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Students bring “pop up” art galleries to Detroit

Written by C.Curran

Inspired by a popular trend in Britain and New York City, a group of students looking to brighten the streets of Detroit will host a “pop up” art gallery in partnership with the Shops in the Kresge Building starting on August 27, 2010.

Pop Up Detroit is a collaborative of young Detroiters hoping to utilize and draw attention to the artists and spaces Detroit has to offer. Together with the Shops in the Kresge Building, 1201 Woodward Avenue, Pop Up Detroit will fill empty stores in the shopping center with a variety of artistic works including instillations, photography and paintings.

"I read about pop up galleries and studios in New York and wondered why it wasn’t happening in Detroit. There wasn’t an answer, there doesn’t have to be, you just have to find the people who want it to happen,” said event co-coordinator William Singer. “This is only a small example of how much people want this city to keep moving forward.”

Singer brought the idea to his friends and they decided this would be the perfect time, and that the Shops in the Kresge Building would be the perfect place, to host a pop up gallery.

“The building has the potential to bring people back into the city and we hope by filling the space with creative work by Detroit artists it will show that Detroit still has things to offer," said event co-coordinator Nina Marcus-Kurlonko.

An opening for the gallery will be held on August 27, 2010 from 5pm until midnight. The event is open to the public and will include food and drinks from 5 & 10 Bar and performances by local musicians including Joe Vargas of Tour Detroit, Drew Pompa of Blank Artist and Slufter.

"Detroit is filled with talented artists looking for a place to showcase their work. We wanted to give them that space and have a good time doing it," explained a third event coordinator, Michelle Tanguay.

Interested artists can submit a minimum of three photographs of their work to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Artists should include their name, medium, size of work and an artist statement. All submissions not selected will be kept on file for future shows. The Pop Up Detroit team hopes to eventually host a new show every three months.

Pop Up Detroit will be open to the public daily from 10am until 6pm Monday through Saturday. The gallery will be open from August 27, 2010 until September 13, 2010. For more information e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Random Acts of Caring benefit Detroit

Written by C.Curran

On Friday, August 6, 2010, Rent-A-Center’s Random Act of Caring Initiative will make a generous donation to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development (65 Cadillac Square Suite 2200 Detroit, MI) to better serve youth in Detroit.

Rent-A-Center’s Random Act of Caring Initiative will present the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development with four laptop computers, four desktop computers, two home theatre systems, a flat screen TV and a washer and dryer set along with five $500 scholarships.

“Some outstanding organizations find themselves with multiple needs but limited resources, particularly in these challenging economic times. We help customers in that very same situation every day so we wanted to find a way to contribute to our customers’ communities,” said Xavier Dominicis, vice president of Public Affairs with Rent-A-Center. “Through Random Acts of Caring, we are able to help where help is needed when it’s needed. That’s what we’re all about.”

The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute was co-founded by Rosa Parks in 1987 to carry on the work she started with youth as a volunteer of the NAACP long before the act of courage that propelled her into the public eye. Led by Elaine Eason Steele, co-founder, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute continues what Mrs. Parks began long ago. The history of the Institute and its accomplishments are interwoven with Mrs. Parks' life as a civil rights leader, a world icon and a private citizen.

The central mission of the Institute is to “motivate youth to reach their highest potential” and it provides several programs each year that engage youth in hands-on activities to build positive living skills in a multicultural environment. All programs are made possible by public and private donations, such as the generous donation from Rent-A-Center.

Representatives from both the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute and the Rent-A-Center will be present on Friday, August 6, 2010 for a dedication ceremony that will be held at 10 a.m. at the Northwest Activity Center (18100 Meyers Road, Detroit, MI 48235). Those interested in attending should contact the Northwest Activity Center at (313) 578-7500.

This is the 63rd Random Act of Caring since the program was initiated in 2008. Beyond Random Acts of Caring, Rent-A-Center supports Feeding America, Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, and scholarships for deserving students.

Rent-A-Center, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, currently operates approximately 3,000 company-owned stores nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico. The stores offer name brand, durable goods such as major consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories under flexible rental-purchase agreements that generally allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. In Michigan, Rent-A-Center operates 104 rent-to-own stores, including nine in the Detroit area

Donations to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute of Self-Development can be made by visiting their website

Designed for Families, Built by Volunteers

Written by B.Stacy

This weekend, the community will come together for a very special purpose. More than 200 volunteers from Foresters and the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community will join forces on Saturday, Aug. 7 to build a new, safe playground at Detroit Leadership Academy – a new school that will open in the fall of 2010. The new playground’s design is based on drawings created by children who participated in a Design Day event that was held in June. The playground build will also include a Family Fun Station featuring arts & crafts, games and activities for families and children throughout the day.

The new playground will eventually serve more than 75,000 children and their families in the Detroit community, providing them with a safe place to play every year. Playgrounds provide an opportunity for families to spend quality time together and get to know other families in their community. Currently, there is not an existing playground at the site of the YMCA and Detroit Leadership Academy, which will open in the fall of 2010 and serve approximately 1,000 students.

Foresters, a life insurance provider committed to the well-being of families, is funding 20 playground builds across North America this year. By investing $1.5 million in these projects, Foresters is partnering with KaBOOM! to build playgrounds that will eventually serve more than 150,000 children and create opportunities for families to spend time together. This build is one of more than 150 KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2010 in an effort to provide a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

Random Detroit Fact

Detroit's downtown turn-of-the-century trolley cars, complete with old-fashioned, uniformed conductors, operated along Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue. The vintage trolley cars made their Detroit debut in 1976. The electric-powered cars were built in England, Germany, Portugal and the United States between 1895 and the 1920s.

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