Share the Love: Valentine Party to benefit CHAP - Children's Healing Art Project

We continued our tradition of combining social activity with social activism at our second annual "Share the Love" Party in celebration of our favorite holiday. This year, we shared the love with CHAP - Children's Healing Art Project - for a total lovefest. Above, Frank Etxaniz, CHAP founder, artistic director and inspirational teacher is on the ladder to install custom art panels created by CHAP's Children's Art Factory to fit the walls and doors of our conference room.

CHAP - Children's Healing Art Project - brings the healing power of art to children in crisis and their families with a mobile team of teaching artists working in Portland's children's hospitals. CHAP classes offer an art experience that engages and inspires -- where children can be seen for their artistic talents and not for their diseases or diagnoses. In 2010, CHAP reached over 10,000 and their families. Learn more at www.chap.name.

Children's Art is interpreted in a variety of apparel and other items such as the hand loomed carpet featuring a "love bunny" - just in time for the Year of the Rabbit! At right is a "bling" heart embedded into a giant resin foot that served as our bar for the evening.

Out & About: UC San Diego Sun Break

Abby & EA spent a delightful day touring the University of California San Diego campus in preparation for our work on a new lab building for the UCSD School of Medicine.
When a campus sign shop updates and maintains our sign programs, we like to know their capabilities before we design - that way, changes are seamless and our design remains intact. At UCSD, Mike runs the sign shop and he proudly showed us around to help us understand what's possible in terms of materials and fabrication technologies. We were impressed!
Bright blue sky, red hot pokers and blooming eucalyptus!
Abby & Renee Kajimoto, ZGF Architecture, smile into the bright sun while bundled for the cool weather.