THE ART OF PLAY EXHIBITION FEAT. JIM MILLER MERLBERG ON VIEW SEPTEMBER 12- OCT 16TH
Opening to the public on September 12th, “The Art of Play” Panel Discussion with Jim Miller Melberg, a Michigan Modernist will take place at 6P at DCDT Gallery; as a part of September’s Design Month and Detroit Design Festival 2017, the programming includes a cocktail reception. With Michigan’s rich history of design and manufacturing, DCDT is honored to present a legacy exhibition showcasing works that span Miller Melberg’s 65+ year career.
Curated as an artistic biography, the Southfield exhibition includes early sketches, maquette models, small-scale sculptures in a variety of media, and select finished art pieces. This exhibition foregrounds the “art of play” where the objects of design are Miller Melberg’s iconic Form, Inc. playscapes. The “play” theme is advanced in Miller Melberg’s later sculptures where he experiments with color and form in large-scale floor and wall pieces.
GALLERY RECEPTION
September 12, 2017 6 pm – 9 pm
Detroit Center for Design + Technology
4219 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201
Experience materials spanning Jim Miller Melberg’s long career with an emphasis on the presentation of Form, Inc. playscapes and high relief, wall-mounted plaster works. The overall narrative of the show is focused on the art of play where the object of design is the playground. The play theme is advanced in Miller Melberg later plaster sculptures where he experiments with color and form in large-scale floor and wall pieces.
Born in 1929, Miller Melberg’s career began in the art of patternmaking, the craft of his father. Though he received formal art instruction at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Cranbrook Academy of Art, and l’Ecole de la Grand Chaumiere in Paris, Miller Melberg’s education was unconventional and relied primarily on independent study and exploration. It was these exposures to different facets of making that provided him with the inspiration and tools for sculpting, a passion that would inform all of his work. In 1961 Miller Melberg founded Form, Inc. and began designing his playgrounds.
His innovative approach to the “art of play” changed the way children experienced the world around them. Following the success of his playscape designs, Miller Melberg continued to explore the potential of sculpture in various forms and media including clay, plaster, bronze, and wood. Moving from 3-dimensional pieces, the trajectory of Miller Melberg’s career saw a shift to large wall installations and high relief paintings. While the scale and form of his work changed over time, the interest in color and movement remain constant and are defining characteristics of Miller Melberg’s artistic vision.
Lawrence Technological University’s Detroit Center for Design + Technology (DCDT) offers access to a public exhibition space. The space offers local artists, designers and those working within the DCDT Design Incubator access to a state-of- the-art community event space. Monthly art openings, brown bag lunch discussions and workshops are also featured. Lawrence Technological University’s Detroit Center for Design + Technology (DCDT) brings together business resources, expertise and industry professionals. The DCDT’s Design Incubator also hosts programs and resources focused on the creative and technology sectors. The gallery at DCDT is open to the public and highlights the work of local and national designers and artists.
Detroit Center for Design + Technology
4219 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201
RSVP HERE.
For more information on the exhibition visit:
https://detroit.design/
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