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: (as of September 10, 2007) 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. New Orleans Images (click on thumbnail for larger image)

Company Volunteer List (as of September 10, 2007) Press Support Page Message from the SGIA President/CEO New Orleans Images Initiative Timeline Installation Instructions