This year, with MAKESHIFT 2013, we expand ideas that were born from MAKESHIFT 2012 to create a global conversation among artists, designers, and makers. The first part of the MAKESHIFT 2013 SERIES took place at the Standard, East Village where panelists and conversation guides Cathy Bailey – Heath Ceramics, Rosanne Cash – Singer/Songwriter, Natalie Chanin – Alabama Chanin, Jessamyn Hatcher – Professor of Global Studies, NYU, Nathalie Jordi – People’s Pops/Writer/Author, Tift Merritt – Singer/Songwriter, Andrew Wagner – Krrb, and Kristen Wentrcek – Wintercheck Factory, shared their stories and experiences involving collaborative projects and making within their industries. Throughout the evening, guests were invited to express their thoughts from the conversations, literally or conceptually, using an organic cotton tote bag from Alabama Chanin as a blank canvas. A variety of materials were also provided to design, decorate, and customize each bag.

To further the conversation, Alabama Chanin, Heath Ceramics, and The Standard are proud to be partnering with Tumblr to expand the voice of the MAKESHIFT project globally. We have invited an additional 100 artists, designers, writers, musicians, chefs, and makers from across the planet to participate by creating their own bags and contributing a photograph of their customized work to a Tumblr Image Quilt: photographs of each bag create a piece, or square, published to a Tumblr page created specifically for the MAKESHIFT SERIES. We will add images to the Tumblr page as the conversation grows and photographs are submitted.

We have asked participants to keep the following in mind as they craft and design:

Everything we touch today has a global impact, which is only magnified by the Internet and ease of information exchange. Yet a long-time division and disconnect between each design industry still prevails over a quickly changing world, one in which innovation and collaboration define the future.

Where do fashion, food, design, craft + DIY intersect?

How do we define and transform the intersection of fashion, food, design, craft + DIY through innovation and collaboration for the better good?

Visit www.makeshift-conversations.tumblr.com to view the Image Quilt along with a list of participating artists, designers, and makers.

We welcome you to join the conversation by using #makeshift2013 on Tumblr and across all social media.