Down for Design? SUNY New Paltz sure is.
The third annual Design Week launched on April 2, sparking a series of events revolving around art, technology, digital fabrication and graphic design, hosted by the SUNY New Paltz School of Fine & Performing Arts.
“The goal of Design Week is to celebrate design across disciplines on campus and in the region,” said Amy Papaelias, organizer of Design Week and associate professor of graphic design.
The week was organized with the help of Dimitry Tetin, Anne Galperin, Joshua Korenblat, Michael Gayk and Aaron Nelson, as well as Jeni Mokren, Dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts.
Design Week 2018 features two essential lecturers, Jen Christiansen and Vivian Beer, who each detail their individual journeys as designers.
“We selected keynote speakers that relate to design across several programs,” Papaelias said. “Graphic design, digital design and fabrication, wood design connect to much broader issues related to culture, technology and making.”
Jen Christiansen is a senior graphics editor for Scientific American and her lecture focused on her love for art and science and how each play into her job. Vivian Beer, a furniture designer/maker, will present her lecture on how landscape influences and inspires her work Thursday, April 5 at 5 p.m. in LC 102.
Workshops taking place will focus on design-oriented topics such as letterpress printing and data visualization sketching to soundscapes.
“We wanted to offer workshops and activities that are not necessarily part of our curriculum,” Papaelias said. “But that can benefit both design students and the larger campus community.”
The featured exhibition “Design for Good,” will be running alongside Design Week at the Sojourner Truth Library, showcasing projects on sustainability and the impact it has on society. There was a networking event Wednesday, April 4 at 9:30 a.m at Truth Cafe that helped create a connected community of designers.
Design Week began to create a unity among designers on campus and celebrate them.
“The first Design Week took place in Spring 2016,” Papaelias said. “Faculty in both graphic design and digital design and fabrication proposed guest speakers and along with the art department chair at the time, Anne Galperin, we came up with the idea of a week of lectures, events and workshops surrounding the keynote speakers.”
To end the week, a “Slide Slam” will take place Friday, April 6, where students, faculty and other local designers will share their work in College Terrace at 7 p.m.
All events require registration prior to the date, and most are free and open to the public.
