News:
  • Peter Campbell-Kelly Plays Biber's Mystery Sonata No. 16 ‘Passacaglia’
  • Moon and the Animation
  • Bura-Bari Nwilo: "This Is How I Have Imagined You"
  • Favorable Restrictions
  • Katherine Koch: Eight Watercolors from 2020
  • "All My Thoughts": Interview with Katherine Koch
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
Cultural Weekly logo
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food

Detroit: City of Creativity

By Tod Hardin on October 4, 2017 in Art, Street Art

1

Click Here To View Comments

Murals in the Market and the Detroit Design Festival Reign Again

Another late September passes in Detroit, and thus another season of eye-dropping and informative creativity flourishes. Detroit? Yes.

Often brushed off as a lost cause over the years, say what you want about my home town, but one thing that cannot be argued is its legacy as one of the great creative hubs of the world. From the stylized lines of the innovative early automotive designers, such as Harley J. Earl, to the dramatic architectural flourishes of the great Albert Kahn, the blues riffs of John Lee Hooker, the unmistakable groves of Berry Gordy’s Motown, its stature as the birthplace of Techno, and the unmistakable pen of the late Elmore Leonard …

Shall I continue? Nah, let’s just say there is a very valid reason that the Motor City became the first US metropolis to be designated as a UNESCO “City of Design” –  joining what is now 116 members, in 54 countries, covering seven creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music and Media Arts.

Nothing reflected this better than what took place over the last week of September. It’s truly a grand celebration of the very best in creativity, as both the Murals in the Market and the Detroit Design Festival converged yet again to provide our community with an unforgettable reminder of what makes Detroit great.

Murals in the Market has quickly become one of the most prestigious street art festivals in the world, while the Design Fest likewise continues to provide an internationally heralded celebration of all levels of creativity – both events offering a feast of art, music, food, comrardarie and intellectual discussion.

For me, as both an individual and as a partner in the creative agency Crowd, this week of wonder was unforgettable and valued beyond compare.

Enough talk. Let’s allow the visuals to tell the story.

Detroit Mural in the Markets

Artists: Brandan “BMike” Odums & Rick Williams.

 

Detroit Murals in the Market

Artists: Askew One & Sydney G. James.

 

Pat Perry at Murals in the Market 2017

Artist: Pat Perry.

 

Detroit Murals in the Market

Artist: Jonny Alexander.

 

Detroit Mural in the Market

Artist: Legendary automotive designer Camilo Pardo.

Pardo's finished product. Photo: Nicole St. John/1XRun

Pardo’s finished product. Photo: Nicole St. John/1XRun

 

 

Detroit Mural in the Market

Murals in the Market after-party bonfire as train whizzes by.

 

Detroit Murals in the Market

Muralist Fel300ft in conversation with an unidentified woman.

 

Detroit Murals In the Market

Panel discussion “The Commerce of Murals” – featuring (L to R) Murals in the Market Festival Director, Roula David; Creative Director of Art & Graphics at WeWork, Jeremiah Britton; Detroit artist, Ellen Rutt; Australian artist, Meggs; and 1xRUN CEO, Jesse Cory.

 

Detroit Murals in the Market

Artist: Meggs

 

Detroit Design Festival

Detroit Design Festival taking it to the streets.

 

Detroit Design Festival.

Detroit Design 139 exhibit was looking great from the street.

 

Detroit Design Festival closes in conjunction with Eastern Market After Dark. AIA Detroit was providing the good times.

Detroit Design Festival closes in conjunction with Eastern Market After Dark. AIA Detroit was providing the good times.

 

Detrot Design Festival

A great DJ set greeted guests at the Detroit Design 139 architectural exhibit.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation now so we can keep publishing strong creative voices.
Click Here To View Comments

TagsDetroitDetroit Design FestivalMurals in the Market

Previous Story

Differing Versions of the American Dream

Next Story

Armine Iknadossian: Two Poems

About the author

Tod Hardin

Tod Hardin

Facebook Twitter
Google+ Google+
Email

Tod Hardin is a man of mystery, reason and poor taste. Undefined by humanity, eager for love and always in search of good time, he walks this path of life on a journey of nothingness ... with a smile on his face, a flashlight in his pocket and the immaturity that we will all miss when we say goodbye. In moments of clarity, he serves as the North American managing partner at greatest creative agency in the world - Crowd. www.thisiscrowd.com

Related Posts

  • Sourcing Synchronicity: Overton Loyd & the Funk Aesthetic

    By Mike Sonksen
    “Back in the day, Funk really was a bad...

  • Detroit Banishes 300-Year-Old Nemesis in Annual
    Marche du Nain Rouge

    By Tod Hardin
    Detroit's Marche du Nain Rouge in...
  • Cultural Weekly’s
    Top 10 Stories of 2013

    By Cultural Weekly
    Cultural Weekly readers march to their own...
Donate

Who are we?

Cultural Weekly is a place to talk about our creative culture with passion, perspective and analysis – and more words than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Our mission is to draw attention to our cultural environment, illuminate it, and make it ... read more

Site map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Contributors
  • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Food
  • Home
  • Masthead
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Submission Form
  • Submissions: Write for us
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Thank You

Links

Adam Leipzig
Entertainment Media Partners
This Is Crowd
CreativeFuture
Plastic Oceans Foundation
Arts & Letters Daily
Alltop
Alexis Rhone Fancher
Jack Grapes
Ethan Bearman
Writ Large Press

Mailing List

* indicates required


  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact us
Cultural Weekly is the digital magazine and public platform of Next Echo Foundation. DONATE HERE.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Adam Leipzig. All Rights Reserved.