Faces, Places, & Things Inspire Canned Food Structures
Canstruction LA Presented by Goya Foods
Unites Designers for Creativity, Donations, and Awareness

Canstruction LA presented by Goya Foods is part of the Downtown LA Art Walk
April 9, 2015, Noon-10PM, Farmers and Merchants Bank Building
Exhibition: April 10th, 11AM-8PM; April 11th-12th, 11AM-5PM
If you are unable to view the images, please click here.

LOS ANGELES—Architects, designers, builders, and engineers will join forces to create innovative
structures—from surrealist faces to LAX’s metro station to historic lamp posts—for feeding, not housing.
Instead of using bricks, they will design large-scale structures made entirely of canned foods for the Ninth
Annual Canstruction LA design/build competition to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Canstruction LA presented by Goya Foods will be hosted during the Downtown LA Art Walk on Thursday,
April 9, 2015, Noon-10PM, in the historic Farmers and Merchants Bank Building (401 S. Main Street), with
additional exhibition viewing opportunities on Friday, April 10th, 11AM-8PM; and Saturday and Sunday,
April 11th-12th, 11AM-5PM.  All viewings are free and open to the public.

“The food bank is grateful for the design community’s support,” says Michael Flood, President and CEO of
the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  “This creative architectural display offers something for the local
community to enjoy while they help us fight hunger here in Los Angeles.”

A jury of architecture, media, and culinary experts will judge the structures—made entirely from canned foods in a 10′ x 10′ x 8’h space.  Winners will be selected in the following categories: the Juror’s Favorite, Best Meal,Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, and an Honorable Mention.  In addition to the juried prizes, a People’s Choice Award will be bestowed on the structure that gains the most votes from visitors at Canstruction LA presented by Goya Foods.  For $1 per vote, visitors can praise their favorite design (this minimal donation can provide enough food for four meals).  All the money raised, as well as all cans used for the structures, will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  Last year, Canstruction LA contributed 27,249 pounds of food and $15,799.

Canstruction LA presented by Goya Foods is hosted by Gilmore Associates.  Media sponsor is Los Angeles Downtown News; Platinum sponsor is TekWorks; Gold sponsors are Herman Miller, Milliken Floor Covering, Dragonfly Design Group, and Tom Bonner Photography; Silver sponsor is the Los Angeles Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS LA). Canstruction LA is part of the international program organized by the Society for Design Administration.

For 42 years, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked to mobilize resources in the community to alleviate hunger. With a vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County, the Food Bank has distributed one billion pounds of food since its inception. It provides food to 280,500 people monthly, and in 2014 distributed 59 million pounds of food. The Food Bank collects food from hundreds of resources, which—with the help of 27,000 volunteers annually—it distributes through a network of more than 680 partner agencies at more than 1,000 distribution and program sites.  In addition, 97 percent of monies raised and in-kind donations go directly to programs. Its efficiency and effectiveness led the Los Angeles Business Journal to name the Food Bank as the “Nonprofit Organization of the Year” among large local organizations in 2013.  For more information or to get involved, visit www.lafoodbank.org.

In total, Canstruction LA has donated more than 300,000 cans of food for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.canstructionla.com or call 213.924.8661.

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