African American Museum in Philadelphia
A Long and Meaningful Partnership
From 2017 into 2026, we designed exhibition identities for the African American Museum in Philadelphia — one of the country's first institutions dedicated to preserving and interpreting African American culture and history. Over fifteen exhibitions, the work included title design, building banners, postcards, window and reception desk vinyl, social media graphics, and four exhibition microsites. Each project began with a close collaboration with the Museum's curator to understand how a title and its visual identity should feel before anything else was designed.
Design That Responded to Subject Matter
No two exhibitions asked for the same visual approach. The Pearl Bailey Showcase called for something elegant and archival. The retrospective of artist-in-residence Richard Watson required a design that honored a figure deeply embedded in the institution's own history. When existing exhibition assets arrived from outside partners, we adapted them into the full suite of materials the Museum needed — without losing the integrity of the original design.
Rendering Justice
The most personally resonant project in the partnership was Rendering Justice, co-presented with Mural Arts Philadelphia and supported by the Art for Justice Fund. The exhibition featured work by nine formerly incarcerated artists, curated by Jesse Owens — himself formerly incarcerated. The design needed to feel bold and street-rooted while remaining distinct enough to stand alongside the work rather than compete with it. We designed both the physical exhibition identity and the online microsite.
Exhibitions in the Digital Space
Four exhibitions received full microsite treatment — designed by us, built with outside developers in coordination with the Museum. These online exhibitions gave the Museum's programming a presence that outlasted the physical show, making the work accessible to audiences who never set foot in the building.
