Design Core Detroit, a nonprofit formerly known as the Detroit Creative Corridor Center (D3) that “champions design-driven businesses and their role in strengthening Detroit’s economy,” has announced an action-packed programming lineup for its flagship annual festival, the Detroit Month of Design.
Starting on September 1 and running through the end of the month, the forthcoming fête marks the 11th edition of Detroit Month of Design and is billed as its largest yet, with 11 installations and over 80 events with something for everyone including tours, talks, workshops, open studios, exhibitions, and immersive design experiences. In total, over 150 local designers and creatives are participating in this year’s celebration.
Much like the 2020 iteration, Detroit Month of Design 2021 will be presented in a COVID-conscious hybrid format comprised of virtual offerings and in-person happenings, both indoors and outdoors, held across the Motor City, which, in 2015, was designated as the first (and for now, only) UNESCO City of Design in the United States. The only other North American cities to hold this prestigious title are Montreal, Mexico City, and Puebla, Mexico.
“For this year’s edition of Detroit Month of Design, we are proud and excited to present a calendar of compelling and enriching cultural experiences that showcase the tenacity and creativity that makes Detroit a UNESCO Design City,” said Olga Stella, Director of Design Core Detroit, in a statement. “Through the generous support of sponsors, Rocket Companies and the William Davidson Foundation, we hope that the festival will attract a broader audience to familiarize themselves with the diverse set of creatives that make up Detroit’s design community.”
Among just a few of the highlights of Detroit Month of Design 2021 are:
- In-person tours of Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf’s highly anticipated and soon-to-be-completed (it debuts August 28) 2.5-acre Oudolf Garden Detroit at Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River;
- A quarter of sneaker culture-celebrating installations conceived for the Foot Locker-presented Sneaker House platform;
- The Cranbrook Chair Show, an exhibition presented by the Cranbrook Academy of Art 3D department and Jack Craig Studio;
- Discard Detroit, an exploration of Michigan-produced midcentury modern furniture and objects featuring a collection established by a multidisciplinary team including Mike Han, Synecdoche Design, and Ryan Southen;
- BLISS, a new work by multi-disciplinary Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson staged at the historic Michigan Building;
- Steps toward Justice: Artis Lane’s Portraits of Rosa Parks, an exhibition held at Collected Detroit featuring portraits of the civil rights icon by 94-year-old painter and sculpture Artis lane.
The full Detroit Month of Design 2021 calendar of programming and events can be viewed here.
