Detroit Month of Design is a citywide collaboration of creativity that gathers designers and the greater community to celebrate Detroit’s role as a national and global design capital. Detroit Month of Design returns for its 12th annual edition this September 1-30!
Every September, partners across Detroit—from emerging studios to established companies and educational institutions—come together to show off their latest works and ideas. These cross-disciplinary events take place in all corners of the city, highlighting the talent and innovation that makes Detroit a UNESCO City of Design.
Our theme for 2022 is United By Design and our intention with the 2022 festival is to bring unity to the forefront. We believe this element holds the key to creating a future in which all people, and our planet, can thrive.
Design Core Detroit is now accepting submissions to participate. We offer four different ways to get involved: host an event/installation/experience, host a youth event, sponsor or become a venue host, or sponsor the festival.
Taking place throughout the City of Detroit and online, the festival features a combination of virtual, outdoor and indoor experiences.
Key program elements include a mix of Design Core, sponsor and independently-produced events that range from exhibitions, installations, product launches, lectures, panel discussions, tours, workshops and more.
Throughout the year, we organize and host events, programs, and presentations to educate, advocate for, or promote the Detroit Design Network.
During the Month of Design, we deliver 3 of these signature events, i.e. the festival Kickoff celebration, Design Jam, and Eastern Market After Dark.
Event attendees join us for these events to make connections, promote their creative endeavors, discover new clients and learn about new projects or products in their community.
We are always looking for new spaces, talent, design ambassadors and partners for our signature events. If you are interested or you’d like to get involved, please contact us.
Are you an artist that would like to organize an event?
If you would like to organize or curate an event in September, we want to hear from you! We are calling all creatives, artists, designers, curators, innovators, activists and community organizers to propose ideas.
Detroit Month of Design events are independently managed, funded and produced by the event organizer. Whenever possible, Design Core will try to support organizers by introducing them to venues or other resources.
How will you show the world that Detroit is a UNESCO Creative City United by Design?
Applications will be open in Spring 2023Do you have a venue that would like to host an event?
Sometimes organizers submit great ideas for an installation, talk or an experience but needs a venue. If you own or manage a space that you’d like to activate with Detroit Month of Design programming, we want to hear from you!
Detroit Month of Design events are independently managed, funded and produced by the event organizer. Whenever possible, Design Core will try to support organizers by introducing them to artists or other resources.
Applications will be open in Spring 2023
Host a Youth Event
Thanks to the generous support of the DPL Foundation and the Applebaum Family Compass Fund of Applebaum Family Philanthropy, Design Core is able to offer stipends of $1,000-$1,500 to select groups of organizers who are producing youth oriented events during Detroit Month of Design 2022.
Applications will be open in Spring 2023
Detroit Month of Design sponsorship not only delivers marketing impact, but also aligns brands with the region’s largest design celebration and with Detroit’s UNESCO City of Design initiative. Design Core offers valuable support and guidance to develop a custom program.
Applications will be open in Spring 2023
Design Core volunteers are true advocates of Detroit design and help us put on a dynamic show in September and year round. Volunteering for Design Core puts you in the middle of one of the country’s largest and most dynamic design experiences. Whether you’re a design enthusiasts or creative professional we can help you connect while having social impact.
Applications will be open in Spring 2023Applications will be reviewed by a diverse curatorial committee and selected based on the following criteria: creativity, story, collaboration, feasibility, economic and/or social impact, and inclusive design.
The 2022 curatorial committee includes the following local and national designers, business owners, and influencers:
SEAN EVERETT is the Executive Director of the DPL Foundation. While attending Wayne State University working toward a degree in psychology, the Main Library was his favorite place to study. He started as a volunteer with the Foundation in 2013 and was named the Executive Director in 2015. Prior to working at the Foundation and living in Detroit, Sean spent ten years working in the private sector holding positions in Human Resources and Operations Management.
Leslie Ann Pilling is a native Detroiter and life-long designer. Over the span of her career, she has owned and operated Presence II Inc., parent company to Presence II Productions. Her firm consults on Design whether Interiors or Fashion. She is a ghost designer and business consultant for fashion brands.
In 2015 she founded Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD) a non-profit based in Detroit Michigan. The design museum is the only one in Detroit which is in the nation’s only Unesco City of Design. The mission is providing access to experiential educational enrichment opportunities through collaborative programming and exhibitions. The result of her vision is to attract and offer world-class opportunities to “students” of all ages through its “edutainment” model. Edutainment, or experiential learning, is the spark that uniquely defines MM-O-DD. Her determination is to inspire creativity and innovative thinking on how design impacts people and the planet. Her goal is to ignite interest in design and related fields of study as a profession or personal passion. Part of MM-O-DD’s vision is to seed talent, mentor and support in the development of the next generation of designers.
