THIS IS OUR BLOG.
Newsletter 002
Welcome to our newsletter! We are excited to share a story from one of our alumni, new projects in downtown Marion, and various news from our Summer Cohort. Thank you for subscribing and staying connected with us!
We are eagerly anticipating the On-Ramp Marion Workshop in July! If you are looking for ways to share your art or are starting a creative business, On-Ramp provides the perfect opportunity to accelerate your artistic work! The application deadline has been extended to June 16; apply today for the opportunity to participate in the free, three-day workshop, personalized business coaching, and up to $2000 for your growing business.
We have been busy with preparations to host the workshop here at Marion Design Co., even creating a unique brand for the Marion Workshop. We hope to see you there!
If you have been to Downtown Marion recently, you may have noticed new lighting in the alleyways! Marion Design Co. had the privilege of partnering with Mayor Jess Alumbaugh to add string lights across the alleys, creating a warm atmosphere just in time for summer. Together with the City, we applied placemaking design to illuminate new spaces surrounding the square.
Audra Frieden
Audra Frieden, a placemaking design intern, expressed her excitement about the new lights, “The alleyway lights activate a space that can feel dead. When a space is activated like that, and people are there, spaces that are permeated by the presence of people make the overall area more vibrant.”
Yeabsera Tabb
On June 4, we drove to Indianapolis to visit Yeabsera Tabb, a former Marion Design Co. placemaking intern. Yeabsera interned during the summer of 2018 and the Fall of 2019. She recently graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a major in Design for Social Impact and a Fine Arts minor.
Today, Yeabsera is working at the Harrison Center in Indianapolis where she has a one-year fellowship. While there, she works alongside community members to create opportunities for connection and placemaking. She also teaches art classes on storytelling in the form of papermaking and mark-making in the Martindale Brightwood Neighborhood. Day to day, Yeabsera blends design thinking, research, and problem-solving as she uses visual art to encourage connection.
Beyond her fellowship, Yeabsera is currently working toward a solo show, which will be held at 1000 Words Indy. She also earned a grant from Good Mirrors Aren’t Cheap, based in New York, to continue her senior project, “The Synthesis of
In-between.” The knowledge and practice she gained on how to design with a people-first mentality from Marion Design Co. continues to impact her work.
Wendy Puffer, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer
We’ve been pondering the idea that “Curiosity is an act of love.” We love with curiosity by asking questions that prompt our imaginations for our clients and community. Sometimes our questions lead us toward huge leaps that open opportunities!
Marion Design Co. has said a big YES to launching our studio as an independent business. As a result, we’re experiencing tremendous growth in partnerships and projects! In fact, our team of six interns and three officers has launched multiple graphic design, interior design, placemaking, design thinking sessions, and website design projects in the past two months. We’re grateful to our founders, alumni, and generous partners who have empowered what started out as a branding project for Marion into a sustainable design studio that educates students and creates beautiful design work for the community.
Congratulations! You made it to the end of our Newsletter.
To celebrate you, here’s a word from one of our Placemaking Interns, Jessica.
Newsletter 001
Welcome to the first issue of the Marion Design Co. Newsletter! For the last five years, we have been striving toward our mission to empower, propel, and revive the community of Marion through collaboration and design. Community is integral to our work, and we are excited to stay connected with you--a member of our MDCO community--as we continue to grow and create. Through this bi-monthly newsletter, we hope to keep you updated on the work we are doing, the ways we are living out our mission, and the community members serving Marion alongside us.
This month, we’ve transitioned from our Spring to Summer cohort.
In the past few weeks, we’ve started, maintained, and finished projects with the help of our new Summer Interns. This year, we brought in six interns: Jared Strand, a placemaking intern from Marion, Indiana; Jessica Moore, a placemaking intern from New Haven, Indiana; Isabel Bostick, a copywriting intern from Brownsburg, Indiana; Mattea Fry, a graphic design intern from Bloomington, Illinois; Audra Frieden, a placemaking and graphic design intern from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Hannah Gjertson, a copywriting and design intern from Greenwood, Indiana. Our interns have already worked on a variety of projects from branding to placemaking, including a new rendition of one of our traditions: Marion Made Mini!
In Summer 2018, Marion Design Co. launched Marion Made, an event to highlight local artists and creators and to cultivate community by encouraging creativity. This summer, we launched Marion Made Mini, a weekly event on the downtown square. Every Friday at 10:00am, you can find us at 401 S. Washington St, gathering outside around baked goods, sipping on locally-roasted coffee, and celebrating our vibrant community.
Since our first Marion Made Mini event on May 14, we have featured Kate Luttrull’s baked goods. Kate has been baking since she was a child and finds inspiration across the globe as she explores new flavor pairings. She moved to Marion from Australia five years ago with her husband and three children, and since then she has fallen in love with their Marion home. Each week, she creates a unique menu of baked goods, and her delicious creations have consistently sold out. After two successful Marion Made Mini events, she has felt encouraged by the community’s enthusiasm. Kate shared, “I love the idea and growth of the community knowing there is a place to hang out and drop in on a Friday.”
Jared Strand
Jared Strand, a placemaking intern, says he enjoys working on Marion Made Mini because it sparks the idea of what could
be happening on the square. It proves that people enjoy company downtown, and want to invest in
opportunities to build community.
Top to bottom: Everything Cream Cheese Bagels; our Interns enjoying outdoor seating for MMmini; Lemon Blueberry bars
At Marion Design Co., we believe in the balance of work and play. A wonderful opportunity for play happened at the start of our Summer Cohort, as Marion Design Co. turned five years old on May 12th! We celebrated a week later at Lark’s Song with a homemade cake from Kate Luttrull.
Top to bottom: MDCO Founders (left to right: Luke Anspach, Wendy Puffer, Herb Peterson);
our summer cohort celebrating our 5th Birthday!
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Peerless Printing & Office Supplies
A family-owned business located downtown, has also supported MMmini by allowing us to use their Hon Skip chair. Stop by to browse quality office furniture!
ON-RAMP MARION
Are you an artistic entrepreneur looking for ways to invest in your creative business? Apply now for the Marion On-Ramp Workshop and $2000 grant, sponsored by the Indiana Arts Commission! The three-day workshop is free, and will provide you with training on practical ways to grow your creative business. Spots are limited; apply here by June 9, 2021!