DESIGN DISPATCH

Arts For Impact Puts on a Doctors Without Borders Fundraising Auction, and Other News

Our daily look at the world through the lens of design.

A Wales Bonner jacket, as part of the Arts for Impact auction. Image courtesy of Arts for Impact.

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Wales Bonner, Simone Rocha headline Arts for Action’s Palestine urgent care auction.

July 25 marked the start of a fundraiser by Arts for Impact, benefiting Doctors Without Borders and their relief efforts in Palestine. The auction features pieces from Wales Bonner, Simone Rocha, and Duro Olowu, along with personal contributions from Jeremy Corbyn, Brigitte Lacombe, and more. Running through August 15, the auction seeks to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Chef-favorite ceramics brand East Fork announces a new store will open in Brooklyn.

Asheville-based brand East Fork Pottery will open its first permanent store in the Northeast in Brooklyn this fall. The ceramics brand has a dedicated following and frequently hosts pop-ups (including in New York) and announced the forthcoming store on Instagram. Over its 15 years in business, the brand has collaborated with major names in the food and restaurant world, including Momofuku, Samin Nosrat, and Fishwife.

Bridge. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

A formerly censored Barbara Carrasco mural heads to L.A.’s Natural History Museum.

Barbara Carrasco’s 80-foot-long mural, L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective, will be permanently installed at the new entrance of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County this fall. The mural, commissioned in 1981 and stored for decades due to controversial content, vividly depicts 51 scenes from the city’s history, including the Japanese internment and the Zoot Suit Riots. 

A 100-foot-long Smithsonian installation memorializes Tommie Smith’s Olympic protest.

Tommie Smith’s raised fist from his podium win at the 1968 Olympics inspired a monumental sculpture titled Bridge, created by artist Glenn Kaino with Smith. The 100-foot installation, featuring 200 gold-painted casts of Smith’s arm, will be displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, symbolizing the enduring impact of Smith’s human and civil rights protest.

Suchi Reddy brings a voice-activated AI light sculpture to Michigan Central station.

In Detroit, architect Suchi Reddy’s interactive installation Me + You uses AI to respond to spoken words with colorful LED lights. Located in the restored Michigan Central train station, the installation features microphones and LED screens that “visualize” emotions and associations through AI-driven color displays. This project, the first of many planned public art commissions, aims to give visitors control over how they interact with technology, while also symbolizing Detroit’s ongoing revitalization.

The site of a Roman circus, unearthed by archeologists in Spain. Image courtesy of Arkikus.

Today’s attractive distractions: 

Archeologists have found remnants of an ancient Roman circus in Spain.

In one Texan town, Bitcoin mining is wreaking havoc on its denizens’ health.

The founder of Everlane’s latest venture targets Gen-Z’s wellness habits.

Setting buildings aflame allows insurance companies to study fire resistance.

 

 

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