Overview
The 14th annual Detroit Month of Design, taking place September 1–30, 2024 features over 90 events and immersive design experiences including exhibitions, installations, studio visits, product launches, artist talks, tours, workshops and parties.
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.
As the only UNESCO City of Design in the United States, Detroit is a global hub of culture and creativity. The 2024 Month of Design theme, “Creative Currents,” pays tribute to Detroit’s unique legacy of artistry and innovation, while emphasizing the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking to design a better future. Month of Design brings design enthusiasts from around the world to the city throughout September, to examine what new currents may soon be making waves.
Centering local voices and keenly attentive to new developments within the city’s design community, Design Core’s programming seeks to develop spaces where information, opportunities and creative solutions flow freely and equally. In addition to a celebration of history and culture, the Detroit Month of Design serves as a platform for creating such spaces.
Throughout September, Detroit’s Month of Design will highlight new voices and longstanding partnerships in the city’s design legacy, emphasizing the unique mix of creative visions that makes the city what it is. From open studios at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Pewabic Pottery and interior design atelier Donut shop; exhibitions from Matéria, IM Weiss Gallery, PLAYGROUND DETROIT and a wide range of local artists; to immersive celebrations of design including What Up Doe Fest and Art Clvb’s Inagural Detroit Art Fair, participants have the opportunity to explore all of Detroit's Creative sectors.
There will also be several major activations and events that highlight Detroit’s global significance in the design community, emphasizing its unique origins as a crossroads for migration and mobility while celebrating recent contributions to the wider world of design. Newlab at Michigan Central is slated to host a lineup of programming leveraging design innovation; organizations like ISAIC, Citizen Robotics and Carhartt are opening their doors for participants to get a first-hand look at their facilities; Michigan Central and University of Detroit Mercy will host exhibitions showcasing projects that combine innovative design and community-rootedness.
DETROIT MONTH OF DESIGN BY THE NUMBERS:
— 84 Participants
— 41 Exhibitions
— 27 Experiences
— 15 Tours
— 11 Talks
— 9 Open Studios
— 7 Workshops
— 7 Installations
ABOUT DETROIT MONTH OF DESIGN
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.
ABOUT DESIGN CORE DETROIT
Design Core Detroit champions design-driven businesses and their role in strengthening Detroit’s economy. It offers services to strengthen, grow and attract design businesses, increase market demand for design services and tells Detroit’s design story locally and globally. Design Core is the steward of Detroit’s UNESCO City of Design designation and is part of the College for Creative Studies.
