Photo courtesy of carol.anne/Shutterstock.com
The Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington (ADCMW) was the oldest organization of graphic designers beginning in 1953, catering to its community through educational outreach, programs and an annual award gala that celebrated the best work of the region. Its purpose was to provide designers an outlet to flourish and connect with others within the community. The organization, however, began to have a hard time finding board members to lead events and suffered from funding issues due to lack of membership, which led to the dissolution of the organization in the fall of 2013.
Upon hearing that the ADCMW was terminating, past board members of the organization quickly came together to birth the D.C. Creative Guild (DCCG). This new organization is striving to enhance the creative community by bringing together designers of all varieties on one common ground. It will hold onto some traditions from the Art Directors Club like “The Paper Show,” an exposition of companies that make and sell paper, and “The Real Show,” a competition where students submit their designs and are judged by local designers. Adjustments like eliminating a large governing board, becoming more proactive for their members and requiring each event to be self-sustaining are just some of the changes that will be made.
“We will partner with other organizations and add our membership and outreach into their events and programs,” says John Foster, the past president of ADCMW.
Only three months old, DCCG does not have a physical building or an official website yet. All of the information for their upcoming events will be managed and can be viewed on their social networks: Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. “Networking and social events should be on tap for the summer,” says Foster. –Janee Williams
More info: @dccreativeguild; dccreativeguild.tumblr.com; facebook.com/dccreativeguild
(May 2014)
