NwMODERN Installation

Here are a few pics by Scott Kouchi from the installation of NwMODERN that opened in Portland last week. We showed our Bound hand mirrors and Appropriated Series: Bench along with work from Esque Studio, Pigeon Toe Ceramics, Crafted Systems and more.

NwMODERN: The Spirit of Place

We're taking a road trip to Portland next week for the opening of NwModern. Grain will be one of the 60 artists and designers showing work that "reflects the unique spirit of place in the Pacific Northwest" curated by Giovanni Castillo within the context of the classic 1950's Twombly House.

If your in town too, here are the details:

The Twombly House

4449 SW Twombly St.

Portland, OR

Opening: October 15th, 4:00pm - 9:00pm

Open to the Public: October 16th – 28th, 4:00pm - 9:00pm

Photos from Model Citizens NYC

Here are a few quick pics from the Model Citizens NYC exhibition last weekend. See more on Core77, Inhabitat, Ponoko, Design Glut, Metropolis (added 5/26/10) and on the Model Citizens NYC Facebook Page.

Photos above and below are from Inhabitat's The Best Green Designs from Model Citizens 2010. The above mobiles made from pencils are by Michiel Cornelissen.

Pins and necklaces crafted from bits of cracked ceramic.

The Floor (to Ceiling) Lamp by Jason Neufeld.

Bell jar stands made from scrap wood and glass by Niels Cosman.

Bowls made of colored pencils by Michiel Cornelissen.

The Perch chair designed by Jason Hu for The Guyana Project.

Hanging lamps by design since made from re purposed spools of measuring tape.

We showed our Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition shower curtains, Chi-Chi necklaces, and Electric Love rings which you can find for sale in our shop.

Ty D.I.Y. Edition + Mike Perry + Readymade

Check out the June/July issue of Readymade. It features our Ty D.I.Y. Edition customized by one of our favorite illustrators, Mike Perry. We have been anxiously waiting to see what he came up with, and we couldn't be more pleased!

If you like it as much as we do, you can enter to win the one-of-a-kind curtain at Readymade here.

If you are in New York this weekend....

Don't miss the second annual Model Citizens NYC exhibition curated by Mika Braakman at Hosfelt Gallery!

Model Citizens NYC will include new work by 50 independent designers (including Pratt/RISD/Bainbridge friends Mimi Kirmaci, Niels Cosman, Hello, We Are_______., Brandon Perhacs, and Stanley Ruiz) and we will have a few items for sale in the exhibition store.

Our other favorites for Design Week are:

> ICFF booths by Seattle friends Iacoli & McAllister, Urbancase, Kerf, and Greypants.

> Breakable at the Heller Gallery with new glass work by Hello, We Are______., Free Time Industries, Henry Julier, Sergio Silva, and more.

> New work from Portugal and Brazil at INTER-CONNECTED (curated by Zoë Melo) featuring a talk moderated by Frederico Duarte.

> Emily Pilloton's Design Revolution Roadshow (the exhibition's final stop) in the Metropolis Magazine booth at ICFF.

> Work by AREAWARE, Brad Ascalon, DesignGlut, Emily Rothschild, Henry Julier, Kiel Mead, Stanley Ruiz, and more at CITE Goes America.

> The NOHO Design District curated by Sight Unseen.

Grain Summer Workshops at Open Satellite!

Do you know any Seattle-area teens curious about design?

Grain is leading two two-week design workshops for teens (12 - 15 years old) at Bellevue's Open Satellite residency space this summer and we are looking participants!

Teens will walk away with a design process tool kit that includes concept development, learning how to refine ideas, creating prototypes, and developing presentation skills. The hands-on workshop will culminate in a weekend public showcase of teen prototypes and products that will coincide with the Bellevue Arts Museum's Art Fair.

The workshops will run June 28th - July 10th and July 12th - July 23rd with the special weekend exhibition at Open Satellite July 24th - 25th.

For more info, please contact Open Satellite Public Programs Manager, Laura O'Quin at laura [at] opensatellite.org or at 425.454.7355.

Ty D.I.Y. Edition in the world....

We have been super busy these past few weeks packing up holiday orders. There are Ty D.I.Y. Edition curtains in (or on route to) almost all of the 50 US states, Denmark, Germany, Italy...

With each Ty D.I.Y. Edition that we send out from our Grain Shop, we include a little note asking those who feel like sharing to send us a photo (to shop@graindesign.com) of their custom designs and illustrations. We just got our first photo (above) back from Meredith in Australia.

Meredith wrote quotes from literature and poetry all over her Ty. In her email, she wrote that she was, "influenced by my mum, who had loved all the study notes I had stuck onto our bathroom mirror for my final high school exams".

Her text includes quotes from Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas, W.B. Yeats and more...

Thanks so much for sharing Meredith!! We hope to see many more photos from Ty D.I.Y. Edition artists in the future.

Design Shoppe Saturday!!

Just another reminder...

Design Shoppe is a one night pop-up shop featuring design objects by local artists and designers. There will be a silent auction to benefit JOIN and Nest Seattle.

Saturday November 28th

1508 11th Avenue (btwn Pike and Pine)

Seattle, WA 98122

7:00pm - 11:00pm Design objects sale **Bring cash**

7:00pm - 9:00pm Silent auction

9:15pm Silent auction winners announced

We'll be there and so will our wares. We'll have shower curtains, jewelry and new bags.

Hope to see you Saturday!

UPDATED 12-02-2009: Check out this post by Jamie on Design Milk from November 18th!

In Seattle? Don't miss the SCRAP opening tomorrow!!

Here is a little sneak peak!

SCRAP will be up for a couple months, so you have no excuse to miss it! The opening is tomorrow night, November 13th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm.

Above is a hanging lamp by Greg Bethel. Below is a new table by by Iacoli & McAllister, bow tie by Loc Trinh, our Links necklace and Sleepers in walnut (made especially for this show), necklaces by Free Time Industries, a walnut ring by fortyfive09 and &c., and a new stool by Iacoli & McAllister.

The show will also feature work by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Laura Yeats, and Trey Jones and Darin Montgomy for urbancase. See you there!

Save The Date Seattle: Nov 13th + Nov 28th

If you are in Seattle this November, there are two great design events coming up thanks to JOIN: Design Seattle. Grain will be participating in both, so we hope to see you there!

SCRAP

November 13th, 2009 - January 13th, 2009

A show of limited edition design objects in scrap wood by Seattle artists and designers. Will feature work by Grain, Iacoli & McAllister, Loc Trinh, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Laura Yeats, Trey Jones and Darin Montgomery for Urbancase, Fortyfive09 and &C.

Opening: Friday November 13th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Fancy 1914 2nd Avenue (btwn Stewart & Virginia)

DESIGN SHOPPE

Saturday November 28th, 2009 7:00pm - 11:00pm

A one night pop-up shop featuring design objects from local artists and designers. Silent auction to benefit JOIN: Design Seattle and Nest Seattle.

Location: Vermillion Art + Wine 1508 11th Avenue (btwn Pike & Pine)

For more info on either events, please visit JOIN: Design Seattle.

Calling all Seattle-area illustrators/models...

Are you going to be in the Seattle-area October 24th? Interested in art, design, photography, modeling, feasting, visiting beautiful Bainbridge Island and/or just helping us out over here at Grain?

We are in the process of re-launching our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain and its new sister: Ty DIY which is a 'draw your own design' edition. To get ready, we are hosting a shower curtain photoshoot and we need artists and models to make it happen.

Anyone interested in being one of the new faces of Ty and helping Grain out in a MAJOR way, please let us know if you can make it by October 5th by emailing us at info[at]graindesign.com.

Here are the details for our shower curtain/photoshoot/feast:

Saturday October 24th

12:20pm Take the ferry to Bainbridge

1:00pm Have a refreshing cocktail; Get a Ty DIY shower curtain and markers to illustrate; Draw your heart out

2:00pm Have another cocktail or two; Get photographed with your custom Ty DIY

3:00pm Have a feast in your honor!

Added bonus: You get to take your new custom Ty DIY curtain home with you to keep forever! Thanks in advance for your support!!

Grain at 'Design To Go' in New York!

We are thrilled to have been selected to show a couple of pieces at the 'Design To Go' pop-up shop organized by AREAWARE opening this Tuesday August 18th at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York (above image is of the space). We will be in the American Design Club section of the shop with two new designs: a bag called Zero Waste designed by e.carmichael (of Model Citizens NYC) for Grain and a necklace called Cheri (see below for images and descriptions of designs).

Other designers to be included in the American Design Club section are: Kiel Mead, Annie Lenon, redstr/collective, Lindsey Adelman, Emily Rothschild, Susan Clark, Rich, Brilliant, Willing and more.

If you are in New York, 'Design To Go' will be open through September 26th at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, 641 Eighth Avenue (@41st Street). To order either of the below designs from Grain directly email me here.

Added 08/17/09: Don't forget to RSVP if you attending the opening on August 18th (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) at rsvp@areaware.com.

Zero Waste (above and below four images) is an everyday city bag made from a single sheet of #2 plastic. Its pattern allows for zero cutting waste in manufacturing. Zero Waste can be used as a travel log, allowing you to record thoughts, inspirations and messages directly on the bag. Light weight, durable and machine washable, each bag includes a non-toxic marker that can be used to personalize Zero Waste with doodles, sketches and notes.

Cheri (above and below images) is a statement of sentiment. Each plaque is an individual note of memorial or remembrance. Originally created to celebrate loss, worn as adornments these plaques have the ability to celebrate life. Sentiment changes from person to person, by the type of chain, and how they are positioned.