This weekend, we had the opportunity to check out Patti Smith’s House. Smith lived in the home with her husband, MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith and their children. The couple wrote their “Dream of Life" album here. 

The Smiths’ purchased the charming waterfront  home in 1980, and raised their family there—  on the outskirts of Detroit, for years. Smith eventually sold it in 2017, after leaving the Midwest for NYC years earlier. 

The “storybook” Tudor in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan is unbelievable in every way. Built in 1918, the home is a showstopper, yet at the same time, charming. The exterior is reminiscent of a castle, while the interior has unparalleled architectural detail. Every room has something special. There’s even a secret passageway (a revolving bookshelf) to a hidden wine cellar— especially popular during prohibition. (wink, wink) The property features lake views and it’s backyard is a canal. 

IIt's basically a gorgeous beyond-belief home with amazing attention to detail, impeccably decorated, (the furnishings are negotiable I believe) with stunning canal views. 

My absolute favorite things about this house are: the outdoor entertaining areas off the canal-- the rooftop terrace, the wooded hamlet for casual gatherings + the boat access. The staircase was beautiful, with cathedral ceilings to match. I also loved the former boathouse, transformed into a Game Room, and the garden room-- filled with diffused sunlight, right off the main living space. The floors were awesome, aaand have my dream come true-  radiant heat flooring! And for some reason, I can't stop thinking about the dining room, but honestly-- I think it was just the decor, hahaha, b/c it's basically a pass-through. 

As if this home didn’t have enough history + stories tied to it, there’s another twist! The listing agent, who is well-versed [understatement] about this property and knows pretty much everything about this home—  once lived here. 

So if you're in the market for an early 20th century charmer- I guess that this might be the place. 

Related:
​Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 
Who Shot Ya? 
Women Who Rock 
Edison Boat Club | Adaptive Reuse 
Fisher Mansion: Architectural Photography 
First Cut is the Deepest

M I R A G E Detroit is a temporary art installation by artist Doug Aiken, featuring a mirrored structure that resembles a home. 

Housed in the former State Savings Bank in Detroit, M I R A G E Detroit changes by the minute, as the lights fade in & out, varying in their intensity. As the lighting shifts, so does your perception-- altering the entire structure and the building it's encased in. 

And that's just the exterior. Walk inside the house and it's a never-ending barrage of mirrored images. It's like a Fun House-- but better. Total optical illusions throughout the house-- inside + out! 

M I R A G E  Detroit
State Savings Bank
151 West Fort Street
​Detroit, MI 48226 

Opening Sunday, December 16, 2018 in the Special Exhibition Galleries at the Detroit Institute of Arts is Ruben + Isabel Toledo's, "Labor of Love."

The Detroit Institute of the Arts invited the creative team of Isabel and Ruben Toledo to create artistic works derived from the exhibits found throughout the DIA. The result is impressive, enigmatic and bursting at the seams with creative energy. 

The exhibition is a three part interpretive journey based on the Diego Murals, spontaneous exhibits, or "interventions," created as a visual response to pieces found throughout the museum, and a collaboration with Detroit-based non-profit Sew Great Detroit. 

These works came together to formulate an unprecedented view into the artists creative and collaborative process, resulting in the finished pieces-- their Labor of Love.

​This exhibition presents itself as a visual commentary of works from the past, bringing them into view in a modern context. The work highlights the broad range of influences and creates a impactful view of two artists that are not limited by convention. Each piece speaks volumes, and it is up to the viewer to interpret the message.

The artists creative response allows visitors to engage with the museum in new ways and make connections between old and new interpretations of art resulting in an unprecedented dialogue between art and observer. 

Labor of Love will be open to the public on Sunday, December 16, 2018 and will be on view in the Special Exhibition Gallery until July 7, 2019.

Exhibition Information:
​Ruben + Isabel Toledo | Labor of Love 
Detroit Institute of the Arts 
December 16, July 7, 2019 
Special Exhibition Galleries 

We had the awesome opportunity to be involved with The Henry Ford Museum's latest ad campaign. We were so excited and it was an unbelievable experience. Here's a Behind-the -Scenes look:
​
We started out bright and early and headed out to at Greenfield Village for our call time. Everyone we worked with made everything so easy and fun. We had a great time rolling through the village while the agency tried to capture that winning shot.

We were interviewed for some spots. I spoke about my love for the Eames Garbage Chair-- the prototype for the infamous Eames Molded Chair, Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House and the Exploded Eames Chair the museum has on display.

Related:
How to Grow a Chair 
A Day at Herman Miller Design Yard 
Art in Detroit | A Sculptural Adventure 
Herman Miller | Threads 

The Fisher Mansion is the largest home in the Historic Boston-Edison neighborhood. Built for Charles and Sarah Fisher in 1922, the mansion was designed by architect George D. Mason. 

I had the unbelievable opportunity to photograph the mansion last week. I was invited to shoot the interior and exterior of the building for an architectural competition hosted by Design Core Detroit. The Instashot Competition was held in conjunction with Detroit Month of Design and featured seven photographers vying to see who could best capture the essence of the Junior League Showhouse.

The gorgeous mansion has undergone an extensive renovation. Designers have been selected by The Junior League to re-imagine the interior spaces and outdoor areas. To say this is a massive undertaking would be an understatement. Yet, they pulled it off-- and the home will make its grand debut to the public as the Detroit Designers Show House on Saturday, September 15, 2018 and will run until Sunday, October 7, 2018. Tickets to the event may be purchased here. 

Y'all-- let me tell you what an amazing experience it was. First of all, the mansion itself is just impressive. Then we have the rooms designed by a talented  roster of heavy-hitters. The interior was breathtaking. As in-- my actual breath was taken away irl.  

This home is just beautiful and must be seen in person to be appreciated fully. To check it out for yourself, please see the information below or visit the Junior League website here. 

Artists Victoria Shaheen and George Vidas collaborated on a special exhibit entitled, "A Difficult Pair," which explored the use of industrial and commercial objects transformed into art pieces. 

The artists sought to explore identity, hierarchy and material culture in each piece they fabricated. 

So I was really excited about this exhibit, because I am in LOVE with Neon. It was a stellar show, the work was intriguing and what I thought would be straight forward was though-provoking. The pieces were so cool! They had working mechanical parts! So I feel like neon is like a living thing because it kinda breathes with electricity. Now these sculptures came to life even more because they actually moved. It was awesome! 

The opening reception was held at Playground Detroit, a gallery that features the work of emerging visual artists. 

I was also beyond impressed with the space. It was my first time visiting Playground Detroit's new gallery/exhibition space and it was so amazing. Not exaggerating. It was simple and clean- but not sterile, perfect to showcase work. It's an intimate setting that somehow seems expansive. It's crazy. I loved it. 

This exhibition was also part of Detroit Art Week, taking place from July 20-22, 2018.

​DAW is an annual self-guided tour and celebration of contemporary art and culture in Detroit. It's basically an art crawl. The public is encouraged to attend galleries, explore studios, participate in art talks and museum tours. That includes parties, live performances, music + art shows. 

A warehouse originally used as an automotive factory by Standard Motor Truck Company hosted an Open House featuring local  Interiors + Makers, produced by Design Core.

Originally designed by Albert Kahn in 1912, Letts Industries acquired the building in 1989, undertaking massive renovations within the last three years-, while keeping the historical  integrity of the building in tact.  This building is unique in that it was a first-gen modern auto factory, incorporating steel-reinforced concrete in its design. 

The building still retains the original "martini-shaped" columns Kahn designed, a design element which appears to be one of his trademarks. Walking around, the colest thing I saw was that the ceilings still had the line shafts and tracks created for Standard. I seriously could not get over that- it was amazing to be able to see that LIVE! I have always imagined the Highland Park building Kahn designed for Ford- such an important piece of history in the automotive industry- but I had never seen it. This gave me an actual opportunity to see it instead of just imagine what it was like. 

Currently housing an array of artists, small businesses, and design firms, the warehouse is used as offices, gallery and production space. The concept reminded me of Ponyride, and it seems like a collaborative environment. 
​

Related:
Standing on Albert Kahn's Shoulders
​OpenCo: A PonyRide in the D 
Ford Rouge Tour LIVE 

The History Channel and Ford Motor Co. teamed up to host an exclusive screening of "Detroit Comeback City." 

The preview was held today at the Garden Theatre in Detroit. Steven Gillon spoke briefly and introduced the film to the audience.
​

Michigan Central Station has stood guard over the city since 1914. Although the last train left the station in 1988, this Beaux-Arts beauty has been an iconic symbol for the City of Detroit- the Good, the Bad-- and the Ugly.

Ford Motor Co. recently purchased the structure, vowing to restore it and fill it with 5,000 workers- about half of which will be employed by Ford, the other 2,500 will be brought in via other companies leasing offices through Ford. There was some talk about a mixed-use facility, but I don’t know how legit that info is. Ford plans to have the building renovated by 2022.

Ford graciously opened the doors to the kingdom to massive crowds of people. From Friday through Monday, it allowed visitors to enter through its arched entrance and get a chance to gawk at the sheer beauty and desecration inside the walls of the station.
​

I was one of those people. I had never been inside but have taken thousands of photos of the exterior over the past 15 years. I’ve heard stories about this place. My grandparents were WWII refugees, and finally escaped into America after spending weeks on a ship— entering through Michigan Central Station.

​So it kinda became a symbol of hope to me, not despair- because of these stories I grew up hearing. And yeah, I may have felt like I was going to cry as I walked around- but that was from an overwhelming sense of history, nostalgia and happiness.

Related:
Roosevelt park Fest | How We Roll 
Detroit:The New Media Darling 
Talking Dolls, Jailbirds + a Pawnshop 
​The Pawnbroker Roared
The Story of Buntings 
And the Winner is---
​Snowflake Central 
The Remains of the Day 
When Doves Cry