Pixelgawker

For those of you familiar with the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, you may not think of it as a bastion of public art. However, there may be a few murals in Royal Oak that you do not know about. The first is a set of three panels that lie in the old Dondero High School, celebrating the history of Royal Oak and the promise a solid career path through a devotion to studies. As antiquated as these works may seem in our eyes, they have a little-known cultural significance. Restored in 2004, these murals are a product of the FAP (Federal Arts Program) created by FDR during the Great Depression. Painted in 1938 to comfort and inspire the American people during a time unyielding bleak, the Dondero murals are representative of public art that causes people to look to the past for strength and inspiration. (more…)

CR: Explain the Detroit Miscellaneous Society (DMS) and why it doesn’t exist anymore?

NB: The Detroit Miscellaneous Society was comprised of several individuals. We formed sort of organically. Our goal was to come together to pool our conceptual and physical resources in order to work on projects that we wanted to create that didn’t really fit into any type of category. The group was composed of myself, Gina Reichert (architect, founder of Design 99), Shar McLeod, (designer for the Michigan Citizen Newspaper), and Corine Vermeulen-Smith, (photographer from Holland). In the beginning, graphic designer Danielle Aubert and architect Alexis Kim were also contributors. We first started getting together and just talking, talking for hours and developing idea lists that grew quite large. One of the early ideas discussed in the preliminary stages was Design 99; at that point Gina was just conceptualizing that project. (more…)

In the late 19^th Century the world was changing rapidly. Machines were replacing a workforce once powered by men and women. As mass-produced items became more readily available the craft behind the arts of furniture making, home building, and textile design began to disappear from every day knowledge thanks to the convenience and prevalence of the machine. In response to this major shift toward automation was born the Arts and Crafts Movement (1880-1910). The artists behind the Arts and Crafts Movement hand-crafted work in rebellion against the soullessness of industrial age products and processes.

(more…)

In his book Organizing Genius (Basic Books, 1998), author Warren Bennis declares the age of the empowered individual ended. He goes on to note that ‘collaborative advantage’ is what matters now, then proceeds to distill several examples (from Disney Animation Studios to the 1992 Clinton Campaign) where this team-oriented organizational structure is put to work and successful. The moral of his story: When like minds work in tandem, the possibilities are immeasurable. 

(more…)

a laboratory is a very appropriate comparison for detroit because it suggests an environment where research, experimentation and teaching are encouraged. a laboratory, given the right set of conditions, can produce very exciting yet potentially dangerous outcomes. the results all depend on the motive of the scientist or researcher and what they are trying to accomplish. with hard work and motivation, scientists have the potential for results that can solve some of the world’s biggest problems. with perseverance, humility and the willingness to make mistakes, scientists and designers alike can be innovative. the reward of success far outweigh the risk of failure. (more…)

For days I ’ve had the lyrics of the Smashing Pumpkins’ Tonight, Tonight running through my head. Once a part of the soundtrack to windows down, summer sing-a-long nights during my high school years, those words have found a new relevance to my adult life. Perhaps I am being sentimental, but the words still won’t leave my mind:

You can never ever leave,

without leaving a piece of youth. And our lives are forever changed,

we will never be the same

(more…)

Perspectives on Detroit from a designer who always thought she’d leave.

(more…)

As you all have probably noticed, Pixelgawker has seen nothing resembling new content in several months. This long-lasting dry spell is due in part to the onset of new life transitions that both Megan and myself have recently undergone. Since our last post, Megan’s tenure at CCS has come to a close, while I myself have become the father of two twin daughters. Needless-to-say, we have each been adjusting to our new lives.
(more…)

He describes himself as chronically unemployed and unemployable – A hippie, an artist, an activist, and a Vietnam War veteran. Although he hasn’t experienced much nationwide success, he is a hometown Detroit hero in many respects. He has produced many pieces of art that are held close to the hearts of Detroit music lovers from the past as well as the present. Anyone who calls themselves a Motor City music enthusiast will have seen his work at some point, whether it was sold at concerts, printed on t-shirts, on the cover of an album, or hung up around the city. Gary Grimshaw helped put a face to the Detroit music scene as it came into existence in the late 60’s, when local kids found themselves in the aftermath of Motown and in the middle of a political upheaval. (more…)

This past summer, I had the pleasure of working among a small group of students to collaboratively design a series of light pole banners for six distinct Detroit neighborhoods. These particular neighborhoods, as it was explained to us, all have a high population of children, and need outside support in order to ensure the continued success of their young inhabitants. Over the 8-week class period, our task would be to design a set of publicly displayed banners that capture the spirit of each community, while also identifying the community to others in the city. The process went as such: We were given a tour of each neighborhood by appointed neighborhood leaders, who educated us on the area’s important cultural and historical details. We then would collectively distill this research, organizing notes and ideas into mind maps and word lists. Then, of course, we would discuss concepts and begin designing, designing, designing. We pumped out version after version, editing nothing. In class, the group would have small critique sessions, though these would generally be focused less on aesthetic and more on idea. We continued cycling through this process until it was time for our first community meeting, where residents of the community would see the designs for the first time. With community members gathered around a long, narrow table, we each stood up and took turns explaining the conceptual basis behind each of our designs. We elaborated on details from our tours and research, expounding upon the reasons behind many of our design decisions. When each of us were through presenting, the door was cordially opened for feedback. After all, none of us lived in the communities for which we were designing, and we understood that the success of this project depended substantially on the communities acceptance of the work. Yet none of us anticipated what happened next. Silence. Not a word. We nervously glanced at one another, half smirking with confidence, half sinking in defeat. A very boisterous and vocal woman eventually spoke up, to begin what we’d later dub “the meeting where we all really sucked.” To put it lightly, they HATED the designs! Comments ranged from “too static,” to “too boring.” Questions followed like “What’s that supposed to represent,” and “Aren’t those McDonald’s colors.” We awkwardly stood rejected and unsure of what to do next. I suppose what we did do would be what any young, tactful designer would do; we thanked everyone for their feedback, regrouped, then went back to the drawing board. (Speaking only for myself, I additionally went home to a glass of red wine and two Excedrin)

(more…)