New York Times and Crop Circles, Linked to Bureau!
At Partners & Spade: Pilar Viladas, design editor, New York Times, and Robin Petravic, Heath Ceramics.
The design editor of the New York Times, Pilar Viladas says, “…the Bureau of Friends is onto something with its latter-day sewing circle approach to the professional powwow.” It’s a wonderful thing to be appreciated by her. It was also deeply satisfying to sit with her and 19 others, to simply. . . make something.
Check out Pilar’s article on her evening with us in the New York Times magazine, “Meeting in Progress: The Bureau of Friends.”
To Pilar’s story of our event, I’d add that later in the evening Nicole Mackinlay Hahn showed us a short video clip of Julie Gilhart enjoying lunch in the family home of a factory worker in Madagascar. This lead quite naturally to our talking about where (and how) things are made by companies that source goods in Africa and Asia in contrast to manufacturing here in the US. Amidst complex issues, we hovered around ways to celebrate local culture and environmental integrity wherever things are made.
I hope my guests don’t mind being quoted about their experience; here are a few excerpts to share from day-after emails:
I can’t remember the last time I went to such a civilized-yet-stimulating event in New York. I’ll absolutely be thinking about Maria’s ‘what will we do together next?’ question. Katherine Sharpe, Online Editor, ReadyMade Magazine
Struck by all the relevant themes…Can’t wait to see (Jennifer Vendetti’s)”Billy the Kid” movie. To check out Wooster Collective (to get my hands on their Taschen book). To re-tell the Hello, Kitty! crop circle anecdote, one for the ages. To use Natalie’s break-able stick and unbreakable bundle of sticks (family) metaphor with my boys. Brad Wieners, Men’s Journal.
Alex Bates (special thanks to Alex and West Elm for the cool scoop-back chairs)
The graduating class of the Bureau of Friends “Making and Meaning” event @ Partners & Spade NYC, includes:
- Alex Bates, creative director, West Elm
- Andy Beech, blogging brilliance, referencelibrary.blogspot.com/
- Ashley Butler, our partner at Partners & Spade
- Matt Even (art director) and Mary Matson (graphic designer)–dynamic chocolatiers
- Gordon Hull, artist and doer
- Patrick Li, principal, branding firm, Li Inc.
- Marc and Sara Schiller, founders, Wooster Collective
- Katherine Sharpe, ReadyMade magazine
- Lindsey Taylor, artist/terrarium garden designer
- Pilar Viladas, design editor, New York Times “T” magazine
- Jennifer Venditti, casting, JV8Inc and award-winning filmmaker “Billy the Kid”
- Brad Wieners, Men’s Journal
Wooster Collective: Marc and Sara Schiller
Oh, the crop circles are a Gordon Hull story. Here’s one he made.
Hello, Kitty!
Setting the Table
Partners & Spade, Manhattan.
Ever notice that the real action at conferences takes place in the lobbies, lounges and walkways outside of the “Main Hall” and other presentation rooms? Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely a place and time for sit-and-listen audiences and there’s nothing like a compelling speaker to move and enlighten us, but what could we do better to nourish real connections between people who gather around shared goals or values?
In our first few weeks together as the Bureau, we talked much about how difficult it can be to decide which efforts should get our time—as speakers or partcipants. There are so many worthy conferences and community programs out there. We decided, that in addition to getting more strategic about how we respond to invitations, we’d proactively develop our own opportunities to engage talented and conscientious people.
Our first attempt was a collaborative event at HEATH in Sausalito, CA (see previous post) and our next, is an up-coming conversation-in-the-round with Partners & Spade—the storefront and think tank for Andy Spade (co-founder/previous owner of Kate Spade and Jack Spade) and Anthony Sperduti (Andy’s creative partner).The evening at Partners & Spade, will build on the success of the Bureau’s experience at HEATH by continuing a forward-thinking conversation in the form of a traditional sewing circle. We are already at capacity for the Partners & Spade event, but I promise we’ll post about it later.
While these initial events revolve around a collaborative project inspired by charter members of the Bureau, Natalie Chanin (Alabama Chanin) and Cathy Bailey (HEATH Ceramics), our work at the Bureau will evolve to reflect other ideas and efforts of those who wish to deploy the hearts, minds and muscle of the Bureau.
In our media drenched, social networking maxed, Twitter-pated lives how else might we hear from and engage with others in a way that might lead to action—or at the very least, connect us to eachother in more satisfying ways?
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