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.

New Electric Love Colors for Model Citizens!

James knotted up these new Electric Love rings for the Model Citizens NYC store last night. They are all handmade from upcycled electrical wire that we find here in Seattle.

We only have white and pink available in our store so Model Citizens NYC (May 15 - 17) will be the only place to find these new limited colors!

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 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.

Model Citizens NYC is growing...

Our friends over at Model Citizens NYC have some exciting news: They are offering an independent fashion exhibition to their roster this September! It will be held at Exit Art again - only this time it will be the whole upstairs (7,000 sq ft) space! The plan is to have their second annual Design Week event (during ICFF 2010) in the upstairs space as well. See images from last years Design Week event here and here.

Read more about Model Citizens NYC on their updated website here or on Design Glut here.

More Model Citizens...

These new Model Citizens photos all come from the Core77 New York Design Week 2009 slideshow. They were taken by Lisa Smith (above) and Glen Jackson Taylor (all below). We were proud to see that 18 of the 445 pics posted from the busy week were from Model Citizens. View the whole slideshow here.

Appropriated Series: Bench by Grain.

Anno Domini calendar by Stanley Ruiz.

Frame Pendants by Iacoli McAllister.

Ceramic pots by Jason Neufeld.

Bombus Shelters (buriable beehives) also by Jason Neufeld.

Shelf by e. carmichael.

NYC Metro Cuff by Design Hype.

Interior installation by Nathan Thomas Studios.

Post Model Citizens...

Thanks to everyone who came out to support Model Citizens in New York last weekend! Our favorite part of the show was getting to know all of the designers exhibiting. It was such a great community. See links to all of the participating designers here. Big thanks to Erika Carmichael for the invitation.

Above and below are some pics from the show. The ceramics in the second to last shot are by Zena Verda Pesta. The cardboard partition wall and mirror cut-outs in the last shot are by Ben Blanc.

We were thrilled to sellout of the Ty Recyclable Shower Curtains that we brought (should have packed more) and happy to have convinced many a sitter of the comfort level of our Cafe America chair.

Read more about Model Citizens exhibition (including a mention of our Cafe America chair) in the Metropolis Magazine blog post here or on Core77 here or here.

UPDATED 5/28/09: See all our photos from Model Citizens here.

Flat-Pack: Cafe America

Our new chair, Cafe America, which we are showing at Model Citizens in New York May 16-18, was designed to compress for flat-pack shipping. This improves shipping efficiency and saves on packing materials and costs. We can actually ship two in one box so I suggest buying a pair! Above is James demonstrating the assembly process. All that is needed is a few minutes and an allen wrench. 

Getting ready for Model Citizens...

We're in New York getting ready for Model Citizens (which opens Saturday May 16th) and loving all the press going around. Check some of it out here:

Design Glut interviews Erika Carmichael and Mark Goetz about the inspiration behind Model Citizens and shows our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain.

Cool Hunting gives a preview of the exhibition and shows our Cafe America chair (pictured above).

Core77 gives its preview of the exhibition, including a list of all the designers, and also shows our Cafe America chair.

Hope to see you all at the show May 16-18th, 475 10th Avenue at 36th Street!

Grain in New York for Design Week

Reminder: If you are in New York for Design Week, come check out our newest work at Model Citizens!

Model Citizens  

Exit Underground 

475 10th Avenue (@ 36th Street) 

New York, NY 10018

May 16 - 18, 2009 11:00am to 6:00pm 
Cocktail Reception May 16 5:00pm to 7:00pm 

We will be showing our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain and our Café America chair (pictured above) along with a few other surprises. Model Citizens is a newly formed organization committed to connecting an international community of independent designers. We are excited to be showing with old friends Nathan Thomas, Niels Cosman and Audra Wolowiec of AND Department of Mineral Science, and

e. carmichael, as well as with new Seattle friends iacoli & mcallister.

Hope to see you in New York!

Cafe America on Core77!!

We were happily surprised to find our new chair, Cafe America, on Core77 this morning!! The chair, which is being finished as I type, will be shown at Design Within Reach Seattle tommorow as part of the M+D+F exhibition. We are also taking it with us to New York next week along with our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain and our Appropriated Series Bench for Model Citizens NYC 2009. We just figured out pricing, so I hope to get Cafe America up for sale in our Grain shop soon!

In the meantime, here is a little more info on Cafe America:

Café America is a surprisingly comfortable indoor/outdoor chair. Taking inspiration from ubiquitous chain-link fencing, it recontextualizes the unsung material. A unique cushioning effect is created by the lightly tensioned chain-link seat and back. Café America is made of recycled chain-link whenever possible and flat-packs for efficient shipping and storage. 

Materials: 

Recycled galvanized steel chain-link, with stainless steel rod and fasteners. Color powder coating available.

Environmental / Social: 

Recycled Content, Environmentally Preferable Finish, Handmade in the U.S., Flat-Packs for Shipment, High Durability, Recyclable

Origin: 

Hand made in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.

> grain

> grain shop