Vilnius, Lithuania

Circle’s founder, Robert L. Peters, has spent the better part of the past week in Vilnius, capital city of the Baltic state of Lithuania, as an invited speaker and active participant in the Spring: Icograda Design Week. Official activities included attendance of the Icograda Regional Meeting, delivery of a lecture entitle Welcome Change at the International Conference held at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and acting as a presenter at the European Design Awards 2011.

Highlights of Peters’ week included numerous design exhibitions that ran in the old city (concurrent to the Design Week), meeting with old and new designer colleagues from some 20 different countries, and spending time in some excellent art galleries and historic cultural venues. A big thanks goes out to the organizers and to Gediminas Lasas and his colleagues at the Lithuanian Graphic Design Association in particular…

Photos (by Ines Subtil): participants of the Icograda Regional Meeting outside the Vilnius Academy of Arts; an on-stage group shot of all of the winners and presenters of the European Design Awards 2011; Peters and MTV hostess Ugne Skonsmanaite presenting a silver award to Beetroot Design Group from Greece for their packaging work “Konva.”

Ottawa, Canada

(from a piece in CBC’s Arts & Entertainment)

…Canada Post has announced that a new stamp featuring the celebrated singer-songwriter will be issued on June 30 as part of the third instalment of its Canadian Recording Artists series. His stamp will join the previously announced stamps of Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Robbie Robertson and Ginette Reno.

“This is very exciting,” the Ottawa-born Cockburn said in a statement. The stamp’s design—a black and white image of him against a red background featuring titles of his hit songs—is “beautiful,” he added. Over the years, the folk-rock singer and activist has won multiple awards for his music, which includes hits such as The Coldest Night of the Year and If I Had a Rocket Launcher. His original songs have inspired covers by a wide range of artists—from Jimmy Buffett to the Barenaked Ladies.

He released his 31st album, Small Source of Comfort, in March and is currently touring the U.S.  Cockburn, who is also an officer of the Order of Canada and member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, is slated to publish his memoir in April 2012.

We were happy to have the honor of designing this latest set of stamps featuring Canadian singer/songwriters (our third such series)… look for more news and image releases in the weeks to come.

Toronto, Canada

Circle’s founder, Robert L. Peters, gave a presentation at FITC Toronto 2011 earlier today… exploring “why” we as designers do what we do, and “to what end.” His talk included a personal existential narrative (tracing back to the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire) wrapped in a “big-picture exposition” on the power of design to shape culture and influence our tomorrows. Thanks to Shawn Pucknell for bringing Peters back to FITC on this special 10th-anniversary occasion (his 8th time giving a talk at FITC).

DesignEdge Canada has a writeup of Peters’ talk in its May 4th news, here.

Winnipeg, Canada

We’re looking forward to the gala black-tie dinner fundraiser tonight at the Hotel Fort Garry on Broadway—the special honoree is Manitoba’s former Premier, and now Canada’s Ambassador to the USA, Gary Doer. This event is the 28th annual for the Concordia Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving the high quality of health and wellness services provided by Concordia (Concordia Hospital, Concordia Place, Concordia Hip & Knee Institute, Concordia Wellness Projects and Concordia Village).

Circle is a sponsor of the gala event, and we also designed the related graphics and collateral materials. Find out more about the Concordia Foundation at the recently-launched website we designed, here.

Postscript (6 June 2011): The fundraiser proved to be a resounding success, with over $100,000 raised. View a summary by the Winnipeg Free Press here.

Winnipeg, Canada

No big celebrations or festivities, but we’re reflective and thoughtful today as we mark 35 years since our formation as a design consultancy. Heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have contributed to our history to date…  colleagues, clients, vendors, friends, and family members!

Cheers!

Rome, Italy

Congratulations(!) to our longstanding client The North West Company (NWC) on the successful run by their Team Diabetes group last week—73 of 77 runners from NWC completed the 2011 Maratona di Roma, raising over $500,000 in donations to fight the debilitating disease (a serious condition that affects more than 3 million Canadians, with those of Aboriginal descent being three to five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes).

Another client of ours, MKO Grand Chief David Harper (of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc., the non-profit, political advocacy organization that represents 30 First Nation communities in Manitoba’s North) ran the Rome Marathon alongside the NWC team. Chief Harper later had the opportunity to meet Pope Benedict at St. Peter’s Square, where he raised the issue of the urgent need for clean, running water in northern First Nations. The Pope indicated that there was indeed a need for greater advocacy on this issue, and promised to issue an urgent call for same. Chief Harper also extended an invitation to the Pope to visit Manitoba’s northern First Nation communities when the Pope makes his first visit to Canada.

Images: Edward Kennedy, President and CEO of NWC, after the finish; David Lui, NWC’s Marketing Director (who ran for his diabetic dad, Andrew Lui); Grand Chief David Harper with Pope Benedict (photo from the Winnipeg Free Press).

Winnipeg, Canada

Two months ago we announced the launch of The Canadian Gallery, a collection of exquisite outdoor and nature photographs by our long-time friend and client, Mike Grandmaison. (The Canadian Gallery offers images of our great land specifically selected for their appeal to collectors—as fine art pieces, for corporate decor, and for use as corporate gifts).

The Canadian Gallery’s physical exhibit space opened with an evening reception today at Photo Central, 2nd Floor, 499 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg. Check out some of the imagery on display here.

Above: a few select images from The Canadian Gallery (all photographs ©2011 Mike Grandmaison). Below: designer Adrian Shum caught on “auto-time-lapse” early in the evening.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

If you’re in or near the ’Peg on Saturday, 12 March, please consider coming out to this gig at the West End Cultural Centre in support of the West Central Women’s Resource Centre—a community-based initiative in the diverse West Central neighbourhood of Winnipeg that is empowering women to help themselves, their families, and their community to safer, healthier lifestyles.

The fundraising concert features hometown girrrl Romi Mayes (pronounced “raw me”) along with the flamboyant Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers.  Local crafts will also be in abundance; all proceeds go to WCWRC.

Image: the event poster we designed for WCWRC.

Winnipeg, Canada

Circle is pleased to announce the launch of The Canadian Gallery, a collection of exquisite outdoor and nature photographs by our long-time friend and client, Mike Grandmaison. The Canadian Gallery offers images of our great land specifically selected for their appeal to collectors—as fine art pieces, for corporate decor, and for use as corporate gifts.

Circle has been working with Mike over the past half year in preparation for the launch of the gallery’s new website (which went live earlier this week) and in preparation for the opening of The Canadian Gallery’s physical exhibit space (which is scheduled to open here in Winnipeg two months from today). Check out the imagery on display here.

Above: a few select images from The Canadian Gallery.
All ©2011 Mike Grandmaison.