Local filmmaker and documentarian Nick Corbin will be hosting a screening of his educational documentary about the Mini Mural and the process behind the development and design of the Glass City River Wall – the largest mural in the country!

Nick and his guests will participate in a Q&A following the screening to discuss both the River Wall mural and the documentary. This screening is free and open to the public (seating is limited).

The Gallery is located at 705 Monroe St. in Toledo, OH. This event is sponsored by AIGA Toledo.

For more information about the Glass City River Wall, visit glasscityriverwall.org

Over the last two years the circumstances of our world have revolutionized the way we communicate and virtual communities have become more commonplace than conference rooms. As society ventures back out into an in-person world, what will we keep from our time in a bottle and what from our past will become familiar once again?

These are the challenges we all face now in 2022 and the design world in particular has a unique opportunity to shape the way society moves forward through visual communication. In the spirit of leadership for our local graphic design community, the AIGA Toledo board is excited to bring The Gallery to Toledo and with it a return of the human element to the design elements we at AIGA perpetually champion.

For two exciting days our dedicated space in at 705 Monroe St. will become The Gallery in the first of a series of events showcasing the talents of local designers and artists alike. From working design professionals to students of our craft, 18 Board-selected graphic artists will share their digital works in physical forms for our community to experience live. Free drinks and live music also await on open night, so be sure to stop by!

The AIGA Toledo Board can hardly wait to welcome our local design community back to our space and back to the in-person world. We hope to see you there as our guests as we celebrate the world of design and reimagine our places in it.

When: April 8th & April 9th, 6:00pm – 9:30pm
Where: 705 Monroe Street, Toledo OH 43604
Admission: Open to the public

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors for your contributions to this event!

Mike Osborne creatively known as Abstract Overspray blends graphic design with graffiti art, from which emerges his own unique style called Hyper Digital Abstract Realism. His murals are scattered across the Midwest, splashes of neon colors and moments of nature. The blend of an abstract feel with a more fine art vibe, a more photorealistic vibe merges the complexities of a computer program with the brush strokes of a fine art painting.

Born and raised in Toledo, Osborne bounced around, spending time in Northern California, snowboarding and working on ski resorts. The mountains and other natural beauties supplied inspiration for his murals and other works of art. Blending nature with the crisp clean lines of graphic design became a passion that has launched him into a full time career as an artist/muralist.

Abstract Overspray, seen working on several murals in the downtown area of Toledo, Ohio and painting in his studio.

We are excited to announce that AIGA Toledo is looking for passionate, driven, collaborative individuals to join our Board! We have 4 open positions on the Board of Directors: President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Membership Director. Being a designer is not a requirement to apply. Our board is an eclectic group of writers, designers, photographers, curators, and educators who value design, diversity, collaboration and the local community. Join us in our mission to bring together an inclusive community, create change, empower one another and elevate design within the city of Toledo.

Interested in one of the open positions listed below? Apply Here >
*Deadline to Apply—12am Wednesday July 21st 2021*

Board Member Roles & Requirements

• Maintain an active AIGA Membership throughout entire term
• Completion of a full term
• Dedicate 2+ hours a week to the position (dependent on time of year) 
• Positive representation of AIGA in our community
• Attendance at monthly Board Meetings (currently virtual)
• Attendance at 80% of AIGA Toledo events (currently virtual)

President—2 Year Term
We are seeking an individual to lead our board of directors for the term of 2022-2024. In order to set you up for success we will begin onboarding late summer/early fall. Our current president will guide you through the ins and outs of your role responsibilities with hands-on training (virtual for the time being), introductions to National staff, and our advisory board to ensure that you have the tools and confidence to take on this role. In addition to the support of the AIGA Toledo board, you will have access to other chapter leaders via Slack to collaborate with, seek advice from, and grow with in your role. 

Who you are:

• A self starting individual who takes initiative and sees things through
• A leader, you either have experience in leadership or are looking to gain leadership experience to advance to the next level in your career 
• Community minded, you have a desire to foster the local creative community 
• A good communicator who is able to work with different people from all walks of life
• Empathetic & motivating, you are able to lead a team with a sense of empathy and positivity
• A volunteer who is willing to spend free time investing in our local creative community

President Responsibilities:

• Facilitate and participate in programming ideation and execution 
• Lead board meetings once a month with the assistance of the Vice President 
• Facilitate partnerships in the local community with the assistance of Community Outreach chairs 
• Attend National leadership meetings once a month
• Lead quarterly board retreats
• Check in with chapter advisory council quarterly
• Recruitment of board members and AIGA Toledo members with the assistance of the board
• Manages google suite & slack—adding/removing board members as terms require
• Financial oversight of the board, ensuring that all expenses are approved by you and the treasurer, and recorded for annual tax purposes
• Filing a board report annually with the assistance of the Treasurer
• Approve projects, spending, and sign all contracts (ex. Speakers, Event spaces, etc)

Treasurer—3 Year Term
We are looking to fill our treasurer role to oversee the finances of our local chapter for the term of 2021-2024. While prior professional experience in finance is a plus, it is not a requirement. Our outgoing treasurer will happily show you the ins and outs of this role with hands-on (virtual) training to ensure your success moving forward. Additionally our National office provides training and you will have access to other chapter treasurers via Slack if you are interested to know how other chapters are managing their bookkeeping.

Who you are:

• Responsible and trustworthy, as you will be the individual with access to our financial accounts (along with the president) your integrity is of the utmost importance 
• Organized and accountable in your record keeping as it will relate to chapter spending, account balances, and preparing financial reports 
• You check your email daily, ensuring you do not miss any important messages and alerts that relate to the chapters accounts 
• Timely in response to anything urgent 
• You have experience in or a willingness to learn quickbooks

Treasurer Responsibilities:

• Manage the chapters financial accounts and quickbooks 
• Keeping record of all chapter finances
• Know how to balance a checkbook
• Prepare monthly financial reports of chapter spending, earning & account balances
• Prepare annual financial report of chapter spending, earning & account balances
• Coordinate with a professional CPA to file the chapters taxes annually, and provide necessary paperwork to the President and National 
• Send payments that have been authorized by the President only 
• Filing a board report annually with the assistance of the President

Secretary—3 Year Term
We are looking for a secretary to foster communication and ensures proper management, documentation, and utilization of important records for the term of 2021-2024. Your job is to keep us organized and scheduled. You will be primarily responsible for recording meeting minutes (taking notes) at monthly board meetings. Minutes are important organizational documents that provide date, time, location, those in attendance of meetings and key information such as board actions, elections of officers or directors, and monthly reports from board members.

Who you are:

• An efficient note taker who focuses on the big picture and assigning action items
• You love being organized and knowing where everything lives
• A planner, you know what needs to be done and who needs to do it

Secretary Responsibilities:

• Record the minutes of all meetings of the Board and the Members
• Maintain a board binder containing the governing documents, key governance policies, minutes of board meetings, and written consents 
• Keep an updated record of Chapter contacts including current board members, and AIGA Toledo members
• Schedule board meetings (currently via Zoom) giving ample notice to board members of the date and time
• Ensure an adequate number of meetings are held per year in accordance with AIGA Toledo’s bylaws
• Distribution of agendas before meetings 
• Keep AIGA Toledo’s records and related materials organized on our google drive 
• Develop and distribute a board calendar before the start of each year containing important deadlines for filing with the National office and the state of Ohio

Membership Director—3 Year Term
We are seeking a membership director to grow and maintain the AIGA Toledo membership for the term of 2021-2024. As the membership director, one of your primary duties is to communicate the value of membership by promoting AIGA Toledo to the local creative community and to enhance the membership experience. In addition to the support of the AIGA Toledo board, you will have access to other chapter leaders via Slack to collaborate with, seek advice from, and grow with in your role. 

Who you are:

• Outgoing, you have no problem with community outreach as it relates to growing the AIGA Toledo membership and understanding what the community is looking for in AIGA Toledo 
• You set goals and monitor your progress 
• Organized and prepared to speak to professionals and community members about the value of AIGA Toledo and the benefits of membership
• Collaborative minded

Membership Director Responsibilities:

• Keep accurate membership records
• Develop and distribute a quarterly newsletter to our membership via mailchimp
• Collect feedback annually from our membership and community 
• Develop and implement plans and objectives for membership promotion 
• Assess and report progress in monthly meetings 
• Prepare annual membership reports 
• Stay in communication with AIGA’s national director of membership to ensure you know and understand the details of an AIGA membership as things change with time

Interested in one of the open positions listed above? Apply Here >
*Deadline to Apply—12am Wednesday July 21st 2021*

Hi Campers! We’re just gonna scooch right in to announce that AIGA Midwest has partnered to produce the first Midwest-wide Virtual Portfolio Review: OPE! This review runs from March 22–April 16, encompassing solo portfolio review sessions, speakers and panels every week, open hours crit sessions and even a chance to win some sweet prizes. We want to give you the opportunity to connect with professionals in the industry and get the advice you need to succeed, no matter your schedule or circumstances. 

Check out MidwestPortfolioReview.com to learn more and sign up. Ready to go? Grab your toothbrush, pull up your tube socks and let’s hit the trails!

Amy Fidler and Jenn Stucker, co-founders of AIGA Toledo and professors of graphic design at Bowling Green State University, are incredibly active forces in the design community of Toledo (and beyond). Since forming our chapter in 2007, they’ve continued to make waves throughout the design community – through their students, their own work and their passion for AIGA as an organization.

Beat Chattanooga

It all started with attending an AIGA conference in May of 2007 and an idea to bring events closer to home. Jenn noted the desire to get the most out of her AIGA membership at the time. “If I wanted to go to events, I had to go to Detroit or Cleveland. I wasn’t getting great member benefits.” In the car on the way back, Amy had the idea to start a chapter in Toledo. Initially, they thought that the minimum chapter membership numbers would be far too high for a city of Toledo’s size, but after some research they found out that Chattanooga only had 34 at the time. “So the internalized motto became ‘Beat Chattanooga.’” After filing all of the paperwork and tapping into an already rich design hub thanks to Toledo’s AAF (formerly known as the Ad Club), the chapter was established, events were planned and a dedicated design community emerged. “It seemed like a missed opportunity not to have something here.” Since then through ebbs and flows, the chapter has remained steadfast in its momentum, and both founders are very proud of the way it has developed over time.

McDonald’s of Design

As long-standing professors at Bowling Green State University, Amy + Jenn have great pride in the work they do for their students. “Over the years, Amy and I have been intentional about being socially engaged with the work…I want my students to be thinkers, to be aware of the content they’re creating and making and where it goes.” Many of their students go on to become professional designers, and Jenn’s hope is that they remain authentic and purposeful in their work, not doing ‘stuff’ just to do it. “My students hear this all the time, but I don’t want them to be the McDonald’s of design…I want them to think about what they are creating and why instead of just doing it.” 

Amy and Jenn’s relationship with their students has played a large role in the success of AIGA Toledo because they often bring their students to events and encourage them to take full advantage of the organization. Amy notes, “We worked on it [AIGA] to benefit the students as well as the professional community and ourselves so we were selfish in that way, but it wasn’t selfish truly because it benefited everyone.” 

Shifting Focus

There is no single organization, business or person left untouched by the state of the world as 2020 continues on for what feels like forever. When events cannot be held in person, the shift has been to go digital, and it’s a shift that Amy feels holds a lot of promise. “No one is working on the physical right now. You’re maximizing on remote opportunities and pulling in a diverse range of voices and people. It’s helping get recognition of people who are fresh faces and have so much to contribute.” With the recent success of events like AIGA’s Midwest Design week, those ideas ring true and give hope for continued connectivity. The transition to online content also directly benefits students. “One of our goals has always been to serve students, and the remote learning works beautifully. The students turn into professionals, retain wonderful talent and go forward.” 

Inspiration 

Jenn and Amy inspire so many students and people with the work that they do. So when asked what inspires them currently, their answers were varied. Jenn’s main inspiration at the moment is running. “I set a goal for this year to run 1,300 miles. It’s one thing I need – not directly inspiration, but decompression.” Her other main inspiration has been her coursework for her PhD in Higher Education Administration. “We read 6 books in 7 weeks, all on the topic of equity and justice in higher education.” The powerful lessons have reinforced her passion for teaching and showing her students just how transformative design can be.

Amy has been drawing inspiration from her own reading material. “The books I’ve been reading are more novel-based books dealing with race relations and other things.” She’s actively trying to broaden her scope outside of design. “I’ve been looking at other ways of being inspired, so mostly reading other forms of authorship and fine artists more.” In an effort to broaden her knowledge of new things and people, she has reshaped her social media and hopes to become more connected with the world that way.

A Word of Thanks 

AIGA Toledo wants to send a quick “Thank You” to Amy + Jenn for their continued years of support, guidance and talent in Toledo. Your herculean efforts to lift young designers’ voices are never unnoticed, and we would (literally) not be here without you!

Do you know someone in Toledo that would be perfect to spotlight for our new local creative series? Are you a local Toledo artist and want to talk to us about upcoming projects or events? Reach out to Audrey at communications@toledo.aiga.org and say hello!

Joan Browne, co-founder of Unruly Arts and supporter of the Toledo art scene, has been a long-standing advocate for accessible, purposeful art in our local communities. As many good ideas begin, Joan and director Lori Schon teamed up over a drink at Carrabba’s and brainstormed the idea for Unruly Arts. Unruly Arts is an organization that provides a space, supplies and encouragement to artists with disabilities. We had the opportunity to chat with Joan and Lori this month and talk more about their brainchild, how Unruly Arts has helped Toledo, and their next steps in a pandemic-centric world. 

A New Beginning

As the former president of Lott Industries, Joan dealt with the U.S. market crash of 2007 and suddenly found herself responsible for 800 people who needed jobs. At the time, many did not fit production roles well. Around this time, the concept of art studios for people with developmental disabilities were relatively new. Joan saw this as an opportunity to start one herself. “I didn’t want it just to be an activity or habilitation, I wanted it to be for real.” Knowing that she couldn’t embark on this project alone, she sought the help of local artist Lori Schon, co-owner of Vintage Gardens. After three months of twisting her arm to start the studio, Lori gave in. “The first day I spent [there] with artists, I was hooked. That was that.” Unruly Arts was officially founded in March of 2008 –  originally in Downtown Toledo, now located in the Artists Village at the Toledo Botanical Gardens.

Creating a Joyful Place

From there, the pair dove right into the work. “It was pretty fast paced. Everything you shouldn’t do, we did it.” The business plan and funding were somewhat of an afterthought, but the mission was so much more important to them. With support from other artists in the artist village at Toledo Botanical Gardens and The Arts Commission, they’ve been able to expand resources and reach so much more of the community through activities like the Art Loop. Currently, the age range of artists starts at 17 and goes all the way up to artists in their 80s. 

When Lori geared up to teach her first class, she was nervous about how things would go. She was used to high school students who were afraid to put paint on a canvas or were unsure of the process – but this was not the case. “I had 16 people who were loving the process. Everything was everywhere and I thought, this is where I belong.” Now, there are a variety of teachers that come in and host workshops, from woodworking to knitting; it depends on what people are passionate about and what those individuals can bring to the table.

Adapting in a Pandemic

Covid has impacted the arts community in every way possible, and it has not left Unruly Arts untouched. “We received a grant from The Community Foundation and The Andersons to expand our services to younger artists, and that’s when Covid hit.” The studios were closed shortly after schools were closed and have only recently reopened for the artist use. The plans to expand currently wait in the wings, but the Unruly Arts community has remained strong. Lori has taken it upon herself to drop off supplies at the artists’ houses and host zoom calls. They even held a drive-by parade for one artist’s birthdays. And though times are tough, they are making it work financially by posting their artist’s work for sale on their website. Both Joan and Lori hope to be able to work with younger artists soon as they feel there is a need, especially in current climates. “With so many kids being homeschooled and not knowing what to do, it’s the perfect opportunity to reach them.”

Free from Restrictions

Joan and Lori’s desire in starting Unruly Arts was to find meaningful work for adults with developmental disabilities. As her time at Lott Industries came to a close, Joan realized the amount of untapped potential that so many of these people had. One of the memories her and Lori treasure most was from the very first art show that Unruly Arts put on. The mother of one of the artists – a small, kind woman in her 80s – came into the show and almost immediately burst into tears. The next day she came back and explained saying, “I was so overcome. It was a chance for everyone to see how talented [my daughter] was. I always knew it, but nobody’s ever seen it.” 

Through this work, these women hope to bridge the communication gap by inviting the public to have conversations with people they might not typically interact with. With the world as it stands today, it’s important to remember how opening up dialogues with friends and strangers alike can foster understanding and empathy. 

You can learn more about Unruly Arts and donate to their GoFundMe at unrulyarts.org.

Do you know someone in Toledo that would be perfect to spotlight for our new local creative series? Are you a local Toledo artist and want to talk to us about upcoming projects or events? Reach out to Audrey at communications@toledo.aiga.org and say hello!

Jessica Crossfield, owner and founder of Handmade Toledo, has been making waves in the local art community since 2006. Owning and operating a store that supports over 200 local artists and vendors has been a journey and her biggest dream come true. We sat down with Jessica and talked with her about Handmade’s beginnings, her early creative life and how her desires to create a space that celebrates art and artists became the best job ever.

Humble Beginnings

The idea of Handmade Toledo started through one of it’s now most popular events, Makers Mart. Before any building was available, Jessica had the desire to showcase artists’ work and have a place where the fruits of their creative labors could be seen and purchased. The first ever Makers Mart garnered around 1,500 people – a hugely successful first-time showing. The event grew in popularity as it continued for a few years, until a space on Adams Street became available; Jessica trusted the moment and signed a rental agreement. “The biggest risk was buying the building and taking that leap of faith despite knowing that if I failed a year later, I would be out a lot of money.” Luckily, it did the exact opposite of failing. 

Artistic Roots

Jessica grew up in Delta, Ohio and attended University of Toledo. After graduating, she moved to Toledo’s Old West End and never looked back. Working as an art teacher all over the city, Jessica connected to her love of making through sewing dresses for herself in her free time. Eventually, those around her began to take interest in her dresses, and pushed her to open an Etsy shop to sell her clothing. This led to her desire to sell her own goods, brick-and-mortar style, along with other artists she knew. Instead of only looking at art in galleries, she wanted art to be accessible to everyone. When asked why Toledo became her stomping ground for a local arts store instead of a larger city like Detroit or Chicago, she responded by acknowledging the affordability of Toledo, and also identified that many of her artist friends knew of the glass city, but not much about it. She wanted to change that.

Surviving a Pandemic

In a time where everyone has had to shift their entire way of life, it has also been a period where many creatives feel exhausted or uninspired. Jessica has taken this time to learn some new ways of making art. “I want to create in my own home. I’m learning crafts that are not normally my style, like macrame, paper making.” She’s inspired by all of the local business owners getting creative when it comes to staying open and making their businesses accessible despite the pandemic’s challenges. In order to adjust, Handmade has ramped up production for their online store and modified their fantastic workshops to run again in a safe manner. “We still want to utilize the space and a lot of our instructors are artists who have lost their income… our main goal is to give artists a venue to sell work, to teach, to create.”

Moving Forward

When asked what advice Jessica would give to anyone looking to start a small business, creative or not, she offered this wisdom. “ If you are passionate enough, you can do it. Start small and let things grow. Think creatively and ask for help from people in the community.” She leaned into what fulfills her creatively and now has what she considers to be the best job ever. Her wild ideas have no bounds, whether it’s buying 50 disco balls to make a disco ball chandelier or stocking up on a bunch of globes for no reason whatsoever (but we’re sure they’ll become something amazing!). And although 2020 hasn’t quite gone to plan, Jessica has a lot of hope for the future of Handmade, and she says this time gives her more time to come up with weird, wonderful ideas.

Do you know someone in Toledo that would be perfect to spotlight for our new local creative series? Are you a local Toledo artist and want to talk to us about upcoming projects or events? Reach out to Audrey at communications@toledo.aiga.org and say hello!

To our members,

We’ve spent the past few weeks facing the atrocities of how Black lives are treated in our society. As caring humans, we believe it is time to reflect on our own role as an organization that has historically lacked voices from Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color on our board and in our programming. AIGA Toledo’s mission is to bring together an inclusive community, create change, empower one another and elevate design within the city of Toledo. It is clear that we have not lived up to this mission.

As designers, it is often our work to use empathy in order to understand who we are designing for. The key to empathy work, to gaining a sliver of understanding about another person’s life—is to listen. Right now, it is our responsibility to listen. To listen to Black people, their stories, and their lived experiences. Listen to their realities. We have not lived in their bodies, have not seen the world through their eyes, have not experienced the daily systemic violence they face. When they tell us we have wronged them, we have a responsibility to listen because Black Lives Matter—they have always mattered.

It is not enough for us to say that we stand with our Black community members who are disproportionately the targets of police violence, systemic racism, and institutional injustice. AIGA Toledo acknowledges that as an organization we have not done as much as we could to uplift and support Black people in our community. Further, it is not enough to simply state that we recognize the gross racial injustices of this country—it’s our job, as designers and creatives, to actively help dismantle these systems and help build a new equitable future.

AIGA Toledo pledges to be an effective ally in this work (1). We acknowledge our privilege as an entirely White Board of Directors and commit to using our platform to uplift the voices of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color within our community. As an organization, we need to ask ourselves hard questions about our own complicity in a system that upholds White supremacy, we need to be strong enough to realistically address those answers, and to act on them. As White people we have some hard, emotional work to do—work we can no longer ignore, but we believe we can do this work together.

We will be following this statement with actionable opportunities for our organization and for our White community to engage in the work of anti-racism. We’ve compiled a list of resources as a first step forward in this effort. In the coming weeks, our board will be having conversations about the tangible ways we can change in order to make sure our mission is clear: Black Lives Matter.

AIGA Toledo Board of Directors

1. Good vs. Effective Allies, Brandon Kyle Goodman. June 8^th, 2020. Instagram.
2. Typeface in header graphic created by Trè Seals of Vocal Type Co.

AIGA Toledo is proud to partner with our neighbors to the North, AIGA Detroit for Ann Arbor cosponsored event.

Inclusive by Design is a gathering of thought leaders/designers committed to creating new tools. policies, and practices of inclusion and equity. With speakers from all over the country flying in, you won’t want to miss this one!

You can read more about the event including schedules and topics as well as RSVP for tickets here.