Old West, New West, was a special exhibition mixing contemporary western photography by Jace Romick with historical images caputred by Roland Reed (1864–1934).
The wordmark for the exhibition began with 'Gin' from Fort Foundry. After researching signage of the old American West, I exaggerated the serifs further and added more decorative elements (anything to grab the eye at the time). To balance the old with the new, I hand lettered the sharp geometric characters based on Gin's glyphs.
When the wordmark, or other information was overlayed or intertwined into imagery that was black and white or sepia, inverted or difference blending modes would be used to reflect Roland Reed's use of glass plate negatives.
Many of the images in the show were black and white or sepia, so soft shades of beige and light orange were included throughout to soften and offset the high contrast in several of the pieces.
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The digital exhibition for Old West, New West was a pleasure to put together. Having historical information for the Roland Reed pieces in the show allowed the entire experience to have a more museum-like feel. We reflected this in the gallery with signage to inform visitors as well.
Jace Romick, also a master carpenter, hand crafts all of his own frames. Obviously, the pieces needed to be presented framed, but this also offered an opportunity to break up the exhibition to feature a section to highlight the importance of just that.
Social media outreach had an emphasis on motion to grab viewer's attention.
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Promotional emails were sent consistently, leading up to the reception and afterward to maintain interest in the show. The campaign saw a consistent click rate, with the email above getting 7%!
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Each email saw a boost in RSVPs leading up to the artist's reception, including the last minute reminder sent on the morning of the evening, above.
