Detroit Auto Show Afterhours
Your essential guide to design and drinking for the week
(originally posted on Core77)

The Motor City is blanketed in snow and the streets are crawling with journalists and sharp dressed Europeans. It can only mean its time for the North American International Auto Show . With the usual hooha surrounding the newest models, technologies, concept cars and exhibits, there are always a number of quality evening distractions that provide a more well rounded view of city's character, and serve as a relief from the dehydrating qualities of the acres and acres and acres of new carpet and paint fumes at Cobo Hall.

Tonight (Tuesday) is Designer's Night, always the highlight evening to close out press week. Hosted by Ford Living Legends Studio chief Camilo Pardo, this is the place to chat with fellow designers over cocktails and art. (And no bean counters are allowed in the door.)

Tuesday, 01.11.05, 7pm-11pm
Bankle Building, 2944 Woodward Ave.
Music provided by DJ Shortround
Presented by Art & Development Inc.
Design business card is required for admittance


The Design Show opens Friday at the venerable Detroit Artists Market, featuring product, furniture and fashion design from Detroit are designers.

Friday, 01.14.05, 6pm-10pm
Detroit Artists Market
4719 Woodward Ave.
313.832.8540


Dance like you give a damn: after the Design Show opening Friday night, Blackbx and Burnlab present an evening of great music for a great cause: a very special Les Infants Terribles benefit for Architecture For Humanity's Project Re:Build. All proceeds from the evening will go directly to reconstruction relief for tsunami victims. There is no minimum donation, but we will have exclusive giveaways for contributions of $5 or more. We of course encourage you to give what ever you can. The Dorkwave Soundsystem will be joined by the strange, lovely and talented team known as Terror on the Turntables (a.k.a. Terror at the Opera.)

Friday, 01.14.05, 10pm-2am
Corktown Tavern
1716 Michigan Ave., Detroit


Saturday night, the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit presents The Other Auto Show, a survey of automobile culture in the Motor City. The exhibit features Detroit-area artists, architects, and designers each presenting a unique critical interpretation of Detroit's "love/hate" relationship with the automobile and its influence on our culture.

The Other Auto Show is co-curated by Andrew Malone and (um) myself. It will feature recent work from Robert Andersen, Mark Dancey, Maurice Greenia, Jr., Francis Grunow, Tyree Guyton, Brian Kritzman, Camilo Pardo, Jaron Rothkop, Gary Schwartz, Himanshu Sharma, Christian Tedeschi, and Ron Zakrin. The exhibition will also feature a critical essay on the history and effects of the automobile by Nick Sousanis.

Saturday, 01.15.05, 6pm-11pm
Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit [CAID]
5141 Rosa Parks Blvd.
313.899.CAID
Music provided by Rob Theakston


Oh, and the real auto show open to the public at 10am on Saturday, 1.15.05: info here