Design with the other 90%
Free lecture and book signing by Cynthia Smith.  This National Design Museum curator examines the urban landscape of today and tomorrow.  Discover how design reveals the meaning of urban change and what designers might do to shape it.

Cynthia Smith

With her recent exhibitions at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the United Nations, Smith helped spark international dialogue on the opportunities to utilize technology and design to help poorer communities “leapfrog” into the 21st century.

The infographic above appeared in the April edition of National Geographic, and it demonstrates that the American addiction to digital images has created a huge surplus of pixels that tell us what most of us already know, people like to take A LOT of photos. Their graphic is pretty telling and the designer has done a great job creating each circle out of shifting boxes that give a kinetic feel and eludes to how precarious the lives of these little units of imagery are as they can be deleted at any moment.

Learn How to “Read” Photographs

a Free Event @

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Photographs can tell a lot of stories, if you know how to read them. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) invites the public to attend a free event April 11, to learn the art of “reading” photographs. The Historical Society’s Photograph Specialist D’Arcy White will discuss how to study photographs and dig deeper than their first impression.

“Photographs raise all sorts of questions,” White said. “Who made this photograph and why? What purpose did it serve? What techniques does it use? Photographs can have incredible research value, if we understand how to examine and interpret them.”

reposted from NPR

What makes people creative? What gives some of us the ability to create work that captivates the eyes, minds and hearts of others? Jonah Lehrer, a writer specializing in neuroscience, addresses that question in his new book,Imagine: How Creativity Works.

Lehrer defines creativity broadly, considering everything from the invention of masking tape to breakthroughs in mathematics; from memorable ad campaigns to Shakespearean tragedies. He finds that the conditions that favor creativity — our brains, our times, our buildings, our cities — are equally broad.

The Kennedy Center’s National Seminar for Teaching Artists is designed to strengthen the quality and impact of teaching artists’ work. To do so, this intensive, multi-day Seminar leverages the Kennedy Center’s decades of experience in professional learning for artists.

The National Seminar is open to 30 teaching artists from around the country, who will explore the Kennedy Center’s definition of arts integration and its approach to planning effective residencies for students, as well as designing lesson plans. The experience will be supported by a three-month follow-up coaching engagement with a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist.

With the season premiere on the horizon, Mad Men has brought advertising design of the 1960′s some popular attention.  Although we now live in a digital age, it can be inspiring to check out the aesthetic of the past.

Newsweek Cover March 19 2012

Today’s Newsweek issue includes a cover story on the series and a feature on the role of advertising in U.S. culture — and the full magazine is  adopting the magazine’s 1960s design throughout.  Check out Ad Age’s article to read more.

Newsweek cover 1965

For the first time, ASMPNY is excited to announce we will host a Student Portfolio Review for students studying in the field of photography.  This event will be an opportunity for young photographers  to meet one on one with leading industry professionals to receive valuable feedback on their work while also helping students to prepare for entering the working world of photography and start developing their professional networks .  For our reviewers, this is a first look at emerging, fresh talent paving the way for the future of the industry.

WHEN:         Saturday March 31st,  2012

Deadline: March 16, 2012

Entries submitted after that date require a $10 per entry late fee. No entries will be accepted after March 30, 2012.

Enter the most prestigious competition for creativity in photography, the Communication Arts Photography Competition. Any photograph first printed or produced from March 2011 through March 2012 is eligible. Selected by a nationally representative jury of distinguished designers, art directors and photographers, the winning entries will be distributed worldwide in the Communication Arts Photography Annual and on commarts.com, assuring important exposure to the creators of this outstanding work. As a service to art directors, designers and art buyers, a comprehensive index will carry contact information of the photographers represented.