Why Design Now?
A West Coast Context
Curated by Barry Marshall, Creative Director of EDG
With the support of Nancy Bendtsen of INFORM and Niels Bendtsen of BENSEN
WHY DESIGN NOW?: A WEST COAST CONTEXT is partly inspired by New York’s Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum’s 2010 National Design Triennial entitled Why Design Now?, which focused on how innovative design globally has addressed significant social and environmental issues. This 2010 exhibition and the accompanying substantive catalogue were organized by themes, such as energy, mobility, health, communication and simplicity that cut across design fields—bringing a surprising range of projects together.
This exhibition is also inspired by the West Vancouver Society for Art, Architecture and Design’s vision and aspiration to create the Centre for Art, Architecture + Design, in West Vancouver. From 1945 to 1975, West Vancouver was considered a centre of innovative residential design that became known as the West Coast Style. The exhibition reflects and demonstrates how the integration of many creative and design disciplines have and continue to contribute to local culture and the creative economy—from the pioneering work of postwar artists, architects and designers, collectively known as Mid-Century Modern and West Coast Design, to the work of local and international designers today.
The WHY DESIGN NOW? exhibition is specifically inspired by contemporary business and industry’s growing recognition of design thinking— a relatively new approach which employs a strategic solutions based methodology to harness creativity, user-focused experience and is increasingly seen to have the potential to revolutionize the education of the next generation of innovators.
The exhibition showcases how local designers are directly creating the value-added products, services and technologies that are needed by domestic and global consumers today and also how designers are consulting and collaborating with others—employing design thinking towards the improved output of knowledge based goods and services.
Speaking About Design
Saturday, August 13, 2016 , 3―5 p.m.
Please join us for this special event, Speaking About Design, on Saturday, August 13, 2016, from 3 to 5 p.m. organized in conjunction with the exhibition Why Design Now?: A West Coast Context on view at the West Vancouver Museum until August 27.
Moderated by Creative Director, Principal of EDG Experience Design Group and the exhibition’s curator Barry Marshall, leaders from Vancouver’s design community will discuss the importance and future of design locally in British Columbia and beyond. The following speakers will talk about collecting, the design process, collaboration between designer and architect as well as artistry and provide some local historical context.
Nancy Bendtsen, Co-owner, Design Manager of INFORM Interiors
Niels Bendtsen, Head Designer, Founder of BENSEN
Toby Barrett, Designer and Principal of Propellor
Brent Comber, Brent Comber Studio
Kiriko Watanabe, Assistant Curator, West Vancouver Museum
Seating is limited. Please RSVP at [email protected] to reserve your seat.
Don’t miss this chance to meet some of Vancouver’s leading designers and design professionals.