As you may already know I’ve been volunteering on the board of AIGA Baltimore (the professional association for design). AIGA Baltimore’s mission is to advance design as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force on a local level in the Baltimore metro area.
I joined the board in May as a way to give back to the community and get some exposure in the industry. As any volunteer position I’ve been spending the last few months get acquainted with the association. I’ve been to some great events and lectures including The Secrets of Pricing, Analyzing the Creative Process, How to Find the Right Web Developer and more… I think it’s been really helpful to listen and talk to local designers about their challenges and we’ve also been able to swap some good resources.
Anywho, the last few months we have been working very hard to plan Baltimore very first Design Week. The goal of design week is to educate, inspire, and inform both its members and the general public about the world of design. The Baltimore Magazine has agreed to blog about it and there’s rumors about getting the Mayor to make it the official Baltimore Design week.
Check it out and feel free to attend. I’m running the workshop on Monday October 15, and will probably be attending the Pixels of Fury competition as well.
I will also be volunteering in a High School Portfolio review in November through AIGA Baltimore. And in the Spring I am working on a college portfolio review called Ink/Pixels. It’s an event where 100+ graduating students get a chance to have their work reviewed by local professionals before they go out into the working world.
Overall my experience volunteering has been very positive and I am very happy that Far Corner has been as supportive as they have been. I highly recommend getting out there and giving back to your community. Pick something that interests you and run with it, you never know what you’ll get out of it until you try!