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The second annual DESIGN WEEK RI brings together top Rhode Island design talent, design resources, speakers and celebrations through multiple events around the state.

Providence, RI (August 20, 2015) – Focused on the impact of design and talent in the RI design community, DESIGNxRI will be hosting the second annual DESIGN WEEK RI from September 16-27, 2015. The 11+ days of events brings together nationally recognized speakers and local Rhode Island design super stars through tours, luncheons, talks, showcases, parties and more. DESIGN WEEK RI is organized by a dynamic partnership with RI designer associations, businesses and leaders.

DESIGN WEEK RI is the only event to highlight all design disciplines across the state, and feature design happenings that demonstrate the innovative and economic impact of RI based design talent. This year’s week+ event includes a Featured Speaker series, with evening talks by renowned and emerging RI design leaders; an Eat and Speak Lunch Series, with walking tours, panel discussions and talks hosted by designers and design organizations throughout the state; a Maker Space Open House, statewide open house of the maker spaces and fabrication labs located in RI – highlighting the connection between RI’s design and manufacturing assets; a Design Pub Crawl, featuring stops at Newport locales with short talks by the designers involved in creating our social havens; Marathon Clambake, expanding the bi-monthly design meet up with four emerging designers; and the 2nd Annual RI Design Hall of Fame Party, celebrating RI’s design catalysts on the Providence G rooftop.
 
Special to DESIGN WEEK RI, Rhode Island School of Design hosts this year’s guest speaker, Janet Echelman, a TEDtalk speaker and renowned innovator of urban space. Other events include signature design conferences, Business Innovation Factory and A Better World by Design and partner events, including AIGA’s Pixels of Fury and AIA/ASLA’s PARK(ing) Day.
 
“Building on the success of last year’s inaugural DESIGN WEEK RI, RISD is pleased to partner with DESIGNxRI again in helping to highlight the role of art and design in fostering innovation and economic development. We are eager to continue this work and further reinforce the value of design in improving Rhode Island’s economic and cultural future,” notes Kevin Jankowski, director of RISD’s Career Center.
 
DESIGN WEEK RI is organized by DESIGNxRI in partnership with Rhode Island School of Design, American Institute of Architects (AIA-RI), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA-RI), AIGAri – the professional association for design, and A Better World by Design.
The multiday event is made possible through a diversity of sponsorship. This year’s Official Design Week Sponsor is MOO, an award-winning global print and design company with facilities in Lincoln, RI.  Other sponsors include (add)ventures, Ximedica, Bradford Soap Works, City of Providence, International Interior Design Association, Meridian Printing, Mohawk Paper, Durkee Brown Viveiros and Werenfels, Orange Square Design, Providence Foundation, Surface Matter Design, Terra Pack, RI State Council on the Arts, and many others.

“We are really excited about the energy and participation of so many partners, and design hosts,” stated Libby Slader, a co-founder of DESIGNxRI and principal of Libby Slader Interior Design. “The collaboration of those helping to organize events during this week is representative of the plentiful and growing design sector in our state. DESIGN WEEK RI will more than showcase our vast design talent. We invite all to gather and celebrate design in RI.”

Featured speakers and the EAT AND SPEAK lunches will be announced shortly and released on the website. Updated information can be found at www.designxri.com/designweek. For more information, contact Joye Whitney at 401-263- 3137, joye@designxri.com.

DESIGNxRI (DxRI) is a nonprofit organization that works to coalesce the design talent in Rhode Island and spotlight it through events, a digital rolodex of designers, and economic development participation. Our goal is to maximize the assets of the RI design community and highlight its innovative problem-solving practices to create more business opportunities and nurture growth in the design industries in Rhode Island. Learn more at www.designxri.com.