nterior Architecture & Design

Interior Architecture & Design Students Use Talent and Innovation to Benefit Local Food Banks

This season Napa Valley got a taste of Academy of Art University talent when a team of students from the School of Interior Architecture and Design donated their creative genius to raise awareness in the fight against hunger for COPIA's 2nd Annual Canstruction Event in Napa, Ca.

COPIA's Canstruction Event, created by the Society of Design Administration, is in its second year to fight hunger-one can of food at a time. The contest brings together designers, architects, engineers, and students from all over the San Francisco Bay Area to create large-scale art exhibits made completely from donated cans of food. Cans of tuna, tomatoes, pears, marinara sauce, anything is up for grabs, as long as it's a can of food that can be donated to the Napa Valley Food Bank for distribution to families in the North Bay at the end of the contest.

The students' "California Rolls Away Hunger" exhibit is one of two Honorable Mentions submitted to the National Canstruction Competition for Spring 2007. Constructed out of 3,707 donated canned goods, the exhibit portrays a Japanese meal of California rolls, wasabi, ginger, a cup and a bottle of sake. The Academy's team chose the sushi concept because "sushi is an art-form unto itself," said team leader, Erin Sudderth. "We wanted to play up the fact that San Francisco is a such a great city to live in, filled with diverse cultures. The combination of the sushi and California just provided the perfect opportunity to bring a little light-heartedness to a very serious issue."

The food event is a perfect example of the Academy's dedication to giving back to the community. After hearing about the contest, Erin was wowed, "The opportunity to help with the fight against hunger was something I could not say no to. It was one of those good causes that could really help others...I could not turn the other way."