The Kresge Foundation today released a new monograph celebrating the life, artistry and community impact of bassist, bandleader and educator Marion Hayden, the 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist.

Titled “Marion Hayden: Daughter of the Way,” the volume is the 17th in Kresge’s Eminent Artist series and includes a foreword by Kresge President and CEO Rip Rapson, an artist statement from Hayden, and essays and appreciations by writers and peers who have shaped and been shaped by her career.

The monograph features reporting and narrative by Nichole Christian, with additional contributions from Mark Stryker, Regina Carter, Lillien Waller, Bill Harris and Melba Joyce Boyd. Sections such as “Lessons in Lineage,” “Legacy in Motion,” “A Galaxy of Gigs” and a visual history trace Hayden’s path from Detroit student to acclaimed performer and mentor.

Hayden is the 17th metro Detroiter to receive the Eminent Artist honor for lifetime achievement and contributions to the region’s cultural community. She is also the youngest recipient at age 68 and one of a small group of jazz artists to be named to the distinction.

Readers will find an intimate portrait of Hayden’s artistry and her Detroit lineage, including the mentors and collaborators who nurtured her along her career. The monograph highlights her early instruction with the late Marcus Belgrave and Wendell Harrison, both past Kresge Eminent Artists. It follows her evolution from mentee to master teacher on university campuses and bandstands across the region.

The richly illustrated monograph also gathers tributes from fellow artists and writers, including a poem by Melba Joyce Boyd and a personal reflection from violinist Regina Carter, a former bandmate. Together, these voices underscore how Hayden’s musicianship and mentorship continue to animate Detroit’s jazz traditions.

“This year is a particularly special version” of the monograph, Kresge President & CEO Rip Rapson said at the release party, noting the inclusion of cross-disciplinary contributions to the book’s content. “It’s one thing to be celebrated in the way we celebrate tonight. It’s another thing to actually see your life and passion and art captured in words, because it’s almost never enough. But this book is just a wonderful embellishment of what words can say.”

“Marion Hayden: Daughter of the Way” is available as a free download, and complimentary print copies are available while supplies last at kresge.org/eminentartist.

Kresge presented the monograph to Hayden at a ceremony on Thursday at the Gem Theatre in Detroit.