SPEAKER QUINN, NYC & COMPANY, DEPT. OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, DESIGNERS LAUNCH NYC X DESIGN
Speaker Quinn, NYC & Company, Dept. of Cultural Affairs,
Designers Launch City’s First-Ever
12-Day, 5 Borough Expo to Showcase Local & International Design
NYCxDESIGN takes place May10 -21 -- more than 200 events planned
Officials announce community design project, mobile website & iPhone photo App
Times Square, NY – Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, along with, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, steering committee members, and members of the local design community announced details of the first annual “NYCxDESIGN” (NYC by Design) event. Officials also revealed “Multifesto,” a communal design manifesto project open to designers from across the world, and announced plans to launch a mobile scheduling website, and an iPhone photo App. NYCxDESIGN takes place Friday, May 10th through Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 and features more than 200 events across all five boroughs. Officials made the announcement in in Times Square and were joined by Executive Director at the Center for an Urban Future Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director at NY Designs Natalia Argüello, FIT Professor and Founder of Breadbox Studio in Harlem Joseph Masibay and other leading members of the New York City design community.
First announced in Speaker Quinn’s 2012 State of the city address, NYCxDESIGN is the City’s first annual city-wide event to showcase and promote New York City’s rich design community. Scheduled events include free design classes for children ages 2 and up through the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, as well as BKLYN Designs in DUMBO, WantedDesign in Chelsea, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center, free classes at a pop-up design studio in Staten Island, talks at universities and museums and many more. Design disciplines span Architecture, Art, Design Thinking, Digital, Craft, Fashion, Furniture, Graphic Design, Industrial, Interiors, Landscape, Lighting, Products, Media, Theater, and Urban Design.
For a full list of events, please visit: www.nycxdesign.com/events
“Over 40,000 designers call the City home and it’s time for us to tap into this sector, raise its profile, and turn it into an economic engine,” said Speaker Quinn. “NYCxDESIGN provides the right opportunity for New York City to convene our local design community and celebrate their contributions to the city, to a degree never before seen. I’m excited that NYCxDESIGN will help both emerging and established designers exhibit their skills, sell their designs, and grow their businesses in the five boroughs.”
“When visitors explore New York City they experience unparalleled urban design and architecture around every corner and are also able to find distinctive design items made locally and sourced from around the world,” said George Fertitta CEO of NYC & Company. “NYCxDESIGN captures the essence of New York City’s creativity and diversity, giving us another opportunity to reach new audiences and showcase all that the five boroughs have to offer. To further exemplify design in all its expressions, NYC & Company recently launched The Design Collection, a selection of 19 hotels where exceptional design is an essential part of the visitor experience. During NYCxDESIGN, or anytime throughout the year, we encourage visitors to be inspired by one of these unique hotels.”
“The NYCxDESIGN initiative highlights the extraordinary breadth of New York City's creative community,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. “The dynamic program of events and exhibitions will foster new connections between audiences, organizations, and professionals whose work make the City a global center for innovation and excellence in design.
Multifesto
Fragments of the ever-growing “Multifesto” created by 2x4 will appear on short segments on TaxiTV and on electronic screens around Times Square (including the Nasdaq and Reuters screens) from May 3 until May 22, 2013. It will be continuously updated throughout NYCxDESIGN and content will be archived on the closing day. To join the citywide conversation, simply submit a 3-word entry at NYCxDesign.com/Multifesto.
Mobile Scheduling Website
The custom mobile scheduling website designed and created by Porter Novelli, allows users to locate nearby events and activities on their smartphones and add them to their personal itinerary.
iPhone Photo App
Designed by ESI, the NYCxDESIGN Iphone Photo App will launch during NYCxDESIGN to allow participants to take images that represent great examples of designs across the five boroughs, add the NYCxDESIGN logo, and share the photos with the world over social media.
“New York City is the national leader in design, and programs such as NYCxDESIGN help ensure that it will maintain its reputation as an innovator in the sector,” said NYCEDC Executive Director Kyle Kimball. “This program will help designers network and grow their businesses, positively impacting our economy, and further positioning New York City at the forefront of the design world.”
“At the heart of Multifesto is the idea that Design is a verb, something we do collectively, and an act that encompasses a multitude of basic human activities: thinking, drawing, dreaming, making, building, planning and beyond,” said Michael Rock, 2 x 4 Founding Partner and Creative Director. “We’re thrilled to be involved in the inaugural year of NYCxDESIGN to help tell the story of New York City’s design community.
Local interactive firm Cloudred created the responsive-design event website, Base New York created the event identity (logo, branding, mark, visuals and more), design firm 2x4 created the “Multifesto” project, PR agency Porter Novelli developed the custom mobile scheduling experience, and design firm ESI created the iPhone Photo App.
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Contact: City Council/Justin Goodman 212-788-7116
NYC & Company/Kimberly Spell 212-484-1270
NYC & Company/Emily Mayrath 212-484-1270