Recap: AIGA Leadership Retreat 2010

A few hours ago I got back from the 2010 AIGA Leadership Retreat in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was such a blast and very motivational!

The annual AIGA Leadership Retreat is an invitation-only event for chapter board members to gather together, share successes of the past year and plan for the future. The event offers an opportunity to hear about what’s happening nationally as well as what other chapters are doing. Delegates from AIGA’s 65 chapters assemble to build leadership skills and community.

The three-day leadership retreat for AIGA board members has a different theme each year. In 2010, we ENGAGE.


In the beginning it was a little rough for the six AIGA DC board members who went went to the retreat, as we had our AIGA 50 reception the night before and many of us packed our clothes after the reception and then left for Dulles airport where we were all to meet at 4:30 AM. I got about 45 minutes of sleep. Now we all know I am used to not sleeping, but 45 minutes is hardly even a nap. Either way, we still managed to party like rock stars.

The small group discussions I attended were: Utilizing Social Media (Kevin Berger, AIGA Seattle; Dawn Zidonis, AIGA Cleveland), Creating Digital Content (Roy Levitt, AIGA Metro North; Doug Grimmett, AIGA Atlanta), and Communications Strategy (Jane Naillon, AIGA Idaho; Matt Muñoz, AIGA Raleigh; Alison Davis, AIGA Nashville; Charles Carpenter, AIGA Colorado).

I also signed up for the Friday lunch Social Programming (with Wes McWhorter, AIGA New Orleans) and the Saturday lunch Gain Presentation Follow-Up (with Kenna Kay - unfortunately Stanley Hainsworth was not able to make the lunch).


What I liked about the retreat was the experience of meeting people from all over the United States who are passionate about what they do. I truly enjoyed learning about what the other chapters were up to and meeting people. I talked so much I even lost my voice. Many of the people there were super smart design leaders who have so much to offer. It was amazing to have so many amazing people in one room and it was great to hear Richard Grefé and Debbie Millman talk about the design industry.

There was not much time to really see Chattanooga. I would have liked to see more of the trains, but the Leadership Retreat is not really a vacation anyway. When we did get out we went to Hair of the Dog Pub and played darts with people from Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Cleveland. We also stopped by Leo Handmade Gallery which had vintage fashions, zines, vegan cookbooks, silkscreen posters and more.


I am impressed with the way the retreat was presented and all the great people I got to meet. It is an honor to represent the Washington, DC chapter at the retreat. Thank you AIGA.

To see more photos, visit my Facebook page or see the AIGA DC Flickr page (tag 'aigaretreat2010'). Plus keep updated about the retreat on Twitter by using the #aigaretreat hashtag.

--
Carolyn Belefski
Continuum Chair, AIGA DC

Nathan Hill - AIGA DC Continuum Fund Button Campaign

It may not seem like much, but $5 can make a difference. That’s the premise behind the Continuum Fund Button Campaign, which provides a doorway into the fund for those AIGA DC members and friends who may not yet be financially able to join the Continuum Circle. In addition, these buttons will help raise awareness to our general membership of our Continuum Fund. A steady rotation of industry heavies have contributed designs over the past year, including Stanley Hainsworth, The General Design Company, Michael Osborne and last year’s AIGA Fellow Award recipient David Franek.

The newest set is designed by last year’s Show Off winner, Nathan Hill, a 2009 graduate of Corcoran College of Art + Design. Over the past several years Nathan has designed for both boutique studios and large design agencies in the DC area. Fueled by his addiction to design and passion for design education, Nathan recently started his own studio. He says, "a great friend once told me that design is an ever-learning process. It’s a simple notion, but it’s stuck with me and continues to shape how I approach design."


At Wednesday's 2010 AIGA 50 Awards Show we will premiere Nathan's button set to the public. AIGA DC has made 50 sets of the buttons and they will be available tonight at the suggested minimum donation of $5.

The AIGA DC's Continuum Fund Button Campaign helps DC metro area students pursue a graphic design degree. All proceeds go to AIGA DC’s Continuum Fund Scholarship, which allows young people from minority and economically disadvantaged backgrounds not only to realize their artistic dreams, but also to give back to their communities.

If you would like more information about AIGA DC's Continuum Fund Scholarship or have questions about donating to AIGA DC's Continuum Fund, please email continuum@aigadc.org or visit www.aigadc.org/continuum.

I hope to see you Wednesday at the Arts Club of Washington. Please pick up a button set or two to support the Continuum Fund Scholarship. Here is some more information about the event:

WHAT: 2010 AIGA 50 Awards Show
WHEN: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
TIME: 6:30 PM - Reception and Design Exhibition, 8:00 PM - Program and Awards Presentation
WHERE: Arts Club of Washington
2017 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
TICKETS: Members: $15/$25 (at the door), Non-members: $25/$35 (at the door)

--
Carolyn Belefski
Continuum Chair, AIGA DC

Recap: Handmade Mart 2010

Yesterday, May 23rd, 2010 Curls Studio had a table at Handmade Mart on Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland. The rainy weather was very dreary in the morning, but near the end of the event the rain let up and it just ended up being cloudy. We used this as a opportunity to set-up our table display to include two umbrellas on the sides of the table.

As with all the previous Handmade Mart dates (Handmade Mart 2009 was super windy and the 2009 Holiday Handmade Mart was snowing), the weather isn't always the greatest. That's the risk you take with having an outdoor show and we all know paper goods aren't the best to sell in bad weather. However, we still managed to have a great time and protect our products!


I enjoyed talking to a lot of the people who stopped by the table. I was also impressed to know several people I've never met who knew about Sketch Before Sleep and visited the website often. In addition, I was interviewed about art by the newspaper, Silver Spring Voice. It is nice to know that there is a growing audience of Curls Studio out there and that we are able to expand by attending as many shows as we can.

Thanks for the support!

For more photos, visit our the Curls Studio Facebook Fan Page.

New Greeting Card: Calico Cat

I will premiere a new greeting card design called "Calico Cat" at Handmade Mart this Sunday.

The cards are 5.25" square and come with either shimmering copper or shimmering chocolate 5.75" square envelopes. The inside greeting is, "Meow!"

Each card is handmade and completely individual and one-of-a-kind (with the print and paper cut-out spots), so come visit Curls Studio at tent #19 early to have your pick of the litter.

© Copyright 2010 Curls Studio

UPDATE
MAY 24, 2010 - Calico Cat Cards have been added to the Curls Studio Etsy Shop for online purchases.

Handmade Mart Vendor Profile Q&A

Curls Studio Vendor Profile Q&A is featured up on the Handmade Mart Blog. You can read all about it here or click the image above: http://handmade-mart.com/?p=559

We hope to see you this Sunday at Handmade Mart.

WHAT: 2010 Handmade Mart
WHEN: May 23, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
WHERE: Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland (between Fenton and Georgia Avenue)
ADMISSION: FREE!

Use this handy map to locate Curls Studio's tent at booth #19.

2010 Handmade Mart

Curls Studio was accepted to be a vendor at Handmade Mart in downtown Silver Spring, MD! We hope to see you at booth #19 on Sunday, May 23, 2010. You can take a look at all the vendors here: http://handmade-mart.com/?page_id=10. Along with an awesome array of vendors, the Handmade Mart will also feature live music will starting around 11:00 AM with a great line up of local musicians including live Rockabilly bands. A high energy, kid-friendly rock set will go on in the early afternoon.

Hands-on workshops will be hosted at the ArtSpring Art Square, located in front of the ArtSpring store on the corner of Ellsworth and Georgia. The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center will be leading workshops in letterpress and screen printing, as well as creative activities for children all day long.

The first 500 shoppers will receive a free 2010 Handmade Mart tote bag!

WHAT: 2010 Handmade Mart
WHEN: May 23, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
WHERE: Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland (between Fenton and Georgia Avenue)
ADMISSION: FREE!


Use this handy map to locate Curls Studio's tent at booth #19.

Recap: Inaugural DC Comicon

On Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 Curls Studio had a table at the Inaugural DC Comicon at George Mason University. It was a fun time and we had good sales. Plus, we got to meet a lot of new people that usually attend the Capicon shows, so it was great to reach out to them and expand our base. Many people found out about this show last minute and heck, we found out we had a table only two days earlier, but there was still a solid turn out. I hope the show continues to expand if they decide to do it again next year. There is great possibility with a Washington, DC convention, especially in the spring, as not to compete with Baltimore Comic-Con. Having Frank Cho there was also a bonus!


We got filmed for Washington Full Circle and that was exciting to have our banners in their show opening shot. We'll have to stay tuned for the footage.


Here is a sketch commission I did of Gwen LeGette from The Legettes.


I also got to meet Black Wolverine. He posed with Toast of the Town and I.