‘Outside the Box’ builds a map of design in North America.
Shipped across the country in Bankers boxes, this annual traveling exhibition presents a dozen distinct national and international showcases each year. Working with local correspondents, each box houses a collection of thoughtfully designed objects, reflecting the particular resources and makers of that area. Over 200 design studios and makers have been a part of ‘Outside the Box’ since its debut in 2015 in Toronto.
The project was created by DesignTO (formerly Toronto Design Offsite Festival), and is organized in partnership with WantedDesign.
Edition 08
WantedDesign Manhattan
May 19–22, 2018
Terminal Stores – The Tunnel
269 11th Avenue, between 27th and 28th Streets
Manhattan NY
USA
Hours:
Friday
7–10pm
opening celebration by invitation only
Saturday – Monday
10am–7pm
Tuesday
10am–5pm
Admission: Free for trade registrations
Sponsor
Edition 07
Toronto Design Offsite Festival
January 13–28, 2018
Artport Gallery
Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Public Reception:
Fri, Jan 19
7–10pm
Admission: Free
This seventh edition of ‘Outside the Box’ features responses on the theme “matter.” This theme encompasses material transformation and change, and the essence of material. It looks at how materials are created, reused, or recycled. Correspondents are invited to explore “matter” in any way.
Participating cities and correspondents:
Asheville – Marilyn Zapf
Boston – Kelly Harris Smith
Fogo Island – Alexandra McIntosh
Montreal – Tara Farsky Milroy
Philadelphia – Philadelphia Center for Architecture and Design
Portland – Studio Gorm
Saint John – Geof Ramsay
San Francisco Bay Area – Melanie Abrantes
Saskatoon – Crystal Bueckert | Storefront
Seattle – Darin Montgomery
Toronto – SOUVENIR | Danielle Suppa
Vancouver – Riley McFerrin
Edition 06
WantedDesign Brooklyn
May 17–23, 2017
Industry City
Factory Floor
Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York
This sixth edition of ‘Outside the Box’ builds on Edition 05, featuring responses to the theme “discovery.” For us, discovery is the essence of this project, where we can find something new within each box. Discovery inspires, invites play and travel, and exposes us to new ideas, inspirations, and experiences. City correspondents and curators are invited to explore “discovery” in any way.
Edition 05
Toronto Design Offsite Festival
January 16–22, 2017
Gladstone Hotel Art Hut
1181 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Reception:
Sat Jan 21
5–8pm
This fifth edition of ‘Outside the Box’ features responses to the theme “discovery.” For us, discovery is the essence of this project, where we can find something new within each box. Discovery inspires, invites play and travel, and exposes us to new ideas, inspirations, and experiences. City correspondents and curators are invited to explore “discovery” in any way.
Asheville | correspondent: Marilyn Zapf
Detroit | correspondent: Alex Rosenhaus & Drew Arrison
Edmonton | correspondent: Vivian HT
Halifax | correspondent: Amanda Shore
Los Angeles | correspondent: Erin Brown
Medicine Hat | correspondent: Jenna Stanton
Montreal | correspondent: Lysanne Latulippe
New York | correspondent: WantedDesign
San Francisco Bay Area | correspondent: Melanie Abrantes
Toronto | correspondent: Shelter Bay
Vancouver | correspondent: Kate Duncan
Edition 04
WantedDesign Brooklyn
This fourth edition of ‘Outside the Box’ builds on Edition 03, featuring responses to the theme “multiple.” Collaborating with local correspondents, and working in partnership with WantedDesign, we bring creative visions from six U.S. cities and five Canadian cities through an unexpected selection of objects to fit in unique boxes. The concept/theme “multiple” will unite the bankers boxes that each city fills with original works from local designers.
See ‘Outside the Box’ at Industry City, Brooklyn, from May 7-17, 2016, and read more about all the boxes — including ne
w additions from Toronto and Houston — here.
Toronto’s box — “Between the mass-produced and hand-crafted” — features these designers and companies:
215 | www.toofifteen.com
Adrian Forrow | www.adrianforrow.com
Grant McRuer | www.grantmcruer.wordpress.com
GUILD eyewear | www.guildeyewear.com
Justin Pape | www.justinpape.com
Kirsten McCrea | www.hellokirsten.com
Nuvango | www.nuvango.com
Province Apothecary | www.provinceapothecary.com
Urbanproduct | www.urbanproduct.ca
Edition 03
Toronto Design Offsite Festival
This third edition of ‘Outside the Box’ features responses to the theme “multiple.” Multiples are numerous and often varied, but share common characteristics or qualities. They have several parts, elements, or members, in a relationship. City correspondents and curators are invited to explore “multiple” in any of its definitions. We welcome all creative interpretations on the theme.
Chicago | correspondent: Ben Stagl
Edmonton | correspondent: Chris Provins & Carmen Douville
Halifax | correspondent: Breakhouse Inc.
Los Angeles | correspondent: Erin Brown
Montreal | correspondent: Zoë Mowat
New York | correspondent: Chad Phillips & Zoe Fisher
Ottawa | correspondent: Sabine Modder
Portland | correspondent: MadeHere PDX
Seattle | correspondent: Darin Montgomery
In Toronto, the exhibition runs from January 18-24, 2016 at Stylegarage, 78 Ossington Avenue.
The exhibition also travels for presentation at WantedDesign, part of NYCxDESIGN in May 2016.
Edition 02
WantedDesign Brooklyn
After its successful debut during the 2015 Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO), ‘Outside the Box’ 2.0 was presented during NYCxDESIGN, part of WantedDesign Brooklyn, May 9-19, 2015. Working with local correspondents, this second installment of ‘Outside the Box’ featured responses on the theme “Delicious design: l’art de la table” from selected cities across Canada and the U.S. Each box included original works from local designers, reflecting the particular resources and makers of each area.
Participating cities and correspondents were Vancouver (Dear Human), Winnipeg (5468796 Architecture), Toronto (Toronto Design Offsite Festival), Montreal (Toronto Design Offsite Festival), Seattle (Darin Montgomery), Austin (Michael Yates), Chicago (Steven Haulenbeek), Los Angeles (Erin Brown), New York (WorkOf, Huy Bui), and Portland (Tsilli Pines).
Funding for ‘Outside the Box’ 2.0 was provided by the City of Toronto.
Edition 01
Toronto Design Offsite Festival
‘Outside the Box’ exhibits design from across Canada and the U.S. by partnering with design correspondents in selected cities. Exhibited in storefronts across the city, Montreal (It’s them again), Calgary (aftermodernlab.com), and Vancouver (Dear Human), represented a spectrum of design in Canada.
Collaborating with local correspondents in five U.S. cities, WantedDesign brings a series of American boxes with specific creative vision from New York (curators Claire Pijoulat and Odile Hainaut), Seattle (curator Darin Montgomery), Detroit (curator Matthew Clayson), Los Angeles (curators Jaime Derringer and Eric Trine), and Chicago (curator Steven Haulenbeek), through an unexpected selection of objects that fit in five unique boxes. The theme “Breaking the Ice” — interpreted by the curators in a literal or figurative way with objects expressing the ideas of initiating social interaction, facilitating conversations and making people more comfortable — unites the five boxes that exhibited at the DWR Toronto studio, 435 King Street West.
Funding for ‘Outside the Box’ 1.0 was provided by the Government of Ontario.