American Institute of Graphic Arts Sponsors Birdhouse Art Project for Underprivileged Youth

Business Wire, Oct 17, 2000

News/Assignment Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2000

The San Diego Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) will sponsor a unique urban birdhouse building workshop for 35 underprivileged students on Saturday, October 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Jack Dodge Building, a warehouse located at 335 Sixth Avenue, in San Diego's downtown Gaslamp district.

The student's colorful creations will be featured in a Jan. 12, 2001 exhibit at the NewSchool of Architecture in downtown San Diego. The class will include students from the AIGA San Diego LINK project, designed to educate and promote the profession of graphic design among San Diego's underprivileged youth. LINK students attend Garfield, Crawford, San Diego High Schools, as well as Job Core and schools for homeless students. A group of children aged 7-12, who attend an after school tutoring program called "Kidz with Heart," also will participate.

"We believe this is a great opportunity for at risk children and teenagers to understand all aspects of graphic design, including sketches, color selection, and design development," said MaeLin Levine, AIGA San Diego chapter president. "Not only will students be able to enjoy the final birdhouse designs on display at a professional exhibition, but they will learn how their work can become a vital part of the preservation of nature and urban beautification." She explained that AIGA also plans to award a total of six scholarships to recognize the outstanding work of the children and high school youth.

AIGA has also put in a call for entries out to the community for birdhouse sketches and will award $200 grants to the 10 most interesting community entries. All the sketches submitted and the 10 constructed designs will be on display with the children's birdhouses at the January 12th exhibition as part of an inner city installation, "The Birdhouse Project," located on Date Street near the El Cortez Hotel.

According to LINK Project Coordinator and Chapter Vice President Candice Lopez, both the workshop project and the birdhouse installation are designed to bring together various community groups and individuals.

"Artists, architects, designers, students and the community will participate in the design and implement the project," said Lopez. "In addition, professionals from the San Diego Museum of Natural History and AIGA San Diego will create educational info-graphics designed to teach the public about urban birds and native California plants that attract them." She added that display descriptions and inspiring quotations about the birds common to the San Diego region, will accompany the birdhouses and infographics.

The local chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is the leading creative design organization in the city, made up of more than 350 professional, academic, and student members dedicated to the profession of graphic design. The organization, part of the larger AIGA National Organization, strives to educate, promote, and build awareness for graphic design and those who support the profession including business leaders, educational institutions, and the general public. AIGA provides its members and the local creative community as a whole with the means to enhance and compete with design communities across the nation and around the world.