As New York slowly gets back on its feet after Hurricane Sandy, several members of the SVA community are donating their time, money and talents to help with relief efforts.
BFA Visual & Critical Studies Department faculty member Janice Ahn is taking students from her “Reading, Writing, Thinking” class out to Coney Island on Saturday, November 10 for a day of community clean up.
On Monday, November 12 from 6-8pm at the George Washington Mezzanine, 23 Lexington Avenue, the MPS Art Therapy Department and Office of Student Affairs invite SVA students, faculty and employees to help them create bags with artwork, candles and an SVA Cares cookie to be distributed to victims of Sandy. “The aim of our card making project is to convey messages of hope and support to those affected by the hurricane,” says Kathryn DeRaffele, Associate Director of Student Affairs and a member of the Art Therapy counseling team. “They have not been forgotten and are in our hearts. In gathering together to assemble a care package or make a card with a few kind words, we hope the SVA community might also find solace in the process.”
After hearing that her fellow classmate Gabrielle Mangano‘s neighborhood in the Rockaways had been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, current MFA Photography, Video and Related Media student Yael Eban set up a fund to raise money. The goal was $2,500; to date, $5,085 has been donated. Eban and friends also organized and gathered a few carloads-full of supplies, which were sent out to volunteer stations last week.
MFA Interaction Design Department faculty member Jeffrey Zeldman raised relief money from proceeds from fellow faculty member Karen McGrane‘s new book, Content Strategy for Mobile—15% of sales on November 5, which totaled $6,600, went to the Red Cross.
In an article for PSFK entitled “Empowering Digital Citizens to Deal Better with Sandy,” MFA Interaction Design Department faculty member Jill Nussbaum offered advice on how to prepare for catastrophes and improve communications during times of disaster.
In a post on the MFA Design Department blog, alumnus Michael Croxton (MFA 2012 Design) explains how he was moved to action following the storm: “Yesterday I really wanted to do something to help those suffering from the hurricane, but I was stuck at work. So I pitched this idea to my boss at Big Spaceship, he liked it, so he gave me the day to build and team and launch this site.” Recoverfeed.com pulls in all of the Instagram photos with the #Sandy and then gives them a consolidated list of links for how to donate or volunteer.
Those who buy tickets to the upcoming 2012 Social Enterprise Boot Camp, which is co-sponsored by SVA and features a talk by MFA Design for Social Innovation Department Chair Cheryl Heller, will not only get two days of vigorous discussion on critical business, communication, and design skills from industry leaders, but will also be speeding the recovery—$10 from every ticket goes to hurricane relief.
And current BFA Photography student Frankie Torres pounded the pavement with camera in hand before, during and after the storm; his photos accompany this post (more here).
