Katrina: Designer News & Resources (09.08 Update)

This post is an archive of news and resources to help designers from the New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf States area, devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This resource list will not be updated after 09.08, when it was moved to both the AIGA site (more) and to the Displaced Designer site. Other ways to help are outlined below, as well as many other ways to contribute.

RELOCATION HELP/WORK

Berkshire Taconic Katrina Emergency Fund Established to Aid Designers Our offer to help is gathering steam here in Northwest Connecticut/Western Massachusetts. A lot of interest and support from the local community. We have established a non-profit fund with our local community foundation so that we can accept donations. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is a highly reputable foundation, and will administer and control use of funds. (Make checks out to the Berkshire Taconic Katrina Emergency Fund, and mail to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 271 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230). Form for credit card donations directly into the Berkshire Taconic Katrina Emergency Fund at BTCF can be found here.

Designer at Winterhouse Studio — Northwest Connecticut
Winterhouse principals Jessica Helfand and William Drenttel will sponsor one young designer from the devastated New Orleans/Gulf of Mexico region. We can offer work for 3-6 months, plus help in relocating to New York or Boston, or staying in our area longer-term. We will help with airfare and resettling costs — anything needed. Winterhouse is located in the Berkshire Mountains in Northwest Connecticut. More information about the studio at Winterhouse. Email elizabeth [at] winterhouse.com, or call collect 860.824.5040.

Relocate A Design Studio to the Berkshires
In the New England tri-state area (Western Massachusetts, Northwest Connecticut and New York State east of the Hudson, south of Albany), there is a real need for additional design talent. This area encompasses towns from Williamstown to Great Barrington, Massachusetts; Hudson to Millerton, New York; Salisbury to Cornwall, Connecticut. Only two hours from New York and Boston. In our neck of the woods are cultural organizations like Tanglewood, MassMOCA, the Norman Rockwell Museum, etc. It’s a wonderful area to live in, rich in culture and natural beauty. Winterhouse would like to sponsor a design firm from the devastated New Orleans/Gulf of Mexico region, and believe we can help provide community support, initial clients, start-up funds, housing, etc. Email elizabeth [at] winterhouse.com, or call collect 860.824.5040.

NETWORKS TO HELP/DONATIONS

American Institute of Graphic Arts
The AIGA, with 45 chapters and 150 student groups, is the largest graphic design organization in the country. AIGA has a New Orleans chapter for the city and surrounding areas with over 200 members. AIGA is networking offers of help / requests for help through its website. Whether a member of AIGA or not, this is an important place to post requests for help.

Displaced Designer: Helping Designers Affected by Hurricane Katrina Get Back on Their Feet.
A resource from The Chopping Block for those in the creative industry recently displaced by the ongoing situation in New Orleans and the surrounding region. Quickly growing resource of help needed / help wanted.

Archinect: Adopt An Architect / Disaster Relief Information
An extensive archive of disaster news, and over 178 offers (as of 9/9) to help architects with jobs, students with new schools, etc. Amazing response at this site.

American Institute of Architects
With over 74,000 members, the AIA represents the professional interests of America’s architects. With a well-established network of chapters in all major southern cities, AIA has local coordinators organizing help, support and information sharing.

Architecture for Humanity
Working to bring architectural solutions to humanitarian crises, Architecture for Humanity has a long list of advice and resources.

Arts Unite for Hurricane Relief
Swine Palace, the professional theatre company affiliated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is blogging news about arts organizations that provide support. It also lists offers for artist housing.

Aquent
Aquent is making a donation of $10,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, and will be matching every contribution they gather for Second Harvest, dollar for dollar. Visit their web site to learn how to participate.

Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Baton Rouge Area Foundation is a nonprofit organization that forms partnerships with philanthropists, nonprofit organizations and other community leaders. Community Foundations are part of a national network: they are typically well-run with low overheads, deep connections in the community, and broad experience helping libraries, dealing with poverty and preserving natural resources. Local community foundations are a good way to reach local groups through an already-existing network.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund
Focused on craft artists, CERF was started in 1985 and has helped more than 400 professional craft artists with over $650,000 in financial assistance over the years. CERF bulletin boards are full of offers of help and information. Very grass-roots.

Crafters United: Creative Forces for Hurricane Katrina Relief
Craft Revolution, an online magazine that promotes the work of independent designers, artists, and crafters has teamed up with craftster.org and etsy.com to set up a fundraiser to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina. They’ve set up a shop at etsy.com, and they’re looking for donations from the indie design/craft world:100% of the proceeds from the sales are going to the Red Cross. (Link courtesy of Design Sponge.)

Community Arts Network’s Blog on Artists and Disaster Relief
This national arts organization has launched CanBlog to keep track of things affects artists and the arts.

Saving Animals Through the Humane Society
In response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, The Humane Society has launched a massive relief effort to rescue pets and assist their care givers. Relief effort is funded by donations, and they desperately need your support. You can make an emergency contribution to the HSUS Disaster Relief Fund. (Link courtesy of Joseph Coates.)

NEWS AND COMMENTARY

“There’s No Place Like Home”
Witold Rybczynski on the historical problems with emergency housing.

“The Control of Nature by John McPhee”
The New Yorker this week publishes excerpts from John McFee’s classic 1987 essay on the Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts to tame the waters of Louisiana. The complete essay is here.

Students Design Alternative Housing for Katrina Victims
In the spirit of Samuel Mockbee, Auburn University’s architecture and design students are designing shipping-container shelter units. (Link via Archinech.)

“Desparate Need for Shelter”
The New York Times looks at temporary housing, from Carnival Cruise lines to proposals from Daniel Libeskind and Shigeru Ban to “Flat Packs” and “Future Shacks.” After Hurricane Charley ripped through Florida, officials bought 550 three-bedroom mobile homes. A year later, 1500 low-income residents still call “FEMA Village” home, reminding us that temporary housing often is not temporary.

“Floods Ravage New Orleans
An amazing archive of photographs from the Washington Post.

“University of Louisiana at Lafayette Reacts to Katrina”
News article about architecture and design students from Tulane, Loyola and the University of New Orleans being moved to University of Louisiana at Lafayette: it’s expected that 60-70% will migrate to Lafayette permanently. Short-term design projects will focus on disaster relief needs.

“Surviving The Flood: A Review of the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale”
Originally posted on August 5th, Core77 still has a feature on their homepage — a review of a show titled “Surviving the Flood.” It seems out of place today.

“Buiding A Wireless Network”
Community Wireless Networking experts from throughout the United States are heading to the New Orleans/LA region to help rebuild their telecommunications infrastructure. Donations accepted to help defray expenses.

“The Impact of Hurricane Katrina”
The best info-graphic on the impact of Hurricane Katrina is definitely at The New York Times website. The photo and video section offer striking visual coverage of this catastrophe.

“24 Hours of Hell”
An amazing info-graphic from the Sun Herald newspaper in south Mississippi.

“Disaster (and Intelligent Info-design) Strikes Yet Again”
One+one=thr33 on the design of info-graphics for this disaster.

“The City That Will Be”
A history of re-building cities: New Orleans will come back but what will it be?

“A Strong, Soulful, Wicked, Frail City”
For a city of only half a million people, New Orleans looms large in the cultural imagination of the world. What will we keep and what will we destroy in re-building her?

“A Sad Day, Too, for Architecture”
Former president of Oberlin College and of the Aspen Institute, and the founding director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, S. Frederick Starr becomes a The New York Times correspondent to reflect on architectural loses in New Orleans. (One should note that he is a professional clarinetist and saxophonist with the New Orleans-based Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble.)

Newsmap
Follow the declining coverage of Hurrican Katrina at Newsmap.

OTHER

Speak Up
Speak Up has made a donation to the AIGA relief fund, and is encouraging its readers to join in the AIGA effort.

The Hurricane Poster Project
Moxie Sozo, a nationally known design firm in Boulder, Colorado is teaming up with other designers and design firms around the country to create “The Hurricane Poster Project.” All proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross with a goal of $1 million. URL to follow.

25 Above Water Project
Organized by Sam Vazquez, twenty-five graphic artists to make limited edition posters: project goal is $250,000. URL to follow, with online exhibition to open October 5.

Hurricane Katrina “I’m OK” Registry
Find someone missing, tell your friends you are OK. This is the best registry.