There are two topics that I’ve been hearing about frequently, and I’m fascinated by the different ways we’re handling them. The first is design as empathy, and the second is information overload. Susan Szenasy discussed both of these in her talk at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, on Friday, May 9. …
Last weekend I went to Design For Good, which was hosted by AIGA West Michigan at Grid 70. The basis of the event was this: For one weekend, designers and copywriters and web developers get together and use their skills to help out a local nonprofit. Seems great, right? I worked with the Greater Grand …
On March 27, Sir Ken Robinson spoke at Grand Valley State University as a part of their community reading project, where students and faculty were encouraged to read his book, The Element. Robinson started by talking about his own experience with education, saying that he went to college at a time when college led straight …
Design/Educate/Connect partners with the GRAM to showcase local entrepreneurs who bridge the gap between design and business. On Friday night, the third annual D/E/C event featured seven business owners. One defining characteristic of D/E/C is the fact that the interviewees are interviewed by people who they know well – often colleagues, friends, or partners. The …
In 2007, Paul Amenta was looking for a way to give his sculpture students some experience outside the classroom. To do this, he started SiTE:LAB, which was then called ActiveSite, to use empty, but architecturally intriguing spaces as homes for one-night art shows. SiTE:LAB Workflow, as a part of Art Downtown, will be the third …
I went to Kendall’s fashion show, Bodies of Art, on Friday. It was fantastic. Everything was made out of paper, which made it even more impressive. I’m amazed at the things everyone created out of just paper. Congratulations to everyone involved, you’ve all done so well.
Graphic Design: Now in Production opened at Kendall and the GRAM on Thursday night. I went to both portions of the exhibit, and it’s pretty fantastic. If you have even a mild interest in Graphic Design, it’s worth a visit. It was curated in collaboration with the Walker Art Center and the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design …
Photo Credit: Mr.Stonebender Thursday night at Kendall’s old/new Federal Building, Design West Michigan hosted a panel discussion with Andrew Blauvelt and Joseph Rosa, with Susan Szenasy moderating. The topic was “The Difference Between Art and Design” and a little bit of what they discussed was on topic, the rest was tangentially related. They arrived on …
TEDxGR was this past Thursday, and I happened to be there as a volunteer. Most of what I saw were the exhibits and lunch that happened at Kendall, but I got to watch a few talks on the video feed as well. Steelcase sponsored an exhibit of their furniture arranged in sitting areas, with their …
In my search for interesting bits of art and design, I stumbled upon Kendall College of Art and Design’s fashion show; Bodies of Art. I’m not much of a fashion person, so I didn’t know what to expect. Before the show started, I had a chance to look at some drawings by designers, explaining what …