Board Room

It’s doubtful the typical skateboarder is thinking about how the sweet graphics on his board were designed as he grinds along a park bench or launches into the air off a ramp. Matt Bargell, mentorship director for the American Institute of Graphic Artists in Colorado, hopes to change that with Bordo Bello, a program that aims to inform and inspire young people about the art of graphic design. In its inaugural session, the project paired forty teams of established designers with stu-dents, and each team produced an original skateboard design, which will be auctioned off for charity. “I combined the youth-culture sport of skateboarding with graphic design and came up with the idea of Bordo Bello,” Bargell explains. “Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is excite people about design, but it’s also a chance for mentors — design professionals — to work with young students and for each of them to have a mutually rewarding experience.”

You can meet the artists, view the results and bid on your favorite decks tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. at Access Gallery, 909 Santa Fe Drive. Tickets are $10 to $20 in advance, $20 to $30 at the door, and all proceeds benefit the Youth Design Denver and Giving Voice charities. For more info and to buy tickets, call 303-408-0716, visit www.aigacolorado.org or e-mail mentorship@aigacolorado.org.
Fri., Dec. 12, 6-10 p.m., 2008