Art Fair Coming To Belle Isle This Summer!

Photo: Belle Isle Conservancy 

A new art fair is coming this summer on Detroit’s Belle Isle.

Organizers say more than 80 artists will display their works Aug. 6-7 at the juried fair near the James Scott Memorial Fountain.

The Belle Isle Art Fair is a juried event.

Artists from across the country may apply online

Click HERE For More Information!


Buddy’s Pizza and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen will celebrate a longstanding partnership on Monday, April 4, during the 40th annual Slice for Life event. Throughout the day, the community is invited to visit any of Buddy’s Pizza’s full-service locations to enjoy an all-you-can-eat two-topping pizza and salad meal with proceeds benefiting the Capuchin Soup Kitchen’s programs. A carry-out option is also available for purchase at all 11 Buddy’s Pizza locations and includes either a 4-square two-topping pizza or a medium sized antipasto, Greek or house salad.      

Special this year, Buddy’s Pizza leadership and staff will also visit the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Meldrum site in Detroit to serve Buddy’s iconic Detroit-style square pizza to hungry metro Detroiters in need.

Celebrating 70 years of service, community outreach and charitable giving, Buddy’s Pizza is proud to continue its partnership with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, 40 years since launching its Slice for Life event. With nearly $3 million raised to benefit the Capuchin Soup Kitchen to-date, Buddy’s Pizza hopes to raise $100,000 this year. In addition to the annual fundraiser, the birthplace of Detroit-style pizza donates leftover pies to feed the hungry at the soup kitchen each week.

“We are pleased to partner with Buddy’s Pizza for our 40th annual Slice for Life fundraiser,” said Br. Jerry Smith, executive director of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. “Over all these years, tens of thousands of pizzas have been eaten and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Come and join us for the biggest, best celebration yet!”

The Capuchin Soup Kitchen serves thousands of free meals a day to the hungry in metro Detroit, distributes household items to those in need and operates a shower program, food pantry, children’s tutoring and art therapy program. They also operate Earthworks Urban Farm, On the Rise Bakery and Jefferson House.


TICKETS:          

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.cskdetroit.org, or by calling 313.579.2100 ext. 153/170.

Tickets will also be available at the door.

All ticket holders may also register to win one 8-square Buddy’s Pizza every month for one year.

ONLINE:              

Patrons who choose to participate in the Slice for Life fundraiser are invited to engage with Buddy’s Pizza online and share their photos on Facebook (www.facebook.com/buddyspizza), Twitter (@BuddysPizza) and Instagram (@BuddysPizzaDET). Join and follow the conversation by tagging and searching #Slice4Life.


Six months following the death of the rock ‘n’ roll legend, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Music-of-david-bowie-1000x1000will perform The Music of David Bowie at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre on Sunday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. The Orchestra, led by guest conductor Brent Havens and accompanied by a full rock band will take you on a one-night-only symphonic odyssey that explores the incredible range of David Bowie’s musical genius.

Tickets at $75, $55, $35 and $25 in the pavilion, $20 on the lawn and four-packs at $60 on the lawn go on sale this Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. at dso.org, Livenation.com, Palacenet.com, The Palace Ticket Store and all Ticketmaster locations. Tickets are also available by phone at 313.576.5111.

“My concept for The Music of David Bowie was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what Bowie had done,” says Havens. “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon.  The band is reproducing what Bowie did on the albums, verbatim, and then having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of power.”

The two-plus hour concert features approximately 18 David Bowie tunes, including “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Under Pressure,” “Heroes,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Fame,” “China Girl” and more.

Conductor Brent Havens states: “David Bowie’s unique life and musical sensibilities provide a wide range of different sounds and elements that's quite different from what Windborne has done in the past.  Bowie's influence abounds within not only the rock community, such as his work with Queen and John Lennon, but also crosses into multiple genres including his work with Pat Methany or his contribution to a soundtrack with Giorgio Moroder. That introduces a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for us to stage a show that's unique in its own right but stays within the confines of what we are known for as a presenter.”

The symphonic rock hybrid has met with approval on both sides of the podium.

“When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause,” says Havens. “Then we hit the first note and they realized it was a rock show.”

The Music of David Bowie with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre is part of the Belle Tire Concert Series.

Ticket Information

Tickets for The Music of David Bowie at Meadow Brook Ampitheatre are $75, $55, $35 and $25 in the pavilion, $20 on the lawn and four-packs at $60 on the lawn. All tickets are available for purchase at dso.org, in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit 48201) or by calling (313) 576-5111.


Metro Detroiters hungry for a truly original dining experience will be wowed by the spring edition of Savor Detroit, presented by Hour Detroit magazine, featuring one-night-only menus created in a culinary collaboration between one metro Detroit chef and – for the first time – one celebrated guest star from around the country each night from 6 to 10 p.m., April 25 to 29 at the Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield, Michigan. A portion of the proceeds from a silent auction at the event will benefit the charitable efforts of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.

 The highly-anticipated five-night cooking series is held twice a year in the spring and fall, inviting attendees to get a taste as various chefs infuse their style and expertise into one delicious meal. The experience includes a one-of-a-kind, four-course meal and dessert complete with thoughtfully selected wine pairings, a cocktail hour, light appetizers, live entertainment and art installation by Asia Hamilton and Katie Hawley.

Acclaimed local chefs like Andy Hollyday of Selden Standard, recently named Hour Detroit’s 2016 Restaurant of the Year, and James Rigato of Mabel Gray and The Root Restaurant & Bar will cook alongside nationally lauded chefs bringing their culinary chops to the spring edition of Savor Detroit which include former competitors on Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Iron Chef America.

“We are thrilled to host the guest chefs from around the country and to sample a taste of their work at Savor Detroit,” said Lauren Mohon, marketing and events director for Hour Media. “It’s also a great opportunity for them to see what’s going on in Detroit’s culinary scene as they collaborate with some of our best chefs, who bring amazing talent to the table.”


The spring 2016 Savor Detroit will feature:

·       April 25 – Luciano del Signore of Bacco in Southfield with Tom Lents of Sixteen Restaurant in Chicago

·       April 26 – Doug Hewitt of Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Detroit with Paul Virant of Perennial Virant in Chicago

·       April 27 – Andy Hollyday of Selden Standard in Detroit with George Pagonis of Kapnos & Kapnos Taverna in Washington, D.C.

·       April 28 – Brendon Edwards of Standby in Detroit with Rich Rosendale of Rosendale Collective in Lansdowne, Virginia

·       April 29 – James Rigato of Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, and The Root Restaurant & Bar in White Lake, with Mei Lin, Bravo’s Top Chef winner, season 12, from Los Angeles

 Tickets are on sale for $125 per person per night. Seats are very limited for this popular event, and waitlists are forming for the spring edition. For more information on the spring 2016 edition of Savor Detroit, visit www.hourdetroit.com or www.savordetroit.com, and stay tuned for information on the upcoming fall 2016 Savor Detroit.

For food-lovers with a culinary flair of their own, Hour Detroit offers a chance to emulate metro Detroit’s most respected chefs and  “savor Detroit” in their own kitchen with the Savor Detroit Vol. 1 cookbook. Featuring a compilation of exclusive recipes from past Savor Detroit events, the vibrantly designed cookbook includes wine pairing suggestions, craft cocktail recipes, chef bios and more, and allows at-home cooks to recreate meals created by 20 of metro Detroit’s noted chefs. Savor Detroit Vol. 1 is available for $19.95 at www.savordetroit.com.

This spring’s art installation features the work of two accomplished local artists, including the striking images of Detroit native and accomplished photographer Asia Hamilton, founder of Nozomi Live Photography, and photography workshop teacher under the name Photo Sensei San Diego, Dallas, Chicago and Detroit, and the fine art of Katie Hawley, co-founder of art gallery and performance venue North End Studios Collective, LLC, and a frequent collaborator and curator in local and international art shows and publications.


The Wins for Warriors Foundation (W4WF), a nonprofit organization founded by Detroit Tigers All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander, today announced the charity has relocated its headquarters to Chrysler House at 719 Griswold Street in downtown Detroit. The group's new offices are located on the eighth floor of the historic skyscraper owned and managed by Bedrock Real Estate Services.

Founded in 2013, Wins for Warriors supports veterans and their families through several best-in-class programs. The organization’s mission is to advocate for and invest in resources that enable veterans and their families to lead resilient lives.

"Locating my foundation's offices in the heart of downtown Detroit reinforces my commitment to the city of Detroit and all the great things that are happening in the city," said Justin Verlander.

To date, the Foundation has funded numerous veteran programs supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of veterans and their families.

"We have a great working relationship with Justin and it's exciting to see how he's giving back to veterans in our community," said Dan Mullen, Executive Vice President of Bedrock Real Estate Services. "On a personal note, my dad is a Vietnam veteran so Wins for Warriors really strikes a chord with me. We are proud to welcome this important organization to Chrysler House."

The new location puts Wins for Warriors in the heart of Detroit's urban core, surrounded by passionate, likeminded businesses. The Quicken Loans family of companies holds veterans in high regard and works to enhance their quality of life through veteran-related nonprofit sponsorships, the Quicken Loans Veteran Hiring Program and VA Loans.

Originally built in the early 1900’s to house Dime Savings Bank, Chrysler House was renamed in 2011 when the automaker moved into the building. In addition to Wins for Warriors, other signature tenants include Chrysler Group, Quicken Loans, dPOP!, Dime Store Restaurant, Bon Bon Bon, DROUGHT juice, and Mike's Kabob Grille.






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At the time when Gwen Jimmere invented a new haircare product, she didn’t know it was going to be a success. She also didn’t know she’d be the first African American woman to hold a U.S. patent for a natural haircare product.

The natural hair industry is estimated to be a $2.7 billion industry, and it’s under a resurgence. For Gwen, when she saw the documentary Good Hair by comedian Chris Rock, she quickly realized how unhealthy most hair products were to use. She also learned how the industry was often led and owned by those not purchasing the product.

All of that is changing, and Gwen is helping to lead the way.

“I grew up in a household where if you can’t find it, you can make it,” she says. “I created the Moroccan Rhassoul 5-in-1 Clay Treatment out of necessity. Having natural hair can be very time consuming and expensive, taking two or three hours to complete your haircare regimen on what we call wash day and costing hundreds in haircare products each month.”

As a new mom, she didn’t have time anymore for two to three-hour wash days, so she developed something that would allow her to cut time. Gwen was also troubled that many products labeled as natural actually didn’t appear to have many natural ingredients. So she invented her own, and when friends of friends -- and strangers -- started to buy her product, she knew she was onto something. In 2013, she formed her company NATURALICIOUS.

Click HERE To Read The Full Article! 



HuffPost: Discovering The Unexpected Art of Detroit

Photo: Joe Russo, Shepard Fairey Mural  

Detroit has been in the news over the past several years for what many might say are all the wrong reasons. More recently, the city has been appearing in the travel news as the comeback kid, a destination for people who prefer getting away from the same itinerary everyone else seems to be planning. Detroit absolutely is that place - a busy city with a difficult past and a promising future. And while you’re there, you should really check out the art scene.

Yes, really.

Detroit has a long history of remarkable art (see the first couple of entries on this list below, which date back to the early part of the 20th century), but the city’s more recent troubled times have given rise to an entrepreneurial artistic spirit in evidence everywhere you look around the city today. This is by no means an exhaustive list of fabulous art worth visiting in Detroit, but it’s a great start for enthusiasts headed to the Motor City.


Z Garage
Suggesting art lovers visit a parking garage sounds weird, but the Z Garage is no ordinary parking garage. Every floor of the 10-storey structure in downtown Detroit features huge murals by well-known street artists from around the world, making it a completely free gallery of some of the trendiest art. “The Z,” as it’s now known, contains the work of 27 different artists, including Dabs Myla, Interesni Kazki, Cyrcle, How and Nosm, Sam Friedman, Maya Hayuk, Smash 137, Pose, Revok and more. Not only that, the two buildings that make up the garage are connected by an alley, which is now part of the whole art experience. The alley is called “The Belt,” and serves as a space for pop-up art exhibits.


Man in the City
Art doesn’t have to hang in a gallery to delight, as evidenced by bright orange silhouettes all around Detroit. The metal men are known as Man in the City, by artist John Suave, and they’re all painted bright orange - making them impossible to miss. There are 30 Man in the City sculptures throughout Detroit, perched on rooftops overlooking sidewalks and highways, and they’re part of an art installation which is also a fundraiser for children’s art programs in the city.


Shepard Fairey Mural
More and more street artists are becoming famous, but few have reached the levels of Shepard Fairey - the artist behind that unforgettable “Hope” poster of Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. Fairey has left his mark on Detroit now, too, with a 185-foot mural on the side of One Campus Martius.

Click HERE For The Full Article! 


Growing up, Veronika Scott’s parents struggled with unemployment and addiction. Never sure if they could afford the month’s rent and groceries, her family lived in a household she described as “constantly on edge.” This tension brewed stress and anger that was exacerbated by each eviction notice and move from place to place. Scott told SELF she spent much of her life running away from her background. Her “way out,” as she called it, would be through industrial and product design—a field she felt she could prosper in.

“A lot of people assumed that because of what my parents went through, my siblings and I would end up the exact same way—that we were worthless by extension,” Scott said. “You would have to fight to change peoples’ perception of you even though they had no idea who you were.”

Little did these people know that by the age of 26, Scott would serve as the CEO of a humanitarian organization she founded five years earlier. Scott’s mission through her company, The Empowerment Plan, is simple: help homeless people. And her approach is two-fold. She creates water-resistant, self-heating jackets, called EMPWR coats, that can convert into sleeping bags and distributes them to those in need, and she hires her staff from within homeless shelters, providing jobs to those who typically struggle to find them.

In January 2015, the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the U.S. About 15 percent of that population (83,170 people) are considered “chronically homeless,” which means they regularly experience homelessness. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20-25 percent of the U.S. homeless population has some kind of severe mental illness, though only 6 percent of Americans are severely mentally ill. Some of the top causes of homelessness include mental or physical disability, job loss, domestic violence, and addiction.

Scott first began volunteering at homeless shelters in college, because she said she felt comfortable there. “I spent my life living someone else’s rock bottom,” Scott said. “My parents are very intelligent, hardworking people, and I’m very proud of them. So if they could get there, it could happen to anybody.” Scott said she was particularly inspired by two homeless individuals who had created a makeshift tent out of a playground across from the shelter. A week after she noticed their structure, she saw that the playground and tent were destroyed by a fire. The two people living in the tent survived the incident, but Scott was intrigued by their decision. “They risked their lives to build a house out of a playground when there was a shelter across the street,” Scott said. “Why would you try to build something when someone can give you that for free? It comes down to pride, independence, and wanting to take care of yourself. People want to take care of their day-to-day needs.”

Click HERE To Read The Full Article!
Anne Parsons, president and CEO of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and her husband, Donald Dietz, a photographer, in their new home. Photo: Jason Keen 

Last year, Kirsten Iverson and her husband, Marcus, bought a new riverfront home on the east side of Detroit, an area once obscured by junkyards and abandoned industrial buildings.

Their 5,050-square-foot home in the gated Morgan Waterfront development has water views, five-bedroom suites, two garages, and a marble foyer with 18-foot ceilings. The couple paid $580,000—easily half or one-third of what a comparable unit would cost in many other U.S. metropolitan areas.

“Every day I wake up and I’m just like—‘This is a dream come true,’ ” said Ms. Iverson, a 34-year-old attorney who commutes 15 minutes to her office downtown. Daughters Madison, 4, and Maci, 2, watch summer fireworks over the Detroit River from their lawn.

Detroit is living up to it 1805 motto—“Resurget cineribus”—as it rises from the ashes. Corporate investment, tax credits for developers, and federal funding are helping erase decades of blight. Thousands of jobs have been created and moved downtown since 2010, with the arrival of Quicken Loans, Blue Cross Blue Shield MI, and new tech startups. More than 7,700 derelict buildings have been razed through the city’s blight-removal program; some vacant lots have been transformed into micro farms that supply the city’s trendy new restaurants.

Detroit’s distinctive urban lifestyle is attracting a new professional class to its downtown, where demand for affordably priced high-end residences has surged. Sale prices for the top 10% of Detroit’s real-estate listings started at $290,000 in 2015—nearly half the U.S. average for the luxury segment. That luxury niche is the strongest sector of Detroit’s housing market: Although the city’s 2015 median sale prices were still 22% below 2008 levels, prices for luxury homes more than doubled—12 times the growth rate of the U.S. overall, according to Realtor.com.

“That’s something we really don’t see anywhere else—it’s unique to Detroit,” said Javier Vivas, an economic researcher for the website. ( News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal, also owns Realtor.com, the listing website of the National Association of Realtors.)

New luxury developments are being built from the ground up for first time in decades. Residents can dock their boats in reserved slips at Water’s Edge, a bespoke community on the Detroit River with a private marina and two private lakes that opened in January. Rental prices for its 134 apartments range from $1,285 to $2,324 a month.

The Scott at Brush Park, a $64.5 million development with 199 apartments, will be completed in December. For $949 to $2,844 a month, renters will have access to a rooftop pool, outdoor kitchen and spa—as well as a pet-grooming station and on-site bike repair.

Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans founder and a prominent Detroit developer, has acquired more than 85 properties and invested over $2.2 billion to date. This year, Mr. Gilbert’s Bedrock company will break ground on a new $70 million, 8.4-acre development in the historic Brush Park district with restored Victorian-era mansions, pedestrian greenways, shops, and 400 new residences.

Meanwhile, there’s stiff competition for rental apartments in landmark skyscrapers that have been transformed into well-appointed residences, some after standing vacant for decades. There are 176 people waiting for apartments at the David Whitney Building, a Gilded Age tower with a four-story atrium and boutique hotel, says leasing manager Michael Martorelli. There’s also a wait for apartments at the Albert, a circa-1929 building where residents can mingle at wine and cheese parties or shop for a $700 Detroit Bike on the ground floor.

Click HERE For The Full Article! 


There are signs the Nain’s powers are growing, but those who will stand up against him are also growing in number and strength.

Armed with Detroit pride and community spirit and an official coloring and activity book, marchers will gather in the Cass Corridor for the 7th year straight, meeting at the corner of Second and Canfield at 1 p.m. on March 20, 2016.

Will the Nain Rouge -- Detroit’s legendary harbinger of doom -- appear at the Marche du Nain Rouge, even when thousands will dress in costumes and celebrate their city pride? Marchers will be ready! They will proceed down Second to the steps of the Masonic Temple, where the parade will conclude with an annual show of Detroit love -- and a heck of an after party inside the Masonic.

Like other popular franchises, Episode 7 promises to be the best yet, says, Francis Grunow, co-founder of the Marche du Nain Rouge.

“With every Marche, we have seen more Detroiters participate in bolder, more creative ways,” Grunow says. “Our grants and workshops have helped plant the seeds to make this the best display of Detroit love, yet.”

Community floats and competition

Community groups from all seven Detroit districts will join in the revelry, thanks to seven $1,000 grants from the parade organizers. The grant money was donated through the parade’s first crowdfunding campaign, and matched by Midtown Detroit Inc., a sponsor of the Marche du Nain Rouge.

All Detroiters can compete in a Best in Show parade contest -- honoring groups who wear the best costumes and produce the most stellar non-motorized floats. At stake are trophies, cash prizes to use for community improvements of their choosing, and plenty of bragging rights. All city neighbors and groups are welcome to join in the friendly competition. Register by March 18, 2016, at www.marchedunainrouge.com. The parade cannot allow cars, trucks or other motorized vehicles.

Detroit’s Caribbean Mardi Gras Productions is hosting a free Neighborhood Marche Workshop to share their expertise, tips, and creative genius to help participants be Marche-ready by March 20.

“I love to help people take their most creative visions and make them into reality,” says Ralph Taylor, President of Caribbean Mardi Gras Productions. “You don’t need much more than a good idea and some simple materials to make stunning visual displays.”

The free workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Caribbean Mardi Gras Productions, 6911 E Lafayette St. in Detroit.

Parade info

The Marche du Nain Rouge starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 20, at the corner of Canfield and Second in Detroit, and finishes at the Masonic Temple.

Find details at www.marchedunainrouge.com.




Escape the Room opens this Friday, March 4th!

Business hours:
Thursdays from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Fridays from 6 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Tickets are $28 per person.

Click HERE For More Information! 
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