DETROIT MONTH OF DESIGN • Detroit, MI • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026
Surface Tension: A Community Gathering Anchored in Public Art
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from panel to party
Join us for a panel discussion hosted by Progressive Companies featuring local artists and urban design professionals, followed by a block party hosted by Coltrane Events. Together, we’ll celebrate the neighborhood's culture and stories through public art.
This event is a social, grounded neighborhood experience. Move at your own pace between conversation, murals, art, and food. Enjoy local vendors and food trucks throughout the evening alongside artists, residents, and designers.
Milwaukee Junction is a neighborhood in motion, and its future is created here, together. See you there!
September 22, 2026
4:00 - 11:00pm
The Lineup
4-5pm Happy hour with music, food trucks, and cash bar
5-6pm Panel discussion hosted by Progressive Companies
6-11pm Block party hosted by Coltrane Events featuring live DJs, food, artists, vendors, games, and surprises throughout the night
Chroma Detroit
2937 E. Grand Blvd
Detroit, MI 48202
Panel Discussion by Progressive Companies
This cross-disciplinary panel brings together grassroots artists and urban design professionals for a candid conversation about the role public art plays in placemaking. Together, the panelists will explore how art and design can work hand in hand to build cities that honor their history while making room for who comes next.
Featuring Local Artists and Urban Design Professionals
Brittany Simmons
Urban Planner, Storyteller
OHM Advisors
Dr. Hubert Massey
Muralist
Ivan Montoya
Painter and Muralist
Kara Elliott-Ortega
Cultural Organizer and Strategist, Senior Program Manager
The Kresge Foundation
Join us in Milwaukee Junction
Come for the conversation. Stay for the live entertainment. The future of Milwaukee Junction is created here, together.
Register for the event below!
About Progressive Companies
Progressive Companies is a multidisciplinary national design firm connecting people, places and communities through transformative spaces, structures, pathways, and environments. We believe innovation is more than leading with the best technologies and latest trends – it’s a creative process beginning with curiosity and diving deep into understanding your world. As problem-solvers, our team of designers, architects, consultants, engineers, and strategists enthusiastically work alongside you to envision a bold, new future.
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