By Design

Design Santa Fe returns

By Sophie Engel

We live in a world constantly shaped both by design and technology, turning this year's Design Santa Fe 2013 theme, "Making Things in a Digital Age," into a particularly relevant one to its modern audience. "The goal is to strengthen design awareness in the community," Thomas Lehn, the chair of the organization, tells SFR. The idea is to "blur the lines between art and design," he says as he describes the events of the coming weekend. Anyone interested in design in any capacity will surely be drawn in by this year's programming, which features several art exhibitions as well as a dialogue and several hands-on workshops. The DesignLAB, dubbed Next Nest, features the results of a juried competition open to seven states in the Southwestern region. The aim of DesignLAB is to look for new products and ways of thinking. The event also features a panel discussion with experts from New York and Los Angeles talking about design in a progressive age. "What does the digital world mean to us and how can we use it for our design evolution?" Lehn asks, cheerfully enumerating the achievements and characteristics of the participating designers work. Several of the panelists lead workshops after the talk to help further the ideas presented in the dialogue. Rarely are we asked to so comprehensively dive into a conversation about an art form. With several exhibitions, talks and immersive classes focused on generating awareness, the series of happenings also engages the community and asks to examine questions, that though hidden underneath the well-designed surface, are so prevalent in everyday life.                                  -Sophie Engel


Design Crawl: 5-7 pm Wednesday, Oct. 30. Free. Pacheco Park, 1512 Pacheco St.


Life Support: Art <-> Design Sustenance: 5-7 pm Friday, Nov. 1. Free. David Richard Gallery, 544 S Guadalupe St.


Making Things in a Digital Age: The Exploration of Craft and Technology: 9:30-11:30 am Saturday, Nov. 2. $20-$40. New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave.


Design Workshops:


Hands-on Textiles: 2-3:20 pm Saturday, Nov. 2. $15-$30. Lannan Foundation, 309 Read St.


User-Driven Design: 3:30-4:50 pm Saturday, Nov. 2. $20-$45. Zane Bennett Contemporary, 435 S Guadalupe St.


Material Shift: 2:30-4:30 Saturday, Nov. 2. $20-$30. Lannan Foundation, 309 Read St.


DesignLAB: Next Nest: 5-7 pm Saturday, Nov. 2. Free. SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta.

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