Minneapolis: On Nov. 13, Artspace and partners will celebrate a milestone moment for the development of the City Hall Artspace Lofts (13615 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126): The announcement of a new Arts & Technology Learning Lab within the Connector building. The Lab, which is funded by Ford Motor Company Fund and the Ovation television network and supported by Comcast, will be used by Pockets of Perceptions (POP) student design teams, as well as artists who live and work in the City Hall and West Annex buildings on either side of the Connector. The reception celebrates both the new lab space and the overall arts hub growing within the building, currently including the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority office and the Arab American National Museum’s artist residency unit. The buildout of additional creative commercial spaces within the Connector, made possible through the support of the William Davidson Foundation, will continue in coming months and will be leased as working studios to artists, and as commercial space for creative entrepreneurs and arts nonprofit organizations.
“Opened in 2016, the City Hall Artspace Lofts has already become an anchor arts institution for Dearborn. More than 50 artists and their families reside within the former City government offices, adding so much positive energy and creativity to the community,” said Kathleen Kvern, Senior Vice President of National Advancement, Artspace. “It is inspiring to see the promise of the Connector space coming to fruition with support from our amazing partners, and as more artists and arts organizations continue to find a place here, we anticipate an even greater impact on the vitality of Dearborn.”
The Arts & Technology Learning Lab will be filled with technology equipment such as iPads, computers, software, and a smart television, and will be utilized by City Hall Artspace Lofts artist residents and the Dearborn Community Fund’s Pockets of Perception (POP) student design team. The POP program works with some 12 to15 students to design and install permanent public art projects around Dearborn, with two of these located within the Artspace campus. The Lab will provide the POP team a fresh new permanent space to brainstorm, create design concepts, share project concepts, and practice presentations.
The private reception Nov. 13 will announce the Arts & Technology Learning Lab, and will recognize partners who made the Lab and overall Connector space possible. The event will also feature the unveiling of a plaque created by the William Davidson Foundation in honor of the late businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Russell J. Ebeid (1940–2017), who worked closely with William Davidson, the founder of the family foundation.