About us
Celebrating Detroit's Creativity through Resilience
Motown Masala is a unique design exhibition celebrating the rich tapestry of Detroit's ingenious maker community. We are thrilled to invite you to participate in Motown Masala: "Jugaad in the D—Ingenuity and Resistance in Detroit," an exhibition celebrating the creative spirit of making, modifying, and mending in urban communities. Curated by Deepa Butoliya and Ulysses Newkirk, this exhibition will take place from March 28th to April 25th, 2025, at Red Door Digital, 7500 Oakland Ave, Detroit, MI 48211.
This exhibition explores the ingenuity of intuitive repair, adaptive design, and community-driven innovation, highlighting how Detroit’s material culture reflects resilience and resourcefulness. We are gathering makers, modifiers, and menders who transform locally available resources into solutions, blending survival with creativity and resistance with joy.
If you are interested in participating, please reach out to us at [email protected] and [email protected] to discuss further details.
Our mission
Celebrating diverse creativity through community-driven design and cultural collaboration.
Jugaadologists and Co-Curators
Ulysses Newkirk
Ulysses is a creative officer at Red Door Digital, a graphic communication service provider focusing strongly on digital and digital offset print. He is also a self-declared black unicorn who brightens the North End Community daily with his joy in creating community-oriented design efforts. Reach out at [email protected]
Deepa Butoliya
Dr. Deepa Butoliya is an assistant professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. Her work investigates the connection between grassroots ingenuity and design as an expression of survival, resilience, and resistance and resistance. Reach out at [email protected]