Erik Paul Howard

Artist Statement

Erik Paul Howard is a lens-based artist and cultural organizer born and raised in Southwest Detroit, documenting and storytelling themes of community formed around shared passions and intersecting needs.

Howard’s work serves as a visual index of his community’s traditions, culture, and history. Photography and video are tools of imagination, building and expanding cultural capital. When works and stories are shared, they become part of a larger archive available for viewing, discussion, and community building. These participatory processes foster unlikely connections and encourage deeper relationships within communities—helping forge shared futures that prioritize generational wisdom and access.

Howard is co-founder of Inside Southwest Detroit and The Alley Project in Southwest Detroit. Through cultural, place-based, and media projects he has been building with neighbors and youth in Southwest Detroit for over 25 years.