Design Core Detroit and Cambria join efforts to facilitate a lively conversation that highlights designers who are actively practicing internationally from Detroit and Toronto. In 2015, Detroit was designated by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the first and only City of Design in the United States. In 2017, Toronto became the first Canadian city to receive a UNESCO designation for Media Arts. This event will touch on what the designation means for Detroit, Toronto, and the sustainable aspects of sourcing regional talent, materials and products. The conversation will discuss shared experiences and the benefits of working in between two creative capitals across nation lines. In addition, several Canadian students enrolled with Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design will be joining the presentation to express how design education is important and describe what it means to be ‘United by Design’.

DesignTO x KEDD

‘United by Design, Detroit x Toronto: A tale of two design cities’ is one of 10 projects in the King East Design District (located in Old Town Toronto), a neighbourhood running along King Street East, from Church Street to Parliament Street. During the DesignTO Festival, you are invited to visit exhibitions, workshops and talks hosted in the showrooms of select local businesses.

• External Influences by Charlotte Blake at Daltile | Mohawk Group (160 King Street East)
• Tête-à-Tête: A Portrait Exhibition at Beauchamp Art Gallery (167 King Street East)
• MINDFULLY MADE at EQ3 (222 King Street East)
• Democracy in Motion by by ARCTRN Group at Aquavato’s future showroom (158 Front Street East; west side of Sherbourne Street, north of Front Street)
• bulthaup X Carl Hansen & Søn: ‘The Sound of Design’ at bulthaup Toronto (280 King Street East)
• Octet Truss w/ Snake by Jamie Wolfond Studio at bulthaup Toronto (280 King Street East)
• digitalSTRUCTURES: Data and Urban Strategies of the Civic Future by Wendy W. Fok at Relative Space (330 King Street East)
• United by Design, Detroit x Toronto: A tale of two design cities by Design Core Detroit and Cambria at Cambria Gallery (91 Parliament Street)
• Toller Cranston – The Painter: An Exhibition of Original Works at Cambria Gallery (91 Parliament Street)
• Make the Invisible Visible: A BMD Data Visualization Hackathon at Bruce Mau Design Studio (340 King Street East, Suite 500)

On Friday, January 27, join us for King East Design District Party presented by DesignTO, a roaming neighbourhood party anchored by five Party Hubs. The KEDD Party is a must-attend bash, bringing together hundreds of designers and design-lovers.