---
title: Why Detroit Is Becoming the Next Great Art City with Amani Olu of Season Fair and Olu & Company
description: We’re joined by an incredible panel of creative entrepreneurs to explore the challenges and rewards of turning passion into a successful business.
---

[Insights](https://planningalt.com/insights)

# [Why Detroit Is Becoming the Next Great Art City with Amani Olu of Season Fair and Olu & Company](https://planningalt.com/insights/why-detroit-is-becoming-the-next-great-art-city-with-amani-olu-of-season-fair-and-olu-company)

 Written by [Planning Alternatives](https://planningalt.com/insights/author/planning-alternatives) | September 8, 2026

| <https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lix0RBdjGHRFmljTG1S2K> | <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-detroit-is-becoming-the-next-great-art-city-with/id1376400571?i=1000788404995> | <http://youtube.com/watch?v=bbIIwwc0I-E&feature=youtu.be> |
| --- | --- | --- |

 

[Amani Olu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaniolu/), Founder and Curatorial Director of Season Fair, and Founder and Lead Strategist of [Olu & Company](https://www.linkedin.com/company/olu-company/), joins us to explore what it takes to build a creative economy from the ground up. Amani shares the journey from his days as an art publicist in New York to founding Detroit Art Week and Season Fair, an annual contemporary art fair at Michigan Central that's changing what a fair can look like for artists, galleries, and collectors.

Key Takeaways:

- 00:00 Introduction.
- 03:10 Art publicity teaches you to understand a business before you can promote it.
- 04:47 Detroit Art Week shifts the city's narrative by putting the art scene front and center.
- 05:30 Visibility without a market leaves artists moving away and galleries closing.
- 06:35 Season Fair launches at Michigan Central, built around connecting collectors to artists directly.
- 10:15 Detroit has a creative surplus, Season Fair is designed to build the demand side.
- 11:57 Traditional art fairs cost galleries $30,000 or more just to participate.
- 13:12 The Dallas Art Fair takes 15 years to become a legitimate international destination.
- 14:10 Young artists need serious craft practice before opportunities can truly convert.
- 16:05 Social media lowers the gatekeeping barriers that once made grad school essential.
- 18:35 Save for taxes, plan for the down cycles, and focus on staying in the game.

Thanks for joining us for the latest episode of “Day in a Canoe.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of our insightful conversations.

If you’d like us to help you define what true wealth means to you, go to [www.planningalt.com](https://planningalt.com/quiz-assessment-landing-page) and take our assessment.

Planning Alternatives is an investment advisory firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any opinions expressed may not reflect those of Planning Alternatives.

 

> “Every dime I've ever made, I've reinvested into my businesses, ideas, and different things.”
> 
> \- Amani Olu

 

Resources Mentioned:

- [Season Fair](https://season-fair.com)
- <https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/>[Olu & Company](https://olucompany.com)
- <https://www.amazon.com/Accountability-Under-Fire-demanding-business/dp/1788607988>[Michigan Central](https://michigancentral.com)
- <https://www.seatforsociety.com/>[Planning Alternatives Wealth Assessment](https://www.planningalt.com)

Connect with the guests:

LinkedIn: [Amani Olu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaniolu/)  
LinkedIn: [Olu & Company](https://www.linkedin.com/company/olu-company/)

Connect with Nathan Mersereau:

Phone: 248-645-1520   
Email: [nathan.mersereau@planningalt.com](mailto:nathan.mersereau@planningalt.com)  
LinkedIn: [Nathan Mersereau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-mersereau-cfp%C2%AE-a984761/)  
Address: 255 S Old Woodward, Suite 310  
Birmingham, MI 48009

[View full post](https://planningalt.com/insights/why-detroit-is-becoming-the-next-great-art-city-with-amani-olu-of-season-fair-and-olu-company)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Planning Alternatives"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-09-08T14:41:42.432Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-09-08T14:41:42Z",
  "headline" : "Why Detroit Is Becoming the Next Great Art City with Amani Olu of Season Fair and Olu & Company",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 672,
    "url" : "https://23129617.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23129617/PLANALT-banner-1200x672compress.png",
    "width" : 1200
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://planningalt.com/insights/why-detroit-is-becoming-the-next-great-art-city-with-amani-olu-of-season-fair-and-olu-company",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Insights"
  }
}
```