Seeking a more contemporary aesthetic for their promotional materials, the Minnesota Museum of American Art (MMAA) approached me in 2008 to design announcements and banners for their upcoming exhibitions. Rather than implement a template system, each piece responded to its respective exhibition: Coming of Age: Photographing the Journey — a group photography show centered around the often awkward transformation from childhood to adulthood — employed an irregular sans serif along with “translations” of the information into “texting” prose; coupled with Coming of Age was Honoring a Generous Spirit — the first in a series of recent photography acquisitions — which used the slash as an open-ended graphic device to reference the forthcoming and ongoing installments (1/2, 3/5, 7/9, etc); Crate 1 of 2 — an exhibition culled from MMAA’s permanent collection — took its cues from shipping and packing vernacular; Hot Ink — a survey of up-and-coming comic artists — utilized comic-esque material (a light-grey uncoated paper) and typography (a brush-stroke for the title, which was printed "out of register," and use of bold emphasis throughout the body copy).
Additionaly, MMAA’s gallery space — situated within a larger multi-use building in downtown St. Paul — required external signage to increase their visibility. Conceived as a triptych of flags, the institutional banner served this purpose by using bold vibrant colors along with simple language — making it visible from several blocks away as well as a quick read for passer-bys.
Coming of Age: 5.5" x 7.5"
Crate 1 of 2: 5.5" x 7.5"
Hot Ink: 5.5" x 8"
4/4
Minnesota Museum of American Art
Art, Ephemera