“Rehab Addict” Nicole Curtis Is Secretly Building Houses in Detroit
Ahead of her scheduled talk at this year's edition of TEDxDetroit, home renovation expert Nicole Curtis — best known for...
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.
Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.
Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.
His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
Czech Sound Artist Brings Her Bohemian Cristal Instrument to Detroit
Meta Stange As a child, Czech sound artist and songwriter Lenka Morávková loved the sound of breaking glass. Once she discovered its artistic...
From South London to Detroit: Jordan Rakei Talks Motown Influences Ahead of El Club Show
Jordan Rakei is a singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who has become a key cog in South London’s jazz and neo-soul scenes ever...
Coup D’Etat Brings Contemporary Women’s Lifestyle Shop to New Center
Sal Rodriguez Inside the Albert Kahn-designed Cadillac Place building in the city's New Center neighborhood, there's a new shop opening...
Founders Owner: Firing “Has Nothing To Do” With Former Employee’s Race
Update, Nov. 1, 2019: Founder's has settled the racial discrimination case with plaintiff Tracy Evans, with neither party admitting fault....
Motown Musician Accelerator Connects Emerging Artists with Industry
Musicality attracted Suai Kee to the artistry of Kaleb the Intern, a 23-year-old emerging producer in Detroit, who has gained...
Fired Founders Employee Speaks: “Racism is Nothing New to People of Color”
LaToya Cross One of the biggest stories to come out of Michigan’s craft beer industry has nothing to do with...
Detroit Fashion Brand Eat Da Rich’s Simone Else Opens Haunted Boutique for One Night Only
Simone Else / Eat Da Rich There’s great visual art, theatre and music in this city, but we don’t always...
Pigeonholed: Detroit’s Rashaun Rucker Explores Marginalized People, Animals in New Art Exhibit
Rashaun Rucker On their own, Rashaun Rucker's large-scale drawings are intricately crafted works of art that stand out for their...
Your Guide to Sensory-Friendly Spaces for Autistic Kids in Metro Detroit
In 2018, Dionne O’Dell attended The Big Umbrella Festival in New York, a festival that welcomed artists who shared an interest...
Detroit Lifestyle Blogger and Hijabi Model Tells All in ‘Unashamed’ Memoir
Divorce and anger prompted Leah Vernon, a Detroit fashion blogger and lifestyle model, to pen "Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim." “Put trauma...
Indigenous Musician Jeremy Dutcher Brings Award-Winning First Nations Music to Detroit
Ryan Patrick Hooper In 2018, indigenous Canadian musician Jeremy Dutcher released the Polaris-prize winning album "Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa," a collection of post-classical...