Dwell on Design

The third annual Dwell on Design Conference and Exhibition is set for June 5-6 in Los Angeles. You can register for both online at Dwell. The four-day weekend will constitute the largest design show in the West.

The unique two-part event will feature conferences, including sessions led by industry innovators, and a hands-on exhibition where attendees can explore a host of modern products and lifestyle exhibits. Special to the exhibition will be Dwell Outdoor‚Äîa “pop-up” community ‚Äì with actual prefab exhibits, ready to see, touch and inspire.

The two-day exhibition will bring together design professionals and design savvy consumers under one roof for ideas, networking, and commerce. More than 200 exhibitors will be there to show their products and services. Designed to represent the very best in modern outdoor living, Dwell Outdoor’s 10,000 square foot exhibition will also be a highlight not to be missed. Dwell Outdoor drew broad attention in San Francisco in 2007, and three additional prefab structures have been added to Dwell on Design Los Angeles, never seen before.

If you’re interested in attending, you can save 20% off exhibit tickets by using the code: ADODED. Use the code: GRP22SP to save $50 off the Conference ticket price.

CCS Spring Show is Tonight

I scooted over to The College for Creative Studies this afternoon for a sneak peek at their annual Student Show, which gets underway tonight. CCS is a fine art school located in Detroit. It’s one of the best in the country. The industrial design department is known internationally as one of the best in the world.

The juried show is open for two weeks and most of the art is up for sale, with proceeds going directly to the students.

The show begins tonight. Early admission (your chance to get the best stuff) is at 5:00 PM. General admission is $50 and opens at 7:00 PM. You can buy tickets at the door. After tonight the show is free. You can purchase art throughout the event. Art is picked up when the show ends.

This year, you can charge your purchases. Otherwise, bring checks – you’ll need one for each purchase.

Todd Patrick Art Show

This Saturday night the Detroit contemporary home store, Mezzanine, is hosting an exhibition featuring the artwork of Todd Patrick. It’s a benefit for Art Road, a non-profit organization that works to bring art classes into Detroit elementary schools that currently have no art education whatsoever.

Todd is a local Detroit artist and architect who paints in intense colors on glass. He back-paints the glass and builds up his paintings in layers in reverse, a very complicated process that yields work that looks very polished – it’s almost luminescent – but very complex. The work features organic shapes that range from abstract to vaguely representational; it is boldly graphic but sophisticated.

The show runs from 6 – 10 PM. For directions and more information, call Mezzanine at 313 442 9000. I’ll see you there.

Spring Show at CCS

The College for Creative Studies will be holding its annual student show and sale starting Friday, May 16th. It’s always an amazing and popular event – the best work gets snapped up in the first couple of hours, but the sale runs for a week. I’ll be posting a preview next week. Oh, it’s also a fun party.¬†

But it’s more than just a sale. You’ll also have a chance to view the creative work from other departments. Automotive design always gets world-wide acclaim. Of course, the interior design department turns in an excellent work. Be sure to take some time to view the animation films. They’re fun.¬†

You can buy tickets at the school, through the mail, or at the door. Early admission begins at 5:30 pm and tickets are $350. Regular admission costs $50 and begins at 7:00 pm. The show is free of charge after opening night and runs through May 30th. The art stays up until then, so you get to see everything. 

If you’re interested in buying artwork be sure to bring checks. All proceeds from the sales go directly to the students and checks are written directly to them. For more information, call the school at 313-664-7464. See you there!

Artist Heidi Marshall

Talented Michigan Artist, Heidi Marshall, has a show coming up in Charlevoix in a few months. I spoke to her recently about the show, which she’s preparing for at her beautiful, lakeside home in Harbor Springs (that’s at the top of the Michigan mitten).

“I’m working in pastels for this show,” says Heidi. “My work will feature people, animals, and landscapes. I try to interpret a bit of who and/or what they are – the essence and individuality that is unique to a person, object, time and place. Capturing this spirit in natural light is exciting. There’s something about being in light and color while you’re painting it. When things go well, it’s sublime.”

The show will be held at The Cycling Salamander, a fine art gallery just outside Charlevoix, Michigan. The show is called Pastels, by Heidi A. Marshall. It’s mostly Plein Air, and will include about 24 pieces.

The opening reception is June 28, 2008 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.