Design Core Detroit's Month of Design kicks off Sept. 1

As UNESCO’s first designated City of Design, September in Detroit means a monthlong celebration of art and creativity. And after two seasons of pandemic restrictions, Design Core Detroit's Month of Design arrives in full force this year with more indoor events and the return of one of its most popular offerings — Eastern Market After Dark.

“The amount of events is pre-pandemic numbers,” said Kiana Wenzel, co-executive director of Design Core Detroit, which produces the festival. “We have over 175 designers participating, with events occurring throughout the city. I really feel like we’re back to where we were in 2018-2019.”

Eastern Market After Dark returns Sept. 15 after a two-year hiatus. The event features a nighttime district-wide market and open studio that includes art galleries, block parties, retailers, live music and dance performances. This year, Shed 2 will transform into the “North End Pavilion,” honoring the works and stories of Detroit’s historic North End neighborhood, including exhibits on agriculture and technology. 

Shed 3 will celebrate architecture with displays in partnership with the Detroit chapter of the American Institute of Architecture. The market will also feature performances from D.Cipher the Detroit City Marching Band and Waajeed, as well as a flash mob fashion show from the Fetish Project, among others.

More than 80 other events — including exhibitions, forums, tours, family activities, lectures and workshops — fill out the rest of the month.

One exhibit is the return of Sneaker House, a celebration of sneaker culture that will take place inside Detroit’s Midtown WeWork location and showcase four installations. In one of them, designer Shadé Akinruli partnered with photographer Vince Glass to create “First Pair,” a three-photograph display showcasing the joy of experiencing a first pair of sneakers. Their installation will also include a series of interactive activities, including a sneaker scavenger hunt and a desk for participants to sketch their own sneakers.

Akinruli said she hopes their exhibit brings a sense of nostalgia to sneaker lovers. 

“I hope it just takes them back to the first time they received their first pair of shoes… whether it was Christmas, whether it was their birthday, their first day of school, you know, how excited you are to have a brand-new shoe and just to show that off,” she said.

Shop and See will pair local designers with downtown shops to exhibit their work. Womenswear designer Lindsay Jenkins, founder of Lynzi, will display her designs at the Lip Bar with clothes described as the “essence of edgy sensuality and femininity.” Jenkin’s display also carries a deeper message and will include a video drawing attention to mental health awareness, a cause close to her heart. 

“I wanted to stand for something,” she said. “Some of my best work came from my darkest times.”

Other highlights include:

Sept. 1-30: Craft in the Digital Age, an exhibition presented at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe that will feature work of contemporary Detroit-area artists and designers staged throughout the rooms in the main residence of Ford House

Sept. 9-10: The Hip Hop Architecture Exhibit with Michael Ford and MarxModa, a mixed-media exhibit of photos and music videos from the Hip Hop Architecture Camp and 3D-printed architectural models inspired by hip hop culture

Sept. 9-10: Design Jam, a two-day challenge that invites participants to prototype new adaptive products for recreational athletes with limb differences

Sept. 17: Art on the Avenue, a day-long event of art-related activities that celebrate Detroit art and black-owned businesses on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion

Sept. 18: The Mind of a Muralist, a panel discussion where Detroit muralists Hubert Massey and Ijania Cortez with art historian Deborah Lubera Kawsky explore the media, motivations and messaging behind mural-making in Metro Detroit

Sept. 23-26: The Cranbrook Chair Show, an exhibition of art and design works centered around the subject of the ‘chair,’ in partnership with the Cranbrook Academy of Art

The month is full of events for designers and non-designers alike, Wenzel said.

“If you are a designer, you should come to meet more in the industry, learn about resources and to mix and mingle with Detroit’s design thinkers and doers,” she said. “If you are a resident or just in the public, you should come to learn about the role that design plays in transforming our lives on a daily basis.”

Detroit Month of Design takes place throughout September at various locations throughout Detroit. Most events are free. For a complete list of events, dates and locations, visit www.designcore.org.