DETROIT, MI - One of the most respected figures in Detroit's art community, Charles McGee, has passed away at the age of 96.

McGee, who grew up in poverty in South Carolina, moved to Detroit at the age of 10. After serving in the United States Marine Corp, McGee studied art for one year in Barcelona, which he's always called one of the highlights of his life. Upon his return to Detroit, jobs in auto plants enabled him to continue his studies at the venerable Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1969, McGee opened Gallery 7, one of the very first galleries na...