DETROIT (WXYZ) — The College for Creative Studies in Detroit is preparing for its 100th annual Student Exhibition Opening, featuring over 3,000 pieces ranging from transportation design to illustration and fashion.
Watch the video report below:
The exhibition, which opens Friday evening, showcases the diverse talents of CCS students while giving them an opportunity to display and sell their artwork.
"I'm just really excited. It's been a lot of work. It's been like four years of really hard work and late nights," said Luke Farewell, a graduating senior and illustrator.
Farewell is showcasing his vibrant paintings in this year's exhibition, marking his first time having a dedicated wall for his artwork.
"I like to paint what I love. So I paint people, musicians and authors, and my friends and such," Farewell said.
"It's really been historically a really important night for our students," CCS President Donald Tuski said. "We've had students make $4,000 or $5,000, depending on what they sell, and some students really do well."
Tuski emphasized that 100% of the proceeds from sales goes directly to the students.
The exhibition honors CCS alumni as well, showcasing products they had a hand in designing in their professional art careers, from everyday brands such as Puma, Owala and Trek.
"Probably many of your viewers, if not all of your viewers, have come in contact with the work of a CCS alumni or a student. Whether it’s a car, a product, a piece of clothing, pair of shoes, something in a movie or a game design, because those are all the things that we teach our kids to do," Tuski said.
Web extra: Illustration Chair Don Kilpatrick talks about the Student Exhibition Opening
Graduating senior Zahraa Al-Tweej studied product design at CCS and is among the students displaying their work. Her exhibit includes concepts, ideas and a product she designed for a local business.
"I actually just finished an internship from a local start-up company here called Mark it Fresh in Detroit. We designed a tote bag for her company, and it's a modular tote bag that has insulation, very organized compartments," Al-Tweej said.
Web extra: Zahraa Al-Tweej walks us through her exhibit
Al-Tweej looks forward to sharing her art with the community.
"Not only is it designing beautiful things for our world and our community, but it is changing your experiences, it's storytelling, it's your daily routines — that's what art is to me and that's what product design is to me," Al-Tweej said.
The exhibition opens Friday at 6 p.m. and is being held at The A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education and the Walter and Josephine Ford Campus, which are accessible via campus shuttle. Tickets are required for the opening night.
The event will be free and open to the public starting Saturday until May 30. For a look at ticket information and event hours, visit the CCS website.
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