In “The Skill Set,” a podcast series launched by Imagine a Place® Productions, host Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the International Interior Design Association, or IIDA, in Chicago, embarks on an exploration of the inherent human potential. The series, which delves into the idea of skill and ability, is more than an examination of traits and competencies that have guided people on their own paths, but rather an excavation into the often-undefinable markers of ability and success. It seeks to pioneer a new way in which to think and explore concepts of talent, creativity, and aptitude, inviting its audience to see beyond…
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In contemporary-modern exhibition
In a renovated, bowstring truss building in Skokie, Illinois, a joint venture between (northern) Western Exhibitions and WHO Modern officially opened its doors this past weekend to celebrate the launch of its shared space featuring contemporary art, midcentury modern design, vintage furniture, and decorative objects. The opening event, which took place on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, celebrated the work of Geoffrey Todd Smith, a Chicago-based artist, and marked the debut of a new community destination initially envisioned by long-time Skokie-resident, Zach Williams, collector and building owner. The creative brainchild of Williams, the space brings together iconic designs and contemporary artwork by artists from Western Exhibitions’ 20-year-long history, and is backed…
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Expressions of Life
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, located in White River State Park on the historic lands of the Miami and Lenape peoples in downtown Indianapolis, officially debuted its reimagined Native American Galleries on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The opening, which coincided with the 30th annual Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival on June 25 and June 26, 2022, builds on the museum’s ongoing transformational $55 million capital and endowment campaign known as Project 2021. Since 2016, the campaign has sought to not only rethink permanent galleries, highlight the art of the Native peoples of the Great Lakes region, and expand and renovate community gathering spaces on the museum…
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Art in ceramics
In April 2022, Motawi Tileworks welcomed the spring season with their 4-by-4-inch art tile known as 4×4 Flower Buds, which in a design inspired by an early 1900s art nouveau tile by H. & R. Johnson, Ltd., embraces the delicate nature of a flower. Defined by its ornamental style of art, Art Nouveau rose in popularity throughout Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, inspiring creatives in architecture, glasswork, posters, illustration, and jewelry, among other fields. Flower Buds is available in five different colorways with some featuring the airy pastels of the warmer season, while others present contrast in brighter tones: Grey Blue, Indigo,…
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Eclectic flavor
In Downtown Detroit, a city known for its community of designers, industrialists, creatives, and culinary artists, this adaptive reuse of a 1940s-designed Art Deco Streamline Moderne building near Woodward Avenue along Parker’s Alley is a thoughtful curation of the old and the new. Realized by a collaborative design, build, and creative team led by the award-winning firm of McIntosh Poris Associates Inc. in Birmingham, Michigan for clients Holly McClain and Shawn McClain, renowned restauranteurs and hospitality leaders, Olin Bar & Kitchen breathes rich, eclectic life and depth throughout its roughly 3,900-square-foot main level. It is a concept where buried architectural origin, and the seasonal, flavorful ingredients inherent to both Michigan…
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Art of hospitality
When Aparium Hotel Group LLC, a Chicago-based hospitality management company, looked to realize a new contextual, modern vision of luxury inspiration in partnership with Mark Mitchell, owner and local entrepreneur, on a prominent corner in Birmingham, Michigan, the company tapped the architectural design expertise of Booth Hansen of Chicago. At its core, the project and collaborative team sought to bring a world-class property deeply connected with the community, to life. Through intentional massing, a refined albeit eclectic palette of natural materials and rich hues, singular moments of architectural and interior delight—where the visual experience turns sensory—the Daxton Hotel seeks to capture the authentic flavors of Birmingham’s main thoroughfare—Old Woodward Avenue—side…
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In community
The River North Design District of Chicago celebrated the art and design community with its sixth annual River North Fall Gallery Walk, an event that took place on September 10, 2021, comprising 17 design showrooms, as well as kick-off and after parties. At this year’s event, a total of 25 artists and 18 designer vignettes were featured and displayed in each showroom until October 11, 2021. Within each participating space on opening night, guests walked into a transformative experience—exquisite displays of art and design, the gathering of Chicago’s art and design community, and various food and drink pairings courtesy of event sponsors. Great Lakes By Design Magazine had the opportunity…
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Great Lakes By Design: Bold Graphics
CONTENTS DESIGN CORNER 17 100 Years | Joel Stone, author and curator emeritus at the Detroit Historical Society, leads readers through the history and story behind the organization 18 Blue Tulum | a Minneapolis-based contemporary painter creates dream-like renderings of places in her exhibition series “After the End” 19 The Loon and Boundary Waters | the studio and fine artist offering creative services and popular prints transporting viewers into hyper-realistic scenes DESIGN SPOTLIGHT 42 Missing middle vernacular | an innovative and contextual multi-family rental building concept within a Minneapolis neighborhood pushing the envelope 63 Alchemy | the new collection by an Illinois-based design studio and international textile resource reflects a narrative grounded in the seemingly magical process of transformation…
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Design at home
In Troy, Michigan, the Michigan Design Center boasts distinctive access to top design manufacturers and their showrooms under one roof. From September 17th through the 27th, the design center will also provide rare access to the personal homes—and styles—of six Metro Detroit interior designers as part of its bi-annual Home Tour, in coordination with Detroit Public Television, or DPTV. This year, the tour will be presented as an hour-long video program for the first time, and it will be available to ticket holders to watch any time within the duration of the program. The video presentation tour, hosted by DPTV’s Fred Nahhat, will provide an intimate glimpse into the designers’…
