Do you believe that arts and design-based projects can drive change in communities and address civic challenges? Do you have a great idea for a project that will improve the civic space in Philadelphia?

This design competition, run by the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics and the City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, will provide support to advance creative projects at the intersection of design, art, and public space. During the cycle, there will be approximately 7 grants, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. Funding for grants is made possible by the Knight Foundation and facilitated by CEOs for Cities.

Grant Awardees Will Receive:

• Financial support
• Project input from the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics and the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy

Eligibility:

• Groups/Individuals based in Philadelphia
• Groups/Individuals are not required to have 501(c)(3) status; groups/individuals without 501(c)(3) status will need a fiscal sponsor if a grant is awarded
• Groups/Individuals must have (or create) a project on the Change by Us PHL website
• Applicants must have a minimum of 10 members on their Change by Us project page
• Winning applicants will need to secure – as appropriate/necessary – permission, permits, and/or insurance for placements on public or private property
• Religious, fraternal, and partisan/political organizations are not eligible

For application and project requirements, how to apply, important dates, and more on the selection process, click here.

Applications due July 3, 2013.

Go to philly.changeby.us for information. Change by Us Philly is a web platform that allows people to share ideas, create projects, and discover resources that can make Philadelphia better. Through Change by Us PHL, Philadelphians can turn ideas for better public spaces into action.

AIGA Philadelphia is partnering up with Clean Currents, Kensington Renewal, and Delaware Valley Green Building Council to introduce Lots of Power, a new mentoring program where creative professionals team up with high school students to address vacant lots in Philadelphia. The goal is to find innovative design thinking solutions for vacant lots in Kensington. Philadelphia teens involved in local community programs will have the opportunity to work with design professionals from local studios, firms, agencies, universities and design students to get the full experience of using design thinking to impact their neighborhoods. Students will be matched up with professionals on a 1:1 basis.

“A major initiative for AIGA Philadelphia is something called, “Design for Good,” says Alex Zahradnik, Ethics Chair of the Board. The organization sees design as an agent of positive social change. “The designer’s natural ability for problem solving lends itself to creative solutions, creative strategy and information theory.” Design initiatives in the community such as this propose new challenges to designers.

Design has the power to have a positive impact. AIGA Philadelphia believes change has to move beyond awareness and inspire. Nick has spent much time working with non-profits and he believes that creating positive environments for communities helps foster a positive change in people. The importance of instilling the belief of change in the youth is an invaluable idea. “The visual and physical presence of the end result of a young person’s creativity in the community will help grow that belief,” he says.

Are you a creative professional or student who is interested in getting involved? There’s still time to sign up here – but hurry! The deadline is Friday, June 14th.

Starting Monday, June 10th, Hilary Jay will step into a new role as director of the Philadelphia Center for Architecture. As the Center’s first director, she will head the Center’s fundraising efforts and programming initiatives.

In addition, DesignPhiladelphia, of which Jay is the founding director of, will move from the University of the Arts to the Center for Architecture.  This year’s DesignPhiladelphia Festival, running October 10-18, 2013, will become a signature initiative of the Center, which serves as a hub for exploring design and the built environment for the public, civic leaders, and allied design professionals. The Center is also home to the AIA Bookstore & Design Center and the Community Design Collaborative.

“The selection of Hilary Jay as the Center for Architecture’s first director is a great step forward for our institution,” said Keith Mock, AIA, president of the Center for Architecture’s board of directors. “Hilary is highly respected by the City of Philadelphia and the region for her contributions to the Philadelphia cultural scene, as well her collaborations with allied design industries and the public who seek to promote and improve our built environment. We are thrilled that Hilary will lead our institution and accelerate our region’s growing interest and appreciation of the vibrant places where we live, work and play.”

Registration for the 2013 DesignPhiladelphia Festival is now open. Click here to participate.

The Hidden City Philadelphia Festival

When: Thursdays through Sundays, now until June 30th – 12:00 noon to 7:00pm

Tickets: Thursdays are FREE; Fridays through Sundays require purchasing a Festival Pass (1-day = $20, weekend = $40, all-Festival = $70)

Where: 9 sites throughout Philadelphia

Today starts the third weekend of the Hidden City Philadelphia Festival. If you haven’t been yet, don’t miss the opportunity! The Hidden City Philadelphia Festival celebrates the power of place through the imagination of contemporary artists, inspiring people to explore the city’s history and imagine new futures for our urban landscape. Artists of diverse disciplines and media create site-specific work that illuminates abandoned, obscure or inaccessible sites throughout the city. In all, there are 9 sites and really something for everyone.

Interested in interior design and color theory? Don’t miss Ruth Scott Blackson’s project “Through the Pale Door” at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.

A related event at the Athenaeum this evening from 5:30-6:30 pm Hilary Iris Lowe speaks on “Poe’s Rose Covered Cottage and Philadelphia’s Haunted Palaces” will interrogate the meaning of authors’ houses. She will explore what they can tell us about the literature that we love (or abhor), the places that inspire creativity, the process of making museums out of homes, the tensions between fiction and architectural preservation, and perhaps, most importantly, the literature that’s worth reading and remembering. The event is FREE, but reservations are encouraged.

FEATURED EXHIBIT

 Remnants of Everyday Life: Historical Ephemera in the Workplace, Street, and Home

When: now until October 13th – gallery open Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:45pm

Tickets: FREE

Where: The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Ephemera–in the form of playbills, ticket, forms, broadsides, and fliers–was destined to be filed away, thrown in the trash, or recycled. Its short life cycle was often belied, however, by its visual impact, created through judicious choices of typeface, color, and graphics. At work, at home, and on the streets, old and young, rich and poor participated in a vibrant popular culture whose medium was printed ephemera.­

This exhibit explores the stories behind the production means, dissemination, and preservation of these mesmerizing bits and pieces, and shows how their evolution, while being intrinsically tied to changes in mass production technologies, corresponded with shifts in cultural values and priorities.

“Design Happenings” is a new feature on our blog where we’ll highlight local “can’t miss” design-related events and exhibitions each week. Would you like us to consider your event or exhibition? Send the goods and we’ll check it out!

Call for Entries

The Festival has a theme this year, EXPERIENCEdesign! This is your chance to show how design can be experiential, spark emotions, evoke strong memories and create lasting connections. Your event should allow Festival-goers to engage their senses. Create opportunities to see, touch, smell, hear, or feel the design that surrounds us all.

Registration is now open

We are now accepting event registrations for the 2013 DesignPhiladelphia Festival. This year the Festival will kick off with a cocktail party and benefit the evening of October 9th. Festival events can be scheduled Thursday, October 10th through Friday, October 18th. Go here to learn about participation requirements and to download the 2013 Participation Guide, which includes event guidelines, participation levels and fees, as well as instructions on how to register your event. We’ve also included FAQs there as well.

Remember, the deadline to participate is midnight, July 19th

We’re here to help! If you have any questions along the way, feel free to email Nova Harris.

Krasnopolski’s posters are the latest to crop up in the meme’s short but copious history. The typical minimalist poster combines movie iconography and a pared-down midcentury aesthetic, something we’ve seen again and again and again. But don’t roll your eyes just yet. Krasnopolski’s designs are not just more of the same.

His posters have a unique graphic language to them. With circle and line, Krasnopolski defines a system that is capable of referencing many movies. He admits that at times the viewer would require prior knowledge of the film to understand them. Krasnopolski tells, “Don’t expect every theme to be, well, abundantly clear.” The obscurity he presents to the viewer is both profound and mind-boggling.

Click here to read more.

The University of the Arts: School of Design Final Exhibition – May 11-17, 2013

The UArts School of Design will be having a final exhibition of their best senior and master’s studio work. It will include pieces from students graduating from the BFA in Graphic Design, BFA in multimedia, BS in Industrial Design, and MFA in Museum Exhibition Planning & Design programs.

You are all invited to attend!

Saturday, May 11th through Friday, May 17th – 9am-5pm – Design Exhibit – Center for Architecture

Saturday, May 11th – 6pm-9pm – Exhibition Opening Reception – Center for Architecture

Monday, May 13th  – 4:00-9:00pm – Design Portfolio Reviews with Professionals Night – Design Marketplace

For more information and to RSVP, visit: uartsperspectives2013.eventbrite.com

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The 2013 DesignPhiladelphia Festival is slated for October 10th through the 18th. Mark your calendars and make sure you join our mailing list to receive the most up-to-date Festival announcements and schedules.

EXPERIENCE design!

This year’s theme, EXPERIENCE design! will spark emotions and engage the senses. There will be opportunities to see, touch, smell, hear, and feel the design that surrounds us.

PARTICIPATE!

Event creators, put on your thinking caps! The deadline for the 2013 Festival participation is July 26, 2013. We will be issuing a call for entries as well as a participation guide in early June. Based on this year’s theme, EXPERIENCE design! you are encouraged to consider the role that design plays in our everyday lives, its ability to engage the senses, and create  meaningful experiences.

 ABOUT THE DESIGNPHILADELPHIA FESTIVAL

 A LOOK BACK AT THE 2012 DESIGNPHILADELPHIA FESTIVAL

ArtsTech Philly Presents The Art of Fashion Meets Technology

ArtsTech Philly teams up with FashionTechPHL and several local innovators in the field of fashion and tech to curate a panel on the intersection of fashion and technology to present The Art of Fashion Meets Technology. The meetup takes place as part of Philly Tech Week.

There is a growing relationship between technology, fashion, science, and design interests in Philadelphia and this panel will be an open discussion exploring those local relationships and projects.

How have image-based social networks changed the way consumers relate to fashion brands? What technological innovations are taking place in fashion? Has the rise in tech and fashion collaborations given birth to a new movement of wearable technology? Where is fashion and tech intersecting in Philadelphia and what opportunities exist?

These questions and more will be answered as the panelists and audience discuss this landscape together. The panel will be moderated by FashionTechPHL’s Nelly Arnold. Click here to register.

Friday, April 26th

6:00pm – 9:00pm

James Oliver Gallery

723 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA

ArtsTech Philly and YAF Present Architect Eric Cory Freed: Attack of the Dodo Sapiens

ArtsTech Philly, in collaboration with Young Architects Forum, presents “Attack of the Dodo Sapiens: Innovative New Models for Sustainable Development”, a talk by Eric Cory Freed about biomimicry and its applications to sustainable architecture.

“Our way of life is killing us. Our cities, buildings and surroundings have been designed around abundant and cheap oil, but now we have painted ourselves into a corner and are stuck there. The next generation of buildings will have to do better than just energy efficiency and recycled materials. Our lack of foresight has made our building toxic, wasteful and unaffordable. In order to undo the damage of the past, we need innovative, new models for how to build deep green, bio-based buildings. By examining the emotional, psychological and financial reasons why we build we find new and better arguments for greening buildings. With this talk we will learn how to use biomimicry and organic principles as a guide, teaching us how to transform our built environments through bio inspired design and design solutions modeled on designs found in nature.” – excerpt from Freed.

Tuesday, April 23rd

6:30 – 9:30pm

Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts

211 S. Broad Street, Room 513, Philadelphia PA 19102