Industry Made: Detroit Connections

An exhibition of Wayne State University students, faculty, and alumni 

Adorned Spaces, Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference, New Orleans, LA 

Exhibition design by WSU students, Zahra Almajidi, Natalie La Bruzzy and Brittany Bowers

Special thanks to Evan Larson-Voltz and Katie MacDonald  

Zahra Almajidi (undergraduate student)

Brooke Breckner (undergraduate alumni)

Gabriel Craig (former part-time faculty) & Amy Weiks

Kyle Dill (graduate alumni)

Lauren Kalman (faculty)

Natalie La Bruzzy (undergraduate student)

Matt Lambert (undergraduate alumni)

Dan Neville (undergraduate alumni)

Evan Larson Voltz (faculty)

Katie MacDonald (faculty)

Detroit is known for its industrial history, innovation, and persistence. The Detroit area is also a hub for design and crafts, making a direct link between artistic practice and the existing manufacturing structures. There is a push and pull between the decadent history of the craft and design and the efficiency of mass production.

One of the central hubs of the creative community is Wayne State University. Founded in 1868, the university has been a connecting point for jewelers and metalsmiths across the region and country.  This exhibition brings together artists who have studied or taught at Wayne State and whose work touches on the Detroit spirit of industry and innovation in both decorative arts and industrial design.

The work in the exhibition utilizes or references industrial processes juxtaposed with historic pre-manufacturing processes. Visually, this manifests in works that indulge in handmade ornamentation, but that also incorporate the slickness of mass produced objects. This occurs through the direct use of manufacturing including CNC milling and 3D printing. It also includes work that makes reference to industrial processes and the historical transition from hand fabrication to automation.