| PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Dear
Members and Friends,
Most recently, the DX completed a five-year strategic plan
and this effort was a catalyst in helping the staff and our
board of directors clarify our mission. Our mission, ‘to
promote Canadian design’, is accomplished through our
museum and permanent collection, exhibitions and education
programs. At present, we host over 40 education programs yearly
that include competitions, lectures, seminars and workshops
for designers, non-designers,and youth. We have a national
role and many of our programs are coast to coast, such as
the National High School Competition, the Design Exchange
Awards, New Design Canada (our export program) Connect –
our post secondary design competition and The National Design
Conference. However, we are often criticized for being Toronto
centric and not ‘national enough’ in our scope
of services.
Our national role is funding specific. While we receive funding
for the operation of our building from the City of Toronto,
we do not receive provincial or federal funding for operations.
Very rarely and only project specific, do we receive funding
for our education programs.We do receive corporate sponsorship
for some of our projects, and revenues from our facility rentals
help support programs. Presently,however, we are in competition
with many other cultural institutions for public funding and
are not at the top of the list. Nevertheless, we have a relentless
staff and we write grant proposals and letters demonstrating
the value of design in economy and quality of life. We also
visit Ottawa occasionally (as funding allows!) to state our
case with Industry Canada and others. It is probably no surprise
to you, our audience, that I am often met with ‘Huh?’
when I explain the critical role of design to economic success.
Citing other countries such as Hong Kong, Korea, UK, Denmark
- and producing case studies and economic studies from those
countries (that illustrate the correlation between investment
in design, profitability and stock price) just doesn’t
seem to nudge our country forward. Huh?
The team at the DX has dreamed of many local, provincial and
national programs that would help the Canadian economy, create
jobs, further knowledge for the general public and the design
community and lead Canada to be recognized internationally
for design much like Germany and Italy. However, we need your
help.
I would like to embark on a REVOLUTIONARY program to obtain
the ear of our country’s leaders and need our design
icons and industry leaders to assist. In the innovation agenda
that has ensconced the government, where is design? There
are programs that usurp design engineering but where are the
other disciplines? While Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman
School of Business, speaks eloquently about design thinking
and problem solving, DESIGNERS and DESIGN are anonymous at
the national level.
At the DX, we always appreciate your involvement and help.
Please send me an email if you would like to help –
and we will create this agenda together.
Sam Sam@dx.org
DX
Hours for June:
Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm: Sat/Sun: 12-5 pm
Admission: $5 adults, $4 students/seniors, DX Members Free
DX
Announces New Board Members:
At
its recent AGM, the DX elected several new individuals to
its volunteer Board of Directors. The newly elected members
include Lorie Briere of The Works, Tim
Gilbert of Gilbert's LLP, Joe Pettipas
of HOK, and Michael Vanderbyl of Vanderbyl
Design (San Francisco).
These
new additions join our current volunteer Board of
Directors: Tim Armstrong (Board Secretary), Dianne
Axmith (Vice-Chair), Colleen Baldwin, Peter Caldwell, Elyssa
Feldberg, Carol Jones, J. Urban Joseph, Robert Lewocz, Linda
Lewis (DX Founding President), Nicola Lisus, Stewart MacPhee,
Morton H. Rapp (Treasurer), Paul Rowan, Kelly Rude, Eb Zeidler,
as well as City Councillors Sylvia Watson and Karen Stintz.
Honorary Board Members include Sir Terence
Conran, Arthur Erickson, and Karim Rashid. Directors
Emeritus include Marian Marshall, Mike Keilhauer
and Frank Vasilkioti.
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This
Summer
DX
Design Camps are back! |
The
DX Design Camps return this summer and registrations are going
fast! Themes includes graphic design, fashion, toy design,
jewellery/prop design and more. Camps are targetted to children
ages 7 - 15 years, and are held weekly. Registration Fee:
$290 (DX Member Rate $275).
Camp
Dates: July 10 - Sept. 1, 2006
Location: DX is at 234 Bay, TTC accessible
FOR FULL INFO AND REGISTRATION FORM VISIT DX
Summer Camps online or contact DX
Camp Coordinator
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CURRENT
EXHIBIT:
ARCHETYPE
FOR
A
LIVING CITY
|
An
Exhibition of Sustainable Housing Design
Location: Third Floor Main Exhibit Hall
ON DISPLAY UNTIL JUNE 25
Come
check out the national professional design competition "Archetype
for a Living City".
For full details on the project visit Archetype
for a Living City
Lead sponsor |
EXHIBITION
FEATURING
WINNERS OF
DX NATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION
|
Location:
Chalmers Design Centre, Ground Floor
Dates: June 7 - June 18
The Design Exchange proudly presents the winners of this year's
national high school design competition. Opening on June 7th,
the exhibitin will be on display in our Chalmers Design Centre.
The program is supported by Lead Sponsor Sears Young Futures.
Category sponsors include DW Product Development and Teknion
Furniture Systems.
EXHIBIT
OF ORPHAN SPACE PROJECTS
Location: Chalmers Design Centre, Ground
Floor
Dates: June 7 - 18
Final projects from the Orphan Spaces: Retail/Commercial charrettes
of Spring 2006 will be exhibited in the Chalmers Design Centre.
See results of the 8 teams of designers who participated in
reinterpreting Orphan Spaces around the City of Toronto.Orphan
Spaces: Retail/Commercial was offered by Design Exchange,
in association with the City of Toronto’s Clean &
Beautiful City, Neighbourhood Beautification Project, and
Canadian Architect.
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Supported
by
|
With additional support from
Ontario Arts Council
and
Keilhauer
|
DESIGNER
IN THE CLASSROOM EXHIBIT
Location: Chalmers Design Centre, Ground
Floor
Dates: June 21 - July 9
The next exhibition on our ground floor features the works
of students from several GTA schools, who participated in
our DESIGNER IN THE CLASSROOM program. Through this program,
design professionals work with students in the classroom to
prepare a project that integrates design within the school
curriculum. Projects follow the design process, including
development of sketches and drawings leading to final prototypes.
|
New
Exhibit :
City of Beaver
Location:
Chalmers
Design Centre, Ground Floor
Dates: Jun.21 - July 7
Admission
is free. Presented by Taddle Creek in collaboration
with Design Exchange.
July 24: From 12-5: Alfred Holden, co-curator, will
be on hand to answer visitor queries about the exhibition.
|
NEW
DESIGN CANADA:
Spec'd
Spec'd is a new Canadian design export program focused on
facilitating the international specification of Canadian designs
in large scale architectural and interior design projects.
For more information visit Spec'd
Call
FOR
THIS MONTH'S CURATOR CHAT BY MICHAEL PROKOPOW
Visit DX Curator's
Chat online
This month, our DX Curator's Chat examines the recent International
Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.
NOT A MEMBER OF THE DX? WHAT ARE YOU
WAITING FOR?
The DX offers membership categories for individuals and organizations.Membership
fees start as low as $20 for students or
$55 for individuals. Corporate memberships are available for
design firms too! For a limited time -sign up for membership
at the DX (on-site purchases only) and receive your choice
of a *Design in Canada book or a *DX T shirt! (applies to
Individual and Family Membership - *not available with student
membership.) Whether you're a design student, a design professional,
a manufacturer - or simply a lover of design - consider membership
at the DX. . Contact Membership
Coordinator for further details.
The DX has set the date for this
year's Gala Fundraiser. The DX Black and White Gala in Steel
Blue will take place Saturday October 21.
We'll let you know when tickets are on sale! Steel yourself
for some shocking surprises!!! Supported once again by Audi
Canada and TD Bank Financial Group.
VOLUNTEER
YOUR TIME AND LEARN ABOUT DESIGN!
The DX has programs, lectures and many activities for the
public, and we are always looking for new people to join our
volunteer corps. Your energy and imagination will help us
deliver our programs! So visit DX
Volunteer Program and find out how to register - or send
your information to Volunteer
Coordinator
MORE
THAN CANADA'S DESIGN CENTRE
The Design Exchange can host any function from small intimate
settings to grand scale events, any day of the week. Our largest
room, the old Toronto Stock Exchange Trading Floor always
draws a crowd because of its historical significance and unique
Art Deco design. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto
at Bay St. and King St., we are conveniently connected by
the PATH as well as having underground parking facilities
on site. Book your corporate or social event at the DX today!
For more information Book
the DX
.
IN
FOCUS THIS MONTH: PYLON DESIGN
This
month’s in Focus is Pylon Design, a
previous winner of a Design Effectiveness Award.
For Pylon, good design is not an object, it's an experience.
Good design is a good experience, and that goes for the process
as well as the product. By the time Pylon is done asking questions,
researching, thinking, doing, and being all-around brilliant,
you'll probably know more about your business than you ever
wanted to. Pylon has won numerous awards including Advertising
Creative Excellence Awards (ACE), The Advertising & Design
Club of Canada (ADCC) and from RGD. Visit them at Pylon
online
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|
Teknion
Previews New Seating at Neocon
Teknion Corp. presented its latest European-designed chair
- the Metrix task chair- at Neocon, in Merchandise Mart, Chicago..
Metrix is a high performance fully featured task chair, easy
to adjust, with many features that allow users to personalize
their support. This new chair was designed by internationally
recognized industrial designer Wolfgang Deisig. Deisig Design
has won numerous awards and has a reputation for innovative
design work in the fields of office furniture, residential
furniture, bathroom products, tableware and china. For more
info contact Teknion's Mark
Harris, Manager Media Relations
Fibreworks
06 Call for Entries
Fibreworks is a biennial juried exhibition of
Canadian fibre art. Eligible works include any artwork where
fibre is the principle element, and the competition is open
to all Canadian artists. Deadline for entry is Friday July
28th. Awards will be announced at the Opening on Sat. Sept.
9th. For further information phone: 519-621-0460 or contact
Cambridge
Galleries
MPP
INTRODUCES INTERIOR DESIGNERS ACT
The Association of Registered Interior Designers
of Ontario (ARIDO) announced that MPP Tim Peterson has introduced
a Private Member, Public Bill: The Interior Designers
Act, which will protect the public from unqualified
practitioners by regulating the practice of interior design
in Ontario. Interior design is currently an unregulated profession
in Ontario. If the Bill is passed, Ontario will become the
second jurisdiction in Canada to regulate the practice of
interior design. The Bill would establish ARIDO as the body
responsible for regulating the profession of interior design
in Ontario, granting ARIDO the authority to set standards
of practice. For more details on the announcement, contact
ARIDO's Executive Director Susan
Wiggins at 416.921.2127 ex.233
THE
DESIGN BUZZ FROM WINNIPEG By Sandra
Sasaki
Place
Branding: Jumping on the “Branding” bandwagon
and, more recently the “Place Branding” bandwagon,
the Province of Manitoba, at the initiative of some of the
province’s business leaders has hired Interbrand a Toronto/New
York-based consulting firm to rebrand itself (remember Anneke
Elwes’ “Nations for Sale” and the ad agency
BMP’s “Cool Britannia” campaign?). Manitoba
joins the City of Johannesburg (also being rebranded by Interbrand)
and Denmark and Guatemala, who are being rebranded by Bruce
Mau.
At the end of Phase 1 (of five), Manitobans have discovered
that we have big blue skies, are friendly, have wide open
spaces, a beautiful natural environment and cold temperatures
in the winter - old news for those of us who live here but,
stay tuned for further developments! Contributed by Sandra
Sasaki
at sandraz@mts.net
Toronto Regional Green Building Festival Second
Annual Conference and Trade Show
Dates:
October 31 - November 01, 2006
:Location: Canadian Broadcasting Centre,
250 Front Street West, Toronto
Registration is now open for the 2nd annual Toronto Regional
Green Building Festival. Increasingly, building professionals
are realizing that integration in design, development and
financing results in exceptional green projects. Join us as
we showcase how various forms of integrated processes have
delivered superior buildings and communities. Keynote speaker:
Dr. Raymond J. Cole, University of British Columbia School
of Architecture Register online Green
Building Festival
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR - INTERIOR DESIGNERS OF CANADA
The
Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) is a national association
representing the interior design profession (Interior
Designers of Canada). The Association is currently looking
for a new full time Administrator to carry out the following
duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Association’s
strategic, Board, Executive and Committee direction. Position
suitable for someone interested in a development opportunity
leading towards a career in association leadership.Duties
and Responsibilities will include Administration, Communications,
Volunteer Management, Board Management: and Sponsorship Marketing:
Qualifications:
Experience in non-profit environment and general office management;
strong organizational skills; experience in setting and managing
strategic and budget goals and objectives; ability to work
independently and motivate volunteers to achieve objectives;
strong interpersonal skills; newsletter and/or website writing
experience; some graphics capabilities and web management
software capabilities preferred, excellent negotiation skills;
ability to exercise good judgement.
Position is in Toronto; some overtime and travel required.
Salary Range: $30-40,000
Send Applications to:
Linda Makins, ARIDO, IDC
VP, Finance
Interior Designers of Canada
717 Church Street
Toronto, ON M4W 2M5
Fax: 416-921-3660
NO EMAIL APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
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