PKPR News
RSG Group unveils new Gold’s Gyms in Texas
August 29, 2022
In August 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when many gyms were closing or struggling, RSG Group purchased Gold’s Gym after it had filed for bankruptcy a few months earlier. Two years later, with six new Gold’s Gyms opening in Texas, RSG Group is delivering on its promise to preserve the iconic gym’s legacy while moving the brand forward with a new look inspired by its Venice Beach roots, a new business model, and a laser-like focus on serious fitness. Check out the coverage in the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, and The Real Deal.
Wil Haygood honored with Dayton Literary Peace Prize
August 26, 2022
Wil Haygood, whose books chronicle the struggles and triumphs of 20th-century Black Americans—from high-profile politicians to high school basketball players—will receive the 2022 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. Haygood’s seminal works include Showdown, which details the contentious 1967 battle to get Thurgood Marshall onto the Supreme Court, and Tigerland, which followed athletes at an all-Black high school as they captured two state titles in Columbus, Ohio. His book The Butler, based on the life of Eugene Allen who served eight presidents at the White House, was adapted to become an award-winning film directed by Lee Daniels.
Coverage included: Associated Press, NPR, Library Journal, The Columbus Dispatch, ABC News, and Kirkus Reviews.
Moleskine exhibit at One World Observatory
May 27, 2022
An exhibition showcasing Moleskine notebooks that have been transformed into stunning works of art by 75 creative thinkers opened at One World Observatory at One World Trade Center in New York this week. Artworks by William Kentridge, Paula Scher, MC Yan, Sigur Rós, Francis Kéré, Joana Vasconcelos, Cristina Lei Rodriguez, and more than 20 New York creatives contributed to the exhibition.
Coverage included WCBS, Time Out New York, artnet, Voice of America, Wallpaper, Archinect, Airmail, ANSA, and Artsy. Influencers covering the exhibition included NYC Charlene, Julia Martinez, and Average Socialite.
Panthera in People
May 25, 2022
This week, Panthera and Senegal’s Department of National Parks (DPN) announced that the lion population in Senegal’s Niokolo Koba National Park has more than doubled from 10 to 15 in 2011 to an estimated 40 today, thanks to concerted anti-poaching and monitoring efforts. In a first for the nation of Senegal, scientists also announced they have successfully GPS-collared six lions, which will provide critical data for the protection of the species.
While collaring the six lions, the scientists also found a lone young skinny female lioness, who had become separated from her pride and was not able to hunt on her own. Upon closer inspection, they discovered she had a face full of porcupine quills preventing her from eating. Recognizing that her chances for survival were low, they decided to dart her with tranquilizers so they could remove the quills from her mouth and face, disinfect her wounds, and give her antibiotics.
See the story in People.
Roto founder profiled in Attractions Management
May 16, 2022
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Check out this in-depth interview with Roto founder Joseph Wisne in Attractions Management Magazine.
Hanif Abdurraqib profiled by NBC News
March 25, 2022
In an age where algorithms drive most music discovery, MacArthur “genius” and 2021 National Book Award finalist Hanif Abdurraqib is using books, a new season of his radio show Object of Sound, and a new NYC concert series to open listeners’ ears to music by Black artists of all genres. Check out the profile of Abdurraqib on NBC News.
Razan Al Mubarak in Beautiful News
March 08, 2022
For International Women’s Day, Beautiful News looks at Razan Al Mubarak’s efforts to support the work of female conservationists worldwide.
DJDS in Shondaland
February 10, 2022
Deanna Van Buren, the founder of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, is profiled today in Shondaland as part of their Black History Now series.
Panthera study in Science, Treehugger
January 21, 2022
For the first time, Panthera scientists have documented evidence that female jaguars use tactics similar to female lions to prevent their cubs from being killed by adult males. The tactics include hiding their offspring while they distract males by flirting and indulging their sexual attention. See coverage of the Panthera study in Science and Treehugger .
Mozilla’s Future Wake in Fast Company
January 14, 2022
Law enforcement relies on AI systems that purport to predict crime — but have proven to be biased against Black Americans. Two artist-technologists supported by an award from Mozilla have turned the “predictive policing” model on its head when with “Future Wake,” an interactive website that uses AI trained on real law enforcement data to predict police killings. PKPR secured coverage for the project in Fast Company, ZDNet, Surface, and an op-ed by its creators for It’s Nice That.
Op-ed by Roto founder in SEGD
January 12, 2022
PKPR placed this op-ed in SEGD by Roto founder Joseph Wisne on how museums and attractions looking to achieve greater commercial success and cultural impact need to become “supersensory”.
In the article, Wisne discusses how supersensory experiences like Meow Wolf and Van Gogh Alive magnify not only Big Five senses like touch and sight but also the sense of temperature, pain, balance, and danger. Rather than just aiming to wow visitors, Wisne argues that museums should create supersensory experiences that bring visitors closer to pressing topics like climate change and racial injustice.
Albany Law School op-ed in New York Daily News
January 07, 2022
With NY state’s eviction moratorium set to expire on Jan 15th, Professor Ted de Barbieri of Albany Law School penned an op-ed for the New York Daily News on how to avoid a housing crisis this winter
Moleskine Foundation on BBC World Service
December 07, 2021
BBC World Service’s Digital Planet interviewed Lwando Xaso of Constitution Hill Trust, who is working with PKPR client Moleskine Foundation to equip young Africans with the tools to create Wikipedia articles in their official languages, such as Xhosa and isiZulu.
Albany Law School op-ed in Washington Post
December 03, 2021
As Biden’s Commission on Supreme Court structural reform prepares to present its final report on December 6th, Albany Law School professor Ray Brescia penned an op-ed for the Washington Post looking at how the cases on the docket this term — more so than the commission report — will shape the future of the court.
Forbes chats with new Moleskine CEO
November 22, 2021
New Moleskine CEO Daniela Riccardi speaks to Forbes about her vision for the brand, including new collaborations with luxury and fashion brands like Missoni, Kaweco, and Pontoglio.
Chanel Miller’s speech at Dayton ceremony on LitHub
November 19, 2021
LitHub highlighted author Chanel Miller’s moving and powerful speech at this week’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize ceremony.
DJDS in Bloomberg CityLab
November 09, 2021
Bloomberg CityLab’s Zach Mortice talked to DJDS’s Deanna Van Buren about the challenges of transforming closed jails into spaces that benefit communities devastated by mass incarceration.
Deanna Van Buren tells Bloomberg: “When you have a system that at its root is structurally racist, your beautification of the infrastructure is not actually dealing with the real issues. As designers, we have to be critical of what systems we’re propping up and what we’re supporting, because architects have always just supported and propped up systems of power.”
[In the photo above: DJDS organized public meetings where community members came together to imagine a new future for the Atlanta City Detention Center.]
Albany Law School Dean on CNN
October 26, 2021
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Albany Law School Dean Alicia Oullette, an expert on COVID-19 law, was interviewed by CNN Supreme Court reporter Ariane de Vogue on the likelihood of the Supreme Court taking on a case challenging the legality of vaccine mandates.
“I think it is very likely that the Supreme Court will take on a case challenging a state vaccine mandate that does not allow for a religious exemption, especially if the state allows for medical exemptions,” Ouellette told CNN.
BPL op-ed in NY Daily News
September 24, 2021
In 2020, hundreds of people across Brooklyn participated in 32 town halls to debate and develop a new amendment as part of Brooklyn Public Library’s 28th Amendment Project.
For Constitution Day 2021 (September 17th), PKPR worked with BPL to give the initiative a national boost. Highlights included placing an op-ed by “framer” Susan N. Herman in the New York Daily News and organizing the presentation of the “Brooklyn Amendment” to the office of Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Stay tuned for an op-ed by BPL’s László Jakab Orsós on how other libraries can replicate the project in the January 2022 issue of Library Journal.
Bill Cunningham exhibit on NBC New York Live
September 20, 2021
Check out this awesome tour of the Experience the Times of Bill Cunningham exhibit with NBC New York Live’s Joelle Gargulio.