LONG-SHARP | CURIS Gallery Presents Before They Were Famous

Behind the Lens of William John Kennedy

Saturday, January 28, 2012 | 7:30pm to 10:00pm | 1260 Library Street, Detroit, MI 48226

American fine art photographer William John Kennedy’s exhibition of newly published prints of Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana is believed to be the only such images in existence capturing the artists with their works, among them Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe and Indiana’s LOVE. After almost half a century in storage, a select number of the nearly forgotten images were carefully chosen, and are now being published for the first time as a collection.

For more information, visit LongSharpCuris.com

Model D Special Event: The Next Big Thing

Model D Special Event: The Next Big Thing

Model D Staff | Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Over six years and 300 issues (and counting), Model D has documented what’s next for Detroit, from big development and investment, to small ideas and quirky innovation. Add up the thousands of stories told every Tuesday in vivid words and images, and it becomes very clear: the next big thing is not any one thing. It’s a multitude of people and projects transforming our city — one lot, one block, one neighborhood, one story at a time.

To celebrate the big power of small ideas, Model D proudly presents a first-ever showcase of what’s next for Detroit. This Friday, Oct. 21 at the vintage 1914 David Whitney building in downtown Detroit, Model D will bring together the very best of local art, music, food, culture and entrepreneurship for a tribute to the creative spirit alive and well (nay, bursting at the seams) in our city.

We’ve added special musical guests to the program, the DJ crews from Future Jazz Kartel (David Armin-Parcells and Mark Szymanski) and Happy Endings, featuring Mike Trombley of Macho City.

Tickets are available now. Go here to purchase them via PayPal. It’s easy. A couple of clicks and you’re in.

25th Annual UM/ULI Real Estate Forum at Cobo Center

Real estate professionals across the country have experienced heightened challenges in recent years with Detroit at the forefront:

“If there’s any city that symbolizes the most extreme effects of the nation’s economic crisis and, in particular, America’s housing crisis, it is Detroit.” Detroit’s real estate evolution has become a major media focus and what happens here will define future development on a national scale.

Discover how to thrive, learn best practices, and understand how relevant developments are key to community success when real estate professionals from across the industry gather on November 9 and 10 in Detroit for the 25th Annual University of Michigan and Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum.

Through a combination of presentations by leading local, regional and national real estate practitioners, workshops and guided bus and walking tours, the Forum provides valuable lessons in real estate development and highlights real estate investment and development opportunities across the greater Detroit area.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the UM/ULI Real Estate Forum and a fitting celebration will recognize this milestone. Join us in Detroit for another exciting two-days of timely and informative real estate sessions!

Click here for registration information.

YMCA Announces Push To Teach All Detroit Kids to Swim

Every single child in the City of Detroit should learn to swim by the 5th grade

The YMCA’s Urban Swim program announces on October 4th, the launch of a fundraising push to ensure all the city’s children will learn to swim by the 5th grade. The YMCA began the program as a pilot one-year ago and today will announce their goal to raise more than $100,000 annually to ensure Detroit’s 120,000 young residents eventually will receive YMCA swim lessons before the 5th grade.

The pilot, started by YMCA life guards, focuses on early swim instruction techniques that allow a child, over 400 kids so far this year, to become proficient in swim strokes and water safety within only an 8 lesson program. The swim program takes children from a “fear of water,” to early safety skills, to basic swim strokes, to accomplished swimmers in a manner of weeks, according to the program’s creator, Nikole Saffle.

Saffle, Senior Program Director at the YMCA, shared it takes only $65 to teach every child to swim and the YMCA currently uses area school swimming pools as well at the John and Marlene Boll Family YMCA pool.

“Most of Detroit’s children have very limited access to swimming pools and instruction, and yet we are a state virtually surrounded by water,” said Saffle. “Our lifeguards actually helped create this program and they offered the very first donations to make it happen.” One of Saffle’s lifeguards today actually started as a non-swimmer only a matter of months ago.

Children living in urban areas, especially African-American children, drown at a rate almost three times that of other children according to the YMCA. In a state like Michigan with three great lakes, countless ponds, rivers and in-land lakes, the risk is even greater.

The YMCA’s Urban Swim Program is seeking to raise an additional $15,000 by the end of 2011 so an additional 250 kids will learn to swim by the end of the year. The goal of the YMCA is to raise $100,000 annually to fund 1,500 children each year going forward.

The YMCA roots in swimming go back to 1910, when the Detroit Y’s George Corsan invented the first mass swimming lessons in the world at the old Downtown Detroit YMCA. Corsan then toured North America teaching his techniques to YMCAs across the U.S. and Canada.

“We are taking Corsan’s same techniques and ensuring we have a city of swimmers,” said Tom Constand, chair of the Boll Family YMCA Board. “If we can teach all our youth to be safe, create a city of swimmers and lifeguards for just $65 per child, I can’t think of a more effective investment.”

Urbanized at the Detroit Film Theatre

Urbanized | Tuesday, October 11, 2011 | 7:00pm at the Detroit Film Theatre | Directed by Gary Hustwit

Urbanized is a documentary about the design of cities such as Detroit, and the strategies behind urban design discussed by the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. Urbanized is the third part of Gary Hustwit’s film trilogy (which includes Helvetica and Objectified) and is presented in conjunction with the DIA photo exhibit Detroit Revealed which opens October 16th. Director Gary Hustwit will introduce the film and discuss afterwards with the audience. (93 min.)

Purchase tickets today!

YMCA Announces Fund Raising Push To Teach All Detroit Kids To Swim

Every single child in the City of Detroit should learn to swim by the 5th grade

DETROIT, Oct. 4 – The YMCA’s Urban Swim program announces on October 4th, the launch of a fundraising push to ensure all the city’s children will learn to swim by the 5^th grade. The YMCA began the program as a pilot one-year ago and today will announce their goal to raise more than $100,000 annually to ensure Detroit’s 120,000 young residents eventually will receive YMCA swim lessons before the 5^th grade.

The pilot, started by YMCA life guards, focuses on early swim instruction techniques that allow a child, over 400 kids so far this year, to become proficient in swim strokes and water safety within only an 8 lesson program.  The swim program takes children from a “fear of water,” to early safety skills, to basic swim strokes, to accomplished swimmers in a manner of weeks, according to the program’s creator, Nikole Saffle.

Saffle, Senior Program Director at the YMCA, shared it takes only $65 to teach every child to swim and the YMCA currently uses area school swimming pools as well at the John and Marlene Boll Family YMCA pool.

“Most of Detroit’s children have very limited access to swimming pools and instruction, and yet we are a state virtually surrounded by water,” said Saffle.  “Our lifeguards actually helped create this program and they offered the very first donations to make it happen.”   One of Saffle’s lifeguards today actually started as a non-swimmer only a matter of months ago.

Children living in urban areas, especially African-American children, drown at a rate almost three times that of other children according to the YMCA.  In a state like Michigan with three great lakes, countless ponds, rivers and in-land lakes, the risk is even greater.

The YMCA’s Urban Swim Program is seeking to raise an additional $15,000 by the end of 2011 so an additional 250 kids will learn to swim by the end of the year.    The goal of the YMCA is to raise $100,000 annually to fund 1,500 children each year going forward.

The YMCA roots in swimming go back to 1910, when the Detroit Y’s George Corsan invented the first mass swimming lessons in the world at the old Downtown Detroit YMCA.  Corsan then toured North America teaching his techniques to YMCAs across the U.S. and Canada.

“We are taking Corsan’s same techniques and ensuring we have a city of swimmers,” said Tom Constand, chair of the Boll Family YMCA Board.    “If we can teach all our youth to be safe, create a city of swimmers and lifeguards for just $65 per child, I can’t think of a more effective investment.”

The public is encouraged to join the YMCA for a reception and fundraising session at the Boll Family YMCA, Tuesday, October 4^th at 5:30 p.m. including testimony of lifeguards and successful swimmers.  The YMCA is also accepting donation of new or lightly used swim suits and goggles as well.  Club Wolverine Swim Team, headquartered in Ann Arbor, will be bringing used suits collected over this past summer.

Somerset Collection CityLoft Returns for September!

Eastern Market Truck Stop to “Park” at Shed 2!

To celebrate the success of the first season of the Tuesday Market, Eastern Market Corporation is proud to bring a nationwide four-wheeled-phenomenon to the Motor City — Detroit’s first official food truck gathering – Eastern Market Truck Stop!

This first-of-its-kind gathering of carts, trucks, and street food vendors from around Southeast Michigan will take place on the last Tuesday Market of the season, Tuesday, September 27 from 4pm – 8pm, in Shed 2. Visitors will be able to sample a diverse array of dishes, experience entrepreneurship in action, and be part of Detroit food history!

FEATURING THE CREATIVE MOBILE KITCHENS OF:

• Concrete Cuisine - Creative comfort food-on-a-bus from Oakland County
• El Guapo Fresh Mexican Grill - Detroit’s first street-legal taco truck
• Franks Anatra - Award winning hot dogs & sausage grilled to perfection on a 1965 VW
• San Street - Traditional Asian street food and aspiring Zingerman’s Business visiting from Ann Arbor
• Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes - Midtown Detroit’s favorite fresh French crepes breaking free from brick & mortar
• People’s Pierogi Collective - A Saturday favorite bringing creative pierogies to the masses
• Trailer Park’d - Slow fast food from the our great state capitol
• Treat Dreams - Ferndale’s funkiest hand-crafted ice cream cart
• Urban Grounds - Eastern Market veteran here to fuel us up with full-service coffee, cappuccino and espresso drinks

LiveWorkDetroit – Amber and MyInsuranceExpert.com

Follow Amber as she discovers LiveWorkDetroit, an organization that pairs recently graduated college students with organizations in Michigan that are hiring, such as MyInsuranceExpert.com, (Amber’s place of employment). These two innovative organizations are keeping Michigan, and especially Detroit, alive and well.

Discovering Downtown Detroit with Quicken Loans

We have taken a hiatus blogging while we redesign our website and blog. Quicken Loans just released a video they produced about Detroit and we just couldn’t wait to release it. Enjoy!