CCS STUDENT REDEN LEE WINS 2026 DETROIT GRAND PRIX POSTER COMPETITION

DETROIT, Mich. (April 1, 2026) – Adding to the legacy of a long-standing tradition, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and the College for Creative Studies (CCS) selected the winning design of the annual Detroit Grand Prix Student Poster Competition on Tuesday, March 31. The artwork created by Reden Lee, a CCS Illustration major from South Korea, was chosen as the official poster for the 2026 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.

The 2026 design competition marks the 14th consecutive year of the collaboration between the Detroit Grand Prix and the College for Creative Studies, giving students at Detroit’s renowned art and design college the opportunity to create the official commemorative poster for the city’s annual summer racing festival in the heart of Downtown Detroit. The partnership underscores both organizations' shared commitment to creativity, innovation and community engagement.

“This partnership continues to showcase the powerful connection between creativity and motorsports in Detroit,” said Michael Montri, President of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. “Reden’s poster design captures the energy, the excitement and the sense of community that defines Grand Prix weekend in Downtown Detroit. Working with the College for Creative Studies allows us to give talented young artists a real world platform while celebrating the city, the tradition of the Grand Prix and the next generation of creative leaders in Detroit.”

The final judging of the annual student poster competition took place at the CCS A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education in Midtown Detroit, where a distinguished panel of judges selected Lee’s design as the 2026 winning entry from the five final contenders. The winning artwork will be refined over the next few weeks before the official poster design is revealed in early May.

Lee’s winning artwork captures the energy of racing on the Streets of Downtown Detroit through a bold, illustrative style that blends motorsports with the local community. Set against a stylized Detroit skyline with a warm, welcoming orange tone, the design features cars representing the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, surrounded by a lively, expressive crowd scene that reflects the excitement, diversity and personality of the Motor City.

“I wanted this poster to reflect the energy, warmth and sense of togetherness that make the Detroit Grand Prix special,” said Lee. “Even though I have never been to the race before, I was inspired by how people from so many different communities come together with friends, family and kids to experience the city and the race – I can’t to have that experience this year. The orange color represents that shared excitement, the warmth of late May and the feeling of everyone cheering and celebrating Detroit as one.”

Lee’s design was chosen as the 2026 winning poster entry in a close competition. The nine-member judging panel also selected the design that will be featured as the official poster for the 2027 Detroit Grand Prix. Created by CCS student Lauren McNair, the final 2027 Grand Prix poster design will be unveiled during the 2027 Detroit Auto Show in January. Among the five top entries that were presented during Tuesday’s judging, the artwork created by CCS students Abigail Ryan, Morgan Patterson and Angela Ortiz earned honorable mention recognition.

Thanks to a partnership between the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and Detroit Sports Media, each of the top five designers in this year's competition will receive a small scholarship in recognition of their outstanding work.

All five student finalists in the competition presented their poster designs to the judging panel on Tuesday as the aspiring artists each described their vision and process behind their creations. Judges included Montri, David Smith, Associate Professor of Transportation Design at CCS; Marc Mainville, Senior Design Manager, Racing and Defense for General Motors; Rena Grossman, Graphic Designer for Lear Corporation; Bobby Keyes, Vice President of Detroit Sports Media; Daniel Mears, photographer for the Detroit News, Carol Cain, columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Kellie Rowe, FOX2 Detroit reporter and Bud Denker, Chairman of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.

Grand Prix fans also played a role in the selection process. The five final poster designs were featured on Detroit Grand Prix social media platforms, with fan voting incorporated into the final evaluation.

Each spring, the poster competition is integrated into coursework for CCS students, challenging them to visually capture the excitement of racing while reflecting Detroit’s character and cultural identity. The five final entries this year were selected from the CCS Poster Illustration class, led by Professor and Department Chair of Illustration Don Kilpatrick. Based in Midtown Detroit, CCS is a nationally recognized art and design college that attracts top art and design talent, with the annual poster competition providing students a high profile platform to showcase their work through a real world professional experience.

This hands-on experience allows students to work with a real "client" and produce a final professional product. The competition not only fosters creativity but also upholds the Grand Prix's heritage of producing commemorative posters, a tradition dating back to the inaugural Detroit Grand Prix in 1982.

The 36th Grand Prix event in the City’s history will return to the 1.7-mile, nine-turn Streets of Downtown Detroit circuit that runs along the award-winning Detroit Riverwalk, May 29-31, 2026. With exciting viewing options and entertainment packages, fans can purchase tickets at www.DetroitGP.com/Tickets or through the event’s Ticket Hotline at 888-811-PRIX (7749).