NEWSLETTER 002

Welcome to our newsletter! We are excited to share a story from one of our alumni, new projects in downtown Marion, and various news from our Summer Cohort. Thank you for subscribing and staying connected with us!

We are eagerly anticipating the On-Ramp Marion Workshop in July! If you are looking for ways to share your art or are starting a creative business, On-Ramp provides the perfect opportunity to accelerate your artistic work! The application deadline has been extended to June 16; apply today for the opportunity to participate in the free, three-day workshop, personalized business coaching, and up to $2000 for your growing business.

We have been busy with preparations to host the workshop here at Marion Design Co., even creating a unique brand for the Marion Workshop. We hope to see you there!

Apply Now!

If you have been to Downtown Marion recently, you may have noticed new lighting in the alleyways! Marion Design Co. had the privilege of partnering with Mayor Jess Alumbaugh to add string lights across the alleys, creating a warm atmosphere just in time for summer. Together with the City, we applied placemaking design to illuminate new spaces surrounding the square.

Audra Frieden, a placemaking design intern, expressed her excitement about the new lights, “The alleyway lights activate a space that can feel dead. When a space is activated like that, and people are there, spaces that are permeated by the presence of people make the overall area more vibrant.”

On June 4, we drove to Indianapolis to visit Yeabsera Tabb, a former Marion Design Co. placemaking intern. Yeabsera interned during the summer of 2018 and the Fall of 2019. She recently graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a major in Design for Social Impact and a Fine Arts minor.

Today, Yeabsera is working at the Harrison Center in Indianapolis where she has a one-year fellowship. While there, she works alongside community members to create opportunities for connection and placemaking. She also teaches art classes on storytelling in the form of papermaking and mark-making in the Martindale Brightwood Neighborhood. Day to day, Yeabsera blends design thinking, research, and problem-solving as she uses visual art to encourage connection.

Beyond her fellowship, Yeabsera is currently working toward a solo show, which will be held at 1000 Words Indy. She also earned a grant from Good Mirrors Aren’t Cheap, based in New York, to continue her senior project, “The Synthesis of In-between.” The knowledge and practice she gained on how to design with a people-first mentality from Marion Design Co. continues to impact her work.

We’ve been pondering the idea that “Curiosity is an act of love.” We love with curiosity by asking questions that prompt our imaginations for our clients and community. Sometimes our questions lead us toward huge leaps that open opportunities!

Marion Design Co. has said a big YES to launching our studio as an independent business. As a result, we’re experiencing tremendous growth in partnerships and projects! In fact, our team of six interns and three officers has launched multiple graphic design, interior design, placemaking, design thinking sessions, and website design projects in the past two months. We’re grateful to our founders, alumni, and generous partners who have empowered what started out as a branding project for Marion into a sustainable design studio that educates students and creates beautiful design work for the community.

—Wendy Puffer, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer

Congratulations! You made it to the end of our Newsletter. To celebrate you, here’s a word from one of our Placemaking Interns, Jessica.