Detroit Design Festival Rocks Mid-Town

By Raymond Rolak

Quicken Loans and Fathead partner with dc3

Presented by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center and Quicken Loans there are over 80 separate events through next Wednesday.  It is eight days of design and creative celebrations showcased in Detroit and mostly held around the New Center area. 

The event guide is adventurous and comprehensive with listings throughout Mid-Town Detroit.  Event schedule booklets are available at New Center Park and College for Creative Studies.  The DFF is also incorporating the events of Detroit Fashion Week and numerous other design kickoffs into the guide listings.  Most events are near CCS and Wayne State University.  Headquarters is in the Accelerator Gallery in the Alfred A. Taubman Building at the CCS. 

Emcee Melinda Anderson urged everyone at the kickoff fashion show to go to the website and find an attractive event. Geared toward young, hip and active, the kickoff party oozed creativity.  The upbeat sounds and techno-sound styles kept up the energy of those attending.

The opening party had active wear creations from ‘Peace, Love, and Spandex.’  There are 29 other free events and most have music.  Gallery presentations, design competitions, installations and previews are just some of the types of expo events scheduled.  There will be more fashion shows, studio tours, performances and design showcases.  An interesting new concept is that of the ‘pop-up galleries.’  These are design and retail centers where an individual artist can rent space by the month.


Runway models Rachel Steplowski and Kelly Kirsten enjoy the Detroit Design Festival opening afterglow at the kickoff event in the New Center Park. Photo by Lars Hjelmroth

The Quicken Loans’ sponsorship of DDF has allowed mini-grants for local designers and creative professionals.  This allowed for such a wide array of events.  A sister company of Quicken Loans, Fathead, LLC, is also supporting the Detroit Design Festival.  The Fathead decorative decal—created by dc3 Ventures is being placed on the sidewalks in front of the sites hosting ‘design happenings.’
   
The presenters want to foster networking and showoff the commercial possibilities in the Detroit Creative Corridor and the Wayne State Tech-Town both near the New Center areas.  Networking of young artists is part of the mission statement.  “It’s great to have companies in our own backyard who understand the important role creative people play in the future of Detroit’s rebirth,” said Matt Clayson, director, Detroit Creative Corridor Center. 

One of the most creative scenes was at the old Dagleish Cadillac building on Woodward Avenue. Just in time for a Halloween warm-up there was a creature-feature walk.  Now called the Quark Gallery at 6161 Woodward Avenue, there were animal costumed characters mingling in the parking lot.  It was imaginative, inter-active and very popular.  Titled “D’s Creatures,” it combined many inventive genres of art, just what the DDF was hoping for. 

Another home-run was the “Eat-Sleep-Draw” presentation at the Red Door Gallery at 7500 Oakland Street.  It showcased the journey of starving artists who simply eat, sleep and draw every day of their lives.

The upcoming weekend presentation at the WSU Hilberry Theater will be the repertory production of “A Day in Hollywood-A Night in the Ukraine.”  It has songs, humor and the usual cast of zany characters.

Next Wednesday from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM a special festival event will be at the Detroit Creative Corridor Accelerator Gallery at 640 W. Baltimore.  The gallery will feature forward thinking artists with a wide variety of creative energy. 

More info:
www.detroitdesignfestival.com
www.hilberry.com/show1.html