PLAYGROUND DETROIT is an art gallery and creative talent agency.
Our mission is to create opportunities for artists and creative professionals to support and develop Detroit’s creative economy.
Services include artwork sales, private and corporate commissions, artist management and development, arts advocacy and special projects curation.
PLAYGROUND DETROIT and our partners bolster the local creative economy and connect artists, collectors, businesses and community through arts and culture. We consider artists as professionals and gauge our success by the successes of those we work with
Our Values
Accessibility: We provide a space that is welcoming to all community members and accessible across race, gender, class, sexuality and ability.
Community: We cultivate connectivity in the community by providing engaging programming and offering a public gathering space.
Integrity: We lead with transparency and honesty and follow ethical standards in our business practices and communications.
Relationships: We pride ourselves on forging and maintaining deep relationships with individuals and organizations in the community.
Gallery Accessibility Information
PLAYGROUND DETROIT is welcome to anyone and everyone. We provide a space that is welcoming to all community members and accessible across race, gender, class, sexuality and ability.
Our public exhibitions and programming are free and open to the public during regular operating hours and/or by appointment. Opening Receptions and private events may require RSVP to attend, attendance is based on capacity.
Our space is intimate, and our staff is available to assist as you enter and throughout your visit. To contact our staff about accessibility or questions, please email info@playgrounddetroit.com
Hours: Current hours are by appointment weekly during active exhibitions, we are open from Thursday-Saturday 12-5pm, or by request.
Getting Here
We are located at 2845 Gratiot Ave on the northwest side of Gratiot Ave/M3 between Chene St and Joseph Campau St.
Parking: Street parking (free) is available on both sides of Gratiot Ave and along the surrounding side streets (Grandy St, Pierce St and Joseph Campau St). Please be careful when parking on Gratiot Ave and getting in and out of vehicles as traffic does not stop. There is no crosswalk assisting visitors who park on the southeast side of Gratiot Ave.
There are a limited number of parking spaces available directly behind our building off of Pierce St. Please only park on the left side, facing the fence and side lot as we share parking with neighbors. This parking is on gravel where pieces can be large and loose. It connects to a paved patio and our step-free backdoor. Please note, public guest entry is through the front door along Gratiot Avenue.
Bus: We recommend taking the DDOT Gratiot bus (Route 6) to the stop at Gratiot & Joseph Campau. You can also take the Chene bus (Route 52) to Chene & Erskine and travel 0.2 miles East on Erskine to Grandy to Gratiot. If you exit the bus on the southeast side of Gratiot, please be careful crossing as there is no crosswalk. These bus stops currently do not have bus shelters. MetroLift, DDOT’s paratransit service, can provide door-to-door drop offs near our location. Rides must be scheduled ahead of time.
Bike: At this time there is no secure bike parking near our building.
Sidewalks: The Gratiot sidewalks are wide, intact, and connected with curb cuts. Sidewalks on the surrounding streets (Grandy St, Pierce St & Joseph Campau St) are broken and overgrown in some areas.
About the Space
Our space is on the first floor of a renovated building that was once Glees Exchange, a hardware store with an above apartment by John Glees. It can be segmented into three parts: the front/main gallery, kitchen & restroom, and back patio. There is a small staff-only loft in the main gallery.
Entrance: Our entrance is step-free, where the door opens 33 inches wide with a lever handle. Staff are typically visible and available to assist as you enter. Please note public guest entry is through the front door along Gratiot Avenue.
Additional Doors: There is a 60 inch wide sliding door between the main gallery space and the kitchen & restroom. This door is typically kept open. The restroom door has a 33 inch wide opening. The back door leading to the patio is original to the building, and 38 inches wide with no steps.
Restrooms: Our restrooms are fully ADA accessible. The door has a 33 inch wide opening and a lever handle. There are two grab rails on the wall to the left of the toilet, and one behind. We have scent free soap available.
Water: We have two ADA compliant water fountains between the kitchen and the restroom available for visitors. During exhibition openings and programming, we typically keep a pitcher of water available.
Seating: We keep two backless benches out in the gallery during exhibition hours. One is typically kept at the front near the door. The benches are clear and made from thick durable plastic where staff can assist if you’d like them moved. We also have folding chairs available upon request.
Environment: Our floors are non-glare dark stained wood with white walls and very high ceilings. The intimate size of the space and tall ceilings mean that sounds such as footsteps and voices carry during busy times.
Lighting: Our main gallery space is often bright with both natural light and a LED track lighting system. Lightbulbs are often tilted to highlight both the artwork and our space. The track lights use dimmer switches, so if you’d like us to adjust the lighting please alert staff. Our kitchen and bathroom spaces use overhead fluorescent lights that are typically kept on. The back patio is lit at night.
Hallways: The narrowest hallway measures 40.5 inches. This is between the kitchen & restroom.
Service Animals: We welcome service animals in our space. There are grass lots surrounding our building for animals to use. Please alert staff if you need support with a seat and space for your animal to do their job.
Back patio: The patio is accessible through the exit door in the back of the building. The door is extra wide and step-free. The back patio is covered, paved and lit at night. There is informal seating available on the patio. Please alert staff if you’d like a folding chair.
COVID-19 Considerations: Our space is cleaned regularly and we follow guidelines created by the State of Michigan and the C.D.C. We strongly recommend the use of masks in our space, and have sanitizers near the entrance. We have extra masks on site.
Exhibition Openings
Openings can be well attended with a steady stream of people coming and going throughout the evening. This means that our space may be both louder and busier than during regular exhibiting hours. Depending on the exhibition or programming, music may be playing through speakers. If you are someone who can feel anxiety and experiences sensory overload, we recommend making an appointment to visit at a quieter time.
Beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, may be served, donations are welcome. Water is always available on-site for free, and there are two public drinking fountains (ADA) available.