SGIA Launches Imaging Initiative for New Orleans' Canal Street

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) has launched a plan to give New Orleans' Canal Street a facelift. SGIA’s proposal, which has been accepted by the City of New Orleans, calls for the association and its volunteer members to “adopt” Canal Street. The Canal Street Project is designed to heighten the street’s visual impact by providing and installing large-format graphics to cover construction sites between the French Quarter and the downtown area.

“As work progresses in New Orleans, visitors see one of the most obvious signs of construction and renovation–plywood,” says Michael Robertson, SGIA president/CEO. “With all of the recent advances in the city, officials are looking for ways to minimize the temporary ‘construction look.’ SGIA suggested covering the plywood with printed graphics, and it’s been very favorably received.'

Participating companies will be recognized on-site, in media coverage (from SGIA and outside sources), at SGIA 2009, and by the City of New Orleans. SGIA also is pursuing local and national media coverage to illustrate the important role that large-format graphics can play in supporting the goals of urban areas.

Other notes about the Canal Street Project:

* This is a volunteer effort that will include SGIA member artists, printers, suppliers, and installers;

* Artwork, featuring scenes of New Orleans provided by the city, will be developed by SGIA;

* Media and consumables will be provided by SGIA suppliers; and

* Shipping of materials will be subsidized.

“We will spread the workload around the SGIA membership, letting each participant focus on the parts of the imaging process they do best,” says Robertson.

It's an unprecedented opportunity for New Orleans, which will host SGIA '09 (October 6-9, 2009), says Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city's marketing and tourism arm. 'We are so grateful to SGIA for this extremely generous donation, and for the organization's support of New Orleans,' says Perry, noting that Canal Street is heavily traveled by tourists and residents. As the city completes its beautification plans for Canal Street, 'the installation of these beautiful graphic panels will be a much welcome addition to the urban landscape,' he says.

As of July 31, these SGIA members had agreed to participate in the Canal Street Project:

Print providers: Alabama Graphics, Birmingham, AL (www.algraphics.com); Gillespie Graphics, Wilsonville, OR (www.gillespie-graphics.com); Markley Enterprise, Elkhart, IN; Miller-Zell Inc., Atlanta, GA (www.miller-zell.com); New Vista Image, Golden, CO (www.newvistaimage.com); Pixus Digital Printing, Lafayette, LA (www.pixus.com); Selecto-Flash Inc., West Orange, NJ (www.selectoflash.com); Stella Color, Seattle, WA (www.stellacolor.com), Vista Color Imaging, Cleveland, OH (www.vistacolorimaging.com).

Install Support: Shepard Exposition Services, Atlanta, GA (www.shepardes.com); Professional Decal Application Association, Jacksonville, FL (www.pdaa.com).

Media suppliers: 3M Graphics Market Center (www.3m.com); Alcan Composites USA (www.alcancompositesusa.com); FlexCon Corp. (www.flexcon.com); Gerber Scientific Products (www.gerberscientific.com); MacDermid ColorSpan (www.colorspan.com); Nur America (www.nur.com); Ultraflex Systems (www.ultraflexx.com)

SGIA 2009 will take place October 6-9 in New Orleans. Those SGIA members wishing to participate should contact SGIA directly.

SGIA
www.sgia.org