WORDS / TRYSTEN HANEY

The New Design School in Fayetteville will celebrate ten years of success on Saturday, April 9 from 5 to 7 pm at the school, located at 217 E. Dickson Street, Suite 102, Office 101. Founder and President of New Design School, Sonia Davis Gutiérrez, and two-time academy award winner, David Kersey, will discuss the accomplishments of the past decade as well as the recent partnership with Kersey and their plans for New Design School’s future. Fayetteville Mayor, Lioneld Jordan, will also speak on regards of the social and economic impact the school has had on the city and region.

The NDS is designed to coordinate with students’ real-life schedules, so that each student can arrange their personal and work agenda far in advance. All classes for are offered Monday through Thursday from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sonia Davis Gutiérrez about her motivation to open the New Design School.

“I started the school because a practical approach to teaching and learning design did not exist. The best way to learn the process of design is to actually participate in it. The current thinking is that if you learn design theory that will be enough. That is not true. It must be balanced with technical ability, creative talent and business savvy.”

The latest addition to the New Design School is called NDS Press. Students now have the opportunity to learn and practice the skills of print book layout, design, and typesetting of manuscripts on their way to publication with the NDS Press.

NDS Press undertook its first publication in 2015 and New Design School student, Eli Mathis, completed the design of Henrietta K. Holcomb’s Dream, by Margaret Ann Holcomb.

IMG_2253 2 The Fayetteville Public Library will host a book signing on Sunday, May 1, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, for Henrietta K. Holcomb’s Dream following a multi-media presentation by author Margaret Ann Holcomb and 4th grade students from Leverett and Holcomb Elementary Schools. The Fayetteville Visitor Bureau will also host a book signing on Saturday morning, May 7, during the Farmer’s Market.

A second, upcoming NDS publication, The Griot’s Visit:  A Story for Kwanzaa, by Cheryl J. Colbert, and a third publication, featuring the hand painted signs of Joe Alexander, will be available late spring of 2016.

Enrollment for the upcoming fall semester and individuals interested in book design at New Design School is now available.

Founder of NDS, Sonia Davis Gutiérrez says, “You do not need to have an art education, only a hunger to learn, creative talent of any kind and willingness to balance work and play.”

VISIT:  NEWDESIGNSCHOOL.ORG