Press Release: Six Local Designers Selected for Public Interest Design Lab Fellows First Cohort

News Release — DC Public Library

For Immediate Release:

June 14, 2021

Media Contact:

George Williams, Media Relations Manager

(Washington, D.C.) – The DC Public Library and the Goethe-Institut have selected six local designers for the Public Interest Design LAB Fellows first cohort: Adrienne Gaither; Jenn Low; Anna McCorvey; Leigh Davis; Jessica Valoris and Josef Palermo.

The fellowship is informed by the belief that planning and design can help correct how structural racism has shaped modern cities and led to disadvantages in housing, transportation, education and employment for many people of color. By supporting District of Columbia-based design practitioners confronting inequity in their communities, community-based design can strengthen the social bonds that are vital to a thriving city for all residents. The program is informed by three pillars of the DC Public Library and the Goethe-Institut’s partnership: cultural exchange, increasing access to educational resources and a philosophical commitment to design for the public good.

The Fellows were selected from among 36 candidates. As Public Interest Design LAB Fellows, the designers will receive:

• A $6,000 stipend to support direct and indirect costs of concept development and to compensate community partners
• Support from the DC Public Library expertise and resources housed in the Labs, the People’s Archive and other departments
• Featured content on the Goethe-Institut web dossier
• Online training sessions with local and international designers
• Opportunities to present work in progress to invited experts

The program is funded through a grant from Goethe International, with support from the DC Public Library Foundation.

For more information on the Public Interest Design LAB fellows visit, dclibrary.org/labfellowship.

###