New York City, NY, April 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York City’s official celebration of design is set to begin May 10-20, 2022 with NYCxDESIGN’s 10th Anniversary Festival. The annual event attracts thousands of visitors from across the globe that make the trip to experience the very best in design at all scales and disciplines. As an international design capital, all five boroughs are stepping up to the plate with activations, tours, exhibits, talks, workshops and films taking place at museums, schools, neighborhoods, galleries, restaurants and hotels. Hundreds of events will highlight the creatives and visionaries who have been at the core of New York's expansive design community over the past decade. Anchored by two internationally renowned trade shows, the International Contemporary Furnishings Fair (ICFF) and WantedDesign Manhattan, the programs also present international and national design talent that travel to New York to be part of this important cultural moment.
“For ten years, the NYCxDESIGN Festival has highlighted New York City as the destination for thousands of visitors to explore the best design rooted in innovation, creativity, culture, and inclusivity,” says Elissa Black, Executive Director of NYCxDESIGN. “The programming for this 10th anniversary special edition defines the future of design locally and internationally and reflects NYCxDESIGN’s work year-round to support the diverse design creators and industries of New York.”
FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING & EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
An updated interactive calendar can be found online at festival.nycxdesign.org including curated itineraries across a variety of themes, including Diversity on Display, curated by Kia Witherspoon and sponsored by High Point Market, Community Drives Design, curated by Sloan Leo, Design as a Force for Change, curated by Nu Goteh and Neil Ramsay, Design Behind the Scenes, Spring on Display, and Next Level Design. NYCxDESIGN’s Self-Guided Journeys will also be virtually accessible for those that want to navigate neighborhoods including new additions of Harlem, Clinton Hill + Fort Greene, and Nomad + Flatiron with a special design lens.
INSPIRING PUBLIC EXPERIENCES
The Festival offers a unique platform for some of the design industry’s most talented voices to present new ideas and showcase how design can be a tool for the greater good. A beloved part of the Festival since 2017, Design Pavilion brings experiential installations to public spaces throughout the city, inviting public engagement with design and innovation. This year in Times Square—the event’s home base— Design Pavilion will host CLB Architects’ FILTER, a tactile, sustainable, renewable structure that celebrates the natural environment from May 7-15. FILTER’s chapel-like construction offers a temporary shelter for reflection in the middle of bustling Midtown Manhattan. This compelling installation will be joined by Pop Up/Drop Off, an exhibit by Pratt students on design activism around plastic waste using lightweight, inflatable materials.
As part of NYCxDESIGN’s non-profit mission to bring together New York City’s expansive design community and champion design’s power towards positive social change, the organization launched its inaugural design competition, IMPACTxDESIGN, with the support of Caesarstone. This Spring, NYCxDESIGN will unveil the winning design installations from the project. On May 10, a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place for Karim Rashid's compelling concept in Downtown Manhattan. Kickie Chudikova's will then launch shortly thereafter in DUMBO Brooklyn. Both will showcase how dynamic design can foster engagement and enhance public space, one of the city’s most valuable resources. The two structures will remain on view for public enjoyment.
That night, NYCxDESIGN and Interior Design will host an Opening Party, featuring the 7th annual NYCxDESIGN Awards and Festival Kickoff Celebration. The event will take place at The Landing in PENN 1, a building of the future, redefining working and culture in the PENN DISTRICT. Tickets are available at https://festival.nycxdesign.org/opening-party/.
Dubbed Brooklyn’s Design District, Industry City will be home to several noteworthy design exhibits for its Design Festival. Kicking off with its Opening Night on Thursday, May 12, the public will be welcomed to explore the indoor and outdoor exhibits while enjoying live musical performances and specialty foods and refreshments from local distilleries and restaurants.
TRADESHOWS, EXHIBITIONS, TALKS & WORKSHOPS
The Festival’s anchor events include two of the design industry’s marquee trade shows: ICFF: The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, North America’s leading platform for contemporary furniture design, co-located once again with WantedDesign Manhattan, which will present high-end North American studios (Look Book) and emerging international designers (Launch Pad) from May 15-17 at Javits Convention Center. These shows invite members of the industry to witness the best of what’s new in design with inspiring installations, immersive exhibitions, product and project introductions, and are also open to the public on the last day for all to have a chance to explore.
As part of the Industry City Design Festival (May 12-16), Central Saint Martins: Design Transforms will present a series of installations, ceramic-making workshops, discursive dinners, and events exploring the concept of borders. The program aims to promote access, learning, and social justice across the communities of Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Industry City will also be home to the IC Local Exhibit: Tools!, curated by experienced design writer and editor Adrian Madlener. Revealing a behind-the-scenes insight into the unique production processes of the diverse and interconnected creative network within Industry City, the show surveys local individuals and companies on the devices, machines, programs, or systems they use in their day-to-day practice.
On May 13, NYCxDESIGN will bring its podcast The Mic to a live audience for the first time at the Kohler Experience Center by Best Plumbing Supply. Host Debbie Millman will be joined by Laura Kohler for “The Responsibility of Design,” a series of striking conversations with design luminaries Claire Weisz, Suchi Reddy, Michael Chen, Jonathan Cropper, and Walei Sabry.
Recognizing the core challenges designers face today, the Brooklyn Navy Yard will present its “Design Thinking Master Class Series: From Inspiration to Application.” These sessions will bring together designers from different disciplines and backgrounds along with design experts for small group discussions on topics such as sustainable thinking and waste reduction, prototyping challenges, accessible and inclusive product design, and the role of design in addressing prescient social issues.
Other exhibits of note include a Dieter Rams exhibition at the Goethe House and a special exhibit on the circular economy created in collaboration with the Danish Trade Council at 200 Lex.
EMERGING TALENT & GROUP SHOWS
The Festival offers the opportunity to discover great new design - an exciting prospect for industry veterans and design lovers alike. On May 11 at Art Cake, Radiator returns for its second edition, spotlighting a group of curated furniture, lighting, and home objects by rising and independent designers. CURRENT: Tides of Contemporary Design, curated by Marcus and Tess De Paula will showcase the path between contemporary fine art and design. The creative studio Pink Essay by David Eardley, Anna Theroux Ling, and Matt Pecina will continue its Physical Education event series with its largest group show yet at Skilset Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, including artists and designers from their growing community.
All of the design schools in the city create a moment to spotlight extraordinary student talent which will be on display at a very special annual showcase night. The hybrid event, with a live portion taking place at Pratt Institute, will this year be themed around “Merry-Go-Round” and is sure to inspire.
MUSEUM ACTIVATIONS
With the world’s leading museums based in New York City, the Festival will include several inspiring programs around renewal, floral expression, and nature. The Museum of Arts and Design will present the “Flower Craft” exhibition on May 14, inviting the public into a marvelous world of contemporary floral artistry. Vitra, the Swiss furniture manufacturer, and NYCxDESIGN will co-host a special conversation previewing the display and celebrating Vitra’s new flower guide. Led by Vitra’s President of North America, Melissa Shelton, “From Studio to Museum: A dive into the world of floral design” will feature the exhibition’s curator, Elisa Auther, and one of NYC’s freshest designers in the floral space, Lutfi Janania. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience a custom pop-up installation by Janania within the Vitra Madison Ave Studio as a backdrop to the conversation.
The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum will also host a special day of programming at Brooklyn’s Industry City to expose attendees to design and the design process. There will be two highly interactive sessions: A workshop exploring storefront design for the future of design (younger participants ages 5-12) and a talk with critic Alexandra Lange and Cooper Hewitt curator Emily Orr on design’s role in retail.
HOSPITALITY
NYCxDESIGN will present special Festival programs that support the City's hotels and culinary landscape during this vital time of recovery. STAYxDESIGN offers guests accommodations where design excellence is at the heart of the hospitality experience. Partners include the Ace Hotel (New York and Brooklyn), Arlo (NoMad, Midtown, and SoHo), the Thompson New York, and the CIVILIAN Hotel recently designed by legendary architect David Rockwell. Partnering with Eater and Punch, NYCxDESIGN will present DRINKSxDESIGN, a program that expands the Festival’s design footprint to support New York City’s dynamic culinary scene. DRINKSxDESIGN will feature a select group of design-centric restaurants and bars offering bespoke cocktails served exclusively during the Festival, including King’s County Distillery, Bar Blondeau, Dear Irving on Hudson, Comodo, As You Are, Llama San, Turk’s Inn, and Dear Irving Gramercy. Tickets for special Happy Hours at King’s County Distillery and Turk’s Inn are available at https://festival.nycxdesign.org/drinksxdesign/.
TOURS, OPEN STUDIOS, AND SHOWROOM CRAWLS
Truly great festivals include insider experiences that are only possible for visitors during the show dates. NYCxDESIGN has worked with different design hubs to curate tours that celebrate creativity in action. NYCxDESIGN’s Open Studio Crawls offer a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s design scene across its most creative neighborhoods. NYCxDESIGN will host guided walking tours in Red Hook, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Harlem, and Flatiron during the Festival on five dedicated days. For design lovers, INC Architecture will lead tours of the new ice-rink level of Rockefeller Center on the afternoons of May 17th and 18th.
The public is also welcome to explore past and future development projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard through its Architecture & Infrastructure Tour. Rich in unique architecture, the Yard’s landscape reveals many layers of history, from Civil War-era machine shops to innovative LEED-Certified structures.
For local NYC students who are interested in design and fabrication, the Navy Yard will host “Envision Your Career: Emerging Designer Tours” on May 14. Students will have the opportunity to meet with several working designers, see their studios, and gain insights into how they started their small businesses.
The Architect’s Newspaper and AN Interior will also invite the design trade to join them on May 11 for their 2022 Design Showroom Crawl, spanning several showrooms across Flatiron and Nomad.
FILMS
As part of the Industry City Design Festival, visitors will also have the opportunity to view two short films featuring the works of muralists presented by the Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF). Over in SoHo, the Angelika Film Center will invite all New Yorkers and those traveling to the city to take note of design’s impact on everyone and everything through its screenings of MAU. In association with THOUGHT ENGINE and presented by Greenwich Entertainment, the BABKA production is the first-ever feature-length documentary on design powerhouse Bruce Mau. Viewers will explore Mau’s unlikely creative journey and ever-optimistic push to tackle the world’s biggest problems through design. There will be a special 7:30pm showing on May 13, followed by a talk led by Bjarke Ingels with Bruce Mau, his wife and business partner Bisi Williams, and filmmakers Jono and Benji Bergmann.
NYCxDESIGN AUCTION
Even those unable to make the trip can get into the action with NYCxDESIGN’s first auction in partnership with Artsy. Design enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid on a curated array of design collectibles from NYC-based designers, including products from past NYCxDESIGN Award winning manufacturers and iconic pieces. The proceeds of this initiative will support the non-profit’s important year-round work.
SPECIAL THANKS TO NYCxDESIGN’S KEY SUPPORTERS, PARTNERS AND FRIENDS
NYCxDESIGN thanks it's 2022 supporters that make the Festival possible, including the New York City Economic Development Corporation, SANDOW Design Group, Caesarstone, Kohler Experience Center by Best Plumbing Supply, High Point Market, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Vitra, MillerKnoll, Industry City, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor, and the New York State Legislature.
Please contact Valerie Hoffman, Program Director, for inquiries about NYCxDESIGN partnerships (vhoffman@nycxdesign.com).
ABOUT NYCxDESIGN
Design is core to New York City’s identity and creative DNA. At NYCxDESIGN, our mission is to support, empower, and grow the city’s incredible design sector. Our internationally renowned Annual Design Festival, established in 2013, showcases the immense talent and diversity of the city’s designers, makers, and manufacturers, along with cutting-edge design businesses and districts, and world-class cultural and academic design institutions. The Festival attracts 300,000+ national and international visitors to the city, generating significant economic activity across the boroughs with hundreds of events about design and innovation, creativity, culture, inclusivity, sustainability, and resiliency. As a non-profit organization, NYCxDESIGN also runs an impactful year-round program increasing diversity, equitable opportunity, and inclusion within the city’s design professions. We educate the city’s young adults about design and inspire them to become the city’s designers of tomorrow. With new executive leadership, and recently granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, NYCxDESIGN is catalyzing an exciting and thriving design sector for all of New York City. NYCEDC and SANDOW Design Group are key, ongoing supporters of NYCxDESIGN.
Media Partners include Metropolis, Luxe Interiors & Design, Interior Design, The Hearst Design Collection (House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and Veranda), Sixtysix, Brownstoner, Design Milk, The Architect’s Newspaper, INTERIORS, and IFDM.
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