Design is Inclusive

Earlier this year, Philadelphia’s creative community gathered at the new W Hotel for a program celebrating diversity in the fields of art and design.

The evening featured two inspiring events: a panel discussion and design showcase, organized together with Collab and CRAFTED/ as part of DesignPhiladelphia, the annual festival that highlights Philly as a center of design and its impact on society. The theme of the evening was Design Is Inclusive, an annual DesignPhiladelphia program that shines a spotlight on designers through the lens of diversity including race, gender, ability, and age. Collab, a group that supports modern and contemporary design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, worked with CRAFTED/, a collective of BIPOC creatives that seeks to build a more diverse and equitable creative industry, to develop the programming for the evening.

The Design Is Inclusive panel discussion featured women-identified members of Crafted/, discussing the barriers and challenges they see in their respective areas of design and the arts, and building platforms that uplift the community around them. The panelists were Shannon Maldonado of retail shop and lifestyle design brand YOWIE; Briana Clarke of non-profit arts organization ArtWell; and Kimberly McGlonn, fashion designer and owner of Grant Blvd. The panel was skillfully moderated by Melissa Alam, founder, and creative director of web design agency ALAM Digital. The packed audience was treated to stories of each panelist’s personal experiences – both triumphs and frustrations – while trying to build their careers as women of color.

Along with the panel discussion, CRAFTED/ also curated an exhibition of work by twenty of their members displayed on two floors of the new W Hotel, who graciously sponsored the event and donated the space for the panel and exhibit. The showcase featured the work of BIPOC designers and artists ranging from ceramics, glass, painting, prints, graphics, photography, projections, and fashion. The evening was complemented by a cocktail hour sponsored by Collab, and music by DJs Madame Duchamp and Yolo Ono, along with an afterparty at the hotel to celebrate the panelists and exhibitors, and the power of design.

According to Jermaine Jenkins, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships at AIA Philadelphia and Center for Architecture + Design (as well as DesignPhiladelphia organizer and Collab board member), “Our intent is to influence festival attendees and a young audience of future designers that they too can be a representative of the design industry.”