Urban Forest is the name for AIGA’s national project to enhance awareness of ecology, the negative effects of suburban sprawl, and the value of green space in urban areas.  To accomplish this noble task, the design community is challenged to design banners that will create an urban forest in the city center being targeted.  A discussion on Detroiter Online provides more on the sponsorship chairs perspective. (more…)

We are in the process of launching a great new interactive site called the Detroiter Online.  The site is in beta test now, and is not even available at it’s planned URL, detroiteronline.com, but that hasn’t stopped some impressive content from being added by the site’s early adopters.  The headline above is from a post by Tim Smith that sums up the feelings of many in the existing creative community these days.  It is really nice that some of the communities leadership are willing to put up some significant funding to attract new creative talent to the Metro Detroit area, but it is confusing that they would need to spend money on research to figure out how.  In essence, Tim makes the point that the focus should start first with support of the incredible amount of creative talent that already exists in the region before worrying about how to bring more this way.  And to do that, he recommends hiring local.  Here is his post - (more…)

Coming soon! DetroitMakeItHere.com: a user-centric information and
networking hub for creatives in Southeast Michigan.

The Web site, which will launch this spring, is powered by Crain’s
Detroit Business and an element of Detroit Renaissance Inc.’s $80
million Road to Renaissance economic revitalization plan. Detroit
Renaissance is the founding sponsor of the site.

The site will identify the region’s creative assets and map them,
present news and information about and important to the creative
economy, provide a forum for social networking and a space for
user‑generated content. It will also feature a calendar for creative
business events, as well as career and business related resources for
creative professionals.

This Web site will be a unique resource for the region, providing
detailed content for creative users that does not currently exist. Rest
assured the creative community will be fully immersed in the development
of the site. In fact, there is a group of nearly 40 local creatives who
are serving on the site’s advisory committee.

Keep visiting the CreateDetroit site for the launch date!!

Detroit Renaissance wants to know what you think and where you live - if you are creative.  They have asked New Economy Strategies LLC to conduct a survey to gauge obstacles to build a creative environment and Crain’s Detroit to survey the community to create a map of all the creative sector businesses in our Metro area.

For the Creative Business Climate survey (which they will email you the results of) click here.

For the asset map survey (which they won’t send you results of), you can read Mary Kramer’s intro to the survey, or jump to the survey.  If you even remotely suspect that you or someone you may work with can loosely be defined as creative - take this survey.  This survey is aimed at business, not individual, so fill it out for your company, even if you are a company of one!

There are few options (1) if you are in the music industry, and there may be others that are not completely represented.  Go ahead and pick the ‘other’ checkbox - don’t be intimidated to explain how you don’t fit into any of the pigeon holes!  What is most important is to stand up and be counted!

Over 40 original documentary films, many created by local talent will be on display starting Wednesday, October 17th at three different venues: The Detroit Film Center, the DIA, and Cranbrook. Besides the films being shown each evening, there is also an afterparty scheduled each night at a different location. A pass to the entire 5 day event will cost you $45, where you can attend any single evening for $7.50. The excessively young (students) and old (seniors) get a daily break - 5 bucks. You can purchase ticks direct from the Film Center, online via PayPal, or at the gate.  More info here.  If you would like to volunteer, contact nicole@detroitfilm.org.

In case you haven’t gotten there yet and you are into the fashion and design scene in Detroit, the last few days of DFW are rapidly drawing to a close.

Go to the St. Regis Hotel, 3071 W. Grand Blvd. @ Woodward in Detroit (next to the Fisher Theater)

Starting at 7:30 Friday,

Camilo, Gretta Wallace, Jill Robertson, Samaher Mohammad - Zaynini Fashion Intl.

Starting at 7:30 Saturday,

La’Tosha Williams-Qahhaar - La’Monee’ Couture
Lasijas Miller - Nethade by Lasijas
Cynthia Lamaide - LaMaide Designs Inc.
Fotoula Lambros / Emily Thornhill - Femilia
Beulah Cooley - The “Beulah Cooley Collection”

More detail and tickets on the DFW site.

There is never a shortage of reasons to head for the ‘D’ on any given weekend, and this one is no exception!  With over 50 live performances, 6 stages, and way over a hundred individual artist booths, the Detroit Festival of the Arts will be a celebration of the creative!  In it’s 21st year, the Festival is located in the heart of the Wayne State area, and is easily reached from several major freeways.  If live music, tons of sand, and just about every type of live performance you can imagine sound like a good time, hit it!

Come to the DYC at 8am tomorrow to hear Smart Cities Radio host and CEO’s for Cities President Carol Coletta discussing what it takes to make a city successful and how Detroit measures up. Register here, get more info here, and get directions here. Joining Carol will be Detroit’s own Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future.

Come to FD Lofts from 7pm to 2am to experience the ‘D’s eye candy. ‘LAUNCH’, an event created by Sabra Sanzotta, Sarah Lurtz and Sarah Lapinski focusing on hot new Detroit fashion, concept cars, artwork, music - and of course food! This Creative Class Party will provide a celebration of Detroit’s fashion, music, urban loft living, and people connecting across regional boundaries. Talent not only from Detroit, but also from Toronto & Chicago will be strutting to a DJ in 10,000 sq. feet of party space.

Click the links above for additional information on the event, or click below to purchase your tickets.

Location: FD Lofts, 3434 Russell St, Detroit 48207 - in the Eastern Market.  Advance tickets $25 here

The Detroit Artists Market, now in their 75th year, is hosting A Wayne State University exhibition rumored to start somewhere between April 20th (from flier at CCS) and April 28th (from DAM website & press release) and going through May 26th or 27th, again depending on source. Remember, these are artists, not event planners! An opening reception will occur April 20 (or 28th, again depending on your source) from 7-10pm. The John F. Korachis Scholarship will be awarded to two outstanding CCS artists in the competition. I am excited to see it, I just don’t know for sure when to show up! If someone can clarify the date - awesome. Me, I am betting the press release and website are correct.