Cities x Design spoke with Nick and Alison of Young Monster design in Chattanooga, TN about their experience of transforming an idea and passion for making posters into a full blown business. This is a great story of creative entrepreneurship and the sheer will to survive.
Heart of Glass
Pilchuck Glass School is located in a remote area outside of Seattle and hidden behind hundreds of trees on a mountainside. This secluded artist-in-residence programme is unique: gathering glass artists and other creatives such as fashion designers, musicians, or graphic designers, in order to let them collaborate and push the boundaries of glass. During the summer programme, residents have the possibilities to experiment in different ways. The “hot shop” (pictured above) is an intensive collaborative facility where glass is heated, melted, shaped and assembled to deliver unexpected results.
Other facilities include a “cold shop” where glass objects are blasted and perfected in running water, a plaster studio with casting kilns and a rare vitreography print shop where glass plates are engraved to produce unique monotypes and prints on paper.
Results from the “Monsters and Aliens” workshop (pictured above) are concrete examples of collaborative projects happening between experienced and emerging artists. Glass is a very technical craft that requires years of experience to master and can easily fulfill a lifetime of learning.
Santa Fe, NM
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a place defined by art, craft and architecture and where the boundaries between creative practices are blurred. The city attracts tourists and creatives from around the United States and the world.
Many details in Santa Fe, from signs to storefront and menus (pictured above) are a reflection of the city’s interest in the past and things that are handmade.
American Indian art is an underlying theme and a strong creative influence in Santa Fe. The Institute of American Indian Art is a one-of-a-kind museum and college of fine arts dedicated to the study of indigenous cultures and art.
New Mexico Creates at the recently opened New Mexico History Museum is a different kind of museum store that sells handcrafted jewelry, Native American art work, Hispanic crafts, art glass, and textiles all created by New Mexico artists and artisans. One of their approaches is to showcase products that integrate contemporary design in traditional craftsmaking techniques.
Further from the city center, Railyard Santa Fe is a neighborhood that is being regenerated. It represents the possibility of a more contemporary Santa Fe.
Lexington/ Louisville
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Keywords – Historic, Growth, Bluegrass, Manufacturing, Visionary, Bourbon
Population: 436,684
Founded: 1775
Nicknames: Horse Capital of the World, Athens of the West
Tourism / Place branding / Historic Landmarks
- Bondurant Pharmacy
- Gratz Park Historic District
- Kentucky Horse Park
- Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate
- Lexington Public Library
- 21c Museum Hotel (Louisville)
Urban development
- The Henderson Project* – “This project is about a small town in America trying to stem the flow of its young people from not returning to their hometown after college. We want to enable them to design their future so they feel invested in it. This is a problem throughout our country and we hope we can make a difference and provide a model for other communities to explore with their youth.” –Mark Bethel
Design / Craft businesses
- William B Cook (Wood – Craft)
- The Weavery
- Jan Peters (Jewelry)
- Parenthetic (Louisville)
- Powerhouse Factories (Newport)
Institutions / Organizations
- Southern Artistry
- Bourbon Heritage Center (Bardstown)
Art and Design Schools
- University of Kentucky Lexington – College of Design
- Dept of Historic Preservation
Articles / Blogs / Other
Phoenix City Profile
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Keywords – Desert, Optimism, Eclectic, Contemporary, Native, Artistic
Population: 4,281,899
Incorporated: 1881
Nicknames: Valley of the Sun, The Valley, PHX, The 602, Bird City,
Tourism / Place branding / Historic Landmark
- Arizona Biltmore Hotel and Spa
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Modern Phoenix
- Hotel Valley Ho
New Arch / Urban developments
- Will Bruder
- Phoenix Central Library
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
- Deer Valley Rock Art Center
- The Palo Verde Library by Wendell Burnette and Gould Evans
- The Loloma Transit station
- Richard Meier’s new contemporary courthouse
Design businesses
Creative initiatives
- Eye Lounge [ art ]
Local businesses
- Made Art Boutique
- Tammie Coe Cakes
- Welcome Diner
- Rhythm Room
- Passage
- My Florist Café
- Zoës Kitchen
- LGO, La Grande Orange Grocery and Pizzeria – located in an old post office.
Institutions / Organizations
- AIGA Arizona
- Heard Museum (Native American Art)
- Pueblo Grande Museum
Art and Design Schools
- Arizona State University
- Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Innovation Space (ASU)
- Stardust Center (ASU)
Articles / Blogs / Other
Seattle City Profile
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Keywords – Computer, Aircraft, Coffee, Underground, Outdoors
Population: 3,263,497
Incorporated: 1869
Nicknames: The Emerald City, Seatown, Rain City, Jet City, Gateway to Alaska, Gateway to The Pacific
Tourism / Place branding / Historic Landmarks
- Space Needle
New Arch / Urban developments
- Seattle Library
Design businesses
Creative initiatives
Local businesses
- Boeing
- http://www.futureofflight.org/
- Nordstrom
- Top Pot Doughnuts
- Zeitgeist Cafe
- Starbucks
Institutions / Organizations
- AIGA Seattle
- Seattle Art Museum
Art and Design Schools
Articles / Blogs / Other
New Orleans City Profile
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Keywords: Music, Festivals, Heritage, Multicultural, Architecture,Regeneration
Population: 1,030,363
Founded: 1718
Nicknames: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City That Care Forgot, Nawlins and NOLA.
Tourism / Place branding / Historic Landmarks
- French Quarter
- Signs of New Orleans by Tom Varisco
- Historic Hotels
- Preservation Nation / National Heritage
New Arch / Urban developments
- New Orleans National Jazz Center / Morphosis
- Make It Right
- Helping rebuild the lower 9th Ward
Design businesses
- Call for proposal
- Loft 523 / Boutique hotel and design promotion
- Tom Varisco
Creative initiatives
- History of Graphic Design in South Louisiana
- Working with the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, part of the Special Collections Department of the Hill Memorial Library, Louisiana State University.
- Affiliated with The American Printing History Association Oral History Project.
- The Green Project – this store is dedicated to helping the environment by reducing the amount of usable materials placed in landfills or disposed of improperly.
- Neighborhoods NOLA [2007] – Multimedia art in the gutted homes of folks rebuilding in New Orleans
Local businesses
- Music labels
- Cafe du Monde
- Shadyside Pottery (Ceramic)
- Pied Nu (Jewelry / Clothing / Interior)
- Scriptura (Graphics / Products)
- H Rault (Products / Interior)
Institutions / Organizations
Art and Design Schools
Louisiana State University (LSU)
Lynn J. Baggett (faculty advisor)
Louisiana State University
University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL)
Jeff Lush (faculty advisor)
Department of Visual Arts
Loyola University
Daniela Marx (faculty advisor)
Delgado Community College
Martin Straka (faculty advisor)
Nicholls State University
Trisha Zeringue Dubina (faculty advisor)
Southeastern Louisiana University
Gary Keown (faculty advisor)
Articles / Blogs / Other
- Desire Magazine by Tom Varisco
- Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Project in New Orleans – Metropolis
- Site Specific Sustainability in New Orleans – Metropolis
- Green Salon AIGA (PDF)
- New Orleans, LA – Dwell
- Recycling Katrina – GOOD
- Designers Aid Gulf Area with New Retail Initiative – Metropolis
- UN Studio
- Loving the Big Easy
To speak at the 
