This month, five Detroit arts groups are vying for the Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Award, a $20,000 prize the winner can use for a project of their choice. The award is one of the ways Knight aims to bring attention to small arts organizations and their impact on the city. Here, KnightArts.org has a quick word with  Olayami Dabls of nominee Dabls MBAD African Bead Museum. Vote for the museum by texting Detroit2 to 22333, and learn about the other nominees at knightarts.org/peopleschoice.

Q. What do you love most about your arts group? A. I love seeing how the act of storytelling can open people up to their own dreams.

Q. Three words or phrases your fans would use to describe your work? A. Iron, rocks and wood

Q. Who, or what, inspires you as an artist? A. Telling stories that I feel need to be told.

Q. What’s the best thing about Detroit’s arts  community? A. All the organizations I know about are labors of love.

Q. Personal cultural highlight over the past year? A. Everyday that someone really takes the time to walk through the installations.

Q. What was your proudest moment as an artist/organization? A. When I see my work inspire people to tell their own stories.

Q. What’s a skill of yours that has nothing to do with your profession, but that you’re glad you have? A. Engineer

Q. Which artist’s work do you admire? A. El Anatsui  

Q. What subject would you like to know more about? A. I am always trying to learn more about African culture.

Q. What is one aspect of your personal life that has the greatest impact on your professional life? A. The moment I realized that trying to fit into a European model of being wasn’t doing me any good.

Q. Why is the work you do important to your audience? A. I don’t know why. Some appreciate it for the aesthetics and some for the message.

Q. How does your work make a difference in Detroit? A. It gives permission to address the difficulty of colonization.

Q. What would you do with the $20,000 People’s Choice award? A. We will repair our roof.