Hello our amazing Austin creative community,

We want to let you know what we’re doing for the safety of our local community regarding our upcoming programming.

We have made the decision to postpone or cancel all of our current events through mid-May. These decisions were made with a lot of thought and concern for you, our members. We’ll continue to update you as the situation unfolds and we have more information on what we’re able to offer as an alternative.

Design Ranch 2020 Update

We have made the difficult decision to postpone Design Ranch until October 15-18, 2020. This leaves us with heavy hearts and minds, but we feel it’s in the best interest of the health and safety of our ranchers. If you registered for Design Ranch, you can find steps on what to do to confirm your fall registration at designranch.org by May 1st. We will be opening up a second round of registration at a later time once we know how many spots we have.

You can stay up to date on our social media channels and community Slack for all the latest news on our events and resources. Above all, we hope you are able to make space to support yourself and your loved ones during this time.

Sincerely,

Brianna Penney
AIGA Austin President
on behalf of the AIGA Austin Board

Resources To Help You Stay Connected to your community during this time.

• Join The AIGA Austin Slack
• SXSW 2020 – Ways To Help
• I Lost My Gig – Fundraiser 
• T3’s South By South Best Fundraiser
• Adobe enables distance learning globally for schools impacted by COVID-19

In response to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the design community, AIGA Austin has created a temporary grant program to support those who have been affected by the economic fallout. We will be distributing one-time, unrestricted $500 grants to those who qualify.

AIGA Austin is donating $15,000 to the fund and we are looking for your donations to keep the giving going. With your support, our community can stay healthy, safe, and connected. 

Donate $50 or more and receive a free Heart of Texas t-shirt!

Applications closed on August 31, 2020.

About

• Deadline: August 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm
• Applications will be accepted from August 6 – 31 and are subject to approval and availability of funds

To review eligibility and guidelines, read below.

For questions on guidelines or donations, please contact heartoftexas@austin.aiga.org

Eligibility

• Applicants must reside or have their design studio based in a 20-mile radius of Austin, TX. Applicants must provide verification of current residence or studio location.
• Fund is open to any member of the design community* at any stage of their career. Applicants must provide links to demonstrate their commitment to their professional practice.
• Applicants must be individual designers, and not agencies, studios or cooperatives. 
• Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and able to receive taxable income in the United States and Texas.
• If selected, applicants are required to submit a W-9 and necessary banking information to receive electronic deposit of funds. 
• Round 1 applications must be submitted by August 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

* If you are not a designer, but consider yourself part of the AIGA Austin community, you may still be eligible for funding. Please submit your application for the selection committee to evaluate.

Selection Criteria

• Applicants must submit a statement describing current financial need.
• Applicants must provide information regarding loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Priority will be given to designers within the following communities: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color); Disability community including immunocompromised, and/or LGBTQIA+. It is imperative that we do not lose the participation of these communities in shaping the creative and cultural landscape of Austin.
• Those who have participated in AIGA Austin programming in the past will be prioritized.

Review of Applications

• Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of AIGA Austin Advisory Board members.
• Any and all information provided in this application will remain confidential and will only be used for administrative and management purposes specific to this fund.

Timeline

Open Call for Applications: August 3–31, 2020

Applicant Notification: September 15, 2020

Fund Disbursement: October 1, 2020
(contingent on supplied banking information and W9)

Multiple rounds of applications may be available, contingent upon remaining funds from Round 1 as well as future donations and sponsorship.

Please note, if we are not able to fund your request during Round 1, your application will automatically be considered for the next round. Applicants who receive funding are not eligible to apply for additional rounds at this time.

For questions, please reach out to heartoftexas@austin.aiga.org

Grant Team

• Abby Larson: Project Manager
• Sean Carnegie, Brianna Penney: Operations
• Kelley Toombs: Design
• Paul Del Bosque: Finance
• Bridget Blakeny: Communications
• Zac Heckmann: Application Management
• Rhett Bennatt, Tasha Bowling: Print Assets
• Wendy Carnegie, Alisha Moore: Support

AIGA, formerly known as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, is the professional association for design. Founded over 100 years ago, AIGA continues to be challenged by the lack of diversity in programming and within the organization.

AIGA Austin was founded in 1997 as a separate 501(c3) nonprofit chapter. Since then we’ve had diverse leadership, but have fallen short of providing equitable programming and representation. While we have always opened our doors to everyone, we are taking steps to reexamine our programming and build out new efforts against biased and discriminatory systems within the design profession.

We are committing to a set of measures we believe are the first step to making change in our local organization to serve you, our community. We will continue to build on this with our goals for 2021 and beyond.

Measures we have taken so far:

• Created a Code of Conduct and reporting structure to protect members both in and outside of AIGA Austin events
• Elevated our Diversity and Inclusion Chair to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Director
• Created a DEI Committee dedicated to creating programming and resources

What’s Next

• Scheduled required DEI Training for all board members this August
• Establish and require DEI pledges from all board members in relation to their role and programming
• Create an event series highlighting barriers that underrepresented communities face in design
• Establish honorariums to compensate all speakers and workshop leaders
• Add option to waive or reimburse paid membership for board roles upon request
• Reevaluate all existing programs to redesign for equity (plans to come)
  • Afterhours Poster Show
  • Changemaker Series
  • Creative Mass
  • Design Ranch
  • GROW Conference
  • Maura Rose Kampa Scholarship
  • Under the Radar
• Partner with and promote organizations already working on inclusion within design
  • African American Graphic Designers
  • Black UX Austin
  • E4 Youth
  • More to come
• Establish mentorship opportunities with an emphasis on BIPOC designers
• Redesign our website to ensure it is accessible for all users

This is the beginning of our list, with more plans and goals to be announced after we hold our annual board retreat and DEI training. In the future, we will be establishing target metrics for representation on our board and within our speakers and workshop leaders. You can also expect more detailed plans for specific programs and initiatives we are planning for 2020 and 2021 later this year. We do not take this issue lightly and hope you can continue to participate, provide your input, and hold us accountable.

If you have additional ideas, feedback, or want to share your experiences with AIGA Austin and DEI, you can take our survey here. 

Dear AIGA Austin,

Our community, like so many others across the country, is in pain. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Austinite Michael Ramos have driven our city into turmoil. 

We stand in solidarity with Black people and people of color suffering today and always. While design may feel removed from the events at hand, our role is often to build the systems and craft the messages that those in power are using every day. We have the responsibility to dismantle systems of oppression and combat injustice in our work.

We encourage our members to use your voices, resources, and skills in support. We invite you to work with us to make a difference in our community. AIGA Austin is here to amplify you and help where we can. For many of us, that starts with education and supporting efforts already in place. We have compiled a list of resources with local impact at the forefront.

Stay safe,
AIGA Austin Board of Directors

Resources

Self Care for Black People >>
Hire Black Designers >>

Civic Engagement

• Take the City of Austin Budget Survey
• Austin Office of Police Oversight
• BLM protest pocket guide (Credit to Zoha Shafiq and collaborators)
• Design As Protest National Call & Day of Action

Educate Yourself

• Cross-Cultural Design  by Senongo Akpem
• How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
• Justice by Design TED Talk by Antionette Carroll
• Guide to Allyship by Amélie Lamont
• More reading…

Donate & Fund

• Bail fund for Austin
• Black Mamas ATX
• Austin Justice Coalition
• Texas Civil Rights Project
• Local Black-Owned Businesses

Job Resources

Austin Creative Alliance Emergency Grant
Artists may apply for up to $500 to replace verifiable lost income due to the cancellation of a specific, scheduled gig or opportunity (i.e. commissions, performances, contracts) due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and are subject to approval and available funds.

The Candidate Question Corner
The Creative Party—a local creative staffing agency—recorded a podcast to answer your questions about the job market right now and what to expect during the application process.

Designers In Need of Work
Add your name to this spreadsheet if you are out of work or your job search has been extended due to Coronavirus. If you are an employer, consider looking here first!

Articles & Guides

• CARES Act for Freelancers
• A Guide for Financial Survival
• While At Home Guide for Creatives
• Texas Cultural Trust Resource List

Inspiration

bored.solutions
A place to find ideas of things to learn, make & do while self-isolating.

Designers Against Coronavirus
Designers Against Coronavirus is a digital archive created and curated by CaroselloLab that shows the emergency we are facing through the eyes of designers, illustrators and creative studios from all over the world.

Ways to Give Back

Lend a Hand ATX by Austin Tech Alliance
A platform to help skilled tech volunteers and those in need make critical community connections during the COVID-19 crisis. Nonprofits and community members may request support with branding, content, design, hardware needs, strategy, social media, IT services, and tutoring. 

Y’allmanac by Guerilla Suit
While we all do our part to flatten the curve, our small local businesses are suffering. We love our city and know you do, too. This site is meant to be a resource to help preserve our local businesses and help keep Austin Austin. When deciding how and where to spend your dollars, we urge you to eat, drink, shop, play, hire, & care locally.

Keep Austin Weird by GSD&M
It’s not just about being weird. It’s shopping local, eating local and donating local. It’s how Austin survives COVID-19 and comes out stronger. So now Keep Austin Weird is being reimagined on a series of limited-edition shirts to raise money for COVID-19 relief.

Dept. of Awesum
For an entire creative industry, this is the time and place to answer the needs of your local community and activate those problem-solving superpowers that you’ve artfully put to work for big business but not yet for the workforce that powers your local economy.

By sharing your expert advice and vital resources across potential revenue streams, personal branding, digital campaigns, and more, you will build awareness for local heroes working on the frontlines, and thrivability for those facing temporary hardships.

HOPE For Health
Providing financial & wellness support for our creative community and their businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Join us in creating (200) HOPE for Health Wellness bags comprised of nutrition & immunity items for our community of artists & creatives that not only need to maintain their health during this quarantine but also their careers & livelihood.

COVID Rangers
Austin-based group creating guides and community groups for individuals to sew and distribute masks to medical workers.

Local Non-profits in Need

• Central Texas Food Bank
• We Are Blood
• LifeWorks Austin
• Austin Disaster Relief Network
• All Together ATX

Events

AIGA Webinar Recordings & Signups

Links will be updated with recordings when available.

• CARES Act Small Business Support
• Internships in Design: Advice for COVID-19
• Mental Health in the Time of Coronavirus
• Finance for Freelancers and Small Business
• Designing Your Finances for Uncertain Times: April 22
• Career Advice for COVID-19: April 23
• Employment Issues in a Pandemic: April 24
• Working Remote for Design Teams: April 28
• How Language Can Help us Fight Covid-19: April 29
• Make it Remote: Virtual Meetings Don’t Have to Suck: May 5

Now Accepting Applications for the 2020 Maura Rose Kampa Scholarship!

Follow this link to apply!

So, you think you’re not good enough to win a scholarship. Well, this just might be the one for you. The Maura Rose Kampa Scholarship is not about how good you are, it’s about how good you want to BE. Potential, effort and desire, that’s what we want to see!

Mission Statement

The Maura Rose Kampa Scholarship seeks to provide mentorship and financial assistance to talented undergraduate students of design, advertising, illustration, and photography.

About the Scholarship Fund

The scholarship fund was started through AIGA Austin in 2015 to honor the spirit of Maura Rose Kampa, a bright young artist and design student and the daughter of David and Marcellina Kampa, active members of the Austin design and advertising communities.

Objective

Our objective is to annually recognize one design, advertising, photography, or illustration college student who showcases great craft, financial need, and an audacity and commitment to a future as a creative career professional.

Eligibility

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Undergraduate student of design, advertising, illustration, or photography
• Have one full semester of study remaining
• Show financial need
• Be a member of either AIGA and/or Ad Fed

Awards

One student will be awarded a one-time gift of $2,000 toward tuition or other college expenses. The student will also receive a mentorship with award-winning associate design director Ben Harman of GSD&M.

Applications

Applications are now open through May 13, 2020!

Donations

If you would like to make a donation to the scholarship fund, click the button below.

If you would like to donate by check, please make payable to AIGA Austin MRK Scholarship Fund and mail to:

AIGA Austin
PMB 549 815-A Brazos St
Austin, Texas 78701

The Maura Rose Kampa Scholarship is a partnership between AIGA Austin and the Austin Advertising Federation.

The AIGA Austin board wants to know how our community has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working hard to plan and meet the needs of our community.

We put together a Typeform survey to get a read on what content and resources y’all would be interested in seeing from us during these times!

Results available here

Stay up to date with AIGA Austin via our social media.

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Great leaders make great organizations. You can help determine the future of AIGA Austin by nominating its leaders. Before getting started, please review the descriptions for roles that are currently available.

Open Positions

• President
• Vice President
• Administrative Chair
• Education Director
• Programming Director
• Membership Director
• Communications Director
• Development Director
• Student Development Chair
• Special Projects Chair
• Social Media Chair

Requirements

Nominees do not need to be an AIGA member at the time of nomination but are required to become a member upon election. Board members are also expected to regularly attend monthly board meetings and chapter events. Not a designer? That’s great too! We’re always looking for new perspectives and a diversity of experience on our board.

• Executive Board serves 2-year terms
• Directors serve 2-year terms
• Chairs serve 1-year terms

Nomination Process

Applicants can self-nominate or be nominated by a peer. Nominations will be open until May 17, 2026. Nominees will be interviewed by their associated Director or the Executive Board to discuss fit for the role. The sitting board will vote on submitted nominees at the May Board Meeting (last Wednesday of the month).

Nominate now »

Get an inside look at the collaboration between Pentagram and TKO Advertising as they share how they built The City of Austin’s new identity system. AIGA Austin facilitates a candid conversation with Pentagram’s DJ Stout and TKO’s Raul Garza as they discuss the design process and strategy, challenges and public feedback.