Where: Detroit, MI
At the intersection of community and creativity, discover Pony Ride, a vibrant collaborative artists’ and entrepreneurs’ co-op that is leading the charge to bring making back to Detroit. Founded by Slows BBQ front man, Phillip Cooley, the 30,000 square-foot building was a tax foreclosure purchase, which he transformed into a low-rent studio space for the city’s socially conscious makers. The goal: to nurture collaboration, invest in local entrepreneurship, and find the beauty in a really big foreclosed on building. Want to pay a visit? Meet the vendors now at STORY who call Pony Ride home and are using their hands to get Detroit back on its feet.
Detroit Denim: Raw, selvedge denim handmade by designer Eric Yelsma. From the denim and thread to the hardware, everything that goes into the jeans has been source in the US.
Smith Shop: A metalworking studio that produces quality, handcrafted metal work from rustic spatulas to rings, cuffs, and bangles that are shaped from salvaged masonry nails.
Kate Bordine Jewelry: Do what you love is wearable in handcrafted cuffs and necklaces made from salvaged materials and precious metals by this SCAD graduate.
Anthology Coffee: Craft coffee for the coffee-aficionado, this small-batch maker roasts single-origin coffee and takes care to get as close to the bean as possible.
Stukenborg Press: Discover your type at this craft printing studio, where printer Bryan Christopher Baker’s fresh take on letterpress includes work with lead and wood typography, hand-carved blocks, and photopolymer plates.