Grain at NYCxDESIGN
The month of May is always an exciting time for our studio as we present new work as part of NYCxDESIGN. This year is no exception. Seeing new work is always thrilling, but the best part of this time of year is reconnecting with old and new friends alike. It reminds us how grateful we are to be working in creative community!
Here is where to find us:
May 18 - June 30
The Knockoff Show
Colony, 324 Canal St, New York, NY
Opens May 18, 6:00 - 9:00 pm RSVP
For the annual design week show at Colony, Grain was one of 17 North American independent designers asked to dispel the notion that nothing is original by creating new work directly inspired by a design from the past. The show seeks to create a generative rebuttal to the often bitter reality of our industry. For our contribution, we designed our first piece of casegoods (sneak peek above) in response to a distinctive checkerboard pattern and functional pivot hinge from a 19th Century door carved by an unnamed Baule artist that we connected with on the pages of African Art in the Barnes Foundation.
May 18 - June 3
Public Access
Head Hi, 146 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Naval Cemetery Landscape, 63 Williamsburg St W, Brooklyn, NY
Opens at Head Hi May 18, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Public Access is a show envisioned by our friends at Furnishing Utopia with the mission to promote more perfect ways of living together through design. Along with 37 designers from 12 countries, Grain was invited to imagine an intervention for a public space in our local community that prompts an act of sharing between people, communities and/or the natural world. When thinking about interdependence, pollinators are one of the first relationships that come to mind so we created an open source design for a Mason bee shelter. Our hope is to inspire others to imagine their own creative ways of living in beneficial relationship with more-than-human beings.
May 21 - 23
The Crossroads
ICFF and WantedDesign, 655 W 34th St, New York, NY
Dialogues at the Crossroads, May 21 - 23, 12:00 - 12:30 pm
Meet the Designers, May 22, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Co-curated by David Rockwell and Pei-Ru Keh, The Crossroads is the new heart of ICFF and WantedDesign with works from 17 established and emerging American designers and manufacturers who embrace diversity and disruption in both methodology and aesthetics to respond to the social issues facing the world today. Grain is proud to have our rugs on display with work from our friends at BZIPPY, Coil + Drift, Fort Standard, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Bower Studios and more. A daily conversation series, Dialogues at The Crossroads, will be moderated by Tiffany Jow. Chelsea Minola of Grain will participate in the May 21 panel. Please let us know if you would like complimentary tickets to the fair.
Also, from earlier this month:
May 3 - 7
Hae/Hi: Designing Friendship
Ásmundarsalur, Reykjavik, Iceland
Did you know that Seattle and Reykjavik are sister cities? For the second inaugural Hae/Hi, 18 designers from the two cities were paired to create new works around the theme of togetherness. For our collaboration, we worked with husband-and-wife duo, Agustav, to create two table-top vessels to be used at a family meal or community gathering. During the design process, we defined dimensional parameters, but otherwise kept our individual efforts separate, similar to the way one plans a pot-luck or meal with friends. The goal was to reflect upon, allow for and get comfortable with, the joy of the unknown other while simultaneously illustrating the value of showing up just as you are.
May 4
Shape Soap Launch
Areaware, Brooklyn, New York
With young children in school, our family thinks a lot about hand washing these days. Along with everything going on this month, we are proud to have launched our Shape Soap collection with our friends at Areaware. The shapes are inspired by our existing furniture work - specifically our Saddle Stools and Drift Bump Sconces. We have really enjoyed our partnership with Areaware over these past several years since licensing our popular Totem Candles and are delighted to be creating another fun but useful product that makes everyday life just a little more playful.
If you are planning on being in New York for design week and would like to find a time to meet up, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We hope to see you there!
- Chelsea & James