Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM)
Roles:
Freelance Designer (August 2021 - March 2022)
Marketing and Design Intern (May 2021 - August 2021)
Primary Collaborators:
Rebecca Wright, Vanessa De Zorzi, Christian Lopez, Lauren Szumita, Marjorie Rawle,
Dr. Nick Capasso, Laura Howick, the photographer Ruben Natal-San Miguel,
Timothy C. Johnson, and Jessie Olson.
Freelance Designer Duties —
The Deputy Director (DEPDIR) for Advancement and Administration and the Museum Director helped me design the 2021 Annual Report. I collaborated with the DEPDIR for Advancement and Administration, Marketing Manager, Curator, and Terrana Assistant Curator to design 3 flyers, 2 editorial graphics, 5 animations, and 1 postcard mailer to promote upcoming events at FAM. I tightened design unity across print and digital channels, by creating an aesthetic ecosystem with consistent motifs and colors. I edited six videos: three videos for the FAM's YouTube channel and three videos for FAM's Annual Meeting. I updated 4 web pages and created 3 new web pages on the FAM website. Together the new Marketing Manager and I broadened the #MondayMotivation Twitter campaign to encompass Instagram and Facebook. In addition to doing freelance graphic and web design, I wrote and applied for forty Local Cultural Council grants. Currently, I work with all FAM department heads and staff, directly with artists, printers, and local government officials.
Internship Duties —
I collaborated with the Marketing Manager to (1) create a campaign proposal and (2) design advertising collateral for an intermodal transit center and city bus. With help from the Marketing Manager, I designed the 2022 Calendar. I helped start two social media campaigns. I designed two web pages for FAM: one for the video lecture series Art Matters and one for eight photogrammetry scans of African and Oceanic art. Based on the Marketing Manager's input, I created 6 social media motion graphics using Cinema 4D and Redshift. I collaborated with the Director of Education to design three large Learning Lounge graphics and five labels. The Membership and Events Manager and Building Supervisor helped me produce a detailed plan of the Museum's interior spaces and grounds.
WordPress, CSS Web Design
• Above, Left and Right The Marketing Manager and Consulting Curator for African and Oceanic Art helped me create a digital archive of 3D models for the Moving Objects permanent collection on the FAM website. The animation and still graphics were created in Cinema 4D with Redshift renderer, using photogrammetry models of FAM artwork. The photogrammetry model scans were created by Timothy C. Johnson and the project was overseen by the Collection Manager.
• The Terrana Assistant Curator, Marketing Manager, and I created a web page for Art Matters, FAM's virtual artist interview series.
Fitchburg You R Beautiful Print Campaign
• Above The three poster designs that were posted around the city of Fitchburg and surrounding towns to boost interest for the Fitchburg Art Museum x Ruben Natal-San Miguel Fitchburg You R Beautiful event. Rather than the standard process of designing the English advertisements first, I reversed the process and designed the Español versions to begin with.
The event happened on September 25, 2021, and involved the renowned street photographer Ruben Natal-San Miguel taking portraits at FAM. The Fitchburg You R Beautiful portrait event and resulting eponymous virtual exhibition were tributes to the Fitchburg community and surrounding towns. The Terrana Assistant Curator compiled the photographs from the event and I designed an interactive web gallery to showcase Ruben Natal-San Miguel's photographs.
Fitchburg You R Beautiful Virtual Exhibition →
2021 Annual Report
• Above, First Row, Left The front cover. Compared to previous years, the 2021 Annual Report front cover's font size was scaled down, in favor of a larger hero photo.
• Above, First Row, Right The sixth and seventh pages of the report. This spread's leftward dynamism draws viewers' eyes across the pages and unites the composition.
• Above, Second Row, Left The fourth and fifth pages of the report. The colors and patterns in the images helped inform the design of this page.
• Above, Second Row, Right The tenth and eleventh pages of the report. To increase accessibility, the Operating Revenue and Expense pie charts were designed to be easily read by those who are color blind.
Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) Art that Moves You Campaign
• Above, Left Designed a 30"x36" poster for the MART Intermodal Transit Center (ITC) in Fitchburg, MA. The ITC services the Fitchburg community, surrounding towns, and other MBTA commuters.
• Above, Right Designed an 18"x96" sign for a MART bus. The diagonal design motif is derived from the diagonal lines that assemble to form the FAM's lettermark. The repeated diagonal reinforces the forward momentum of the moving bus and also subtly alludes to the duplicated "M" in MART's very own logo.
• Right Prototype bus advertisements from the MART Transit Campaign Proposal. All vector models are from Pimpmydrawing.com.
2022 Calendar
• Above, Left The front and back cover. The calendar features photographs from FAM's exhibition The BIG Picture: Giant Photographs and Powerful Portfolios.
• Above, Right The photo for each month maximizes the print space available, to subtly connect with the grand scale of the exhibition. The December 2022 spread helps the calendar year culminate with a bit of wittiness.
• Below, Right Inspired by Dr. Kimberly Bosworth Phalen's research on image juxtaposition, I created split compositions that encourage viewer involvement; to nudge them to draw comparisons between two pieces of art. This composition also helped counteract mediocre resolution in the supplied images.
Spotify Music Playlist Campaign
• Offering museum-goers an alternative way to engage with museum art before and after visiting.
• An attempt to further tap into the 18-24-year-old demographic.
• Utilized the #FAMFEELS hashtag to create a stream of connected posts.
• The Spotify code on each playlist post is scannable and directs users to each respective playlist.
• Right The Vitruvian Man's Buff Brother. An enlarged cover graphic for a FAM's playlist titled Thurston. The playlist tracks and the rendered 3D model are based on Douglas Kornfeld's sculpture, Thurston.
Sculpture credit: Douglas Kornfeld (US American, b. 1955), Thurston, 2015, epoxy painted steel.
• Bottom Row The Moving Objects playlist artwork credit: Face Mask (20th century) by indigenous artist or workshop, Kru or Grebo people. The Discover Ancient Egypt playlist artwork credit: Figurine Of Horus (Egyptian New Kingdom, probably 19th Dynasty). Both photogrammetry scans are by Timothy C. Johnson.
Printed Advertising Collateral
• Above, Left The larger graphic is FAM's inner front cover advertisement from the January / February 2022 issue of Artscope, which complements the front cover directly to the right. The scaled-down front cover graphic and photograph are not mine. The front cover photo credit line is Preston Singletary, Medicine Woman (Raven), 2012, blown and carved glass, 12 1/2' x 23" x 8". Photography by Russell Johnson, Courtesy Schantz Galleries. The front cover design is by the Artscope Design Group.
• Above, Right The larger graphic is FAM's back cover advertisement from the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of The Guide to North Central Massachusetts, ties directly to the partriotic front cover directly to the right. The scaled-down front cover graphic and photograph are not mine. The photo credit line is In The Meadow Farm, McGraw the alpaca, wearing his Uncle Sam hat. The front cover design is by Gallery Sitka.
Social Media Animation Highlights
• Above An animation posted on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to celebrate the New Year! The animation was created in Cinema 4D, used several Megascans assets, and was rendered using Redshift. Like previous FAM designs, the animation uses a 3D model of Douglas Kornfeld's iconic Thurston sculpture. Sculpture credit: Douglas Kornfeld (US American, b. 1955), Thurston, 2015, epoxy painted steel.
• Right An animation posted on social media, announcing the release of the recording of Abelardo Morell's virtual Conversation Café on YouTube. The animation is inspired by Morell’s use of the camera obscura. The citation for the re-lit, 3D room in the animation: The Hallwyl Museum (Hallwylska museet). The Great Drawing Room. 3D Model. Sketchfab. 2017. Accessed October 24, 2021. https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/the-great-drawing-room-feb9ad17e042418c8e759b81e3b2e5d7.
• Below, Left An animation posted on social media to increase hype for FAM's exhibition Joyride: Cars in American Art from the Terry and Eva Herndon Collection.
• Below, Right An animation posted on social media to advertise the Museum's Conversation Café with Abelardo Morell. In late October, FAM's curator Lauren Szumita virtually sat down with world-renowned photographer Abelardo Morell for the conversation. During the event, Morell shed light on the inspirations and techniques behind his camera obscura photographs. The animation is inspired by Morell’s use of the camera obscura.
Instagram Story Campaign
• Above Created three kinetic typography motion graphics for three permanent Instagram story covers: Welcome/Bienvenida, Exhibitions/Exposiciones, and Programs/Programas.
• This campaign strengthens FAM's brand continuity on Instagram, by using the brand's existing color palette and typography.
Fitchburg Art Museum Map with Floor Plans and Landscaping
• Above Modified an existing map of FAM to include the courtyard and the exterior sprinkler system. The floor plans of the Museum were reorganized according to traditional floor plan conventions. I also incorporated a scale to add clarity to the set of plans.
#MondayMotivation for Twitter
• Above This campaign highlights quotes from artists whose work is on view at FAM.
• #MondayMotivation is another social media campaign that seeks to establish regularity and rhythm in the content posted.
Maxwell Zaleski © 2021–2024