Bohemian National Home

The Bohemian National Home is a historic building and arts center in Detroit, Michigan.The massive brick building was built in 1914 as a community center for immigrants from Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. The building is located in a neighborhood that was once home to many immigrants from throughout Eastern Europe.

The building includes a full ballroom and stage, a basketball court, multiple artists studios, and apartments that retain the architectural style of the early 20th century. Later on in the 20th century the building housed a Lithuanian community center but had fallen out of use by the 1980s.In the 1990s the building was saved from further decay and put to use by the Corktown Press, publishers of the literary magazine The Furnace.

Since 2005: A New Era

Since 2005 the Bohemian National Home has been opened as full-time community music and art space.Artists that have played the Bohemian National Home since 2005 include
Blowfly,
Ken Vandermark,
Joe McPhee and Trio X,
The Evens,
Sam Rivers,
Eugene Chadbourne,Noah Howard,Human Eye,
Faruq Z Bey,
Paal Nilssen-Love,
Rhys Chatham,Mary Halvorson,
Peter Walker,
Jack Rose,Odu Afrobeat Orchestra,
Daniel Higgs,Cooper-Moore and Assif Tsahar,Magik Markers,
Henry Grimes,
Charles Gayle,Extra Golden,Rising Star Drum and Fife Band,
Tara Jane O'Neil,
Roy Campbell,
Josephine Foster,Salim Washington,Growing,
William Parker,
Nautical Almanac,Tatsuya Nakatani,
Trevor Watts,
Jimmy Carl Black
Mats Gustafsson and Awesome Color.

Music performances generally take place either in The Library, which is an intimate space on the first floor, or The Ballroom which takes up most of the second floor.

Visual Art

The Bohemian National Home Gallery is currated by Detroit artist Jerome Ferretti. It is open by appointment or during music performance hours.

Annual Festival

July 2006 marked First Annual Bohemian National Home Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music. The inaugural festival featured jazz legend Sam Rivers as well groups ranging from Free improvisation to Afro-Cuban Jazz. The 2007 Festival featured Noah Howard, Sabir Mateen, Craig Taborn, Gerald Cleaver, Charles Waters, and the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra led by Marshall Allen. The 2008 Festival will happen the last weekend in May and feature Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, Ellery Eskelin, Eugene Chadbourne, and Trevor Watts.

Location

The Bohemian National Home is located at the corner of Tillman (22nd) and Butternut, one block north of Michigan Avenue and less than one mile west of the old Tiger Stadium. Near the Corktown neighborhood.

ee also

* Contemporary art gallery
* Free improvisation
* Avant-garde
* Underground music
* Free Jazz
* DIY ethic
* Music of Detroit

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/bohemiannationalhome Bohemian National Home on MySpace]
* [http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/bohouse49.aspx "True Bohemia" from Model D Magazine]
* [http://www.jeromium.com/Bohouse.htm Webpage of Jerome Ferretti, Bohemian National Home Gallery]
* [http://www.rhyschatham.net/G3ismylife/Detroit.html Rhys Chatham reflects on The Bohemian National Home]
* [http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070107/ENT04/701070525&template=printart Jazz Club Guide to Detroit, from "Detroit Free Press"]
* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/entity.php?id=8534 Bohemian National Home on AllAboutJazz.Com]