PEN America at 100

PEN America Centenary Exhibition at the N-Y Historical Society

“PEN America unites readers and writers to celebrate literature and defend free expression. Fighting for the freedom of imprisoned and at-risk writers and artists around the globe.” - PEN America

This storied organization is celebrating a century of championing the freedom to write and I had the opportunity to do all of the graphic design for the exhibition. The final product is completely true to my original mock-ups, seen below the photo of the finished exhibition.

“Merce My Way”

Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Photographs of Merce Cunningham’s Dances, at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center)

“Mikhail Baryshnikov, dancer, choreographer, actor, and a photographer most of his adult life, pays vibrant homage to the work of master choreographer Merce Cunningham. In his own words, Baryshnikov describes his project as his “humble attempt to see, measure, and understand the work of one of the greatest choreographers of our time.” These photographs of the Cunningham Dance Company are vibrant and expressive depictions of Cunningham’s work, vividly capturing the intricate and beautiful movements of the dancers.“ - SPAC

I was hired to design a wall treatment for each of the six walls being used to showcase the photos in the exhibition. I was struck by Merce's idea that all forms of art can co-exist independently of one another, that movement can happen independently of rhythm, and that rigor and freedom can go hand-in-hand. This inspired me to work with the idea of sound waves as a backdrop for these astounding photographs. The sound waves very much have a life of their own, and yet they emphasize and support the headlining visuals by reflecting their beautiful color palettes.

The final product looks exactly like my mock-ups seen below.