New Balance Excellent Makers

Osian Batyka-Williams, another nutty Maker

I'm working with New Balance to design and make a sculpture incorporating remnants from the shoe manufacturing process (think swiss cheese-like pieces of cloth, leather, and the synthetics used when manufacturing shoes) as part of their Excellent Makers campaign.

New Balance is working to emphasize the craft in their products and that many of their shoes are actually made in the US, a respectable claim given that much of the competition favors sending those jobs overseas.  

Initial tack-welding of metal framework over which I'll stretch the remnants

An example of the types of remnants I'll be using from NB's manufacturing facilities in Maine and Mass.

Here are a couple of the other artists involved in the Excellent Makers project:

Osian Batyka-Williams, sculptor & designer:
http://www.osianbw.com/Product.html

Kate Gibb, printmaker
http://kategibb.blogspot.com/

Swing on by the Outdoor Retailers show in SLC this week and take a look at the sculpture-in-progress -- I'll be constructing it over the course of several days; it will be auctioned off at the end and the proceeds donated to a local non-profit.