SGIA Donates Graphic Support to New Orleans Community SGIA members and business partners are sprucing up the urban landscape of New Orleans by providing large-format graphics for unused storefronts on Canal Street, a major city thoroughfare. Canal Street, one of the most heavily trafficked areas in New Orleans, connects the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and historic French Quarter. While the city rebuilds after wind damages from Hurricane Katrina, there are still storefront facades that are covered with plywood. To improve the urban aesthetics, SGIA volunteers adopted Canal Street and will cover (or replace) boarded-up areas with colorful graphics illustrating the essence of New Orleans: Its food, music, architecture and culture. “The French Quarter is in great shape, as is the Convention Center, but Canal Street just needs a little extra attention to reach its potential. You can see and feel that opportunity when you walk this street,” says Michael Robertson, SGIA President/CEO. “This city is an important part of our American heritage and an icon in international culture. New Orleans has so much to offer visitors and industry groups such as ours. We all need to pitch in and help the NOLA community,” he adds. The project, which entails more than 80 1.2-m-by-2.4-m (4-feet-by-8-feet) panels and two super-graphic products, is well underway. The first 20 panels were printed and installed by volunteer companies in early September. Additional installations are expected for the rest of September through early November. This is a great opportunity for the SGIA community to support the New Orleans recovery efforts and promote the use of large-format graphics in an urban environment. Quotes about the Initiative “We are so grateful to SGIA for this extremely generous donation, and for their support of New Orleans. These beautiful graphic panels will be a much-welcome addition to the urban landscape.” — Stephen Perry, President and CEO, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (New Orleans) “We think this is a great complement to [the Canal Street Improvement Project. We see this as an excellent, short-term solution.” — Kurt Weigle, President and Chief Executive, Downtown Development District (New Orleans) “I think it definitely spruces up the place. It shows there’s progress instead of just empty buildings.” — Rose Silva, Woodbridge, Virginia resident (per The Times-Picayune) “There are so many empty buildings. It’s a shame to see that. This will give it a nice clean look.” — Linda Boehm, Portland, Oregon resident (per The Times-Picayune) SGIA Canal Street Initiative Timeline: August 2007 — SGIA’s volunteer proposal, to adopt Canal Street and install approximately 80 graphic panels, is accepted by the Canal Street Redevelopment Project and City of New Orleans.  September 5, 2007 — The first 20 panels are installed on the 800 block of Canal Street. Residents, tourists and city managers are impressed with the first glimpse of the project. September 8, 2007 — The Downtown Development District of New Orleans celebrates the Canal Street Opening Festival, promoting the graphic panels as part of the city’s reconstruction progress. September 19, 2007 — On site planning is done for the super-graphic installations at the Audubon Building and 1041 Canal Street. October 11, 2007 — Installers put 24 panels over The Footaction and Athlete’s Foot stores near Canal Street and University Place. October 17, 2007 — Fifteen panels are placed on boarded-up storefronts at the section of Theater and Canal Street. Another nine panels are affixed at the corner of University and Canal Streets. December 4, 2007 — Approximately 13 panels are installed at sites on Dauphine Street and Canal Street as well as The Footaction near Canal Street and University Place. February 18, 2008 — Despite numerous challenges, a specialty imaging company helped design, print and install 33 large-format graphic panels over a sizable portion of the historic Woolworth's building on Canal Street. The volunteer company not only was required to use extra finishing processes to satisfy city demands, its installers also had to mount the panels on a building that had various contours.   New Orleans Images - Updated (click on thumbnail for larger image)		February 18, 2008 Update: 33 large-format graphic panels were installed over a sizable portion of the historic Woolworth's building on Canal Street. More information       New Orleans Images (Updated) Initiative Timeline (Updated) Company Volunteer List Press Support Page Message from the SGIA President/CEO