Connecting the past and present through a contemporary visual experience.
Client: Ridgefield Park Arts Association
Deliverables: Visual identity guidelines, landing page, social content, signage, print collaterals (publication, posters, postcards, lawn signs), curatorial framework workshop, and exhibition design.
Client: Ridgefield Park Arts Association
Deliverables: Visual identity guidelines, landing page, social content, signage, print collaterals (publication, posters, postcards, lawn signs), curatorial framework workshop, and exhibition design.
Context
Driven by a commitment to engage a local community through artistic programming, the co-chair of the Ridgefield Park Arts Association sought curatorial and design services to guide the development of the first exhibition featuring the history of Ridgefield Park’s 4th of July Parade—the oldest continuously running 4th of July Parade in New Jersey dating back to 1894.
Challenges included securing an appropriate gallery location, identifying the interpretive framework to guide the selection of the best photographs among hundreds in the collection at the Ridgefield Park Public Library, and designing an exhibition experience that was welcoming, informational, engaging, and accessible.
Challenges included securing an appropriate gallery location, identifying the interpretive framework to guide the selection of the best photographs among hundreds in the collection at the Ridgefield Park Public Library, and designing an exhibition experience that was welcoming, informational, engaging, and accessible.
Solution
How to translate over 200 years of history of a beloved 4th of July parade to a contemporary audience (that included local residents and other New Jersey audiences)?
What contemporary visual language could communicate the strong bond between the past and the continuous present to modern audiences?
The first action guided the exhibition committee members through a facilitated, engaging, and web-based workshop that helped them identify the key curatorial themes for this project: Local History, Community, Creativity, and Resilience. The big idea was a collaborative process that arrived at “the resilient history of a joyful, local celebration throughout different decades”.
The identity brainstorm process started with an exploration of past and present movement (inspired by the exhibition title “Moments in Motion”) through iconography, textures, and typography from different eras and it arrived at “Collective Resilience” as the concept to translate into a contemporary visual language that celebrates the strong bond between American traditions and modern celebrations.
The first action guided the exhibition committee members through a facilitated, engaging, and web-based workshop that helped them identify the key curatorial themes for this project: Local History, Community, Creativity, and Resilience. The big idea was a collaborative process that arrived at “the resilient history of a joyful, local celebration throughout different decades”.
The identity brainstorm process started with an exploration of past and present movement (inspired by the exhibition title “Moments in Motion”) through iconography, textures, and typography from different eras and it arrived at “Collective Resilience” as the concept to translate into a contemporary visual language that celebrates the strong bond between American traditions and modern celebrations.
Results
The exhibition raised over $2K in donations. Visitors commented positively on the beautiful, engaging, and informative aspects of the exhibition and the unique transformative aspect of a space used for after-school activities.
The positive response to this project sparked interest from the municipal administrators to support the Ridgefield Park Arts Association at a larger scale in the future with better resources. It also inspired legislators to fund a video documentary about the exhibition before it closed to the public.
The positive response to this project sparked interest from the municipal administrators to support the Ridgefield Park Arts Association at a larger scale in the future with better resources. It also inspired legislators to fund a video documentary about the exhibition before it closed to the public.
Visual Identity