99 Cents or Less

A group exhibition of a diverse range of 99 artists making work from items purchased at America's ubiquitous 99 Cent stores. 99 artists all based in the United States were invited to purchase items at 99 Cent stores, each spending up to a total of $99. The artists used those materials to create new artworks that will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

As of 2016, there are about forty thousand dollar stores operating in the United States, together making about $50 billion in annual revenue. The dollar store phenomenon has become such a large part of the country's retail industry that the New York Times proclaimed that we are living in the "age of the dollar-store economy." While about 50 percent of the stores' customers earn less than $30,000 per year, roughly 20 percent make $70,000 or more, pointing towards how conspicuous frugality has replaced the conspicuous consumption of the pre-2008 era.

Enter a caption (optional)