Today,
City Council Speaker Christine
C. Quinn, along with, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Cultural
Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, steering committee members, and
members of the local design community announced details of the first
annual “NYCxDESIGN”
(NYC by Design) event. Officials also revealed “Multifesto,” a
communal design manifesto project open to designers from across the
world, and announced plans to launch a mobile scheduling website, and an
iPhone photo App. NYCxDESIGN takes place Friday,
May 10^th through Tuesday, May 21^st, 2013 and
features more than 200 events across all five boroughs. Officials made
the announcement in in Times Square and were joined by Executive
Director at the Center for an Urban Future Jonathan Bowles,
Executive Director at NY Designs Natalia Argüello, FIT Professor and
Founder of Breadbox Studio in Harlem Joseph Masibay and other leading
members of the New York City design community.

First
announced in Speaker Quinn’s 2012 State of the city address, NYCxDESIGN
is the City’s first annual city-wide event to showcase and promote
New York City’s rich design community. Scheduled events include free
design classes for children ages 2 and up through the Smithsonian
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, as well as BKLYN Designs in
DUMBO, WantedDesign in Chelsea, the International Contemporary
Furniture Fair at the Javits Center, free classes at a pop-up design
studio in Staten Island, talks at universities and museums and many
more. Design disciplines span Architecture, Art, Design Thinking,
Digital, Craft, Fashion, Furniture, Graphic Design, Industrial,
Interiors, Landscape, Lighting, Products, Media, Theater, and Urban
Design.

For a full list of events, please visit:
www.nycxdesign.com/events

“Over
40,000 designers call the City home and it’s time for us to tap into
this sector, raise its profile, and turn it into an economic engine,”
said Speaker Quinn. “NYCxDESIGN provides the right opportunity
for New York City to convene our local design community and celebrate
their contributions to the city, to a degree never before seen. I’m
excited that NYCxDESIGN will help both emerging
and established designers exhibit their skills, sell their designs, and
grow their businesses in the five boroughs.”

“When visitors explore New York City they experience unparalleled urban design and architecture around every corner and are also
able to find distinctive design items made locally and sourced from around the world,” said
George Fertitta CEO of NYC & Company. “NYCxDESIGN captures
the essence of New York City’s creativity and diversity, giving us
another opportunity to reach new audiences and showcase all that the
five boroughs have to offer. To further exemplify design
in all its expressions, NYC & Company recently launched The Design
Collection, a selection of 19 hotels where exceptional design is an
essential part of the visitor experience. During NYCxDESIGN, or anytime
throughout the year, we encourage visitors to be
inspired by one of these unique hotels.”

“The NYCxDESIGN initiative highlights the extraordinary breadth of New York City’s creative community,” said
Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. “The dynamic program
of events and exhibitions will foster new connections between
audiences, organizations, and professionals whose work make the City a
global center for innovation and excellence in design.”