Olayami Dabls has been building this complex on the corner of Grand River and 16th Street since the 1990s. The MBAD African Bead Museum is part collection of ceremonial and trade beads from across Africa, part bead store, and part outdoor sculptural installation — a series of mixed-media artworks across the surrounding buildings and lot, using mirrors, iron, rock, and wood to retell African stories on a Detroit corner.
The installations are free and visible from the street any time. The museum and bead shop have shorter hours. Worth combining with the Heidelberg Project for a tour of two of Detroit's signature artist environments.