09.10.05
William Drenttel | Essays

Katrina: Designer News & Resources (09.10 Update)

This updates our efforts to support relief initiatives for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Regular posts to Design Observer have been greatly reduced, and may be infrequent in the coming weeks. The American contributors will be in Boston most of next week at the AIGA conference in Boston, where we are running panels with disaster victims, and managing many online initiatives. We ask your understanding: however, please visit regularly as we will be continually updating the site as we can, both with new posts and disaster relief news.

Behind the scenes we have been coordinating the consolidation of efforts between AIGA, Displaced Designer, Speak Up and Design Observer. As of Saturday 09.10, Displaced Designer will become the primary site, in conjunction with AIGA, for the collection of help-needed and offers-of-help, and their public display online. Design Observer is contributing news and other resource information at both Displaced Designer and AIGA sites. Speak Up editor Armin Vit will be moderating some discussions at the blog on Displaced Designer.

In addition to working directly with many victims, the AIGA has updated its site with news, articles, resources and links, as well as its collaboration with Displaced Designer. Visit homepage for AIGA relief efforts and information here.

On a personal note, Winterhouse is working with a number of designers with specific needs. We are moving a graphic designer and a jewelry designer from their resettlement location in Oklahoma to northwest Connecticut (and they immediately need winter clothes, work, rent, computers, supplies, money). Our efforts will expand in the coming week as more resources become available. We have established a non-profit fund with our local community foundation so that we can accept donations. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is a highly reputable foundation, and will administer and control use of funds. (Make checks out to the Berkshire Taconic Katrina Emergency Fund, and mail to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 271 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Form for credit card donations directly into the Berkshire Taconic Katrina Emergency Fund at BTCF can be found here.)

We are also helping a designer get from Baton Rouge to the AIGA conference in Boston next week, both to be there as a spokesperson for displaced designers and to help her get reconnected with design community as she sorts out her future. Plane ticket is $600. If someone wants to step up to the plate to fund this support of one designer, a donation of $600 can be made directly to AIGA. [Donation as been made by a fellow designer. Thank you.]

A final personal note today. We have dealt with almost hundred people in the past week, many of whom have been working around the clock. If I may, I'd like to name a few names. Behind many of these people and firms are entire teams; there are also many whom I will have inadvertantly omitted. Their contributions should be acknowledged here as well, even if their names do not appear. Thank you. (Aabalone Red, Michael Bierut, Thiago Demello Bueno, Chopping Block, Liz Danzico, Dorothy Dunn, David Gibson, Ric Grefe, Bill Grant, Geoff Halber, Jessica Helfand, Steve Heller, Marshall Jones, Elizabeth Law, Doug Lloyd, Suzan Matherne, Chandler McWilliams, Jaye Parrish, Rick Poynor, Todd Pruzan, Sam Shelton, Terry Stone, Armin Vit, Alissa Walker, Kenneth White, Alec Wiggin, Gail Wiggin, Denise Wood. List very much in formation and very incomplete.)




Comments [1]

Currently, I am teaching graphic design and typography at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. I am in talks with adminstration to create a distance learning course for those in need of furthering the education they've begun. Designers/students interested should reach me via phone. My number can be found at the UNCC directory page under Tselentis.

UNCC Art Directory
Jason Tselentis
09.10.05
05:01


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