NYCxDESIGN Launches Uplifting Citywide Poster Campaign, An Ode To NYC

October 10th, 2020

Original Artwork by NY Designers on Display City-Wide Sales Benefit the BADG (Black Artists + Designers Guild)

An Ode to NYC poster campaign, organized by NYCxDESIGN, officially kicked off Oct. 7 and will run throughout the month of October. Paying homage to the spirit of Milton Glaser’s “I LOVE NY” symbol, the initiative is a heartwarming, graphic tribute to New York City. Twenty-one talented local creatives have produced a series of moving artworks that embody their love and unwavering affection for NYC. Posters will be on view to inspire and delight New Yorkers and visitors in design showrooms, restaurants and retail stores across the city. They will also be digitally projected in quintessential NYC spots, like Fulton Center, the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center, and on-board the NYC Ferry fleet. For those wanting to own one of the iconic works and support a great cause, the posters are available for sale on Poster House’s website, with proceeds going to the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG), a non-profit aimed at creating an inclusive arts and design environment through equity and inclusivity. A map indicating the poster locations citywide is available at An Ode to NYC’s landing page.

Valerie Hoffman, Program Director, NYCxDESIGN, remarks, “We are so thrilled to bring together the New York Community and support area businesses through this heartfelt and creative campaign. The local designers we tapped have created poignant, inspiring posters that illustrate the resiliency, strength and rebirth of our beloved city. We can’t wait to see them come to life in showrooms, retail stores and institutions city-wide.”

“As a collective of independent Black artists, makers, and designers striving towards creating an inclusive arts and design environment through equity and representation, we are gratified and excited to be a part of this wonderful initiative, put forth by the efforts of so many talented New York-based creatives.” – Malene Barnett, Founder of BADG.

A short selection of statements from the artists about their creations can be found below. The full list of artist statements can be found here.

“Our apple: A sexy, loud and stimulating monster that is constantly challenging us to build our patience and resilience muscles. A proud matriarch that accepts us and takes care of everyone. A juicy fruit that carries the seeds of our desires, waiting for us to make our part of the work in order to manifest it. All enclosed in one big bold red statement, as bold as NYC.” – Rodolfo Agrella on behalf of WantedDesign Manhattan of “Our apple.”

“The city and its wealth, both financially and culturally, is dependent on its diversity to be one of the hearths of our planet. ?From the multitude, I wanted to focus on one specific people (mine) and the very nature of the black heart. ?Despite the current rabid assault on the black people of this nation, NYC remains a place where black-culture and its peoples of the diaspora are represented, honored and held in the highest esteem.” – Leyden Lewis Design Studio of “The Black Heart Thrives.”

“NYC needs our love right now. When designing interiors, I always say the energy you put into a space is reflected in kind. The more attention we give NYC, the faster it will shine again. My Ode to NYC, in collaboration with artist and friend Veronique Gambier, combines our mutual interest in color and collage into a patchwork of layers to cherish the place we have called home for so many years.” – Sara Bengur with Veronique Gambier of “Home is Where the Heart is.”

“New York City is the creative capital of the world. A spirit of innovation and invention built the city, permeated all aspects of life in the city, and will carry it through this difficult time. As a longtime New Yorker, I am fascinated by the plants that sprout up through the cracks, against all odds. Their will to live is inspirational and I thought a sprout might serve as a hopeful image of rebirth and reinvention. I look forward to the future of New York City. My Ode to NYC humbly tips a hat to Milton Glaser and his uncomplicated ‘I Love NY’ logo. One must admire the format: type + icon = message. Although a little green sprout is not nearly as iconic as the heart Mr. Glaser employed, I hope its message is as clear.” – Harry Allen on behalf of Design Pavilion of his untitled poster.

The collectible assortment of posters was designed by Alison Rose, Jack Travis, Kati Curtis, Kelly Marshall, Leyden Lewis Design Studio, Lori Weitzner, Marie Burgos, Sara Bengur with Veronique Gambier, Suzanne Tick, and the team at 2×4, with many of the creatives partnering with local organizations to support the mission, including Dr. Carol Bentel on behalf of ICFF, Harry Allen and Giona Maiarelli on behalf of Design Pavilion, Jon Santos on behalf of Independent Lodging Congress, Lora Appleton on behalf of Female Design Council, Manuel Miranda on behalf of AIANY/Center for Architecture, Rodolfo Agrella on behalf of WantedDesign, and Vincent Lin on behalf of IDSA NYC Chapter. Posters were also designed by The Shade Store, Timothy Corrigan for Perennials Fabrics, and Milton De Paul for Samuel & Sons.

The program is supported by dozens of showrooms across the city. Posters are showcased at Verellen Atelier, Hamilton Sinkler, Circa Lighting, Room & Board, New York Design Center, Samuel & Sons, Brown Jordan, Sherle Wagner, Gaggenau Design Studio at A&D, Cancos, Forty-One Madison, Bard, Waterstone Co, Artemide, and Marvin at Window-Fix. The works are also on view at The Shade Store in Midtown East, Flatiron, and SoHo—employees will be sporting An Ode to NYC t-shirts throughout the month of October to show additional support. Caesarstone has committed to displaying posters in seven of its locations: Studium, Cesar NYC Kitchens, Manhattan Center for Kitchen and Bath, Bilotta, NY LOFT, Urban Homes, and AF New York. Meanwhile, David Sutherland Showroom will showcase posters at both its NYDC and D&D locations—Timothy Corrigan designed a poster in collaboration with its Perennial Fabrics brand. Similarly, Artistic Tile’s Flagship and A&D outposts will serve as viewing spots—designer Alison Rose’s An Ode To NYC poster was inspired by her tile collection for the brand. Waterworks’ Midtown East and Flatiron spaces will also feature the posters. Each participating showroom will exhibit three from the collection.

Additional poster locations, which were determined based on an open call, also include the following retail stores, restaurants, cultural institutions and hotels: Dyphor New York, Lockwood, Michele Varian, Society Limonta, The Primary Essentials, Awesome Brooklyn, String Thing Studio, the Lit. Bar, Only Hearts, Magpie, peace & RIOT, Maison 10, Plia, KTCollection, Museum of Ice Cream, Mud Australia, Alice Austen House Museum, Staten Island Children’s Museum, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island Arts, Historic Richmond Town, Conference House Park, Adoro Lei, The Commons Chelsea, Bistro Punta Sal, Time Out Market NY, Ludlow Coffee Supply, The William Vale, Arlo SoHo, and The InterContinental New York Barclay.

About NYCxDESIGN

NYCxDESIGN is an organization committed to empowering our city’s creative community through design and leveraging design in all its forms to foster transformation and progress forward. The organization makes a difference through live and virtual programs, content, education, and experiences that promote equity, diversity, and purpose in design. Operated by SANDOW, under agreement with New York City Economic Development Corporation, NYCxDESIGN also hosts a festival each year, providing emerging and established designers alike the opportunity to showcase the amazing design processes, products, and projects that are born in New York City. nycxdesign.com

About Poster House

Poster House, where the posters will be available to purchase, is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the global history of posters. After opening in 2019 it has hosted critically acclaimed exhibitions on the work of Alphons Mucha, East German designers Cyan, hand-painted Ghanain film posters, and more. Having recently re-opened to visitors, its current exhibitions are “The Sleeping Giant: Posters & The Chinese Economy” and “The Swiss Grid.”

Tags: NYCxDESIGN