Shunsuke Iwai & Ben Matsuzaki
Community Revitalization
Friday, January 29, 2016
6:00 pm
In-person Event
Rackham Amphitheatre
Rackham Graduate School
915 E. Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Penny Stamps Speaker Series
Open to the public
Free of charge
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Special Event: Friday, January 29, 6 — 8 pm
Rackham Amphitheatre, 915 E. Washington St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109
With projects like Ishinomaki Laboratory, a furniture design collective, Shunsuke Iwai, creative director at a top global technology firm in California, and Ben Matsuzaki, President of Herman Miller Japan, work to collaborate on community-building initiatives in tsunami-hit Ishinomaki City. Even prior to the 2011 tsunami, Ishinomaki was a textbook example of a post-industrial city, suffering from a hollowed-out downtown, high unemployment, and a declining population. In their work, Iwai and Matsuzaki seek to capitalize on the recovery efforts, partnering with organizations working toward social, economic, and demographic reform to promote vocational education in art and design and local economic empowerment.
The program will include a discussion, led by Stamps Professor Nick Tobier, on the impact of art and design in promoting social and economic vitality in both Ishinomaki City and Detroit.
With support from the Center for Japanese Studies.
Video
Content Notice
In accordance with the University of Michigan’s Standard Practice Guidelines on Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression, the Penny Stamps Speaker Series does not censor our speakers or their content. The content provided is intended for adult audiences and does not reflect the views of the University of Michigan or Detroit Public Television.