Pixelgawker

Plot 63, photo credit Ryan LeCluyse

Last month, five young individuals from around the country gathered in Detroit for a two-week session of Project M. For those readers who missed this, Project M is a group of designers, writers, photographers and other creatives brought together to challenge the conventions of design and prove that their work can have a positive and significant impact on the world. Since it’s founding in 2003 by John Bielenberg, Project M has engaged in projects all over the world, from Maine to Costa Rica, from Alabama to Iceland and most recently in Detroit. I had the opportunity to spend a week with the M’ers, as they transformed a vacant city lot into a community gathering place near Detroit’s North End. Their vehicle? Horseshoes.

Named for the once-abandoned lot’s address, Plot 63 is a piece of property located on the corner of Woodward and Euclid, complete with four horseshoe pits, identifying signage and, on any given day, a handful of players tossing leaners and (mostly) ringers as they compete in their favorite game. The M’ers came up with the idea to build horseshoe pits after spending a few preliminary days wandering through different parts of the city, interacting with local residents and familiarizing themselves with the diverse neighborhoods and cultures. During this immersion phase they learned that playing horseshoes is a common pastime in many areas of the city, but that there aren’t many permanent places for the community to gather and participate. Now, Plot 63 is one such place. The pits were built with salvaged wood from scrap piles and painted with the help of a few local kids. The M’ers worked together and with residents of the community to clean, mow, and prepare the plot for a Saturday evening inaugural event, complete with local vendors, music and lots of horseshoe pitching. In a short amount of time and with limited resources, the Project M team brought a community together, giving local residents so much more then just horseshoe pits. You can find out more about Plot 63 and the Detroit session of Project M here and here.

Plot 63, photo credit Ryan LeCluyse

But let us move on, because frankly, I don’t really want to write any more about horseshoes. I’m much more interested in addressing some of the criticism surrounding this particular Project M session and using it as a way to discuss design activism, design for the greater good, etc, particularly as it relates to Detroit. Though many found Plot 63 and the presence of the M’ers quite desirable, others were less than enthused. In response to Elizabeth Dickinson’s article Welcome to Detroit on metropolismag.com, many Detroiters and/or Anonymous posters were quite harsh in their commentary, arguing that this city doesn’t need any more designers and creatives to “swoop in on bicycles” and save Detroit from it’s “post-industrial predicament.” Others proclaimed that two weeks simply isn’t enough time for these “outsiders” to “understand the complexities (of Detroit)”  nor to “affect lasting, sustained change.” Many questioned the intention of the M’ers suggesting that praise, gratitude and publicity were all motives for their coming here. It’s all sort of sickening isn’t it? It pains me to think that other Detroiters, our own kind, can be so ungrateful, and so territorial when it comes to making this city a better place. Why the ego? Why the slammed doors?

First off, why come to Detroit anyway? Locals will list a myriad of reasons. I find myself doing this quite often even during my temporary relocation to rural Alabama. We vehemently defend our city. We take pride in it despite all it’s flaws. Ask anyone not from here, “why come to Detroit” and you’re liable to get a couple raised eyebrows. So many are perplexed by other’s desire to inhabit a city like this one. Why with all the drugs? With all the violence? The corruption? The abandonment? The race divide? The frail public school system? A decent grocery store (or lack thereof)? Why come to Detroit? With it’s ongoing list of downfalls and reasons NOT to come to this city, I’m continually amazed by the growing number of people who DO in fact come here, particularly those who come and actually want to do something positive. The five Project M designers were some of these people. They came from San Francisco, New York, Baltimore and the like to Detroit to do something good. That’s it. No strings attached. No expectations. No desire for fame or recognition. They came to do, and do is what they did. And despite 25+ comments on a silly blog that devalue their efforts and totally misconstrue their intentions, they’ll still come back. They’re invested now. They own a piece of this city (literally). Detroiters don’t give up.

The Project M way isn’t rocket science, and in fact it’s quite simple. Two-week sessions usually run like this: M’ers arrive in a location, typically one that is new and unfamiliar; M’ers spend time fully emerging themselves into said location, talking to business owners, community members, rich, poor, young, old, etc; M’ers respond to their findings through designing and making. They might compile a video, set-up a public installation, or throw an event. They do it quickly and usually unconventionally. They use their surroundings to guide ideas, and the materials at their nearest disposal to inspire aesthetics. What often emerges is an honest representation of a real life experience.

Yet, many will still say that two weeks is insufficient time to effect positive change. Always someone will object. But please take notice. In two weeks, the Project M’ers built and organized an event for a community, greatly effecting the lives of the people within that community. Moreover, they showed up. They cared. They invested their time, took notice and used their skills to improve the lives of those around them. Despite the criticism they received midway through their session, this group of Project M’ers kept moving forward and responded with action. They took something as ordinary as horseshoes and made it exra-ordinary. No a horseshoe pit isn’t going to save our city. No it won’t provide jobs to the unemployed, or insurance to the uninsured. But it might (and it did) brighten the lives of a few residents. It showed them that we still care. That despite hard times, we haven’t forgotten about them. In the end, it’s not about horseshoes. It’s about community. It’s about people. Do you have to be from Detroit to want to help the struggling city? In my mind, doing good is doing good. There is a growing generation of designers who are interested in redefining the possibilities of design and what it means to be a designer. We simply want to do good things. It’s why I moved to Greensboro, Alabama. It’s why five young creatives came to Detroit.  When times get bad, people pull together. They want to help one another. And maybe that’s enough. Maybe that really is enough.

So get off this blog, put away your design mags, round up your friends, and go make something happen. Go meet your neighbor. Engage in your community. Proceed and Be Bold.

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