National Design Award Winners decline White House Invitation
The Design Observer Blog has a really interesting read about a group of National Design Awards winners. The award show is put on by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and are meant to honor the best in American design. This year, five of the winners in the Communication Design division declined an congratulatory invitation to the White House from First Lady Laura Bush.
Their explanation to the First Lady was as follows:
Dear Mrs. Bush:
As American designers, we strongly believe our government should support the design profession and applaud the White House sponsorship of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. And as finalists and recipients of the National Design Award in Communication Design we are deeply honored to be selected for this recognition. However, we find ourselves compelled to respectfully decline your invitation to visit the White House on July 10th.
Graphic designers are intimately engaged in the construction of language, both visual and verbal. And while our work often dissects, rearranges, rethinks, questions and plays with language, it is our fundamental belief, and a central tenet of “good” design, that words and images must be used responsibly, especially when the matters articulated are of vital importance to the life of our nation.
We understand that politics often involves high rhetoric and the shading of language for political ends. However it is our belief that the current administration of George W. Bush has used the mass communication of words and images in ways that have seriously harmed the political discourse in America. We therefore feel it would be inconsistent with those values previously stated to accept an award celebrating language and communication, from a representative of an administration that has engaged in a prolonged assault on meaning.
While we have diverse political beliefs, we are united in our rejection of these policies. Through the wide-scale distortion of words (from “Healthy Forests” to “Mission Accomplished”) and both the manipulation of media (the photo op) and its suppression (the hidden war casualties), the Bush administration has demonstrated disdain for the responsible use of mass media, language and the intelligence of the American people.
While it may be an insignificant gesture, we stand against these distortions and for the restoration of a civil political dialogue.
The letter was signed by Michael Rock, Susan Sellers, Georgie Stout, Paula Scher and Stefan Sagmeister.
Another winner, Chip Kidd was also asked to sign the letter, but decided that the gesture may prove inappropriate.
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Bravo! As a long standing member of the Cooper Hewitt I am proud and in awe of the courage and dignity of the honories in declining that invitation.
2. Total assault on the culture by any means necessary
How could anyone other than an extreme Liberal approve of such disrespect to both the White House and to our First Lady. From the other side of the fence, I and most American’s believe that the current President’s use of language has been correct based on the circumstances involved. We sure would not want to go back to the outrageous lies that were so beautifully presented by the previous administration. I say Bravo to President Bush for the way he has masterfully handled our wonderful nation these past 6 turbulent years even with all the obstacles thrown at him through ignorance or political gain.
In response to anonymous…. how dare you speak for “most Americans.” If “most Americans believe that the president’s language has been correct then why does he have one of the lowest approval ratings in history!? You are entitled to your opinion but get a clue in realizing it is not the same as “most americans.” I say Bravo to the award winners who had the courage to think and speak for themselves and not submit to the brainwashing glamour of visiting the White House!
I am not “most Americans” and say kudos to those who have the courage to stand up and utlize their 1st ammendment rights. The “current language” has been not “correct” and has been used to cover up the dibacle this administration has goten this country, MY country, into. Freedom of the Press — not lately. Freedom of Speach — look at Valerie Plame. Have you ever seen the country more polorized? Something must be done — and the musts are exactly what these winners did.
Great for them for standing up for their beliefs. At the same time, I think: “Why is this a story”?
The only answer I can come up with is that this a way for them to pat themselves on the back.
I’m late to the game and I doubt anybody will see this, but what the heck! I am a graphic design student, and I am so tired of the graphic design profession and their ridiculous rhetoric about how they feel they have some mission to "save the world" and do all of these "socially responsible" pieces. What a load of crap. I am not taking design classes to be a political activist. I am not taking design classes to save the world. I am taking design classes because it is something that greatly interests me in many different ways. Everybody has their political points of view, and that’s great. But I am so tired of the "graphic arts community" trying to shove their politics and agendas down my throat. I fully understand now why it’s called a "liberal arts" program…
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I am not taking design classes to save the world. I am taking design classes because it is something that greatly interests me in many different ways
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