Downtown Detroit

"The BOX" world premiere at Z Space (San Francisco) in 2016.

Lifting the lid on solitary confinement: ‘The Box’ brings transformative theater to Detroit

Written and directed by Sarah Shourd, who was once held as a political prisoner in Iran, and with many of its cast and crew survivors of solitary confinement, "The Box" sheds light on a concerning corner of incarceration in the U.S.

Vidit Singh graduated from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Detroit students design accessible products, from menstrual cycle apps to better walkers

Meet the innovative students who are helping to shape the future of accessible design. “I think products are about people,” says Taylor Spencer, who designed an accessible cookware set. “[...] if it doesn't make a person feel like a person, because they can't use it, then what did you make it for?”  

Black Wall Street event to feature more than 25 Black-owned businesses at downtown bazaar

“What’s become a Hot Sam’s signature event is truly a community affair designed to circulate the dollar to Black businesses,” says Lauren Stovall, business lead and legacy preserver for Hot Sam’s, as well as founder and principal of the Institute of Legacy Preservation, the organization producing the event.

PHOTOS: Roller skating picks up speed in Detroit

Surrounded by fashionable murals by local artists, one of the oldest Black-owned roller rinks in the U.S. provides a vibrant space for outdoor fun. The scene at Monroe Street Midway is dominating selfies and social posts this summer. 

Ed Sheeran performs in Washington D.C.
Sofar Sounds brings intimate musical performances to Detroit this summer in ‘secret’ concert series

A UK-based international music events group is hosting three small, private concerts this summer in unique spaces in the North End, North Rosedale Park, and Corktown neighborhoods.

Has Detroit’s weatherization assistance program worked, and what happens to it now?

Metro Detroit households are paying more on energy bills than the national average, and for low-income households, the energy burden is 3.7 times higher than others. It's why the weatherization program started. But with only one in four applicants meeting the requirements for assistance, is it working? And what happens to the money left on the table?

Concerts and small business markets highlight summer programming plans for downtown Detroit parks

“Downtown Detroit is celebrated locally and nationally for having so many wonderful and active parks and venues,” says David Cowan, chief public spaces officer for the Downtown Detroit Partnership.

Artwork by Tylonn Sawyer.
Motor City Pride turns 50: More than 600 works by LGBTQ+ artists on display through June

A month-long exhibition celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community in Detroit, and its longtime allies, features 600 works of art from more than 150 established and emerging artists.

Sense of place and history inform artist Scott Hocking’s new sculpture to be installed downtown

“To have a large-scale sculpture in Detroit's Civic Center, joining the likes of Noguchi, Graham, Fredericks, Barr and De Giusti — and to have it located in front of the place that I've gone to since I was just a kid at the Auto Show — it's a real honor,” says Detroit artist Scott Hocking.

Prostell Thomas uses mental health fair to push for better ecosystem of support in Detroit

After watching his family members battle to get consistent care for mental health illnesses, Prostell Thomas became an advocate for better systems, and less stigma, in Detroit. He organized a mental health fair this year, featuring onsite therapists, grief counselors, a men’s healing circle, mental illness discussion panels, and take-home guides. 

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