STEVE THOMPSON in DETROIT: The Design Guy does the Motor City, Part I of V

Yellowstone National Park

Downtown Detroit

“Hiking Yellowstone for my Birthday or exploring downtown Detroit"
hmmm…

"Hiking Yellowstone for my Birthday or exploring downtown Detroit"
hmmm…

The historic Yellowstone Inn, Yellowstone National Park

The Aloft Hotel at The David Whitney, Detroit, MI

You may wonder, with Yellow Stone as an option, how is Detroit even in the running?

My interest was piqued all the way back in 2011 with a Super Bowl ad starring Eminem, “Imported from Detroit” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc).

Then there were articles on Detroit’s renaissance, literally dozens of them, from the New York Times, Forbes, and Businessweek to glossy magazines such as Architectural Digest and Town & Country, to a poem by the United States Poet Laureate.      

Landing in Detroit, I was of course filled with preconceived ideas of what it would be like: Ford, GM, Chrysler, Motown, Uniroyal Tires, freezing temperatures, smoke stacks, litter, urban decay. I picked up my car rental, a domestic SUV of course- no imports for me in our capital of car manufacturing!

It was after midnight by the time I rolled into the Motor City but I couldn’t help but notice the lack of decay and how clean the highways were, no decimated buildings, no burned out cars, just clean well-lighted, and easily navigable freeways. Two realizations, and I just got here: It’s cold as kraut and the city is not in a heap!

Sadly, the entrance to downtown is punctuated by a pair of casinos, the more demure MGM (top photo)and the bright flashing neon lights of the Motor City Casino (bottom photo).
 

I quickly  spotted, and pulled over for, the first item on my “Detroit Bucket List”, Lafayette Coney Dogs. Fabulous and terrible for you, it was a delicious treat at 1:00 AM. Yes I did. 

I checked into my hotel, the “ALoft at the David Whitney”, (a Starwood Brand). I know, what the hell is all that name about? David Whitney is one of three iconic “David’s” of Detroit, each of them early 20^th century business leaders in the go-go days of Detroit.

The triangular, white terra cotta clad Whitney building sat vacant for the last 25 years and was recently converted from offices to a loft/hotel (the city is smitten with the word loft, so it’s attached to almost anything remotely residential).  The hotel has a four story glass atrium ceiling which must have been among the first when it was built back in the twenties. I had a nice corner room on a high floor with views of Tiger Stadium, Ford Field, the Detroit Opera House, the fantastical architecture of the Episcopal and Methodist cathedrals, and acres of dark land. In the day light the land revealed itself as scarred land, the devastation of which has befallen most of Detroit, and this area has been mowed down by the Mike Ilitch, the Detroit family scion that owns Little Caesars Pizza and the Detroit Tigers, and who is developing a large swath of that vacant land for the new Redwings Hockey stadium.

The proposed Detroit Red Wings Stadium with adjacent residential lofts, retail and hotels

The once blighted midtown area will soon make way for the new Detroit Redwings Stadium

Construction hasn’t started, but the speculation and land grab rush has begun (the new stadium is in walking distance to the other two stadiums).

As I drove through downtown, I was struck at the number of gorgeous theatres. According to the website Experience Detroit (www.experiencedetroit.com), Detroit is home to the second largest theatre district in the United States behind only New York City. 

Here’s another Illitch Family tidbit: They also own the 5,000 seat Fox Theatre where American Idol was broadcast from just the week before I left for Detroit.

I came away from visiting Detroit saying, "It's happening, the time is now"! One realtor said, "It's happening; another realtor said, "It’s already happened" (his eyes may be a bit glossed over by his last commission); most of the realtors I met see the finished project even though the permits haven’t even been applied for, or approved. I heard pride of Detroit, I saw it, I felt it; it was palpable. But I saw a sea of vacant land, once occupied by homes and businesses, now demolished, leaving block after block on street after street of vacant land. They, those betting on Detroit, see finished projects based on developer’s promises to build, and possess a feeling that they’ve rounded the corner. God bless their resilience and positivity- it is indeed contagious!

So here’s the 411: Detroit’s wealthiest families, their foundations, the hometown giants Ford, GM and Chrysler, even New York’s JP Morgan/Chase and the state and federal government have signed up for saving and restoring Detroit. The biggest players in town aside from the Ilitch Family, the Roger Penske family (Penske Automotive Group and owns the most victories as an owner at the Indianapolis 500); Peter Karmanos (founder of Compuware and owner of the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Team); and Dan Gilbert, a native “Michigander” and founder of Quicken Loans and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Detroit powerhouse and Quicken Loan founder Dan Gilbert

 

I think it’s safe to say that Gilbert is “the” rainmaker in Detroit. He’s bought 40+ buildings (rumored to be closer to 70 purchases) in downtown Detroit, has ground leased the first floor of virtually every building on every street in downtown Detroit; was responsible for bringing hometown fashion guru John Varvatos to the cities planned premier shopping destination, “Merchants Row”, developed car parks and restaurants among a hundred other things that we probably don't know about.

The new John Varvatos store in downtown Detroit

 

Gilbert is responsible for the purchase of and renovation of more square footage than anyone else in the city through his Rock Ventures (Bedrock Real Estate Company), and employees more people than any other person place or thing in all of downtown Detroit. Dan is the man, just ask anyone who works for him.

Join me tomorrow for Part II of V

Good night moon.

STEVE THOMPSON IN SANTA FE, Part II of II: The Design Guy Reflects on Good Art in Santa Fe

Two more artists, not in this gallery district but both not to be missed: Painter Gigi Mills, and photographer Robert Stivers.

It is said that Gigi Mills is influenced by the work of Milton Avery and on close examination one can indeed see the influence, but that's where the similarity's stop: Gigi grew up in the circus, her father owned the Mills Brothers Circus based in Florida, and while other girls read comic books or learned to embroider, she practiced balancing on elephants! I loved her story so much and the idea of her work being influenced by Avery that when she offered to drop a catalog by our hotel I gratefully accepted. She did, and we loved the work so here are a couple of examples below. These pieces are sold but Mills is represented by gf contemporary in Santa Fe.

Gigi Mills, The Pianist's Birthday, Oil, Paper, Crayon and Graphite on paper 

 

Gigi Mills, Reclining with Still Life, Oil, Paper, Crayon and Graphite on paper

 

 

Robert Stivers is an American photographer whose collections are owned by museums (The MET, The Getty, LACMA, etc...), and is a long time favorite of ours (we own three of them). We've featured Stivers with a show his work at our Cabana Home store in Santa Barbara, and the work is available to be seen by appointment through the store.

 

Shown above and below: The same work printed in color, top, and in sepia tones, below

 

 

Hotel Find! The old St. Francis Hotel has been newly refurbished in white, crème, tan, beige, and taupe, with raw, antique style, early New Mexican style furniture in natural waxed and patinated finishes. The room was small but handsomely appointed (if I’d been less penurious I could have had bigger. Gorgeous lobby and oversized fireplace. Great bar but neither it or the restaurant were owned by the hotel hence no room service (none!).     

 

Best Restaurant: Hands down, The Compound reins supreme! We've been going to this restaurant since it was reopened a decade and a half ago by Chef Mark Kiffin. we hadn't been there for ten years and it is still one of my favorite restaurants of all time.  

The restaurant is still headed by Kiffin, who took the time to come by to say hello and catch up on our kids (ours now an adult and his in high school). Kiffin is a James Beard award winning chef, which the Beard Foundation calls him the best chef in the southwest.

 

The original interior designed by Alexander Girard (best known for his textile design for the Herman Miller company where he created fabrics for the designs of George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames) is as relevant today as it must have when the restaurant opened in the 1960’s.

Alexander Girard Textiles, reissued by Herman Miller

 

Interesting new store: Modern General, where Bauhaus meets warehouse. The store is owned by Erin Wade who also owns the Vinaigrette restaurants in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Wades premise is, "things I use everyday"... Okay, so here you'll find hammers, shovels, dish soap, books, brown rice and milk, as well as freshly brewed coffee. Well okay then. Check it out, its fun!

 

Worst in Show: Two categories here, Interior Design and Fashion.
The worst designed bathroom I've ever seen was at the historic El Farol on Canyon Road. I love the old El Farol, but they should have left the bathroom in its original state over this mess. Let's test your design mettle: Can you name six design flaws in this photo (there are more than six)?

 

 

Fashion, shown below: As seen in a store window on the Santa Fe Plaza. Okay, I know, I know... don't go to Santa Fe to augment your wardrobe.

 

Good night moon.

STEVE THOMPSON IN SANTA FE, Part I of II: The Design Guy Reflects on Good Art in Santa Fe

Was in Santa Fe last weekend to see close friends after a ten year hiatus from the “city different”?

Santa Fe is a slow moving town in every way… so maybe ten years is about the right amount of time in between visits if you want to see something new in Santa Fe. I do miss is the local ski basin, twenty-five minutes up the road to 8ft of snow, and no time available to ski… so close but yet so far away. Damn!

The Santa Fe Ski Basin

New to me on this trip were the art galleries located in the Santa Fe Rail Yard. When I lived there, the rail yard was a proposed project in a blighted area of the city, one that city officials and a loud-mouth group of opponents did everything they could to stymie…one of the things I loathe about Santa Fe.
Twelve years later it is a stunning development and the site of the much heralded Santa Fe Farmers Market as well as three stunning new art galleries. Located across the street (and tracks) from SITE Santa Fe, the center of the contemporary (sans western schlock art) arts scene in Santa Fe, and the original contemporary gallery in this area, James Kelly Contemporary.  The new kids on the block (but not to the Santa Fe or New York art scene) is the David Richard Gallery, William Siegal Gallery, and TAI modern.

The David Richard Gallery, exterior and interior.

The David Richard Gallery had the most beautiful interior, designed by architect Devendra Narayan. The gallery specializes in post-war American abstract art, including Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Geometric, OP, Pop, and Minimalism art.

David Richard Gallery- Julian Stanczak, Translucent Orange, Acrylic on canvas

David Richard Gallery- Tadaskey, C143, 1965

David Richard Gallery- Richard Anuszkiewicz, Exact Quantity, 1963, Acrylic

 

Currently on exhibition, POST OP: “The Responsive Eye’ Fifty Years After”, a current version of a show which was originally presented at MOMA in 1965 as a comprehensive overview of the OP Art Movement. All of the artists in the current show were presented in the original show (though not the same art works). They also represent the sculpture of fellow Californian and artist Betty Gold. The show closes April 12^th 2015.

Sculpture, Betty Gold, at the David Richard Gallery

 

William Siegal Gallery specializes in museum quality textiles and objects, from Asian to pre-Columbian, clay, ceramics, and textiles with a smattering of early New Mexican antiques.
 

The interior of the William Siegal Gallery

What stood out to us at the Siegal Gallery was the contemporary steel sculpture by New Mexico artist, Tom Waldron. Waldron’s work shows mastery of the razor thin line from smaller table top work to those of civic proportions; technically and artfully executed steel sculpture in the vein of Minimalist sculptor, Richard Serra, but with a fine finish. Siegal’s gallery featured one of the most attractive display case for antiquities I’ve seen.

William Siegal Gallery- Tom Waldron, FLASK, Steel, 55 x 67 x 36

William Siegal Gallery- Tom Waldron- Nickel Plated Steel on concrete base, 20in 13in 7in

Siegal's Gallery also had one of the most unique display cabinets, as shown below.

 

The corner of this row of galleries was anchored by the TAI modern gallery.

TAI modern features contemporary Japanese basketry. I’ve experienced antique Japanese basketry, but nothing like these modern works.

 

Hondo Syoryu, MOUNTAINS and RIVERS, Madake and Rattan, 2914. 11 x 12 x 10

Shono Tokuzo, FEATHER, Madake and Rattan, 2010. 17 x 15 x 11

Yamaguchi Ryuun, SHO, Madake and Rattan, 2014. 12.5 x 24 x 24

Hondo Syoryu, PROMINENCE, Madake and Ratttan, 2012. 19 x 18 x 9

The baskets were so sculptural in both abstract and traditional forms, priced from $3,300 to over $30,000, these are some of Japans most important basketry artists.

 

Also on view at TAI modern were optical paintings by artist Rebecca Shore.

 

See the photo below of the gallery’s unique dropped ceiling panels, made with metal mesh and steel grids with recessed tracks for lighting.   

 

 

 

All right, let that wet your whistle, and stay tuned for STEVE THOMPSON IN SANTA FE, Part II of II: The Design Guy Reflects on Good Art in Santa Fe.

 

Good Night Moon