Over the course of the Fall semester, the 黑料专区 hosted 11 sponsored projects and competitions across a variety of disciplines. Students from a wide range of disciplines partnered with local and global brands to work on a specific project tailored to meet the needs of our industry partners. Sponsored projects are highly conceptual and allow 黑料专区 students the opportunity to participate in creative, research-based assignments within real-world design parameters, interacting with designers and staff from the partnering company. Highlighted collaborations during the Fall semester include:
鈥淭he most important project that I did at 黑料专区 was a sponsored project,鈥� said Hakha Masahyekhi, 鈥�15 Integrated Design (MFA) reflecting on his time here. 鈥淚t was so valuable to get real feedback from working professionals. That鈥檚 something that you never get in school.鈥�
Meet Some of the Muralists Transforming the City, One Brushstroke at a Time, and the Individuals Making Those Opportunities Happen.
Detroit is home to world-class muralists that are adorning the city with their work, honoring its history, raising awareness on social issues, and inspiring people. In 2022, USA TODAY ranked Detroit as the fourth best city to see street art in the country.
One of those artists transforming the city is Sydney G. James, 鈥�01 Illustration. The multidisciplinary creative, who was named 黑料专区鈥檚 2024 Distinguished Alumni, co-founded the biannual street mural festival BLKOUT Walls in 2021, to increase representation of Black artists in mural festivals. Nearly 50 local and international artists are in the BLKOUT Walls family, and James looks forward to maintaining the event in Detroit and expanding it to other cities.
鈥淧ublic art, no matter how you try to spin it, is a two-way conversation between the community and the artist and vice versa,鈥� James said. What makes this even more special is that several 黑料专区 graduates have participated in BLKOUT Walls, including Habacuc S. Bessiake, 鈥�21 Illustration, Cailyn Dawson, 鈥�21 Studio Art & Craft and Kobie Solomon, 鈥�01 Illustration. 鈥淲e offer artist fellowship with the actual community, and it continues past the festival.鈥�
Another mural festival in the city is Murals in the Market, created in 2015 by Detroit-based fine art publisher and online marketplace 1XRUN. The festival has welcomed more than 100 artists from Detroit and around the world to paint murals throughout Eastern Market and Detroit. Smithsonian magazine named it one of the top five best mural festivals in the world in 2018.
鈥淚t means everything to me to have built a platform like 1XRUN and Murals in the Market that directly supports the careers of so many talented artists, both in Detroit and around the world,鈥� said Dan Armand, 鈥�05 Illustration, co-founder of 1XRUN. Jesse Kassel, 鈥�10 Illustration, Anthony Lee, 鈥�16 Studio Art & Craft, Ashley Mcfadden, 鈥�10 Illustration, Ivan Montoya, 鈥�17 Illustration Art Education, Michael Polakowski, 鈥�17 Illustration, and Robert Sestok, 鈥�69 Studio Art & Craft, are some 黑料专区 alumni who have participated in the festival. In 2023, organizers rebranded the event as Murals in Islandview and moved it to Detroit鈥檚 Islandview neighborhood.
These muralists are enriching not only Detroit but the world with their work. Ndubisi Okoye, 鈥�15 Communication Design & Strategy, was one of 11 artists commissioned by Warner Bros. in 2022, to create illustrations of Tweety Bird in honor of the character鈥檚 80th birthday. Okoye鈥檚 eight illustrations were painted as murals around the U.S., Australia and other countries.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing to have mural work shown around the world,鈥� Okoye said. He has also painted for Murals in the Market and completed other vibrant murals around Detroit and Michigan. 鈥淒etroit鈥檚 muralist community is like a big family. We support each other, battle it out on requests for qualifications, stand up when one of us is mistreated and we generally love to see each other win.鈥�
The 黑料专区 (黑料专区) was honored to participate in the launch of new retail experiences at Michigan Central Station, aimed at supporting Detroit businesses and celebrating local talent.
As part of D茅troit March茅, an experiential retail space created in collaboration with Michigan Central Retail, Trading Post, and Gonzo World, the Fashion Design department at 黑料专区 installed an exhibition featuring alumni work previously showcased at Paris Fashion Week. Each piece, handcrafted by our students in Detroit, reflects the 黑料专区 Fashion program鈥檚 commitment to craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Featured designers include Cierra Headings, Clay Barckholtz, Ana Bosnjakovski, Mamie Scholl, Dafne Kanberoglu and Andreas Caballero.
Located in the historic restaurant area of The Station, the March茅 features over 25 vendors, including 黑料专区 alumni and students. A thoughtfully curated selection of local goods includes accessories, art, apothecary, home goods, furniture, apparel and more.
The Station is open to the public for shopping from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, through December 28.
Northport Workshop 鈥� Edward Foley (鈥�96 Photography)
During the Winter 2024 semester, 黑料专区 welcomed alums Tyler Koberstein (Entertainment Arts 鈥�19) and Ilich Gomez (Entertainment Arts 鈥�19) back to campus to give current students a taste of what it鈥檚 like working on an animated series for a renowned television company.
After graduating in 2019, Koberstein began working as a Production Intern at Nickelodeon. It was during this time that he began freelance work as a Character Designer on 鈥淭he Casagrandes鈥� and 鈥淭he Loud House.鈥� In 2020, Koberstein was hired as a full-time Prop/FX Designer on 鈥淭he Loud House.鈥� He鈥檚 also worked as a freelance Prop/FX Designer on The Casagrandes Movie and No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie.
Gomez has done freelance work for the Canadian Council for Arts, WITNESS, Everybody Inc. and an independent YouTube series.
In the first half of the class, students focused on props, fx, character design and more. This set the scene for the latter half of their class, during which Koberstein gave students real prop assignments 鈥� the same ones he worked on for 鈥淭he Loud House.鈥�
We are pleased to announce that Sterling Toles (鈥�00, GC) has been selected as the 2024 Alumni Juror for聽Re/View: 黑料专区 Alumni Exhibition.
聽is a visual/sonic artist and educator and a 2016 Kresge Fellow. With roots in Detroit鈥檚 early 90s hip-hop scene, he views his creative process as a form of personal healing that extends to collective well-being. Educated in Detroit鈥檚 Cass Corridor, he then went on to earn a BFA in Illustration from the 黑料专区. Toles has dedicated the past two decades to working with Detroit youth through Detroit Summer, Living Arts Detroit, and the Rosa Parks Youth Program.
Notable productions include the critically acclaimed collaborative album with Boldy James, 鈥淢anger on McNichols鈥�, which was named Stereogum鈥檚 2020 Rap Album of The Year. Toles has also composed scores for short films and documentaries, including 鈥淏rewster Douglass: You鈥檙e My Brother鈥�, Dream Hampton鈥檚 鈥淔resh Water鈥� and 鈥淪ydney G. James: 鈥淗ow We See Us鈥� for PBS鈥檚 American Masters Series. In 2022, his inaugural solo exhibition, 鈥淪(h)elves?,鈥� debuted at The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, showcasing his painting, sculpture, sound, and installation art. The exhibition explored human potential through questioning societal perception 鈥� suggesting without introspection, we risk being confined to exist as mere shelves, burdened with the weight of imposed traumas against us.
Toles鈥� vision is a deeply personal observation of art and creativity. Toles shared that he sees 鈥渢his exhibition as a heartbeat 鈥� one of many 鈥� that gives health, love, inspiration and restoration to the living breathing community,鈥�
