The “Canstruction®” project in Grand Rapids is planning its 2nd annual design/build competition, to be held at the West Michigan Home & Garden Show in March 2010. The local Canstruction steering committee is seeking creative teams of architects, engineers, contractors, designers, students, and any other business that would like to participate.

Teams will build sculptures up to 10’x 10’x 8’ in size made entirely of canned food to help raise awareness of and end hunger in Grand Rapids. Anyone interested in participating should attend the informational meeting on Thursday, November 19 at Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD), 17 Fountain Street NW, Grand Rapids, Room 103 at 5:15 p.m., for complete rules and regulations and questions and answers. Teams can obtain an entry form at the meeting or by emailing cannedrapids@gmail.com. The entry fee is $100 and is due by December 15. Teams are responsible for acquiring canned food.

The public will be able to view these incredible sculptures on display from March 4–7, 2010, at the 31st Annual Home & Garden Show at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. The competition will benefit the Salvation Army’s Booth Family Services, a member of the ACCESS Pantry Network. It is co-sponsored by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University and the law firm of Miller Canfield, supported by the National Interior Design Association Michigan Chapter and endorsed by the Grand Valley Chapter of The American Institute of Architects and The Society for Design Administration.

The first-ever Canstruction® event in Grand Rapids, held in spring 2009, resulted in a donation of over 12,000 canned goods for the Salvation Army’s Booth Family Services. The 2009 teams included Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. (created iPod, “Can You Hear Us?”); Integrated Architecture, Pioneer  Construction, and JDH Engineering (created Atari video game, Space Aliens); KCAD student chapter of AIGA (created a table setting); KCAD student competition winner (created “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”); and Paradigm Design, Inc. (created “The Miraculous Landing on the Hudson River”).

Canstruction in Grand Rapids is a student-driven design competition in the form of sculptural art led by a Kendall senior student, Interior Design major, Emily Davison. For more information, and photos of structures, visit www.canstruction.org. Click on participating cities/Grand Rapids.

As a part of Ferris State University, Kendall College of Art and Design offers programs that prepare the college’s graduates for professional lives as artists and designers. Kendall’s undergraduate programs include art education, art history, digital media, fine arts, furniture design, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, interior design, metals/jewelry, painting, photography, and sculpture and functional art. Kendall also offers the MFA in Fine Arts and the MBA with a Concentration in Design and Innovation Management. Kendall is an active community partner and annually provides over 2,000 children and adults the opportunity to pursue courses in art and design through a richly varied continuing studies program. Visit Kendall on the web at www.kcad.edu.

The law firm of Miller Canfield offers businesses, governments, nonprofits, individuals, and families a broad array of integrated legal and business services in over 55 areas. With Michigan roots for 157 years – including more than 25 years in West Michigan – and a global reach, the firm has 370 lawyers throughout offices in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, New York, Ohio, Canada, Mexico, Poland, and China. For more information, visit www.millercanfield.com.

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.