When Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) began the lengthy and involved process of applying for UNESCO City of Design status on behalf of Detroit—a goal that was successfully achieved at the end of 2015—they did so knowing it would help centralize the role that design plays in shaping cities, and the lives of their citizens. […]
Article · March 23, 2017 by Rosie Sharp
Since becoming the first U.S. city to receive a UNESCO City of Design designation, Detroit has been abuzz with the potential of design to shape the future of life in the city. From the 2016 Detroit Design Festival—which included a two-day summit of panel discussions about the many concerns and influences of a design-based approach […]
Article · February 22, 2017 by Rosie Sharp
The People First Project is helping to revitalize Corktown, one of Detroit’s oldest neighborhoods, by leveraging a 2016 Knight Cities Challenge grant to create a series of temporary changes along the busy Michigan Avenue corridor. The ideas help people better connect with public space, while promoting collaboration among the city’s creatives and urban innovators. “One […]
Article · January 26, 2017 by Rosie Sharp
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit now has a fifth successful Monster Drawing Rally fundraiser under its belt. The Knight grantee‘s annual event, held this year on Dec. 9, makes art accessible and affordable for a broad audience while showcasing a superstar lineup of Detroit talent. Falling under the organizational auspices of MOCAD’s New Wave […]
Article · December 16, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
When the Sphinx Organization began nearly 20 years ago, with the mission to encourage access, inclusion and exposure for musicians of color within classical music, it was a grassroots effort that could hardly have foreseen recent events. This month, one of Sphinx’s education programs, Sphinx Overture—which provides free violins and instrument lessons to elementary students […]
Article · November 29, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
Social practice art has gained momentum and recognition as a discipline in recent years. Artworks in this vein defy categorization, as they often combine elements of architecture, design, performance and audience interaction in their effort to create an active viewing experience—one that perhaps carries a message beyond the walls of the performance setting. All this […]
Article · October 28, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
In past years, the Detroit Design Festival has had a playful tone, with crowd-pleasing events like DLECTRICITY, that delight viewers with spectacles focused on the more ephemeral aspects of design. But this year, Detroit has a lot to celebrate, as it was announced in late 2015 as the first city in the United States to […]
Article · October 4, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
“The Truth Booth” at Cranbrook Art Museum. Photos by Rosie Sharp. Since July 31, the Detroit metro area has been visited by “The Truth Booth,” an ongoing interactive project conceived by Cause Collective, and brought for a two-week intensive visit to Michigan by a $60,000 Knight Arts Challenge grant awarded to the Cranbrook Art Museum. […]
Article · August 16, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
Above: A DJ set kicks off at Talking Dolls during the Progressive Art Jam. The Sidewalk Festival of Performing Arts has made its name, over the last four years, as one of the most organic and homegrown celebrations of Detroit’s artistic and cultural landscape. Founded in 2012 by Ryan Myers-Johnson, who now serves as its […]
Article · July 27, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
Above: Gregory Pickup, stills from “Pickup’s Tricks” (1973). Photos by Rosie Sharp. If you lack the tolerance for Hollywood blockbusters, here’s a tip to beat the heat in Detroit this summer: Take in “CC5 Hendrixwar/Cosmococa Programa-in-Progress,” the full-gallery installation of a work by Hélio Oiticica and Neville D’Almeida. Tucked away in the furthest reaches of […]
Article · June 29, 2016 by Rosie Sharp
Above: Hostess and director Satori Shakoor, guiding the night with her trademark enthusiasm, grace and humor. Photos by Rosie Sharp. For Father’s Day weekend, The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers in Detroit presented “Fathers & Figures” on June 17–an evening of storytelling in honor of dads, presented by fathers and sons. The show is part […]
Article · June 21, 2016 by Rosie Sharp