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 …
I first saw Ric Bixter’s work with these rubber band boxes he designed for a school project. The assignment was to go into a store and find an object to repackage in an interesting and creative way. Not only is the text on the boxes amusing, the shape of the boxes varies, based on the …
IDEO is a design and innovation firm from Palo Alto, and they’re doing fantastic things. Courtesy of IDEO One of their designs that I’ve used is the Node Chair, which they designed for Steelcase. Teaching styles and technologies in a classroom have changed dramatically in the past hundred years, but most classrooms look much as they would …
Art Downtown: Emily Blocker I stopped in at the CODA gallery during Art Downtown and saw two of Emily’s pieces. I’d seen this top one before in the Kendall Viewbook when I was applying last year, and I’ve seen her work a few times around school. I’ve always admired her intricate work with charcoal—something I’ve …
My Friday night was all about Art Downtown, a yearly event in Grand Rapids. All of the art galleries on South Division are open, and various art organizations in the community hold their own shows as well. One of the main attractions of the event this year was Site:Lab, a mix of performance art and …
I saw Fredy Santiago’s work in Trophy Room, a show at Kendall College of Art and Design, and I really liked it. I think I was drawn to it because it stood out from other work I see around the school, using such bright colors and painting on wood panel. I went to his website …
Siobhan Gallagher is a graphic designer and illustrator, and she’s pretty great. I first saw her work on Tumblr, with a set of playing cards. I love the way each card has its own personality, instead of having all the kings, queens, and jacks look the same. The colors are different from card to card, …
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 …
Several years ago, in a bout of contemplating my future and where I wanted my future to occur, I stumbled upon a variety of people who were doing really interesting things in Detroit. One such group was Design 99. Seven years ago, Mitch, a painter, and Gina, an architect, moved into a neighborhood in Detroit …
Marc Newson is a pretty big deal.He’s a $1.5 million Lockheed Lounge kind of big deal. I’m amazed by him, not by his designs (although they are amazing) but by the influence he’s had over contemporary design and the size of his career, overall. Everything he touches turns futuristic and otherworldly, and that’s the same aesthetic …