The purpose of the yearly retreat is to gather representatives from each chapter together to discuss the future direction of AIGA, review successes from the past year, determine areas of improvement, and to create dialog among the chapters through a variety of workshops and break-out sessions. Chapters share inspirational success stories debate/discuss initiatives, and brainstorm new ideas.

Here is a summary of a few things I learned this year.

“What’s wrong with the world is that we are not finished yet” William Faulkner

While AIGA is still the strongest, most united design organization in the nation, they still face the challenge of overcoming a perception of being snooty, of the old guard, and elitist. They are battling this perception with a new approach to content development at the national level. They are flipping the pyramid upside-down so instead of news/information filtering from the top down, it will be generated from the bottom up. Regional chapters will bear more of the responsibility to develop content, and share at the national level. The AIGA.org website is undergoing a re-design to reflect this new display of content.

Artisan v. Strategist

AIGA Executive Director,  Rick Grefe spoke about the relevancy and importance of design in today’s environment, and how designers need to be re-positioned away from being thought of as developers of artifacts and move toward being defined as developers of strategy. This falls in line with Frank Chimero’s talk at AIGA Portland’s  Designspeaks last month. Frank agreed that a re-brand of the role of designers is necessary and suggests the title, “a planner with an aesthetic sense” is a more accurate description of what a designer does.

Living Principles

Gaby Brink and Phil Hamlett of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design have been diligently working on the next step for the center. The result of which is a website and movement called the Living Principles (still in beta). The Living Principles website will be an online community where designers can share case studies, and feature stories on successes or trials and tribulations as they relate to sustainability in design. It will have an extensive list of resources, including a dictionary of sustainability terminology, videos of influential speakers, and various impact calculators to evaluate design decisions.

5% Campaign

AIGA announced its new initiative for the year, and that is to create programs for chapters to encourage the design community to contribute their talents and their time towards pro-bono work. The idea is based off the similar initiative promoted by the American Bar Association for lawyers. AIGA wants designer’s pro-bono commitment to exceed that of the legal community and set the goal at 5%. That is, asking designers to contribute 5% of their time to pro-bono work. Designers in certain regions can be connected to non-profits through the Taproot Foundation, and AIGA will be listing pro-bono projects in a separate section of the jobs listing section of the new website. Rick Grefe strongly believes as I do, that designers have much to offer the non-profit community, and that we play an integral role in the national push for social change.

Drinks with Debbie is now open to the entire conference

AIGA’s President, Debbie Millman attended and spoke at the conference. She is focusing her presidency on the idea of connectivity, hence the conference’s theme, “Engage.” She walked the walk by inviting the all 400+ people in attendance to “Drinks with Debbie” at the hotel bar, an event previously limited to 9 spots. The purpose of the theme, “Engage” is to further discuss how AIGA can reach out to a broader audience. These audiences include: in-house designers, the business community, and the general public. While many chapters have been implementing some programs to address these audiences, there still is much room for improvement. Many break-out sessions focused around issues of engagement from these sometimes disenfranchised entities.

Southern Hospitality

From the pizza employee at Lupi’s  who gave me an extra-full wine pour because he loved Portland (we bonded over our shared Rogue nation membership), to the taxi driver who drove us out to see the Chattanooga Choo-Choo plus gave us a full history lesson of that and surrounding landmarks for no extra charge,  to all the hotel employees at The Chattanoogan who called me “ma’am,” the residents of Chattanooga definitely reinforced the idea of southern hospitality. I also enjoyed my first foray into authentic Southern foods. It seems as if there is nothing they will not fry. I delighted in the fried stuffed sandwich at Terminal Brewery (to go with the delicious beer sampler and sweet potato fries), and devoured fried green tomatoes with cheesy grits at the riverfront restaurant, Blue Plate. Others in my group sampled fried pickles and okra. At one establishment I saw a huge plate of nachos go by, only the tortilla chips were replaced by potato chips.

Ain’t no party like a designer party

It’s no secret that designers know how to party, and many AIGAers are known for their wild and crazy antics (hotel hallway pyramids) lasting until the morning hours. I had a wonderful time reconnecting with my friends from last year’s conference, Chris from Hawaii; Janie from South Carolina;  Patrick from Jacksonville; and of course my Portland ladies: Shona and Lisa. And, I made new memories with new friends, getting caught in the pouring rain and lightning, dancing up a storm to jazz music, and closing down the bar at Hair of the Dog.

Check out photos from the retreat on flickr.

I am proud to be a part of such a substantial, relevant, and inspiring institution. I look forward to our Portland Chapter Retreat where we share what we learned, and plan the next evolution of AIGA in Portland. I have many ideas for how to shape our local chapter, and if you want to be an active part in helping AIGA meet the new objectives, please reach out to me with your ideas. We always are looking for input and help.

Thanks to the many folks at AIGA for making the retreat possible, and Chattanooga for being a great host! I enjoyed my visit to the relaxed, sleepy town on the riverbend, and hope to be back to the South again soon.

Ryan, “Is that Zorro waiting for the bus?”
Mel, “Well if he is Zorro why doesn’t he just…”
Ryan, “Zorro doesn’t have any superpowers.”
Mel, “Oh no? Than what exactly is it that he does?”
Ryan, “He runs around and duels people then marks a ‘Z’ on their chest.”
Mel, “And he escapes his victims via bus?”
Ryan, “Apparently”

CA Highlights

Los Angeles

Stumbled across the Hollywood walk of stars, the Capitol Records building and Iguana Vintage Store. Traffic. More yogurt shops than I could possibly have imagined. Lost. Traffic. Lost. Traffic. Fryman Canyon hike. Coffee at Urth Cafe. Dinner with friends in Thai Town. Everywhere we go I notice hats are very prominent in all varieties- including French berets, and tiny black sequin caps strapped awkwardly via elastic to side of head. Traffic. Fabulous people everywhere we looked – stilettos, mini skirts. Traffic. Hollywood Blvd. Hookers. Canters on North Fairfax - a Jewish deli thatputs Kenny & Zukes to shame. Griffith Park Observatory visit. Take in the views, breathe in the smog.

Huntington Beach

Brunch at Mothers Market. Decide Portland smoothie shops have nothing on this CA juice bar with a 5-page menu. I chose a Ginger Snap, steamed to kill off my emerging sore throat. Beach nap with stolen shells.

Long Beach

Miller High Life on the bluffs. Teenage hooligans throw rocks at cars on the beach below. Lost. Traffic.

San Diego

Midnight arrival, no food served on busy Mission Beach party row. Ran across 4 different puddles of vomit. Beach house bed is full of sand.
Temecula wine tasting. Witness a near cat fight between two female bartenders over which Cabernet we were tasting. Picnic with old friends.
Wedding! Photobooth antics and my first and last Long Island Ice Tea.

Home

Drive Temecula to Portland in one trip. 5 gas stations. 4 chili-mango snacks. 2 energy shots. 3 rest stops. 1 Veggie In-N-Out burger. Home. Sleep.

On this Seattle trip, we avoided downtown altogether and instead explored the tucked away neighborhoods of Ballard and Fremont. Above is one of the many “Henry” murals I ran across in Fremont. Apparently this Seattle muralist by the name Ryan Henry Ward is has set out to paint 50 murals in different Seattle neighborhoods. By my count on my short visit there, he is well on his way.

In addition to Henry’s murals, Fremont was teeming with other quirky art destinations including an old cold war era rocket, mounted to the side a building – marking the spot where Fremont was declared Center of the Universe, the largest Lenin statue in the US, and this troll sculpture under the Aurora Bridge. This giant concrete sculpture boasts a huge glass eye, and a crushed Volkswagon Beetle in its claws.

Onto Vancouver BC, where we stayed at an adorable Bed & “Breakfast” (toast) and set to the task of exploring as much of the city by foot in one day as we could.

The city was all a bustle in preparation for the Olympic Games. Giant digital clocks counted down the minutes until opening ceremonies, construction crews were working around every corner. One public art installation in place for the games was a series of eagle sculptures painted by various artists. All the sculptures will be auctioned off in Spring of 2010 after the Paralympic games.

Vancouver was alive with graffiti art, like this poster I found in Chinatown.

My wonderful birthday dinner at Vancouver’s best Indian food restaurant, Vj’s in the South Granville neighborhoods. The appetizer was amazing, a Cauliflower, Spinach, Onion and Potato Pakoras with daal, and dessert was a free birthday rice pudding for me. The perfect ending to a tiring day exploring the streets, galleries, shops and neighborhoods of Vancouver.

At the end of July, my partner and I journeyed East, on a much needed vacation, seeking adventure, inspiration and a reconnection with family members far from my everyday stomping grounds. Our journey began in Vermont, ended in New York City and our experiences were as varied as those two extremes.
Vermont – Bread & Puppet

Self-described as “Cheap Art and Political Theater in Vermont,” Bread & Puppet in Glover provided a truly unique experience, far outside the bounds of traditional art appreciation. Upon entering Bread & Puppet, you are greeted by a broken-down Kesey-styled bus that contained a free art museum full of self published “zines,” the usual slew of anti-war/bush/capitalism posters, and other found art masterpieces.

You pass by a large, standalone brick oven that on any given day produces several freshly baked loaves of sourdough bread. Then you enter the main building, an ancient barn, a piece of art within itself, that housed the puppet museum.

These puppets are unlike any puppets I have ever seen, and in no way resemble the sock or paper bag variety. These “puppets” are huge – some 40 ft tall – mystical paper mache creatures, draped heavily in colorful fabrics and meticulously painted. We walked among the aisles of puppets resembling the founding fathers, scenes from fairy tales, nightmares and religious figures. While many puppets are now out of commission, there are still an active group performing their colorful political theater weekly for a growing captive audience. Sourdough philosophy circus & pageant, you cant get more interesting than that.

Montreal
We left the back country of the Northeast Kingdom and ventured out of the US – north to Quebec – to scope out our friendly French Canadian neighbors. After a short drive we were deep in the heart of Montreal, walking through the cobblestone streets of Old Town. Old Montreal has the feel of Europe with its enormous gothic Notre Dame catherdral, sidewalk cafes, carriage rides and of course, the rich French language. Although steeped in history, Montreal emits a distinctly modern and progressive flair with its carless street (Aires Libres), gay district (the village), and flair for design.

Our goal was to fit in with the locals and not look like tourists, which was immediately shot whenever a friendly Canadian addressed us in French beyond the greeting “Bonjour.” Then we were forced to sheepishly admit we were not versed in their language. I almost created an international incident when I tried to pay for a beverage with a Canadian dollar bill which apparently had been out of circulation since 1987 (replaced by the dollar coin). After much fussing on the part of the young cashier, the man in line behind me stepped up to the counter and explained the bill and offered to buy my beverage for me. Quite a neighborly thing to do! Merci!

Highlights of the day were walking through Mont Royal, eating an amazing lunch at a french restaurant at the Historic Hotel Nelligan, not to be topped by our dinner poutine (french fries covered in gravy) dinner. Overall a fantastic journey, wearing my shoes thin, wrinkling my passport, and practicing my “Merci beaucoup”.

New York City

The final stop on our journey, the grand city of New York, central hub of all things art, culture and design in the US. We stayed off the tourist path this time and headed straight for the Whitney Art Museum. At Whitney we studied up on Buckminster Fuller, the great modern renaissance man, and got turned around by Paul McCarthy, best described as a performance artist who creates perceptual disorientation by spinning mirrors, rooms, and slamming doors.

Then, on to MoMA, we gawked at the normal assortment of paintings from greats like Picasso, deKooning, Dali, and of course NYC’s own Warhol. I was completely shocked upon entering one room when one wall was completely covered with 3 large panels of thickly layered paint piled in globs that accumulated to form one panoramic scene…Monet’s waterlilies. However spectacular this was for me, seeing my childhood idol’s ultimate masterpiece inches from my face, I was also very disappointed. Monet painted his waterlily scene as a COMPLETE panorama in the round, meant to be endless and seamless. Now museums have broken that continuity, and with it, that feeling of being enveloped in the scene. I was long awaiting the day I would travel to Givery, France and see the waterlily panorama in its original form as Monet intended. Now, seeing it half complete, took away that magic. Maybe there is still hope and someday it will return to its native land a complete unit, and you can bet I will be first in line.

In addition to the art, we indulged in many other NY favorites like pizza at Grimaldis, cheesecake, and bagels. We took every form of transportation available, subway, taxi, train and walked miles and miles through the streets of SOHO, Greenwich Village, and Williamsburg. We walked through flea markets and old Bob Dylan haunts, through ritzy Manhattan streets, and dipped our toes in the east river. Thanks to Curtis and Lydia our NYC tour guide team extraordinaries!

As a designer, I was thrilled to learn that design expert/celebrity Steven Heller and blog pioneer Jeffery Zeldman would be speaking at a book reading for the collection “Field Tested Books” produced by Coudal Partners of Chicago. I was stoked, I had my pitch to Steven Heller rehearsed, my business cards in hand. The event was held at a rooftop bar just feet from the Williamsburg bridge. We arrived just on time, and were disappointed to see a small crowd (of about 20) had already gathered and filled up the only part of the bar from which the speakers would be visible. I settled in to the nearest spot I could, directly behind a water feature. When the program began I found not only could I not see the speakers, but due to the rushing water, could also not hear. Not to be dissuaded, I squeezed into a corner, climbed onto a chair, and through a palm tree, took the above photo of Steven Heller, then promptly finished my glass of red wine and left. Sigh, maybe next time.

Day one: 8/15/07 – Eugene OR
Wednesday, day one of Portland to San Fran road trip. 96 degrees or at least that’s what it feels like in the encased car midday. Just witnessed a Eugene bum, distinguished only from a normal Eugene resident by his trash bag tote drop suddenly to the ground on a perfectly manicured suburban lawn and commence to do push-ups. Only to spring to his feet and continue his steps as if provoked by an imaginary boot camp sergeant.

Went for an impromptu hike; wore a skirt and sports bra for lack of better attire. Proof that you can never pack too much.

Day two: 8/16/07 – Arrival in CA
Entering California, in Redding, and make the required stop at In & Out, the only place where I say “animal style please.” We file through a line worthy of a Disneyland attraction, interacting with employees who are 5 times as cheerful as any Dumbo attendant.

-Arrival in San Francisco
Checked into the Metro Hotel. From the outside had all the promises of being a hip, swanky hotel. It had a sleek, posh red-walled restaurant and outdoor gardens with string patio lights. Conversely, our room was a small, white-walled enclosure no bigger than the Alcatraz cells across the bay; also featured cigarette stained countertops. But nonetheless a place to rest our bodies and minds.

Went exploring on Haight Street, my partner whispering stories of the summer of love some 40 years ago, when Janis Joplin & the Grateful Dead were neighbors and preached from their doorsteps of peace, love, alternate perspectives and altered states of mind. Their modern decedents still haunt the neighborhood, evidenced by the barrage of tie-dye, atheist bookstores, and indie music shops. Their message is sold in shop windows now and spoke freely by homeless street youth.

Day three – 8/17/07 – Redwood city
Help celebrate an 89 year old man’s birthday. Hear stories the the San Francisco of yore. See photos of young men and women in the 1900s wearing loose fitting clothing and camping on the beach. Of men dressed in suits and hats, smoking cigars and swigging beers. Hear stories of the depression and tb epidemic. Hear stories of love found and lost and San Francisco’s coming of age.

Day four- 8/18/07 – San Francisco

We start our last day at the the Legion of Honor Art Museum gazing at the multitude of Monets, Renoirs, Cezanne and a smattering of deKooning. Scouring every brushstroke, we produce our own works of art later over dinner on a paper tablecloth. We journey through little italy, stopping for a drink at a swanky jazz bar with a 3:00 Saturday afternoon show. We smile cheese in front of Coit Tower and find ourselves headed down Columbus into City Lights Bookstore. While it’s no Powells, and there were no “I got lost” stickers, City Lights exuded history and charm. Its walls were papered with stories told through yellowed newpaper articles and photos with attached captions of Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation. A documentary of protests, riots and movements from the past.

We stop for a drink, “Widmer Hefeweizen, please” at Vesuvio a quaint little bar with an upstairs balcony. Embellished in paint, a quote above the door of the bar states, “I am itching to get away from Portland, Oregon.” Being mildly offended and altogether curious, I inquire to the assiduous and severely annoyed bartender as to the meaning. He grumbles about some Portland flea epidemic years back. I start to muster up some sort of defense for my fair city, but having just gone through a flea bout with my own cat, find myself at a loss. Talk about bad PR and an odd expression to paint on your bar entryway.

Later that evening we attend an art opening. Ben Frost, a visiting artist from Australia and his vibrant painted collages of American brand icons. Ben stood with me for a while, drink in hand, wearing a camouflage jacket full of patches, dark jeans and an earring. Spoke of his girlfriend back home, an anticipated studio exchange and surviving as an artist without selling out to big brands. I tell him Im a designer and suddenly I feel like a sell out and the conversation soon dies. Soon after this I am bitten by the studio dog who was later described as being “grumpy.”

Day five- 8/19/07 – Hwy 101

On the drive home I put my feet up and read from Ken Kesey’s “Sometimes a Great Notion.” Get out of the car to hug a giant tree, silent guardian of the redwood forest for hundreds of years.

While engorging on Mark Twain’s tantalizing details of the first sight of the Rock of Gibraltar from the deck of a grand Atlantic ocean liner, and grand descriptions of the gilded & precisely manicured property of Versailles, I reflect upon my own travels. Somehow my stories of family vacations to Amish country and a week spent at Grandma’s house miles away from anything interesting pale in comparison. However, there is humor to be found in my misguided travels, and some value in their cautionary message. So I give you short excerpts:

1. Harlem, New York: After a late flight and a rental car fiasco, my family became quite turned about in New York City. Upon being stuck in the mother of all traffic jams until midnight, we finally freed ourselves from the unhappy congestion and were smooth sailing through a short-cut. Unfortunately the short cut was not short nor did it cut to any place we wanted to be. This is how we came to be what is likely the only family of four, driving a 4-door Lexus at midnight in Harlem. A man on the sidewalk with a bright yellow shirt that said “F&*$ the World” on it, welcomed us to his world with one finger raised.

2. Holbrook, Arizona: Just beyond the reaches of the painted desert, the petrified forest and anything else resembling beauty lies Holbrook and a KOA campground. On a cold night some Februarys ago you may have come across me there, singing merrily, swapping stories around a campfire with college friends, too blurred by alcohol and friendship to care about our dreary locale. Our remoteness elevated our volume and overall rowdiness as we cavorted about on a children’s playground spinning each other on a twil-a-bout until we threw up.
3. Gallup, New Mexico: A bird of undisclosed species, nose-dived in Gallop, New Mexico, and in doing so, shat on my freshly groomed mop of hair. That’s all I have to say about Gallup New Mexico.

4. Pagosa Springs, Colorado: You see the road signs for deer, you see road signs for elk, you even may see an occasional sign cutesy sign for duck crossing, but I bet you have never seen a sign for a bear. Be warned that highway signs cant prepare you for everything.

5. San Francisco, California: One can only truly experience the Golden Gate bridge in all of its fog-encroaching glory, by strolling along its suicide-hotline decorated walking path. But, there is a danger to an ill-informed tourist. Despite being a bridge, the golden gate has hours in which you are allowed and not allowed to traverse its paths. And, if tricked by the sunshine of the afternoon, you reach the island of Sausalito and come to the sudden realization that the reverse path is closed, you may find yourself in a SF pickle. Instead of the quaint island town just beyond the reaches of the bridge, you find Sausalito to be evasive, hidden from your view by a long stretch of winding freeway. If you find yourself in this unfortunate position as I did, I recommend hitchhiking. Be warned not all couples may be as kind as the lesbian variety that came to our rescue.