By Valerie Carlson

The Third Thursday event held at Mia was the perfect intersection of art, creativity, and community. The partnership between Mia and AIGA Minnesota is cherished because it brings together the creative community in new and exciting ways. For this event, we worked together to create hands-on activities for all attendees that encouraged exploring your own creative process.

AIGA Minnesota partnered with Chank Co., Spark Letterpress, Franklin Press, and Neenah Paper to create a sketchbook. Chank Diesel designed the sketchbook using his Bell Martellus font that was wonderfully appropriate to the featured exhibition at Mia: “Leonardo da Vinci, the Codex Leicester, and the Creative Mind.” The font evokes the unique calligraphic style of Leonardo’s own handwriting and the writing instruments available at the time.

The lighthearted pages of the sketchbook encouraged the artist in us to put pen to paper. Spark Letterpress printed the first of two plates onto the sketchbook covers at their shop in Northeast Minneapolis. Then they brought out their tabletop press – a Chandler & Price Pilot – so attendees could try their hand at printing the second plate onto the cover. Attendees then took the covers, gathered up the inside pages, and bound their sketchbooks with a suede cord.

At a separate table, Mia had several types of writing instruments and ink available for attendees to use in their new sketchbooks and attempt to mimic the artistry found in Leonardo’s works.

AIGA Minnesota’s leadership team and volunteers were also on hand to greet attendees and help them make colorful buttons using the newly updated AIGA identity.

Photo by Caylie O’Neil

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Contact Leadership

Jhoselin Dominguez
Jhoselin Dominguez
Associate Director, Communications
I am a graphic designer from Kansas currently living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. I graduated May of 2019 from Fort Hays State University with a B.F.A in Graphic Design. My hobbies include writing short stories, riding my longboard, and playing the piano.