The good stuff before the good stuff

Here are three interesting facts about two of the pre-conference activities. They're both design-inspired…and design-inspiring!

Triple Treat: Museum Tour

• The Minneapolis Institute of Art was designed by the preeminent New York architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, and the original building opened its doors in 1915. Their permanent collection has grown from 800 works of art to around 80,000 objects.

• Opened in April 2005, the new Walker Art Center (formally established in 1927) highlights ideas from different disciplines and art forms and is seen as a model for cultural institutions of the future. A key aspect of the design is a "town square," a sequence of spaces that draws people for informal conversation and interactive learning.

• Adjacent to the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden opened in 1988 and was immediately heralded by the New York Times as "the finest new outdoor space in the country for displaying sculpture." The Garden's centerpiece and most popular work is by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

University of Minnesota Day

• The founders of the Goldstein Museum of Design, educators and art collectors (and sisters) Harriet and Vetta Goldstein, worked with a design philosophy that stressed the inter-relationships between aesthetics and lifestyle: "As we surround ourselves with beauty, art actually becomes a part of our life and personality."

• The Goldstein Museum's graphic design collection includes early twentieth-century journals such as PM and A-D, the complete set of Emigre magazine from the late twentieth-century, and issues of Push Pin Graphic, Octavo: A Journal of Typography and News of the Whirled.

• Some of the wood type that will be used for the hands-on letterpress are well over a century old and on loan from the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Wisconsin.

For more info, or to sign up for one of these activities when you register, visit http://ucda.com/activities10.lasso.

Green Minneapolis

Minneapolis launched a huge bike-sharing program last month—it's currently the largest bike-sharing program in the nation! Nice Ride is just one of MPLS's many 'green' initiatives. They have a flex-fuel city vehicle fleet, microgrants awarded to residents and businesses as motivation to reduce their carbon footprints, LEED building support, and others.

It's only fitting that we're in MPLS this year, with a handful of 'green' speakers on hand!

• Steve Dussair from Monadnock Paper will discuss their Field Guide, which offers information in support of the idea that sustainable design and print can be done in a cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive way without compromising quality.

• Angela Ferraro-Fanning of 13thirtyone will help us to adopt greener design practices when it comes to paper, printing, inks, and overall design strategies—with real world examples. She'll also share tips on creating a greener workspace.

• Roger Dziengeleski from Finch Paper will reduce the complexity surrounding "green" paper choices and the processes that get us there. A master forester, he helps Finch manage their forests responsibly while educating people about the process.

You can also purchase carbon credits again this year! Check the registration form for more details.

So…what are you doing lately to be 'green'?


Photo by Alyssa Graham