Ornaments designed by the newly formed grassroots group
Creativity for a Cause will be auctioned off December 2 to support the
Contemporary Arts Center’s involvement with
Memories in the Museum—a newly developed art program, intended for individuals dealing with memory loss.
Creativity for a Cause’s “Making Holiday Memories” is the first of what Elizabeth Olson, who helped found the group, hopes to be many efforts aimed at not only giving back to the community, but also providing local designers the chance to become inspired.
“I’m in design at
P&G, and am regularly in contact with people who work there and in the at-large community who are creative with timelines, projects and budgets, and that’s their day-to-day vocation and avocation; but what I’ve noticed is, a lot of times, people will say, ‘I’m short on inspiration,’” Olson says. “They get tired or worn out, and I’ve watched what they do to try to get inspired. And what I recognized was that they didn’t want to listen to or watch somebody—they wanted to make stuff.”
So Olson, who also serves as a board member for the CAC, came up with the idea to engage designers across the Tri-State in a way that would allow them to apply their craft in a new way.
“Designers—the really good ones—are motivated by empathy,” Olson says. “And they want to help people. They want the things they create, even in these commercial products, to make a difference in peoples' lives.”
About 14 designers are involved in the group’s first project, and because the group is so individualized and organic, Olson says she expects a variety of ornaments, created through different mediums.
“I like to work with textiles. There’s some industrial designers who might decide to do 3D printing,” Olson says. “It’s intentionally left open so people can bring whatever they want to explore or feel proficient at.”
Do Good:
• Attend the CAC's event
One Night, One Craft and support
Memories in the Museum by bidding on Creativity for a Cause's ornaments in the silent auction.
•
Contact Erica Camp if you're a designer or creative interested in participating in Creativity for a Cause's future efforts.
• Like the Contemporary Arts Center on
Facebook.
By Brittany York
Brittany York is a professor of English composition at both the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.