Toledoans can see slide shows on steroids at the Glass City’s second PechaKucha Night on June 12 at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library.

In PechaKucha, presenters have six minutes and 40 seconds to share concepts, stories, performances or artwork by sharing 20 slides for 20 seconds each.

“It can be very entertaining because you don’t know what’s going to happen in those 20 seconds, the audience doesn’t know what’s going to happen in those 20 seconds and mistakes do happen,” said event organizer Kimberly Adams.

Kimberly Adams

PechaKucha began in Tokyo in 2003 as a way for young designers to share their ideas.

“They started it for architects, because the architects tended to be a little long-winded when they were presenting their designs so they kind of shortened that format for them,” Adams said. Now the nights occur in more than 500 cities all over the world and Tokyo itself has had about 100 PechaKucha Nights. The events even have their own designated space within the city.

Adams, founder of tart :: projects, an artists’ platform, also organized Toledo’s first PechaKucha Night, which took place March 31 at Manhattan’s. She recently moved back to Ohio after living in Tampa, Fla., where she first observed PechaKucha.

“I’d been to a couple in Tampa and they were really well put-together so I just thought it’d be great to happen here,” Adams said.

PechaKucha almost started in Toledo in 2010, but never officially took off. However, 2012 was a different story for PechaKucha in Toledo. After deciding to bring the events to Toledo, Adams reached out to the PechaKucha organization in Tokyo.

“I had to sign a contract, like a handshake contact. The contract had a picture of the two hands shaking,” Adams said with a laugh. By signing the contract, Adams agreed to organize four nights within the year.

The first Toledo event included 10 presenters of all kinds and 30-50 people attended, Adams said. So far, the June presentation also looks to be full of variety.

“[PechaKucha is] used for like artists, designers, people that are advocating for anything and everything,” Adams said.

The documentarian

One of those artists is Tina Gionis, who returned from making a documentary in Taiwan about a month ago. While in Taiwan, she documented the Mazu Pilgrimage and Festival, an annual celebration honoring Mazu, the sea deity of the Taoist faith. Her PechaKucha presentation will feature images and stories from her trip, she said.

Tina Gionis

“[Filming] was really a good experience, pretty high-pressure. I did a lot of traveling around and the pilgrimage was very fast moving. A lot of times, I didn’t get enough sleep but I managed to get the footage I needed and I was able to get a lot of interviews with the right people and capture the intensity,” Gionis said.

The next step is the film’s editing process. “I believe the making of a film, half of it is actually shooting and capturing footage and the other half is editing. You really tell a story with how you put the shots together,” she said. Depending on funding, the editing process could take up to a year.

This is Gionis’ first PechaKucha night and she is still putting together her presentation, but plans to share some exciting stories.

“I’ll probably talk about how I almost got trampled in a religious frenzy by Mazu followers,” she said.

Events like PechaKucha Night can make the city stronger, Gionis said.

“It sounds like a really good way to make people aware of different projects artists are working on,” she said.

The movie-inspired poet

Imani Lateef, an independent graphic designer and presenter, agreed with Gionis.

“[PechaKucha] creates an opportunity for people to share in real time. It’s so odd with all the technology that there’s so many connections, but we’re still very much separated. This actually gives us the opportunity to step out of our comfort zone so to speak, in ways that social media outlets don’t normally do,”

Lateef said.

Imani Lateef

Lateef plans on presenting a poem he wrote based on scenes from the  film, “Black Orpheus,” which won the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was made in Brazil and directed by Marcel Camus.

“I thought it would be a cool way to use the PechaKucha format,” Lateef said. “[The format] lends itself perfectly to poetry and artistic presentations.”

Lateef first heard of PechaKucha in 2010 and even offered to sponsor a night at his now closed Ground Level Coffee House, but the event fell through. But now the designer is happy to be working on his new presentation. “I enjoy the challenge. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see how people work in the constraints,” he said.

The nonprofit worker

Sam Melden, executive director of Food for Thought, hopes to be helped by those constraints. “It’s actually helpful because you know exactly what’s expected. The interesting part for me is I’ve never seen [PechaKucha] done,” he said. If his presentation is successful, Melden may start talking in “20-second bursts,” he said.

His organization, Food for Thought, aims to feed the hungry while investing dignity and respect in them, Melden said. He plans to share the story of the nonprofit along with “how thought or being thoughtful really matters to the work that you do in the nonprofit type job.”

Food for Thoughtn was founded in May 2007 and Melden joined the organization in August 2011 after working in retail and ministry positions. Food for Thought now operates a stationary and mobile food pantry, a lunch distribution program and gardens for growing healthy foods.

Sam Melden

Melden said he hopes to impart some of the group’s philosophy at PechaKucha Night.

“It would be my No. 1 goal just to offer something of value. If [the audience] considers it valuable then I’ve accomplished something,” he said of his presentation.

The out-of-town artist

Samantha Hookway has a few reasons to be in Toledo this June: a friend’s wedding, the Glass Art Society (GAS) Convention from June 13-17 and, of course, presenting at PechaKucha.

When she heard of PechaKucha, “I thought, ‘Score!’ because I wanted to come to Toledo and do something but I’m feeling very tight with the wedding and the GAS conference,” Hookway said. She plans to present some of her artwork and background on the slides.

The artist, influenced by how painters interpret windows, often puts the look of a stained glass window on materials like silk.

“I was making [glass art] traditionally … but then as I kept making the work, I realized I wanted to take the stained glass in the leaded window into another world altogether,” she said.

Hookway lives in Columbus and has heard of PechaKucha Nights, but never attended.

“It’s a platform where all the disciplines can find a way to fit together, so that’s a really strong part of it and I’m hoping I’ll learn something I hadn’t considered,” she said.

At press time, other presenters include Karen Ranney Wolkins of the Toledo Botanical Garden, Adam Goldberg of Gathered Studio, Amy Fidler of You Are Here Toledo/AIGA Toledo and Aesa Bjork, a glass artist. The event is sponsored by Toledo Free Press, Erie Construction Mid-West Inc., DoxSystems, Paul R. Sullivan Jr., AIA LLC, Law Office of Gretchen DeBacker and tart :: projects.

Samantha Hookway

Adams is still looking for presenters for June 12. The only requirement of presenters is that they use images and send Adams a statement to pkn.toledo@gmail.com.

The minimum number of presenters is 10 and the maximum is 16.

“[PechaKucha is] pretty wide open. It’s just a platform for people to share their ideas, you know, get it out there. With as much as we’ve got going on here, it’s a great way to inform the community of what’s happening,” Adams said. After June, the next PechaKucha Night is set for September and Adams hopes to get Rep. Marcy Kaptur to present.

PechaKucha Night is 7:30-10 p.m. June 12 at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. Admission is free.

For more information, visit www.pecha-kucha.org/night/toledo/.

Tags: Adam Goldberg, Aesa Bjork, AIA LLC, Amy Fidler, DoxSystems, Erie Construction Mid-West Inc., Gathered Studio, Imani Lateef, Karen Ranney Wolkins, Kimberly Adams, Law Office of Gretchen DeBacker, Paul R. Sullivan Jr., PechaKucha Night, Sam Melden, Smantha Hookway, tart :: projects, Tina Gionis, Toledo Botanical Garden, Toledo Free Press, Toledo-Lucas County Main Library, You Are Here Toledo/AIGA Toledo

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 at 5:09 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Exhibits, Featured.
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Between teaching at Bowling Green State University, serving on the AIGA board, running SWEAT, working on their own projects and motherhood, graphic designers Amy Fidler and Jenn Stucker juggle a number of roles.

The pair, who understand each other’s life demands and share similar ideas with different artistic approaches, began collaborating in 2007.

“We have a really good, I think I used the word once, relay. We’re really good about deciding and having a vision of what we want to do and we both sort of march in that direction. Then if one of us sort of fatigues, the other one comes in and starts running. When that person peters out — we kind of know when to chime in,” Stucker said.

Together the pair has been able to accomplish more than if they were pursuing projects on their own, Fidler said.

“Jenn and I take on so many more things working together than we would alone. I don’t know if it is because when you’re working by yourself it’s easy to underestimate what you’re capable of, or you don’t have that motivation or a little scared,” she said. “If you get someone else to say ‘Oh, wait this is a good idea’ or ‘OK, let’s do it,’ then suddenly you have this support and you get braver — committed, because suddenly you’re held to something and you’re accountable.”

In October 2007, Fidler and Stucker both founded the Toledo chapter of AIGA, a professional design association with more than 20,000 members nationally. They formed the local chapter because if designers wanted to hear speakers they’d have to travel hours and the other groups lacked the “sense of community.”

Amy Fidler and Jenn Stucker with daughter Abby Stucker.

AIGA Toledo began with 35 members and is up to 101 members, made up of professionals and students.  Fidler was the chapter’s first president and Stucker was vice president.

Currently, Stucker is AIGA Toledo president and Fidler is still on the chapter’s board.

In May, the local chapter hosted the national AIGA Design Educators Conference, “Responseability; Ethics and Sustainability in Design Education.” Fidler and Stucker were co-conference committee chairmen with Matt Davis, who was AIGA Toledo education chairman at the time.

“The conference is really great because people don’t think of Northwest Ohio as a design destination. All across the country you think of  L.A., New York and Chicago and  all these urban centers and for the AIGA Toledo chapter to be awarded a design educators conference is a pretty big deal,” Fidler said.

In addition, the local AIGA chapter helps local nonprofits. Through a one-day concentrated effort, designers donate their time to create a logo, letterhead, business card and website for an area nonprofit. Designers meet with the client early in the day and debrief, learning the needs and challenges of the organization, and then begin the process of how to “brand” the nonprofit, Stucker said.

The services the designers donate during the day may otherwise be too expensive or take too long for the nonprofits, Fidler said.

“For us to be able to help them just extends their reach,” she said.

Last year the designers provided their services to Martin Luther King Kitchen for the Poor. This year, through an application process, AIGA Toledo worked with Self Expression Teen Theater.

Through AIGA, Fidler and Stucker learned of The Urban Forest Project, which was being showcased in cities around the United States. The pair approached the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo (ACGT) and were able to take the estimated $100,000 budget and bring the project to Toledo for a fourth of the cost.

The Urban Forest Project features 50 banners, displayed around Downtown Toledo, that use the metaphor of trees to make a visual statement about the environment. The banners, created by Northwest Ohio graphic artists, went up in April in conjunction with Earth Day and were displayed through Sept. 6. Once removed, the banners will be turned into tote bags and sold to benefit ACGT’s Young Artists at Work Program.

Fidler and Stucker collaborated on one banner that was chosen by judges for the project. Stucker has two banners she designed featured.

In addition to their work with AIGA, Fidler and Stucker also founded Summer Workshop for Experimentation and Thought (SWEAT). In its fourth year, the program focuses on experimental design and each group of participants creates its own project.

“Jenn and I are really passionate about design and work with a lot of wonderful people at BGSU. As you’re going through school the schooling you get in the classroom, even though it’s a wonderful experience, it becomes rote, it becomes expected. You get familiar with your environment,” she said. “We wanted to have the opportunity to do something fun with the students outside the classroom in a more laid back environment.”

During the first year of SWEAT, participants created a book “Toledo Remanufactured,” that explored the graphic culture of Toledo.

The following year, the SWEAT group explored the idea Useless or UseLess Toledo, an intentional play on words, Stucker said. The group created a website and a series of videos that explored how do we envision a greener Toledo and inspire Toledo, she said.

In SWEAT’s third year, participants began the behind the scenes work for The Urban Forest Project.

This year’s SWEAT, which ran from July 26 to July 30, participated in the 100 Hammers Project and created “Eleven Dozen.”  The group explored the question “What is the graphic expression of 100 hammers.” The project will have a softcover book and a show for the project, Fidler said.

Stucker, a Colorado native, and Fidler, originally from Whitehouse, have many projects that relate to Toledo and Northwest Ohio. The pair believe the area has great potential for graphic artists.

“There’s always stuff going on. [Toledo is] a very busy, happening town. I guess we’re always trying to show people there is lots of great stuff here. You should really be proud of what you have here, “ Stucker said.

“I intentionally came back to the Northwest Ohio area. We really want to help bring good talent, let people know talent is here, keep talent here and keep design jobs here,” Fidler said. “It benefits us and everyone in the design community anyway to realize that there is great stuff going on here.”

In addition, Fidler and Stucker collaborated on a window for ACGT’s Downtown Windows Project on Huron Street. The project features a quote from Toledo native Gloria Steinem,  “Power can be taken but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself,” and is titled “Gloria,” in her honor, Fidler said.

Fidler and Stucker work in the graphic design division of the School of Art at BGSU. They both have been professional graphic designers for more than 10 years.

Tags: Amy Fidler, Jenn Stucker, SWEAT

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 11:19 am and is filed under Featured, People, Star.
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