PLAYGROUND DETROIT TO OPEN RETAIL GALLERY & EVENT SPACE IN EASTERN MARKET IN 2017
[Detroit, Mich.] – PLAYGROUND DETROIT, a creative catalyst that empowers, supports and promotes Detroit’s top emerging artists, designers and musicians, today announced it will open a new retail storefront, gallery and event space at 2845 Gratiot Avenue. The 1,500 square foot, street-level space is located in a historic building on the outer edge of Eastern Market. The two-story historic red brick building dates back to 1877.
“After five years of operating in different pop-up venues from coffee shops to retail stores to bars, we are so excited to finally have a home,” said Paulina Petkoski, co-founder of PLAYGROUND DETROIT. “Our new space will be a place where people can find exciting, edgy art and design. We will feature carefully curated, exclusive merchandise including artwork, limited edition art objects, special events, and community programming.”
A successfully funded Kickstarter campaign launched in late November 2016 to raise $75,000 needed to complete start-up costs and interior build out construction. Plans in the space include installing movable display walls, track lighting, shelving and display units, a DJ booth/sound system, entertaining space with kitchenette, lofted lounge space, and a storage area for artwork that the seed capital will be used towards. Funds will also be used to purchase complimentary inventory, collaborative exclusive artist merchandise, programming and staffing. Renovations are currently underway with a grand opening set for spring 2017 and the crowdfunding campaign will run through the end of 2016.
“We are creating an inspiring, vibrant space and community hub with exterior murals and an adjacent art park,” explained Samantha Banks Schefman, PLAYGROUND DETROIT’s co-founder and deputy director. “This will be a unique retail destination and a place to showcase Detroit’s amazing talent and creativity. ”
Art provokes thought. Inspires. Uplifts. Heals.
In Detroit, art is fueling a revival of our great city and PLAYGROUND DETROIT is at the forefront – helping showcase and promote the creative minds making a positive difference. After four years without a permanent home, we have finally leased an amazing space in the up-and-coming Eastern Market district and we’re going to bring it to life.
With your help, we’ll transform an abandoned storefront space into a hub for creativity: a gallery, retail, and performance space for Detroit’s growing artistic community, the general public and the over 100 artists whose artwork we present. And we’ll do it hand-in-hand with those artists, showcasing their talents in exhibitions and performances over the next six months.
Here’s what we’re going to do:
- Fix up the interior of the space with moveable walls, track lighting, displays/shelving, folding chairs and point-of-sale for retail
- Install a kitchenette and lofted lounge space
- Create an engaging window-front and a custom bench system for sidewalk hangouts
- Install a DJ booth and sound system
- Film projection and digital displays for art film screenings and new media presentations
- Host six exhibitions of Detroit artists (and two national artists!) during our 2017 program year
- Develop programming and staff for our Grand Opening in Spring 2017.
Imagine the Possibilities
THE PLAYGROUND will be a multi-functional space that serves as a gallery, retail storefront and event space available for pop-up activation for contemporary Detroit creators to launch and sustain successful careers by facilitating and promoting their individual artistic and social practices. It will serve as a unique retail destination driven by featured and carefully curated, exclusive merchandise including artwork, limited-edition art objects, special events & community programming. Within the space, there will be on-going pop-up retail collaboration opportunities for national brands that seek to test the Detroit market and their retail presence through our large (and growing!) audience.
Intersection of Art + Design
The PLAYGROUND storefront is an inspiring, vibrant space and community hub with exterior murals and an adjacent art park to invigorate the immediate neighborhood. Our future vision includes the neighboring building and a complimentary tenant, which may include a café to further encourage pedestrian traffic and visitors to spend time in the neighborhood.
The concept is a modern, retail experience – a unique addition to Detroit’s retail landscape, which is desperately needed to support the future of the city as a newly appointed UNESCO global city, a “City of Design.” PLAYGROUND is where people will go to experience inspiring, exciting and edgy art and design firsthand.
PLAYGROUND DETROIT is equal parts creative agency, digital media and production company; it is a multi-faceted brand for emerging creators and their supporters through an online platform including a digital magazine, curated marketplace, and social media networks. Our complimentary creative services provide both clients and local and global audiences with direct access to artists’ exclusive artwork, inspirations and stories happening in Detroit.
A Creative Catalyst
We work with the best emerging talent, including artists, musicians and creative entrepreneurs in Detroit by developing innovative arts programming that showcase the city as an inspiring and vibrant place to live, work and play. In doing so, we help develop, retain and attract creative talent.
We are risk takers, accelerators and creators. We consider artists professionals and gauge our success by the successes of those we work with. We believe in the importance of the arts and the sacred role it plays in the future of Detroit. We share a desire to promote visual arts to the general public and collectors to bring art into peoples lives – and to help creatives with a unique vision execute their pursuits and dreams.
Main photography credit Camera Jesus.
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