SOCIO XV / Celebration Gala

What is it?

The Urban Forest Project brings the community together to celebrate collaboration, problem-solving, and sustainable design and business choices during the week of Earth Day. This year, the initiative will culminate in a celebration of this year's work on the project, at our yearly AIGA gala social event.

SOCIO XV / Celebration Gala

SOCIO XV is two events in one: a celebration of AIGA's work with the Urban Forest Project AND our yearly gala social event. Banners created for the Urban Forest Project by local AIGA members will be shown in reincarnated form, as limited-edition bags that have been beautifully recycled by local artisans at Queen Bee Creations. Attend SOCIO XV on September 19th for an exclusive first chance to snap up the beautiful bags, get inspired, and celebrate sustainable, local design with friends and colleagues.

One banner of each design will also be available EXCLUSIVELY at this event, by silent auction.

Collaborators and contributors to various parts of the project and the week's events will have the chance to meet, discuss, drink, and enjoy the community we share.

The event is free for AIGA members, $5 for non-members. 21+. Bag sale proceeds will benefit Portland's Friends of Trees.

Please visit www.urbanforestpdx.org for more information on AIGA Portland's Urban Forest Project.

In its initial year, the Urban Forest Project included three key components.

Banner Exhibition

The first initiative brings 150 banners created by top Portland designers, artists, photographers, and illustrators to downtown streets. Each banner used the form of the tree, or a metaphor for the tree, to make a powerful visual statement announcing the initiative during the entire month of April. Using water-based inks and partially biodegradable materials, Portland-based designers from iDL solutions are using this initiative to test greener methods of printing.

Together, the banners created a forest of the light posts along our streets, reminding us of the power of working together to communicate and create change. As the main printed form of publicity around the initiative, these banners were recycled into unique bags by celebrated local bag designer Queen Bee Creations, who has been hand-making beautiful and utilitarian bags out of their Portland, Oregon studio for 10 years. The bags will then be sold to benefit Friends of Trees.

The Sustainability Series

The UFP week will feature a moderated panel and workshop discussing real, practical ways to make sustainable choices in your design and business. AIGA has partnered with the Portland Office of Sustainable Development to feature leading design professionals and kickstart a community, resource and dialogue on smarter, more sustainable design.

SOCIO XV Celebration and Benefit: Bag and Banner sale

Now that the banners have come down and been recycled, the initiative will culminate in a celebration. Limited edition bags signed by the designers will be sold to benefit Friends of Trees. Collaborators and contributors to various parts of the project and the week's events will have the chance to meet, discuss, drink, and enjoy the community we share.

Design Times Square: The Urban Forest Project was originally conceived by Worldstudio and developed in conjunction with AIGA NY and Times Square Alliance, with display dates September-November in 2006. The project featured 185 artists and designers from 21 countries in Times Square, New York City. As a leading city in both design and green building, Portland seemed the natural place for it to evolve.

Kristin Rogers Brown
Membership chair, AIGA Portland | Urban Forest PDX sponsor