design*sponge | biz ladies

woohoo! new piece on design*sponge on the basics of preparing presentations & proposals

interview with style

Marije Vogelzang - Interview from Design Blast on Vimeo.

in june, Jill Enders and Chris Spatschek (students from the Arts and Design academy in Karlsruhe) interviewed dutch eating designer marije vogelzang. their approach was very whimsical and creative. they crafted a box of treats that had questions hidden underneath them. marije was allowed to choose eight from the eleven bits and answer those questions. clever, indeed....

woohoo! design*sponge | biz ladies!

very excited about my first contribution to design*sponge's biz ladies section. it's about calculating your rate. the entire series of biz ladies contributions are helpful guideposts for entrepreneurs of any size (or gender!). thank you grace for letting me be a part of your site that i so admire. my next piece on the site is on presentations....stay tuned!

Yesterday at Vitra

It was rainy and nasty yesterday and I thought - how 'bout an outing?!

Got my stuff together and launched out to Weil am Rhein (close to Basel) to the Vitra Museum. It's a beautiful train ride there and the museum and grounds are fantastic.

main vitra entrance | building: frank gehry

balancing tools : claes oldenburg | coosje van bruggen

Saw exhibits by the Campana Brothers, Fernando & Humberto, of Buenos Aires, viewed the architecture of Frank Gerhry & Zaha Hadid, saw a very cool Oldenburg | Van Bruggen sculpture and fell in love with the bus stop.....a great day.

vitra holds workshops on a regular basis. I would love to go to the Re-Design workshop they have in September.

Theater time this summer

Looking forward to seeing this movie.

Hard Times Commitment

Fantastic profile of artist Alexander Conner in the NYT this morning. He talks about his art and what impact the financial constraints of the recession are having on his lifestyle and artistic passions.

New Inspiration in Munich

On May 21st the newest member of the Munich Kunstareal steps onto the scene: Museum Brandhorst. It will contain more than 700 artworks of the most renown artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Sigmar Polke, Bruce Nauman, Mike Kelley and many more. One whole floor will be dedicated to the Twombly collection of nearly 50 artworks and will be thus the second largest collection outside of the US.

I've watched it being constructed over the past three years and am so excited to see a museum embody (in my opinion) the approach to art that's very much this generation - a 21st century place - colorful, creative, lively use of light and shadow. It seems to jump right out of the ground and say - "come inside see these beautiful things!" The museum is located in Schwabing/Maxvorstadt - at the corner of Theresienstrasse & Türkenstrasse (Theresienstrasse 35).

Images & Imagination has some great photos up of the exterior and a nice bit on the architects and design process.

Going Dutch - from NYT

Yesterday's article in the New York Times (first post from yesterday - just below) reminded me of an article from a few weeks back. It offers insight into what the perceived 'high' tax rates in European countries are comprised - what programs, initiatives and social support. Read the entire article {here}

Community Pedal Power

This feature today in NYT is so inspiring. It is a focus on Vauban, a town outside of Freiburg - close to the German/French/Swiss border. According to the article, almost 70% of the city's residents do not own a car and the city's streets are virtually 'car free.'

I'm going to take a visit to this city and check it all out for myself. Read the entire article {here}

Pages that inspire

Creative spirit Pia Jane Bijkerk has a new book out Handmade in Paris. It's available at The Little Book Room. Besides Pia Jane's great book, The Little Book room has treasures a plenty.

Play All Day

gestalten has a brand new book out called Play All Day. It features loads of imaginative designs inspired by the notion of play. die Baupiloten have a fantastic video about their contribution to the book (I can't embed....) Also featured is my design crush de jour, Marije Vogelsang.

Doo-Nanny Tomorrow

see butch anthony's site for updates and photos.

Library of Taste

In Paris a friend shared la cocotte: librairie du goût with me. It is an amazing store and they have a comprehensive and whimsical website. Their concept is all about food, culinary design, the culture of eating, and education. 

Workshop

Pimp my Cupcake. 

Does it get any better than that?

Farm Love

I recently returned from a two week farm stay in Grafschaft Bentheim (northwestern Germany). It was arranged by Stefan Westhuis of the Landwirtschaftskammer in Bad Bentheim (Agricultural Extension Service). I was hosted by local family that raises pigs, steers and dairy cows. During my stay I learned about the regional farming practices and visited a number of area farms. I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the farmers, my host family included. The farming industry in this area is primarily family-run and farms are small to medium-sized operations. The majority of these family farms sell their products to larger operations (dairies, groceries, etc.). 

One of the most interesting parts of my stay was learning about agricultural certification and education. Germany has a multi-track education system (which has its ups and downs). Vocational education is one track of study. This vocational track consists of extensive practical and experiential training and education that farmers in Germany are required to complete. You cannot call yourself a farmer without this training - seriously.

It was interesting for me to take a couple of steps back from the current US-food security debate and see how important it is to insure stable food production by supporting agricultural education.

When my host family asked me how one becomes a farmer in the States, I had vague, insufficient answers...., really guesses more than answers. Handed-down education? Earn a degree in agricultural management? FFA? 4-H?

Even more interesting was the thought that these young farmers emerge from their education debt-free....zero student loans. That is a step in the right direction.* 
Farm Links:
Bunte Bentheimer Pigs: Delicious Pork Products
Ekenhorst Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, Cheese

(*from article to appear later this spring in GOOD)

Don't Let the Next Step Scare You

Whether or not Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat Pray Love is your thing, her talk at this year's TED conference is impressive and she speaks directly to the terror that hides inside (or outside - whatever the case may be!) all creative people. Via swiss miss.