Marion Design Co., a community-based creative studio committed to revitalizing Marion through design, is hosting a Poverty Design Charrette at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at its studio located in the downtown square.
With approximately 60 Indiana Wesleyan University students involved, the event seeks to become familiar with the problem of “food deserts” and intentionally rethink how to overcome the problem. The two-hour charrette will gather Design for Social Impact majors as well as students from an Intro to Sociology class. Also present will be representatives from IWU’s Alliance Gardens, an educational small-scale farm that seeks to educate the local community about holistic living through sustainable agriculture.
The charrette will jumpstart more extensive research by the Design for Social Impact students, in partnership with the Alliance Gardens, toward attacking the problem of hunger and poverty in Marion over the next three weeks.
“We are very excited about this event and the impact it could have on the community,” said Wendy Puffer, Design for Social Impact Program Coordinator at IWU and co-founder of Marion Design Co. “I’m really looking forward to collaborating the Design for Social Impact students with Marion Neighborhoods, the Alliance Gardens and [IWU Sustainability Coordinator] Kaley Necessary, and [Professor] Brian Fry and his Sociology students to tackle a problem that could improve people’s lives.”
Marion Design Co. was co-founded in 2016 by two Indiana Wesleyan University Art + Design professors, Puffer and Herb Peterson, for the purpose of creating powerful design solutions that propel and empower the people of Marion. For more information on Marion Design Co., visit mariondesign.co.
For more information on the IWU Division of Art + Design, visit indwes.edu/undergraduate/majors/division-of-art-and-design.