Detroit, MI, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The College for Creative Studies (CCS), a leading institution in art and design, today announced its Winter 2026 programming, a four-month series of exhibitions, lectures, and showcases exploring sustainability, material innovation, and the evolving role of designers in shaping the future. From alumni exhibitions and international collaborations, the season highlights how CCS is preparing the next generation of artists and designers to integrate environmental responsibility and creative innovation across disciplines.
“We’re excited to share a season that reflects the energy and purpose driving art and design education today,” said Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies. “Our students, alumni, and faculty are thinking critically about sustainability, materials, and impact as core to the creative process. This programming shows how art and design can drive change in Detroit and around the world.”
WINTER 2026 PROGRAMMING
Valade Speaker Series: In the Realm of Lightning, Rajni Perera & Nep Sidhu
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 5:30–7 p.m.
Wendell W. Anderson, Jr. Auditorium (301 Frederick St)
As part of the Valade Speaker Series, the College for Creative Studies presents an intimate conversation with artists Rajni Perera and Nep Sidhu. Drawing from their working-class migrant backgrounds, the duo will discuss their shared creative trajectory and the intersection of spiritual community and cosmic mythmaking that defined their landmark 2021 collaborative exhibition, In the Realm of Lightning. The artists will explore their unique approach to materials and form, offering insight into their practices as both individual creators and lifelong collaborators.
Toyota Lecture Series: Industry EXPOsion
Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 4–9 p.m.
Wendell W. Anderson, Jr. Auditorium (201 E Kirby)
CCS’s popular multi-day lecture series brings nationally recognized artists and designers to Detroit for public presentations, coinciding with Industry Day, when Entertainment Arts and Illustration students showcase their graduating work to industry professionals and recruiters. The well-attended event offers public access to both established creative leaders and emerging student talent. Speakers include Rachelle Baker, Brandon Bidleman, Gian Galang, Eric Goldberg, Charlie Griak, Andrés Parada, and Lydia Zanotti.
Echoes: CCS Alumni Voices in Clay
Friday, March 20 – Saturday, April 18, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, March 20, 5–8 p.m.
Center Galleries (301 Frederick St)
Echoes gathers work by CCS Ceramics alumni whose practices continue to expand the field of contemporary ceramics. The exhibition demonstrates how their approaches reflect both continuity and change, shaped in part by their CCS education but equally by the personal experiences, cultural influences, and creative communities that inform their work today.
Woodward Lecture Series: Adebunmi Gbadebo in Conversation with Ashara Ekundayo
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 5:30–7 p.m.
Wendell W. Anderson, Jr. Auditorium (301 Frederick St)
Adebunmi Gbadebo’s practice engages with the histories embedded in land, material, and matter, using her work as a form of living archive. In this Woodward Lecture Series conversation, curator Ashara Ekundayo will explore how uncovering these traces allows her to connect with memory, ancestry, and the stories carried within the land itself. This conversation is presented in partnership with Artist As First Responder.
An Evening with Photographer Paul Mobley, ‘83 Photography: In Conversation with President Don Tuski
Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 5:30–7 p.m.
Wendell W. Anderson, Jr. Auditorium (201 E Kirby)
CCS will host an inspiring evening with photographer and alumnus Paul Mobley, featuring an original talk on his work and career and an audience Q&A. This lecture is supported by Fujifilm and will include representatives on site throughout the evening to showcase exciting products and answer questions.
Woodward Lecture Series: Loris Gréaud
Monday, April 6, 2026 | 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
General Motors Auditorium, Taubman Center for Design Education (460 W. Baltimore)
Loris Gréaud is an internationally acclaimed artist whose practice constructs immersive environments that blur the boundaries between fiction and reality, collapsing physical and mental spaces through elements such as rumor, poetry, architecture, and self-negation. In this talk, Gréaud will discuss his broader body of work, while focusing on CORTICAL, an ongoing cycle developed in collaboration with international partner institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Petit Palais, the MAH in Geneva, and the Théâtre du Châtelet.
About the College for Creative Studies
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Department of Education to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS, named an Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications, fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, including transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.
- In The Realm of Lightning, 2021
- Gian Galang, UFC 281, 2022