About
PLAYGROUND DETROIT: A Space to Empower Creators & Artists
$75,630
547
Art provokes thought. Inspires. Uplifts. Heals.
In Detroit, art is fueling the revival of our great city. With your help, we'll transform an abandoned storefront space into a hub for creativity: a gallery and performance space for Detroit's growing artistic community, the general public and the over 100 artists whose artwork we have presented. Together as a community, hand-in-hand with those artists, we will showcase the talents in Detroit with inspiring event, exhibitions and performances starting in 2017.
Here's what we're going to do:
- Create a safe space and community hub for artists and arts enthusiasts alike
- Host at least 6 exhibitions of Detroit artists (and 2 national artists!) in our 2017 program year
- Develop collaborative art objects to compliment the artist artwork.
- Develop programming and staff for our Grand Opening in Spring/Summer 2017.
- Film projection and digital displays for art film screenings and new media presentations
- Install a sound system with DJ booth for special events and community use
- Install a kitchenette and lofted lounge space
- Create an engaging window-front and a custom bench system for sidewalk hangouts
- Fix up the interior of the space with moveable walls, track lighting, displays/shelving, an office
The Artists
Detroit artists are at the center of our creative community. PLAYGROUND DETROIT has presented the works of over 100 artists, and we wanted you to hear directly from them why the Playground will be such an important space for Detroit. Meet some of the artists we have worked with over the years.
Ellen Rutt
Ellen Rutt is a Detroit-based multi-disciplinary artist and designer. She writes: "My art is usually colorful, bold, mixed-media painting. Although I do graphic design, installations and murals as well. My process involves a combination of digital and hand-made techniques. Recently I’ve been exploring patterns/power of repetition, both symbolically (how patterns and habits inform/shape our lives and behaviors) and visually (how quantities and accumulation of repeated forms create new impressions.)"
Tunde Olaniran
Tunde Olaniran has in a very short time become one of the most beloved fixtures of an ever evolving Detroit music scene, as well as a driving force within the growing artistic community in Flint, MI (where he currently resides). Propulsive entries like “Namesake” and “KYBM” instantly signify the hi-energy dance-pop feel that has brought attention to Olaniran in the past, while tracks like “Let Me Go”, “Up & Down”, and “Everyone’s Missing” make clear his abilities to be at once gut-wrenchingly emotional, candidly playful, or deadly-serious.
Cristin Richard
Cristin Richard is in the movement of artists whose work is related to the body and identity. Her work examines the human condition and the fact that the body is physically and mentally determined in this condition. Particularly interested in the manipulation of organic matter, these materials build a dialog of what it feels like to be human.
Ouizi
Louise Chen (aka Ouizi) works primarily on a large scale, with subject matter that is in in the realm of ornament and design. With her highly recognized style, her public artworks in Detroit have become so popular that it has brought her opportunities to paint all over the country and occasionally abroad. She is currently working on experimenting with different ideas in her studio and working towards opening a co-operative creative space on the East side of Detroit where she resides.
We've just announced a new reward from one of our most recent Featured Artist, Ouizi! For a $20 pledge, you will receive a set of 5 postcards with artwork created for this project.
Marlo Broughton
Marlo Broughton is an artist living and working in Detroit. He has worked with PLAYGROUND DETROIT on projects including his first commission for a private basketball court.
William Irving Singer
William Irving Singer is a Detroit-based Artist and Painter. He received his BFA from the University of Michigan in 2008 and his MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He currently works at Redbull House of Art in Eastern Market, Detroit.
Rachel Roze
Rachel Roze is a photographer residing in Hamtramck, Detroit. She graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography with a Bachelor Degree in Visual Communication. Her work “is a look into my life, capturing moments, people, and myself on a daily basis; I capture my surroundings.”
THING THING
New Reward: THING THING Workshop!
Britney Stoney
Britney Stoney is a Detroit-based Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Producer and Playwright born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She is a recipient of the prestigious Kresge Arts Dance/Music Fellowship program.
Patrick Ethen
Patrick Ethen is a Detroit-based artist and designer. His work has been previously seen as large installation sculptures at various events including Detroit’s internationally-renowned Movement Electronic Music Festival. Ethen’s work takes viewers directly to the source of vision: light. As his intuition led from architecture to his current artistic practice, complex patterns of luminous bulbs which comprise each of his hand-wired pieces seem to have intuitive motion that engages the viewer immediately.
Valley Hush
Valley Hush is a breakout band that we worked with to curate their album artwork with two Detroit artists to create the personification of "Valley Hush," an island that sculpture artist Clinton Snider created and photographed by Katai.
Katai
Katai’s work takes him on travels across the world in search of universal truth; capturing the trippy, the mystical, and the magical, utilizing his camera and intuition to freeze transcendent moments. He focuses on aspects of nature to create enhanced visual experiences around “concepts of meditation & zen using stills & motion pictures that often remove the concept of time,” according to the artist.
Dessislava Terzieva
Dessislava Terzieva is a Detroit-based multi-media artist. Self-taught, she began her foray into the art world four years ago by exploring the technique of collage. Now more tongue-in-cheek than political, her work adorns wood panels with iconic religious and art icons. Shown within installations and often accompanied by performance, Terzieva creates a 360 degree-experience.
The Artist Roster Continues...
- Liza Lacroix
- WC Bevan
- George Vidas
- Scott Klinker
- Exactly Hi-Tops
- Lindsay Cashews
- Rachel Roze
- Michele Tanguay
- Joseph Konert
Part of our work is to identify top emerging talent and then help them achieve their goals by being there as they take the next steps to get there. There are many other artists and makers that we have worked with to develop opportunities outside of the featured artists series as well.
With special campaign cover photograph by Joe Gall, @Camera_Jesus.
New Rewards Added!
Imagine the Possibilities
The new space features windows facing onto Gratiot Ave, a major Detroit thoroughfare. The space features window storefront retail facing onto Gratiot Ave, a major Detroit thoroughfare.
THE PLAYGROUND will be a multi-functional space that serves as a gallery and event space available for pop-up activation for contemporary Detroit creators to launch and sustain successful careers by facilitating and promoting their individual artistic and social practices. It will serve as a unique retail destination driven by featured and collaborative items including artwork, limited-edition art objects, special events & community programming.
Within the space, there will be on-going pop-up retail collaboration opportunities for national brands that seek to test the Detroit market and their retail presence through our large (and growing!) audience.
Intersection of Art + Design
The PLAYGROUND storefront is an inspiring, vibrant space and community hub with exterior murals and an adjacent art park to invigorate the immediate neighborhood. Our future vision includes the neighboring building and a complimentary tenant, which may include a café to further encourage pedestrian traffic and visitors to spend time in the neighborhood.
The concept is a modern, retail experience – a unique addition to Detroit's retail landscape, which is desperately needed to support the future of the city as a newly appointed UNESCO global city, a "City of Design." PLAYGROUND is where people will go to experience inspiring, exciting and edgy art and design firsthand.
The Mission
PLAYGROUND DETROIT is equal parts creative agency, digital media and production company; it is a multi-faceted brand for emerging creators and their supporters through an online platform including a digital magazine, curated marketplace, and social media networks. Our creative services provide both the artists we directly work with AND clients and local and global audiences with direct access to the creative community, exclusive artwork, inspirations and stories happening in Detroit.
A Creative Catalyst
We work with the best emerging talent, including artists, musicians and creative entrepreneurs in Detroit by developing innovative arts programming that showcase the city as an inspiring and vibrant place to live, work and play. In doing so, we help develop, retain and attract creative talent.
We are risk takers, accelerators and creators. We consider artists professionals and gauge our success by the successes of those we work with. We believe in the importance of the arts and the sacred role it plays in the future of Detroit. We share a desire to promote visual arts to the general public and collectors to bring art into peoples lives – and to help creatives with a unique vision execute their pursuits and dreams.
Partnerships
In December of 2015, PLAYGROUND DETROIT hosted our 3rd annual fundraiser to benefit Detroit Public Schools (DPS) teachers. It featured perfomances from Red Pill, Valley Hush, Racehorses Are Resources & DTCHPLNES. Check it out:
PLAYGROUND DETROIT is proud to be an official media partner of #MovementDetroit, the annual Memorial Day Weekend electronic music festival in Detroit.
SaveSaveMarlo Broughton Marlo Broughton live painting on-air Marlo Broughton live painting on-air
Marlo Broughton is an artist living and working in Detroit. We have worked with him to commission his mural work in private residences.
Risks and challenges
We are privileged to be working with an array of private and public entities to fund the development of this exciting new art space, and we are confident we'll be able to deliver the really amazing programming we've come to be known for. That said, there is always a possibility that we will have to seek additional funding to do everything we hope to do.
One example is the Motor City Match (MCM) program, which is a Detroit city-run program that pairs small businesses like ours with landlords that have extra commercial space, as well as technical assistance providers and cash grants to help make their business plans a reality. We have already made it through several rounds of funding and consideration in the program, and we're hopeful that at least part of the monies raised here will position us to receive even more support from MCM in the future.
We are also working to make sure that we stay on-budget with our development costs, and have retained a bookkeeper for accounting purposes.
As with all construction, there is always a possibility of delays in build-out. We pledge to be as transparent as possible with our backers about the progress of construction and what we're doing with the funds you generously entrust to us!
Learn about accountability on KickstarterSupport
Funding period
- (31 days)