Fri, Sep 04
|The River Trail
Global Diasporas, Local Design Culture
The First City of Design Conversation Series on Multi-National Creative Experiences, Moderated by Writer Stefan Novakovic
Time & Location
Sep 04, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The River Trail, 9301 Kercheval, Detroit, MI
About the event
Artists, architects and designers with multi-national backgrounds and experiences talk about how design and creativity comes from embracing a mix of cultures and backgrounds while remaining rooted in local communities.
Featured Panelists:
Romeo Okwara: Nigerian-born, Detroit-based artist and fine art photographer, formerly played as a defensive end for the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
Farida Abu-Bakare: Toronto-based architect and curator, serving as Head of Global Practice at New York-based WXY Architecture.
Quan Thai: Detroit-based, Toronto-raised designer, artist and founder of Never Only Architecture. Thai currently teaches architecture at Michigan’s Lawrence Technical University.
Stefan Novakovic: Born in Prague, Stefan is a Toronto-based writer and editor specializing in architecture and urbanism, and a co-founder of Expo Magazine.
Rain Location:
Middle Gray
1548 Belvidere Street, Detroit, MI 48214
UN SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
We use Detroit's UNESCO City of Design designation as a call to action for Detroiters to embrace the Sustainable Development Goals in their own communities, contributing to the active effort of solving global interconnected issues.