Midtown museum’s industrial chic that it has always had.
A former auto dealership building, the museum at 4454 Woodward Avenue will finally reopen to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday after being closed since August. A second phase of renovations at the museum, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, will likely begin later this year.
The large new windows facing Woodward are one example of how the renovations are intended to deepen the museum’s connection with the public, said Marie Madison-Patton, MOCAD’s co-director, during a Thursday press preview.
A new series of large windows illuminate the recently renovated Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, or MOCAD, on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Detroit.
“The window is an important part of that, so people really know what we are doing in here, and they can see inside, and they can feel like they’re welcome,” she said.
Another change visitors may notice is that the museum’s main building has been renamed in honor of one of MOCAD’s co-founders, the late Julia Reyes Taubman. She, along with Marsha Miro, and Susanne Feld Hilberry, created the non-collecting museum for contemporary art, music and social change.
MOCAD reopens with exhibitions of Detroit-based artists Olayami Dabls, Carole Harris and Martha Mysko in the galleries within the Julia Reyes Taubman Building. In Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead, a project by Paris-based artist Loris Gréaud explores Detroit as a site of “global resonance and cultural transmission,” according to MOCAD officials.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, second from right, gets a tour of the newly renovated Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, or MOCAD, from MOCAD Co-Director Marie Madison-Patton, left, Co-Director Jova Lynne, second from left, and Board Chair Charles Boyd, right, on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Detroit.
Along with the art, a food truck will be on hand on Saturday, and it will also mark the debut of MOCAD’s Learning Studio, a hands-on space for young learners.
The renovations to MOCAD’s historic building is just phase one of the museum’s plans.
“What we think phase one does for Detroit and for MOCAD is that it really cements us as a space for Detroiters, for visitors, for anybody in the city who wants to have access to contemporary art,” said Jova Lynne, MOCAD co-director. “As for the future, we hope that MOCAD continues to be a leader. We are a safe space for anybody and everybody to learn something and engage with this incredible thing called art.”
A second phase of renovations, which could start in late fall, will include a new parking lot, a musical theater area, outside music space and a new kitchen area, said Charles Boyd, the chair of MOCAD’s board.
“If you look at the history of MOCAD, many of the either famous of mid-career artists that you see now got their start here in Detroit and at MOCAD,” Boyd said. “We want to continue that history.”
Mayor Mary Sheffield praised MOCAD’s achievements during Thursday’s preview.
“May this milestone serve as a symbol of progress, pride and continued commitment to arts, culture and education within out great city,” Sheffield said.
laguilar@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit’s contemporary art museum, MOCAD, reopens Saturday
