2021 AIAGR President's Message

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"],["em"],["a",["href","mailto:megan@mathisonarchitects.com","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"2021 AIA Grand Rapids President\u0027s Message"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"On my oldest child\u0027s first birthday, I remember feeling surprised that he was still very much a BABY that morning. It\u0027s years later, and I still chuckle at my new parent naivety, as if he would suddenly be less needy, less full of tears, more rational because a specific date had arrived... and yet he was very much the same boy I\u0027d put to bed. I don\u0027t know about you, but many of us spent the better part of 2020 pining for what would surely be a better 2021. And, indeed, the number has changed on the calendar, but we\u0027re still in a pandemic world, working from our spare rooms or basements, \u0022zooming\u0022 with our parents or children or siblings, watching the political divide in our country continue and our favorite restaurants struggle. But we\u0027re also hopeful. This year we begin wiser, more adaptable and clear-headed, and optimistic about a vaccine and a return to our oh-so-human need for in-person interaction."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I hope that AIA Grand Rapids is also wiser and more adaptable as we enter 2021. We will continue with our virtual programming as long as we need to, but we feel optimistic. We are hopeful that we can reschedule our sorely-missed keynote lecture and see our old friends at the honor awards this fall. If the pandemic has become an inflection point for many, we have the opportunity to rethink our value and our focus. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our recent survey. We heard that, yes, we\u0027re tired of video conferencing, but yes, virtual programming is working right now. We heard that networking and interesting content remain the biggest draw for events, especially as we all earn more CEUs virtually this year. We heard that you want to hear more about climate action and healthy and equitable environments."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I am so hopeful that we, as a society and as individuals, can start to think about recovery and restoration in 2021. Similarly, I\u0027d like AIA Grand Rapids to focus this year on the architect, and not just the architecture. As architects, we tend to direct our attention to the built environment, examining the details and studying the composition. We want to know who\u0027s doing what, regionally and more widely, and how our own work fits in. But I think this year, we could all use a bit of attention on ourselves, too. The people who make things matter just as much as the things we make. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Better architects make better architecture. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0,1,2],3,"Megan Feenstra Wall, AIA"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0,1],2,"AIA Grand Rapids 2021 President"]]]]}