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Deepa Butoliya Curates Motown Masala: Jugaad in the D

April 9, 2025
Motown Masala

Motown Masala: Jugaad in the D — Ingenuity and Resistance in Detroit, a community participatory exhibition and event series celebrating Detroit’s spirit of adaptive design, repair, and creative resilience, will be on view through May 9 at Red Door Digital in Detroit.

The exhibition, curated by Stamps Assistant Professor Deepa Butoliya and Ulysses Newkirk, showcases intuitive repair, adaptive design, and community innovation, highlighting Detroit’s resilience and resourcefulness. Visitors will experience how makers turn local resources into creative solutions, blending survival with creativity and resistance with joy.

Jugaad in the D — Ingenuity and Resistance in Detroit

Jugaad (pronounced joo-gaard) is a Hindi term that embodies the art of solving problems with whatever is at hand. More than just a practice, it is a mindset — a resilient way of life born from necessity and adversity. Around the world, this spirit of improvisation takes many names: System D, DIY, Gambiarra, Jury-rigging, Okuwangaala, Chabuduo.

It is also called ingenuity, hacking, bricolage, or making do — but at its core, it is about creativity in the face of constraints.

This exhibition celebrates Jugaad as a vital force in Detroit, showcasing the city’s culture of grassroots innovation and the power of collective resilience. Through resourcefulness and communal collaboration, Detroiters reimagine, rebuild, and resist.

Upcoming events include:

  • Online Panel — Ingenuity and Jugaad in Detroit: Crafting Sustainable Futures. Hear how Detroit’s creativity fuels resilience from artists, urban designers, musicians, and community leaders. April 9, 2024 @ 2:30 – 3:30 PM ET on Zoom.
  • Motown Masala Jugaad Lab Repair and Jugaad Days: Fix something and build a community around repair, reuse, and improvisation. Friday, April 4, and Friday, April 11 @ 6 – 8 pm.
  • Ceramics Glazing: Come and learn about the process of making Ceramics by Sean Green at Sean’s Studio @ Red Door, and take your own glazed mug! Friday, April 17 @ 4 – 6 pm.
  • Oral Histories and Futures: Let’s collect our stories and histories and imagine new futures. Co-hosted with North End Communications Mini-Conference. Friday, April 19 @ 4 – 6 pm.
  • Rocket Stoves and Dungies: Learn how to make Rocket Stoves from Cob and Metal with natural fuel. Taught by Deanne Bedner of Strawbale Studio. Friday, April 27 @ 4 – 7 pm.

Motown Masala: Jugaad in the D — Ingenuity and Resistance in Detroit
March 28 – May 9, 2025
Red Door Digital, 7500 Oakland Ave, Detroit, MI 48211