College for Creative Studies (CCS) and 313 Presents announce Penny Livingston as the winner of the third annual Pine Knob Music Theatre commemorative poster design competition. Now in its third year, the collaboration between 313 Presents and CCS highlights the talents of the top illustration and design students in the country. Sponsored by 313 Presents and led by Chair of Illustration Don Kilpatrick, the competition is integrated into the CCS curriculum each fall. Throughout the 2024 semester, students were challenged to create a professional, client-ready design that captures the energy and spirit of Pine Knob, Metro Detroit’s most iconic outdoor music venue and a beloved summer tradition.

Livingston’s limited-edition design will be featured as Pine Knob’s official Proud Partner promotional giveaway at select shows throughout the 2025 season.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the College for Creative Studies for a third consecutive year,” said Howard Handler, President of 313 Presents. “This collaboration not only supports emerging talent but also invites a new generation of artists to interpret and celebrate the Pine Knob legacy. Each year, we’re amazed by the incredible student work that captures the essence of this iconic venue.”

“We are excited at College for Creative Studies for another opportunity to work with the wonderful team at 313 Presents and are looking forward to the unveiling of this year’s commemorative poster designed by a CCS Illustration student,” said Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies. “This collaboration provides our students with invaluable real-world experience, showcasing their talent on a significant platform. We are immensely proud of the dedication and creativity Penny poured into this project, and we believe the public will be truly impressed by what they see.”

The 2025 summer concert season at Pine Knob Music Theatre begins on Wednesday, June 11 with Grammy® nominated multi-platinum, genre-defying artist Halsey bringing her highly anticipated “Halsey: For My Last Trick Tour for 2025” with special guests Royel Otis and Sir Chloe. Tickets are on sale now at 313Presents.com, LiveNation.com, ForMyLastTrick.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Counterspells is a digital exhibition featuring the 16th cohort of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients running May 22 – July 10. This is the second online exhibition presented by Kresge Arts in Detroit.

View Counterspells

Counterspells explores how artists engage with and respond to the powerful, invisible energies all around us. The work presents personal acts of creation shaped by collaboration, introspection, and rebellion. Viewers are asked to notice how each artist channels their craft and ideas into the new and re-imagined work featured in this exhibition.

Featured artists include:

  • Ava Ansari
  • Stevie Soul
  • Flying Cardboard Theater
  • Tamara Finlay
  • Ms. Shirel
  • Hannah E. Fahoome
  • Maurice Draughn
  • Maddie Shubeck
  • Steffanie Christi’an
  • Galaxy
  • Lara Sfire
  • Weam Namou
  • Na Forest Lim
  • Katy Dresner

Counterspells is Kresge Arts in Detroit’s second online exhibition. The exhibition is part of KAID’s career support offerings. In addition to the monetary prize, each fellow and Gilda Award recipient is invited to participate in career support offerings during their award year.

The online exhibition website was designed by Echo Charlie.

Kresge Arts in Detroit is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies. Since 2008, Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded over $9 million through 17 Kresge Eminent Artist Awards, 302 Kresge Artist Fellowships, and 52 Gilda Awards ($5,000 each). The fellowships and Eminent Artist Award are currently $50,000 and $100,000 respectively.

CCS’s 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Sabrina Nelson, ’91 Fine Arts, will never forget her first visit to College for Creative Studies.

It was 1985, and Nelson was fresh out of Detroit’s Cooley High School. The graphic designer at her summer job with the State of Michigan — CCS alum Rob Kangas, ’80 Photography— had encouraged her to apply, even going as far as setting up her admission interview and dropping her and her sketchbook off at the Yamasaki Building.

A mom at 15, Nelson had filled her sketchbook with drawings of her baby and other things important to her, like the covers of her favorite Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and Prince albums, along with the required calligraphy. She wasn’t aware that she’d needed a portfolio, or even what one was — until the admissions counselors pushed her artwork back across the table and said, “No, you’re not ready.”

“I was angry. I felt ignored. I felt invisible,” said Nelson, who left the interview without being offered advice or even a tour. “And because I’m hyper independent, it pissed me off.”

Although the expression “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” may not have been intended for art school rejections, it certainly applies to how Nelson handled hers. While she waited for Kangas to pick her up, she explored campus on her own. Sketchbook tucked under her arm, she walked through the Industrial Design studios, asking students to show what they were working on, knowing she was equally capable.

“I felt ashamed because I knew I was an artist and I knew I was good,” Nelson said.

Kangas made Nelson another appointment, this time with Hope Palmer at Henry Ford Community College (now Henry Ford College). She was accepted and stayed for a year and a half, with Palmer advising her on what classes to take.

“I left with a 4.0 and a hell of a portfolio,” she said. “And I made another appointment with the same people who rejected me.”

Although the three admissions counselors didn’t remember Nelson from her first CCS interview, they wouldn’t forget her again. Impressed with her portfolio, especially her figure and life drawings, they not only offered her admission but also nearly a full tuition scholarship.

By that time, Nelson was 20 and the mother of two. Still nursing her son — Mario Moore, ’09 Illustration, recipient of CCS’s 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award — she took the campus by storm. She asked to work in the Admissions Office for her work-study, hoping to ensure no other CCS hopefuls left rejected and dejected. She raised her voice when Black artists weren’t studied in art history classes. Children often in tow, she served on student government and as president of BART (Black Artists Researching Trends).

View Sabrina’s work at https://www.sabrinanelsonart.com/

CCS is proud to announce its 2025 honorary degree recipients: Michael Simcoe, Senior Vice President, General Motors (GM) Global Design, and Suchi Reddy, acclaimed architect, designer, artist and American Institute of Architects Fellow. Reddy will also deliver the commencement address for the graduating class of 2025. As the founder of the New York City-based Reddymade, Suchi Reddy champions a design philosophy rooted in neuroaesthetics, creating impactful public art installations, dynamic commercial spaces and thoughtful residential designs. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research on neuroaesthetics, which examines the profound connection between our surroundings and our brain and body.

Reddy’s most celebrated projects include the first flagship Google retail space in New York; a minimalist home in Salt Point, New York, with artist Ai Weiwei; “Look Here,” a solo exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.; “X,” a temporary sculpture in the center Times Square; “A Space For Being,” a collaboration with Google, Johns Hopkins, and Muuto during Salone del Mobile measuring the impacts of neuroaesthetics; an award-winning hybrid prefab home in Los Angeles; and The Connective Project in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, featuring 7,000 yellow pinwheels carrying messages and images from the surrounding communities. Reddy currently teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and serves on several boards, including the Design Trust for Public Space and Storefront for Art and Architecture.

Playing a pivotal role in GM’s transformation, Michael Simcoe currently leads teams and studios worldwide focusing on all aspects of design, including advanced, production and industrial design. As the head of the global design function, and as society experiences a massive shift in mobility, he challenges his teams to innovate and he champions new technologies, helping to accelerate speed to market. Simcoe joined GM in 1983 as a designer at GM Holden in Australia. Over his stellar 42-year global career with the company, Simcoe has held various design roles of increasing responsibility. In 2016, he was appointed to his current role of leading GM Global Design.

In 2023, Simcoe was promoted to Senior Vice President, GM Global Design. Under Simcoe, GM’s design studios have executed numerous award-winning products, including Cadillac’s CELESTIQ, LYRIQ, VISTIQ and ESCALADE IQ; GMC’s HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV; GMC’s Sierra EV; Chevrolet’s Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Silverado EV; and the Buick Envista. He also managed the expansion of GM Design’s Warren, Mich., headquarters with its new Design West design center. Simcoe also currently serves on the boards of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the College for Creative Studies.

Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies, shared his enthusiasm, stating, “We are excited to recognize the remarkable talents of Suchi Reddy and Michael Simcoe with honorary degrees at our 2025 Commencement. These visionary individuals exemplify the power of innovation and creativity, offering invaluable lessons for all our graduating students. It’s a privilege to honor their impactful contributions.”

The College’s commencement ceremony will take place on May 15, 2025 to honor the graduating class of 2025. Reddy and Simcoe will join a list of recent honorary degree recipients, including Ralph Gilles ‘92, Doug Chiang, Patricia Moore, Kevin Beasley ‘07, Edward T. Welburn, Jr., and Brenda Goodman ‘65.

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The College for Creative Studies (CCS) celebrated its fifth iteration of The Show, which took place on April 26, 2025 at 7 p.m. at the General Motors Design Dome. Featuring over 100 looks from 26 students enrolled in CCS’s Fashion Design Program, this year’s runway presentation marked 10 years since the department’s inception in 2015.

The Show 2025 featured collections from Bridget Weiss, Morgan Novetsky, Jackie Kramer, Nicholas Alberto Madruga, Justin Hilberer, Emma Wilson, Meka Johnson, Robert Robinson, Santino Giglio, Luka Galle-Callahan, Sophia Jensen, Avery Mangum, Sarah Nofar, Bryce Truby, Aidan Richards, Bryn Hazen, Athan Hillman, Imani Stowers, Quade Feller, Kaiden McArthur, Maxwell Honeycutt, Veronica Wardowski, Izzy Abohasira, Marwa Bissada, Falina Jimerson and Griffin Mesner.

The show had over 400 guests throughout the evening. Notable attendees include Rea Brayshaw, Office Magazine; Chuck Bennett, Fox 2 News Style Ambassador; Awenate Cobbina, Bedrock; Cassell Ferere, Forbes; Catherine and Nathan Forbes, The Forbes Company; Ralph Gilles, Stellantis; Darwin “Detroit Dar” Gordon, Influencer; Ryan Patrick Hooper, WDET; Erica Jackson, Soho House; Roslyn Karamako, Detroit is the New Black; Danialle Karmanos?, Mad Dog Technology; Nate Lynn, Detroit Lions; Diane Mahady, Hèrmes; Tiff Massey, Artist; Mario Moore, Artist; Ann-Marie Mountford, Caleres; Ekanem N. Obong, Michigan Senate; Youwie Roes, KV Roes; Michael Simcoe, Senior Vice President of GM Global Design; Brittany Simmons, Influencer; Gretchen Valade, Carhartt; Millie de la Valette, Louis Vuitton; Tony Whlgn, Artist; Angela Wisnieski, Coup de’Tat; Jennifer Witcher, DJ Minx.

To commemorate this milestone, the theme of this year’s show is “Icons,” celebrating the individuals, institutions and movements throughout history that make Detroit the iconic city it is. As an institution that fosters the next generation of artists and designers in Detroit through its unique experiential learning model, CCS hopes to contribute to furthering the city’s creative economy with its annual runway presentation. The Show brings together entrepreneurs, recruiters, tastemakers and industry professionals to showcase CCS’s fresh class of emerging designers.

Featuring capsule collections from a select group of senior, junior, sophomore and freshman students enrolled in the program, The Show presented a broad range of cutting-edge designs in apparel and accessories. This year, The Show’s media partner was SEEN Magazine.

The CCS Fashion Design Program, heralded as the largest and most equipped fashion accessory design department in the United States, was established a decade ago under the leadership of renowned footwear designer and Linda Dresner Endowed Chair in Fashion Design Aki Choklat. Thanks to the addition of Antwerp designer Rey Pador as associate professor and full-time faculty member, and countless contributions from the department’s dedicated faculty, the department has fully expanded to include Apparel Design, making it the robust program it is today.

The program has grown exponentially over the last ten years, equipping students with the tools they need to enter the job market through supplementary resources such as its Fashion Design Advisory Council. With representatives from Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Tapestry, Hermès, Caleres, Carhartt, CFDA and more, students have the opportunity to engage with these fashion houses and organizations through semester-long sponsored projects as well as jury evaluations twice per year. Looking ahead to the next decade, CCS announced last fall that they have submitted a fashion business management program for 2026 accreditation.

Designed in 1956 as part of Eero Saarinen’s mid-century modern campus, the GM Design Dome revolutionized the automotive industry, marking the first time cars were presented as works of art. Widely recognized today as a historical landmark representing architectural and automotive innovation, the Design Dome’s bold modern aesthetic aligns closely with The Show’s vision, putting designers at the start of their careers in front of a global audience.

SENIOR COLLECTIONS

Justin Hilberer

CCS Senior Justin Hilberer’s collection, Preservation, explores the concept of evolution, honing in on the adaptability of animals. Hilberer’s collection is reflective of how human beings emulate tactics of survival. Drawing parallels between brutalist architecture and cold, uncanny feelings associated with survival, he combines mixed metals, leather and animal fur, manipulating these materials into large, boxy shapes. Referencing how technological advancements by humans speed the process of everyday tasks, all pieces in Hilberer’s collection are meticulously hand-sewn. As a jewelry minor, he incorporates hammer-formed masks and neck pieces, as well as hand-spun chain mail to adorn many of the collection pieces.

Meka Johnson

Inspired by the seven deadly sins, CCS Senior Meka Johnson’s collection, Ambrose, is a gothic spin on wedding attire. Johnson has created seven elaborate gowns that personify each of the deadly sins, signifying their individual relationship to emotional betrayal. Primarily working with satin, tulle, crinoline and cotton, Johnson has fulfilled a need for garments that fall outside of traditional white wedding attire.

Jackie Kramer

CCS Senior Jackie Kramer weaves sacred geometry into every aspect of her final collection. Titled Courage is a Virtue, Kramer follows the parameters of the “golden mean,” or desirable middle ground between two extremes. For this collection, she utilizes leather and wood as her extremes. Every shape crafted into her accessories references geometry, with her primary shapes being a half circle, circle and triangle. She has ensured every piece has an intersection point between the wood and leather to create this middle ground. Her collection is grounded in the famous quote from Aristotle, “Courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible.”

Nick Madruga

Titled “BIONICK,” CCS Senior Nick Madruga’s collection pays homage to his younger self and his relationship with nature. Driven by what he refers to as “simple construction with interesting shapes,” Madruga’s design philosophy leads him to create larger-than-life silhouettes with unconventional, upcycled materials. All garments were constructed by hand and are complemented by custom 3D-printed shoes.

Morgan Novetsky

CCS Senior Morgan Novetsky’s senior accessories collection hones in on the concept of leaving a legacy. As many designers struggle with anxieties of being forgotten or not leaving an impact on such a saturated fashion industry, EMET-met explores these emotions that can hinder personal growth. With all shoes and bags made by hand, many pieces appear unfinished or peel back to reveal the technical process of shoe-making, showing how feelings of uncertainty can slow the path to success.

Bridget Weiss

CCS Senior Bridget Weiss’s technical approach to design led her to her collection thesis exploring the domination of technology and machines over nature, and how these man-made entities attempt to mimic qualities of living organisms. With nods to aquatic life in contrast to automotive construction, her collection, titled Seal the River at it’s Mouth Take the Water Prisoner, utilizes wood, leather and 3D-printed aluminum fixtures to create smooth, shiny textures that intersect with fluid movement.

Emma Wilson

Gaia Carnis, CCS Senior Emma Wilson’s final collection, represents parallels between the exploitation of women and nature, subverting the way both are traditionally perceived as beautiful. Wilson takes the romanticization of women throughout history and traditional gardens with reference to the Enlightenment era and spins them to the grotesque. Working with leather, transparent lamb skin, hair, possum fur and even worms, Wilson encourages viewers to find beauty in the less appealing facets of womanhood and nature.