Crain's Detroit Business Hosts Meet on Building the Creative Class

“Yes!”

That was the one word exclamation that I came away with at the conclusion of this week’s Crain’s Detroit Business's “Business over Breakfast” forum on the creative corridor. The “Yes!” was expressing the sense of relief, exhilaration--and, yes, empowerment—after hearing the panel discussion from local leaders about progress being made in developing a creative culture in Detroit’s downtown business and residential environs. Moderated by Michelle Darwish, Business Lives Editor for Crain’s Detroit Business, the panel consisted of Sue Mosey, president of the University Culture Center Assocation; Oliver Ragsdale, Jr., president of the Arts League of Michigan, Inc.; Sharon L. Vasquez, dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts at Wayne State University, and Elijah Kafer, founder of Catalyst Studios. The event took place at the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Detroit.

Among the golden nuggets that came forth:

• Ann Arbor-based vegetarian restaurant, Savants, is opening a restaurant in the university area.
• The video gaming industry will join the film industry as an emergent presence in the region.
• Detroit Renaissance is now known as Business Leaders for Michigan.
• An “artrepreneur” (artist-entrepreneur) is the kind of persona leaders in the creative movement want to see emerge; that is, an individual who has access to resources and support that help him or her to be both productive creatively and to be sustainable economically.
• What is needed most to help coalesce the various creative industry-based initiatives is a central leadership presence (entity) that will build connections between the various silos and stakeholders.

What was clear, as the meeting concluded, is that there is much work ahead. But there is now a clearly defining commitment to making the emergent creative industry in Detroit a full blown reality. I got the sense that this is the way cities such as Baltimore, Cleveland, Santa Monica, and others must have begun in redesigning their regions and making them more attractive to the creative class.

An important follow up to this event will take place on Wednesday, November 11, as Crain’s recognizes entrepreneurs at the University of Michigan Dearborn. Call 313.446.0300.