11 Days of Design Happenings Featured at DESIGN WEEK RI in Providence this September
Providence, RI (PRWEB) August 30, 2014 -- Celebrating design and the Rhode Island design community, the first DESIGN WEEK RI takes place September 17 – 27, 2014 and will bring nationally recognized speakers and local Rhode Island design super stars together in a week filled with talks, showcases, tours, parties and more. DESIGN WEEK RI is being organized by a dynamic partnership of design associations and design leaders in RI.
DESIGN WEEK RI is the first event to bring together design happenings and activities that showcase the innovative and economic impact of design practices across the state. Bookended by three design conferences, two of which happen every year in Providence, the 11+ days of design happenings include the 4x4 Speaker Series, happening four days in a row at 4:00 pm at Aurora in downtown Providence; an EAT AND SPEAK Lunch Series, with walking tours, panel discussions and talks hosted by designers and design organizations throughout the state; and Open Firms Night, featuring clusters of design firms opening their studios for wine, cheese and conversation in communities throughout Rhode Island, currently including downtown Providence, the Jewelry District, Pawtucket and Warren. The DESIGN WEEK RI Keynote Speaker, hosted by RISD, will deliver a talk at RISD Auditorium. And a celebration of the newly established RI Design Hall of Fame and the first year honorees will happen at a Gala fundraiser and party during the week. The events showcase all disciplines of design.
The week is being organized by DESIGNxRI, an initiative spun out of RI Foundation’s Make It Happen RI that is working to showcase the vast design talent in the state, in partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design, The City of Providence, AIGA - the professional association for design, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects (RI Chapters), A Better World by Design, Jamestown Arts Center and RallyRI.
"Since our founding in 1877, Rhode Island School of Design has been an advocate and vital resource for advancing the role of art and design in innovation and economic development. We're pleased to be partnering with DESIGNxRI to continue this work, to engage our community, and to help build Rhode Island's economic and cultural future,” said Bethany Costello, Associate Director, Community Relations at Rhode Island School of Design.
“We are really excited about the energy and participation of so many partners, and design hosts,” stated Libby Slader, a co-founder of DESIGNxRI and principal of Libby Slader Interior Design. “The collaboration of those helping to organize events during this week is representative of the plentiful and growing design sector in our state. DESIGN WEEK RI will more than showcase our vast design talent. We invite all to gather and celebrate design in RI.”
DESIGN WEEK RI is being funded by sponsorship, in kind, media and cash. A call for participants is currently on the event website at http://www.designweekri.com. Keynote speaker, 4x4 Speakers and the EAT AND SPEAK lunches will be announced shortly. For more information, contact Joye Whitney at 401-263-3137, joye(at)designxri(dot)com.
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About DESIGNxRI
DESIGNxRI (DxRI) is an initiative working to coalesce the design talent in Rhode Island. Our goal is to maximize the assets of the design community and highlight its innovative problem-solving practices to create more business opportunities and nurture growth in the design industries in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island is a hot-bed of activity around design. We have the 3rd largest concentration of creative sector jobs in the country, after New York and California. We host the 2nd most industrial designers per capita than any other state, and a study of the creative industries in RI between 2007 and 2012 found design businesses had the largest change within all the creative industries being analyzed – a positive one, adding 500 new businesses during that time period. While most know of the vibrancy of the arts in RI, design is just now starting to reveal itself as an important part of RI’s economy. Despite this growth, design has been largely under the radar as a strong economic sector in Rhode Island.
DxRI is working to change this.
Lisa Carnevale, MYRANDA Group, +1 (401) 954-1135, [email protected]
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