September 7, 2017
September designated as “Month of Art and Design”
First-and-Only U.S. UNESCO City of Design Kicks Off Month-Long Celebration of Art and Design Events in Detroit
Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3), Detroit Design 139, DLECTRICITY and Murals in the Market are collaborating to celebrate September as the ‘Month of Art and Design’ in Detroit. The citywide celebration of creativity will bring together designers, architects, artists and enthusiasts to honor Detroit’s role as a national and global design capital.
“Being a UNESCO City of Design is an invaluable opportunity and reflects our community’s dedication in positioning Detroit as a global center of creativity and innovation,” said Olga Stella, executive director of DC3. “Together with our partners, we are not only promoting Detroit as a design hub but also showcasing how creative industries can spur economic development and drive both social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.”
Events and experiences, throughout September, will highlight talent and innovation in Detroit’s creative community; offer stunning artistic experiences; and share the Detroit story with national and international audiences. While there are more than 365 designers and 55 events happening throughout the month, key events include:
- Detroit Design 139 — organized by the City of Detroit and Bedrock — is an exhibition that will display 38 architecture and design projects from across the city’s 139 square miles, collectively celebrating the city’s design legacy while also suggesting Detroit’s future built and natural environment. Staged in the heart of downtown (1001 Woodward) near Campus Martius Park, the installation will be open to the public every day from Sept. 14 – 30, 12-7 pm. For a full listing of all design lectures, tours, and panel discussions that will be held in the exhibition space, please visit detroitdesign139.com.
- Murals in the Market will take place Sept. 21–28 at Detroit’s historic Eastern Market and will feature more than 50 talented artists painting “live” over the entire eight days through the district, as well as at six community market locations. The city’s only international mural festival will also feature talks, exhibitions and tours.
- DLECTRICITY, Detroit’s stunning nighttime outdoor festival of art and light, will take place in Midtown Detroit on Sept. 22 and 23 from 7 p.m. – midnight. The illumination spectacle will feature cutting-edge installations of light, video, performance, and other unexpected works of art from 36 multidisciplinary designers and artists. Detroiters are encouraged to sign up for the Light Bike Parade.
- DC3 kicks off September with its second Detroit City of Design Summit on Sept. 8, as well as with a series of events and workshops from Sept. 9-14 that explore the ways design can drive an inclusive future in the city.
- Detroit’s recognition as the Guest City of Honor at 2017 Saint-Etienne International Design Biennale will be celebrated at the Detroit City of Design and The Future of Work exhibition from Sept. 8 – Oct. 7 at the College for Creative Studies.
- On Sept. 14, DC3 offers a preview of this year’s Detroit Design Festival at Drinks x Design with a Design Crawl through downtown. This year’s festival theme, Design is Everywhere, will showcase how thoughtful design—within the workplace to neighborhoods to goods and services—can impact, and even change, the way society functions and the way people experience the world around them.
- Returning signature events will include Design Village, Eastern Market After Dark, Light Up Livernois, Youth Day. New to this year’s program is the Designer Putt-Putt Competition and the Urban Furniture Competition.
For more information, please contact the following:
- Detroit Design Festival: Sawyer Lipari / [email protected] / 313.309.9551
- Detroit Design 139: Gabrielle Poshadlo / [email protected] / 313.373.8657
- DLECTRICITY: Annmarie Borucki / [email protected] / 313.420.6000
- Murals in the Market: Jesse Cory / [email protected] / 313.744.6505