Design Rebels promote community involvement through local foods

“Project Winterfood is reaching out to everyone – those who already enjoy farm fresh foods and those who have heard the phrase ‘eating locally’ without getting a chance to learn what it’s really all about.”

November 25, 2009; 3:00 PM • by Marge Weimer

A group of 15 VCU graphic design students are working together to raise awareness about local foods in Virginia. Project Winterfood, occurring on December 2, will benefit the Central Virginia Foodbank and Gallery5.

“Project Winterfood is reaching out to everyone – those who already enjoy farm fresh foods and those who have heard the phrase ‘eating locally’ without getting a chance to learn what it’s really all about,” according to a press release.

Led by instructor and socially conscious designer Noah Scalin, the students are part of a service-learning course called Design Rebels combining graphic design and community activism.

The class is broken into two parts and incorporates the impact of design as well as Scalin’s views on using the profession to do good. Scalin said he created the class from scratch in 2003 to address a need he saw at VCU.

Scalin’s Design Rebels

“I noticed that no one was talking about the practical effects that design had on the world and the power these students were going to yield as graphic designers,” Scalin said.

The student organizers of the event said it will unite art, food, and music to generate awareness about locally grown food in the community.

“It’s going to be very laid back and fun – it’s all really about the people who come,” said Christina Gleixner, student and event co-organizer. “It’s a social event, an art gallery, and hopefully something that is going to connect people in our community to local food options.”

Several local businesses are involved in bringing this event to fruition. Visitors can expect tasting booths and fair-trade coffee and tea from Rostov’s Coffee and Tea. Dominion Harvest and the Farm to Family Veggie Bus, two organizations that deliver locally grown foods around Richmond, will also be at the event.

“Buying from locally sustainable farms means the food is being grown naturally,” said Howard Brown, owner of Dominion Harvest. “It 100 percent supports local farmers and the local economy.”

The theme for Project Winterfood is inspired by seasonal foods available in Virginia, including spinach, sweet potatoes and apples. Each piece of art in the exhibition, ranging from sculpture and paintings to sound, are created by the students as well as some members of the community.

“We are all in the class as designers who are interested in doing something good – to make a positive change,” Gleixner said.

Here is a full list of Richmond area businesses who partnered up with Project Winterfood:

• Farm to Family (Veggie Bus)
• Dominion Harvest
• Gallery 5
• Savor Cafe
• Ipanema Cafe
• Rostov’s Coffee & Tea
• Ellwood Thompson’s Natural Market
• Ukrop’s Supermarket
• Byrd House Market
• Chop Suey Books
• Save Our Food
• BW Wilson Paper Co.
• Biz Port

Project Winterfood will take place on Wednesday, December 2 from 7pm to 10pm at 1509 W. Main Street. Stop by winterfood.org for more information.

November 25, 2009 3:00 PM 0