SOUTHFIELD—Detroit Month of Design kicked off Sept. 1, a month-long celebration of all things design and Detroit, organized by Design Core Detroit, a nonprofit organization that champions design-driven businesses and their role in strengthening Detroit’s economy.
And this year, for the first time, the celebration includes design installations from Lawrence Technological University faculty, staff, and students at Ford House, the historic 1928 home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford in Grosse Pointe Shores.
The exhibition, called “Craft in the Digital Age,” explores the relationship between technologically inspired and technologically produced works and the historic collection of art and crafts at the Ford House.
“There will be about 70 pieces staged throughout different areas of the house,” said Lilian Crum, associate dean and director of graphic design in the LTU College of Architecture and Design. “The idea is that the contemporary, technologically focused objects will be in dialog with the traditional craft pieces in the Ford House.”
Included among the pieces from LTU faculty and students will be robotic drawings, furniture produced by 3D printing technologies, as well as augmented reality posters.
“We’re really excited about this installation and the Ford House is as well,” Crum said.
LTU’s College of Architecture and Design and Ford House collaborated on a sustainability-focused design challenge in the summer of 2021 that engaged high school students and college-age mentors provided by LTU. Following that successful partnership, the Ford House reached out to LTU to discuss an exhibition during Month of Design. After much discussion, both sides decided to create an exhibition that would provide thoughtful, playful juxtapositions between the crafts of the 21st Century, and the early 20th century design and décor of the Ford House.
The exhibition has work from eight students representing each of the program in the College of Architecture and Design: Bachelor of Science in architecture, Master of Architecture, Bachelor of Science in industrial design, Bachelor of Science in interior design, Bachelor of Science in transportation design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in game design. There’s also work from eight LTU faculty members, and pieces from other Detroit-area designers, artists, businesses, and non-profit organizations.
Some of the works are for sale through the Ford House gift shop.
The exhibit will run through the entire Detroit Month of Design, which ends Sept. 30. The Ford House is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Shores.
The College of Architecture and Design is dedicated to a pedagogy of “theory and practice,” the motto of Lawrence Technological University. CoAD as a college is focused on design, immersed in technology, and grounded in practice. More at ltu.edu/architecture-design.
Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
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