ARTPLACE AMERICA IN DETROIT

Kim collaborated with the city of Detroit to win and implement an ArtPlace America Placemaking grant, with the goal of making Detroit’s once-bustling Avenue of Fashion a popular destination again. In order to grow the story of this vibrant community, Kim and her team activated vacant shops with engaging public art, memorable environments, and participatory programming. A call for entries was opened to artists and designers worldwide and a community storefront was established as a hub of information and dialogue, so as to ensure neighbors were at the center of the decision-making process. The project resulted in the transformation of ten storefronts and the establishment of eight new businesses. The art program consisted of retail design, the production of several interior and exterior murals, branding campaigns for each of the new businesses, special temporary exhibitions, spaces built out for performance art and installation, a photography book, and multiple permanent public artworks. The project debuted with an engaging program of events for the opening night of the Detroit Design Festival.

Dacha: An art installation and performance space constructed using locally-sourced, recycled and found materials, by Harrison Richards Bartlett III 1/2, Delaney Martin, Taylor Lee Shepherd, Margot Couture, Arielle De Pinto, and Artem Voevodin