If anyone’s ever studied the history of sculpture, chances are you’ve seen the works of Elizabeth Catlett. Her name was passed over in a project meeting and my memory immediately flashed the “Mother & Child”. Catlett is best known for her politically charged expressionistic sculptures and prints. But to me, her large sculptures serve as metaphors for the struggles and stories that she has experienced throughout her lifetime.
I spent some time digging deeper into her life and her works. From dressmaking, painting, printmaking and sculpture, Catlett has spent a lifetime embracing every medium with such strength of inner voice that it’s hard not to be humbled by her work and her convictions. She is truly one the foremost African American woman artists of her generation.
Launch had the honor of creating a small sitelet to support her show at The Chrysler Museum. At age 95, the videos in her chronology show her gray hair and a sometimes fading voice, but she’s still just as dedicated to her life’s work – her family and her art.
View the site:
www.elizabethcatlett.net
Visit her work at the Chrysler Museum of Art:
www.chrysler.org
“I am black, a woman, a sculptor, and a printmaker. I am also married, the mother of three sons, and the grandmother of seven little girls and a boy. I was born in the United States and have lived in Mexico since 1946. I believe that all these states of being have influenced my work and made it what you see today. I am inspired by black people and Mexican people, my two peoples. My art speaks for both my peoples.” - Elizabeth Catlett
For the past 8 years, Meridian Group and Launch come together in Joe’s backyard to compete in a barbecue competition to see what kind of culinary geniuses lie among us. Each person in the agency is divided into teams to come up with a name, signage and a unique menu utilizing the ingredients picked by Joe that year. Catch is - you don’t find out the ingredients, your team or if there is a “secret” ingredient until the day before. This year, we’re happy to report that 6 of us Launchers came home with a prize or a close close second. Chelsea (our dedicated and hard-working Intern) and Mel’s team won for Best Ribs; Jasmine and Melissa’s team won for Best Appetizer/Side/Salad using Bacon; Nick won the Corn Hole competition; and Zach Young came in a VERY close second in the pie-eating contest. For a recap and recipes from the event, scroll through Meridian Group’s WHY blog!
Team Sugar-Coated (Cause Bacon is Meat Candy) took home Best Appetizer Using Bacon award! Team members include (from L to R) Matt, Meliisa, Sharyn and Jasmine
Team "The Klothesline Kitchen" - Winners of Best Ribs! Team members include Chelsea, Matt, Erin, Katherine and Mel.
Corn Hole Competition - Nick takes home first prize!!
Zach and Matt stuffing their face during the Pie-Eating Contest. Good effort Z!
Launch Interactive is very excited to be participating in this year’s CreateAthon, which is a 24-hour event in mid-September where we will provide our services pro-bono to selected 501 (c) 3 non-profits in the area. This includes help with logo design, content management, social media platforms, web advertisements, search engine optimization and much more!
Over the past 11 years, CreateAthon has provided services to for hundreds of non-profit organizations totaling an estimated value of work at $2.5 million dollars.
Would you like your organization to be considered for Launch’s CreateAthon 2010?
Simply fill out the PDF application and mail it to us by July 16th. We hope to help as many as we can, but cannot promise that all applications will be accepted as we will be busy helping those that present the most need. Applications will be reviewed by our team in late July and you will be notified of your acceptance in early August. We hope to hear from you!
The Web Content Manager will take strategic role in managing the day-to-day site content management for a health care provider in the Hampton Roads Area. This position will be responsible for working with content stakeholders to manage content development and workflow. In addition the qualified candidate will be responsible for Web content creation, creation of e-newsletters, and generating new ideas for adding interactivity and driving traffic to the Web site.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the consistency and accuracy of the overall site presentation, including content, design, and navigation
- Coordinate with management, marketing, and public relations teams to implement new content ideas that present an on-target message and evolve the site to meet the end users’ needs
- Participate in design meetings for new Web solutions, provide feedback to team members on recommended approaches, and research new interactive solutions
- Write compelling and engaging content for the web site, micro sites and email marketing campaigns
- Update the content on the Web site as needed
- Adhere to accepted industry standards and best practices for Web development and administration
- Participate in cross-functional teams to define next-generation requirements, seek ways to enhance functionality and personalization
- Provide monthly analysis of web site traffic trends
- Perform additional duties as assigned by management
QUALIFICATIONS
- Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills. Knowledge of AP Style a plus.
- Proven ability to produce high-quality content packages under tight deadlines
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Good project-management skills and attention to detail
- Ability to self-start and work effectively under minimum supervision but be able to be a great team player
- Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to organize and manage multiple project priorities simultaneously and effectively
- Proven experience resolving project issues, developing cross-departmental consensus, collaboration and coordination in difficult business and technical situations
- Familiarity with HTML/Dreamweaver/Web content management tools
- B.A. in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, English preferred
- Experience in the healthcare industry a plus
No phone calls please. Please e-mail resume with a cover letter and samples to:
elizabeth@launchint.com
It’s been almost a year since my VCU BrandCenter training. In addition to bringing back renewed energy, insight and industry connections, I brought back small nuggets of reality. Some of them I found delicious and others, still hard to swallow. Enjoy!
- Creative is NOT a department. It includes every position in the agency.
- Pull EVERYONE for resources and experiences. Ideas can come from anywhere.
- Boundaries are fading. 0% tolerance for hat wearers; 100% for pioneers/risk takers.
- NO ONE knows what they are doing digitally. Few only appear to know, because they have a clear path of determination.
- Creativity & Imagination + Business Context = Innovation
- Own your weaknesses and don’t pretend that you don’t have them. Be the agency that you are, not the agency that you think you should be.
- Our Brand is just as important as theirs.
- Our Business is just as important as theirs.
- Dictating clients can ruin the culture and the brand of our agency.
- Guns don’t kill people, PPT does.
- Most people have vivid fears and vague dreams.
- Spend more time on the things you think you can’t do.
- Birth the idea first, then find it a home.
- Subserviant Chicken was born out of a creative brainstorm meeting for TV spots. Collaboration of teams brought it to life.
- Creative agencies are a band of musicians. If you have too many solo acts, you will not grow to be rock stars.
- If an agency is integrated, the work will be integrated. Model the agency that way.
- Never let them take away your creativity.
- Only 6% of consumers believe the ads they see.
- Disregard organization charts. Do regard relationships with the people you work with.
- Always find the truth in the brand. Then tell that story in creative, memorable ways.
- In order to be a great story teller, you have to know the story well enough that you are a character in it.
- Your current customer audience is more important that the audience you want to have. Use them as bait to catch the audience you want.
- Culture is the colorful crunchy outer shell of creativity. Only feed it to those who believe in what you stand for. Tell the others to find their own candy.
- Boats that move swiftly have no weights of negativity. Toss the whiners overboard, no seriously. Get rid of them. It’s only a matter of time before they will sink you. There is an abundance of energetic young people looking for jobs. Find them.
- Only hire people who have amazing talent and aren’t afraid to stray from it.
- Hire your replacement.
- We are only strong as our weakest team member.
- We are only strong as our weakest alliance.
- Evaluate each team member not by their strengths, but their ability to admit their weaknesses. These are the ones that will prevail when things get tough.
