Neon lights bounce off the walls. Beats pump in the background. The cocktails flow.

Elite art collectors in suits and sleek dresses may come to mind when you think of a gallery showing, but the crowd of Detroit millennials at this exhibit arrive in jeans, baseball hats and leggings.

The November pop-up event held at the retailer was curated by PLAYGROUND DETROIT, a creative catalyst started in 2012 by Paulina Petkoski and Samantha “Banks” Schefman. The two 30-year-old Metro Detroiters spent years in the New York arts and fashion industries and recently returned to help promote emerging Detroit artists, musicians and entrepreneurs. Now partnering with local shops and venues to host exhibitions and concerts, they plan to open their own space in Eastern Market this spring.

“We really believe in the city and the talent here,” Petkoski says. “Our work really showcases the city as a great place to live and play. It’s creating vibrancy and empowering the people that are here.”

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This article originally ran in Detroit News on November 30th, 2016. Read the full article here.

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