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 

Detroit Startup Week had a ton of GREAT events for entrepreneurs and business owners. These informative sessions were held throughout the city this week, all  hosted by amazing businesspeople. So many featured valuable insight shared with the crowd learn and it is a really valuable place for meeting like-minded people while networking. ​

       
       How to Grow a Chair | Studio 7.5's Design Process 


       "We learned so much by assembling everything wrong" 

"A lot of things went wrong." Carola Zwick confessed lightheartedly, during the initial development stages of the Cosm chair.

She said that a team of eight basically had 120 seconds to act fast before the polyurethane dried as they were working through prototypes, making it impossible to modify after that blink-of-an-eye  timeframe. 

Ms Zwick said another challenge surrounding the "Cosm" came from the intricate design of the teeth- a major component of the chair's unparalleled suspension. "We had to count line by line. One line resulted in entirely different sitting experience. "

The designers worked to create a piece of furniture that would seamlessly translate funtion and comfort into a single chair.



               "It’s not an armrest- it’s an elbow cradle." 

"Our first iteration scared our client," joked Burkhard Schmitz, noting that the "elephant ears" were an unconventional, yet important aspect of the design.

He went on to mention the "leaf arms" that are integral to the overall design and functionality of this chair-- the potentially overlooked elbow support.

But don't call them arm rests! Mr. Schmitz refers to them as "elbow cradles," highlighting the importance of getting this particular part right. 
  

         "A chair should be designed like a bicycle- not a car."

An interesting declaration from Burkhard Schmitz was that approach to designing a chair should be akin to designing a bike-- not a vehicle. 
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The designers made a concerted effort to follow in the footsteps of Charles & Ray Eames:  with the intent to design with great attention to every detail. ​

"We were able to think about entire family of chairs. All provide diff sitting experience but able to use same design." 

The studio was able to illustrate the manufacturing process first-hand to the fabricators at Herman Miller. The designers travelled to the Zeeland, Michigan facility and taught their design methods for the  chair at the Herman Miller Design Yard. And although it was a challenge to replicate exactly, they were able to find a solution and produce a high-quality, specialized chair, uniformly. 

Related: 
A Day at Herman Miller Design Yard
Herman Miller | Threads 
Detroit Designs the World 
Art in Detroit | A Sculptural Adventure 

If there’s one thing that’s true about Detroit, it’s that there is Always Something Going On. ALWAYS. The best thing is, there are a Ton of things to do that don't cost anything. We've got everyone from the nature lover to the cultural maven covered with a list of adventures that won’t break the bank---  because they’re all free!

For the Creative 
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Ever look up at the technicolor ceiling at the Guardian Building? Remember riding the People Mover and seeing that tile mural that looks like it came straight outta The Wiz? These tiles were created at Pewabic Pottery- a unique school and studio combo.

Pewabic is known for producing this style of ceramic art which adorns countless buildings throughout Detroit and beyond. Lucky for us, it is located within city limits and welcomes visitors daily.

Learn about the process during a free guided studio tour or browse through the collection in the retail space. Don’t forget to check out the adjacent showroom and take a peek at the gallery upstairs.

Pewabic Pottery & Ceramics 
10125 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48214
(313) 626-2000

Psst:
-This place is best for: When Parent Visits/After Weekend Brunch
-Take the Guided Tour! 
-To see the tiles in action, sign up for Pure Detroit's free guided tours
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This is Part I of the Series, "See Detroit Without Spending a Dime."  Stay tuned for more places to check out in the city. 

                  Photo ©Faye Webster for Lil Yachty 

Lil Yachty caught my eye when he appeared on a Tee Grizzley track, ‘From the D to the A.’ Since then, he’s popping up everywhere. He’s done collabs with everyone from Diplo and Young Thug to Macklemore and T-Pain.

He came onto the scene where nowadays every rapper worth knowing comes outta- the ATL.

He kicked off ‘The Teenage Tour’ in Dallas earlier this month. He’ll be hitting Detroit Metro on Monday at Royal Oak Music Theatre. 

This weekend, he showed up in NYC in an unconventional way— at a pizza joint. In a marketing move reminiscent of 2 Chainz Pink Trap House, Yachty did a takeover of a Soho pizzeria, transforming Famous Ben’s into Yachty’s Pizzeria for a couple of days.

Check him out when he rolls through town tomorrow. Grab tickets here. 

See what he's up to
insta
twitter 
website 

​Artist Robert Sestok knows how to throw a party. He invited the public to view his finished work at the 2nd Annual ‘Party in the Park.’  Last night’s main event featured a one-two punch of art and music, held in the glorious little enclave known as “City Sculpture.’

City Sculpture is a park teeming with artwork and trees, both of which tower over attendees. The sculpture park opened in the summer of 2015, spearheaded by Sestok himself. He purchased the land with the intent of finding homes for pieces that he has been fabricating for decades. Sestok himself has been an integral part of the Detroit art scene since the sixties.

The stars of the show- the sculptures, are welded together in the artist’s studio down the street in Cass Corridor. The finished pieces end up in the park on Alexandrine, on view for everyone to enjoy.

Back to the party: The soundtrack for the evening shifted as different groups of musicians played their instruments and sang their songs. There was a little bit of country, and a whole lotta rock & roll, with some EDM thrown in.

​As the crescent moon rose over the park, people danced under the canopy of trees, swinging and swaying to the music that filled the night air. It was a magical evening filled with sparkling conversation and community and art that told stories without even saying a word.

City Sculpture 
955 W. Alexandrine 
Detroit, MI 48201

It seems like there are a milli+ skateparks in the Detroit Metro area. There are so many really excellent ones around, the list seems almost endless. Here's a breakdown of the greatest skateparks within close proximity to the D.

Ride It Sculpture Park
Four abandoned lots became an awesome neighborhood skatepark- the only one within the Detroit city limits. Ride It Sculpture Park has a concrete bowl, outfitted with a quarter pipe, ramps, with a street course around the perimeter of the park in the works. The skatepark was a collaboration between artists, skaters and designers. Tony Hawk invested 30k through his Foundation to make improvements. The popular neighborhood gathering spot is a great place for beginners and seasoned skaters- the whole mix is here. Sometimes the action attracts a big crowd, and it may be just what you need to propel you forward, as others challenge you to get better. Another cool thing is that this park isn’t even finished yet, as funds become available more and more elements will be added: the nearby alley will become the street course, and sculptures will take the park to the next level. There’s even a house already secured that will serve as a meeting area, place to rent equipment and get repairs.

Huntington Woods Skatepark
The Huntington Woods Skatepark features all the things you need to skate: a cement bowl, rails, jumps and a series of grind bars. There are three tiers where you can practice and then show off some moves. This spot in Huntington Woods is a great park to perfect your skills and learn new tricks from others. And guess what- its free.  

Modern Skate Park 
Modern Skate Park is a massive warehouse skate complex in Royal Oak. This indoor skatepark spans 60,000 square feet with rails jumps and is one of the largest facilities of its kind- anywhere! It’s like Rob Dyrdek’s warehouse amped up. Need to brush up on some skills? Sign up for a class and learn some new maneuvers from talented instructors. Hey ladies- there’s also special classes for all ages and abilities, just check out the calendar to look out for special events.
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Transitions Skatepark
Transitions Skatepark has been around since 1999, and is open every single day of the year. This 14,000 square feet skating facility in Dearborn Heights has an 11 foot vertical wall, five foot spine and tons of ramps rails and pyramids. Hey, it’s good enough for Lil Wayne, who made sure to stop by when one of his tours rolled through. The indoor skatepark are open all day, everyday, and guess what- they pull all-nighters here. Yep, on certain dates the announcement will come through, and it will be an all night-eager, skate-style. Admission for the day is reasonable, but definitely check out the annual membership rates for an unbelievable deal. 

​The bus came by, and I got on, that's when it all began.

The Ford Rouge Tour gives visitors the opportunity to discover the history of the automobile LIVE! Just buy your tickets at the Henry Ford Museum and a bus will swing by and pick you up. It's really quite convenient.

Step inside and get ready to rumble! The film experience is like a concert- with full-on lasers and explosions. The floor rumbles, and sparks fly as a car is created right before your eyes. This was the highlight of our experience and one of the best parts of the tour.  A car elevates through the floor just like Jay did that one time. For real. 

The city is filled with sculptures and unique architecture at every turn, and the time is right to check it out. 

Spend a morning or an afternoon walking around, soaking in all the inspiration the city has to offer. To start you off, here's a little stroll around Midtown. 

Jack White’s smiling face will be featured on a baseball card repping Detroit (it's true- he's really smiling).

A born + raised Detroiter, White catapulted himself to fame while performing as singer and guitarist for The White Stripes, a garage band he founded with bandmate & wife, Meg. 

He sometimes returns back home to perform and last year made a pitstop at Comerica Park to throw out the first pitch at a game. 

That event is now commemorated in all its glory on a Topps baseball card. The Jack White card will be included in the Series I set. 

Now, leeeetttttt's play ball!